Last Sunday, Jim and I left for a week’s vacation to Iceland, and what a great trip it has been. Iceland has been on our bucket list for years, so being able to realize this visit made us giddy with anticipation. It is an island where volcanoes and glaciers coexist, hence the fire and ice reference. To maximize our time here, we made a list of what we wanted to do, and with the help of a couple of tour companies, we’ve been able to accomplish them plus more.
Just like any other trip to Europe, we left Sunday and arrived very early Monday morning. It was still pitch black outside when we landed, and sunrise was not to be until around 8:30 AM. Luckily, our hotel allowed us to check in very early. First thing we did was drop off our luggage and go eat plus walk our week’s neighborhood. Staying in downtown Reykjavik afforded us the opportunity to visit some iconic sites in the city while simultaneously being close to our hotel in the event we needed an afternoon nap which after a long travel day, we did! We were hoping to go on our tour to see the Northern Lights on Monday evening, but our tour was cancelled due to excessive cloud coverage and poor visibility. Luckily we were able to reschedule.
The following day, we walked to Perlan, a natural history museum and interactive exploratorium with a half hour walk from our hotel. It was a fantastic place to visit and learn about Iceland’s geological makeup. There is an interactive volcano experience, an ice cave and an Aurora Borealis movie besides interesting natural pieces such as a segment of a California redwood tree which the United States gifted to Iceland during the Reagan administration. It also has an outside observation deck where you can see the city.
After the Perlan, we got ourselves ready for our Northern Lights tour which we had rescheduled from the previous night. In one word…spectacular! A realized dream for me. We were not able to see them with the naked eye, but our phone cameras captured them in all their glory.
For our third full day, we booked a Golden Circle small group tour which included a visit to the Blue Lagoon which was our first stop. We’d heard mixed reviews on this place, but we found it to be very relaxing and serene. Maybe because it was 9:00 AM when we arrived, it was not overcrowded and the sun and clouds created the most beautiful sky which added to our calm visit. I could’ve stayed there longer than the two hours we were allowed.
Our next stop was Kerio Crater, the remains of a volcano that imploded rather than erupted and created a blue-green lake. it is estimated that this happened about 3,000 to 6,500 years ago. We were able to hike the rim and walk down to the lake itself.
After the crater, we visited the Gullfoss Waterfall which is located in southwest Iceland. The amount of water plunging below measures anywhere between 2,800 to 5,000 cubic feet depending on the season. The sound is palpable when you’re there and very much reminded me of Niagara Falls but definitely much smaller.
We did a quick stop at Geysir Geothermal Area. We saw three eruptions and heard two. However, we did not capture any of them well enough on video or via pictures.
Our final stop for the day was the Thingvellir National Park. This is where the North American and Eurasian tectonic plates come together. Being able to walk this path and have these two plates on opposing sides was thrilling. I wish we could have spent more time exploring, but it was dusk and we needed to get back to the city.
The day after our Golden Circle tour we just walked around the city some more. It’s a walkable city and very easy to navigate.
Our last tour was the South Coast Tour which we did in Friday. This one included visiting Skolgafoss Waterfall, Black Beach, Solheimajokull Glacier, and the Seljalandsfoss Waterfall. All of these places are a stunning example of nature’s powerful presence on Earth and makes you want to make sure they are preserved.
Skolgafoss Waterfall
Reynisfjata Beach/Black Beach
Solheimajokull Glacier
Seljalandsfoss Waterfall
If you love to be in nature, make sure to visit Iceland. It is raw, sophisticated, and real. We definitely want to come back and explore more!
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