Visiting Iceland was one of the biggest dreams at that time. Slight jealousy rose inside me seeing other travelers’ pictures from this magnificent land. Therefore we rushed to visit Iceland as soon as possible. Iceland is a country for nature lovers. It has everything: mountains, glaciers, endless meadows, incredible beaches and so much more. Here you’ll find an itinerary of our vacation in Iceland in the late spring.
Day 1
As soon as we got our rental SUV in the Reykjavik International airport, we went to the famous Blue Lagoon straight away. This outdoor geothermal SPA is barely 20 minutes away from the airport.
This SPA is located in a lava field but it did not form naturally. Pools are man-made and the water in them is a byproduct from the nearby geothermal power plant. When you know the truth, it is less romantic, right? However, it’s hard to resist the milky blue shade water of the average temperature of 37–39 °C (99–102 °F). Pool water has this unusual blue color due to the high silica content in it. Silica forms a soft layer of white-grey mud on the bottom of the pool. Visitors gladly rub themselves with it due to its believed beneficial properties for the skin. Happy like a pig in mud becomes reality.
We purchased our tickets on spot and chose the cheapest option. In our 45 eur ticket fee were included: entrance to the Blue Lagoon (of course), silica mud mask, the use of a towel, and 1st drink of our choice. If you have extra room in your luggage, grab slippers and a bathrobe. While staying in the warm bath is awesome, remember how unpleasant it gets when you need to get out of it.
We spent there approximately 2 hours even though time in the Blue Lagoon is unlimited. Luckily, it wasn’t packed with people and it was possible to get some nice shots without random people in the background. We drank our complimentary drinks, rubbed our faces with silica masks, and after swimming here and there (pools are not very deep) decided that it is enough for us. It’s time to go to Reykjavik.
Day 2
In the morning we joined a free walking tour that lasted 2 hours. The free walking tour covered the Parliament building, The Concert Hall Harpa, Hallgrímskirkja, lake Tjörnin, and the City Hall. Let’s be honest here: the old town of Reykjavik is tiny. There are no so many things to explore in general. It reminded me rather a small fishing village with some more fancy buildings than a capital. It has its charm but personally, 1 day of exploring Reykjavik was enough for us.
After our tour, we came back to Hallgrímskirkja – the best-known landmark in the capital of Iceland. The construction of Hallgrímskirkja ended in 1986 and took 41 years to build. This Lutheran church sits on a slight hill (most of Reykjavik is completely flat) and has a shape of a pipe organ or a water fountain. Depends on what you see in it. Maybe even something else? Anyway, this church is famous for its observation tower. Visitors can take an elevator to the viewing deck and see the whole Reykjavik and its surroundings from there. This church houses also a 15-meter tall pipe organ.
Our next stop was at the Harpa – concert hall right next to the seashore. Not that we had tickets for a show. We were simply looking for a place to warm up, toilet, and use free Wi-Fi. And we found all of these things there. This unique modern building reminds a giant honeycomb. The exterior was constructed from colored glass inspired by the basalt stone widely found in Iceland. Harpa hosts also a gift shop with stuff made by local artists and some restaurants that serve traditional Icelandic food as well.
Right next to Harpa there is a sculpture of the Sun Voyager. This shiny steel structure resembles a Viking long-ship. However, in the beginning, I saw it as a giant fish skeleton. I was never art savvy. Nevertheless, the original artist’s idea was to represent a „dreamboat and an ode to the sun“. I think, his original intentions failed dramatically.
And then we ran out of things to do. Again. Well, of course, there were museums but we were in a walking mood. We decided to walk 5 km one way to visit Grótta Island Lighthouse that was erected in 1897. In fact, it sits in a small peninsula but due to the tides, this place becomes an island and is inaccessible on foot. The whole distance stretched by the seashore and the stroll was relaxing. Once arrived at this place, we saw that it’s high tide time and we will admire the lighthouse from a distance. Luckily, this place is also known for being a perfect spot to watch water birds. And this is what we did.
We ended our day at a fine dining restaurant called Apotek. Everyone knows how expensive everything is in Iceland. From all the Scandinavian countries it will empty your wallet the most. Therefore, we knew in advance that a fine diner will cost us arm and leg. We ordered a 7-course tasting menu for each of us (~85 USD per person) that included such delicacies as whale and puffin meat, duck breasts, and the best codfish I had in my life. Even though it wasn’t cheap but it was an amazing experience recommended at least once in a lifetime.
Day 3
Our first road trip started on the third day. We traveled up north to visit the Snaefellsnes peninsula. Once arrived in this peninsula, our stops were at Snaefellsjokull, Kirkjufell, Arnarstapi, and Ytritunga. We know how all these Icelandic words frustrate you, so now here are explanations of each and what you will find there:
- Kirkjufell (463 meters) is one of the most picturesque mountains in Iceland. There are some beautiful waterfalls (Kirkjufellsfoss) that together combine into a magical picture. The town of Grundarfjörður is the best place to watch the sunset behind this mountain.
- Snaefellsjokull National Park is the only protected area of this kind in Iceland that stretches to the sea. Almost in the middle of it lies Snæfellsjökull glacier. We drove to the place called Londrangar to admire the rocky seaside. Other famous places within that area are Djúpalónssandur beach, Skarðsvík Beach, Vatnshellir Cave, and Svörtuloft Lighthouse.
- Arnarstapi is a tiny fishing village right at the entrance to the Snaefellsjokull National Park. A lot of tourists stop there to charge themselves before entering the national park. An eroded circular stone arch called Gatklettur is located on the beach of Anastrapi and is one of the tourist attractions as well.
- My personal favorite was Ytritunga beach – home of Harbour Seals. This beach is also unique since it has golden sand, rather than black. Once we arrived there, we saw no seals on the horizon. We needed to walk awhile jumping from rock to rock until we found them laying lazily on warm stones. Surprisingly, we got pretty close and they did not run away.
Day 4
I call our 4th traveling day a water day because we visited multiple waterfalls and geysers. Additionally, we stopped at the Thingvellir National Park.
- Thingvellir National Park is a place where visitors can clearly see North American and Eurasian tectonic plates’ meeting point. It literally forms a huge natural corridor with high cliffs rising up. At the end of the trail, we found – surprise surprise – a waterfall.
- Geysir, or sometimes referred as The Great Geysir, is the first one described in print, and also the first one known to modern Europeans. This Geysir hurls boiling water up to 70 meters. No worries, the protective rope is laid around the geyser to protect distracted visitors.
Here’s a short excursion about our punctured tire. We did not drive off roads (since it was forbidden in the rental agreement) but we still managed to drive over some kind of screw that screwed up our trip. Fortunately, we had full insurance and road assistance came to help us. We paid 600 euros for the repair that later on was refunded. Just so you know, that in such an expensive country sometimes is worth paying extra for full coverage just for your own good. We lost three hours of our precisely planned trip.
- Gullfoss is an enormous waterfall not far from Geysir. The river Hvítá starts its journey from the glacier Langjökull and ends falling in the Gullfoss into two stages (the first cascade is 11 meters high, the second one is 32 meters high). Looking from observation points it looks like nature’s formed water stairs. Anyway, the power of this waterfall is breathtaking.
- Seljalandsfoss waterfall drops from the height of 60 meters. The coolest part of it that tourists can walk behind this waterfall and enter into a cave. How often you can see a waterfall from the other side?
- Skogafoss waterfall is 25 meters wide and drops from the height of 62 meters. On a sunny day, a single or double rainbow can be seen. Visitors can come very close to this waterfall walking through the black river shore. As long as they’re not afraid to get wet. Skogafoss left the most dramatic impression from all the waterfalls we have seen in Iceland.
Day 5
- Even a place of an accident can become sightseeing. The Sólheimasandur plane wreck is a perfect example of it. In 1973 a US Navy plane crashed on the black beach of Iceland due to the pilot’s mistake. Luckily, no one died. Since then no one moved this plane from this place and left it to the mercy of nature and tourists.
This plane became so popular among tourists that the Icelandic government built a parking lot for visitors. Before that people just parked their vehicles right on the side of the highway and that caused safety issues. Unfortunately, the wreck is not visible from the road and it needs about 1 hour one way to reach it. So be prepared for not the easiest sandy walk. But your effort will pay you back. This plane wreck on a completely empty black beach looks so surreal that you’ll forget about your sore legs instantly.
- Even though there are tons of stretches of black beaches in Iceland, one of the most stunning ones is Reynisfjara Beach, right next to the village of Vik. Right on the shore, there are huge basalt stacks that make this beach even more stunning. This is one of those places that are simply beyond description.
- We ended our 5th traveling in Iceland day in the small fishing village of Vik. We arrived there around 8 pm and almost everything there was already closed! The hotel’s kitchen was closed, the store was closed, even the only gas station wasn’t operating at that hour. Luckily, we found the only still opened pub to get some food there. If you’ll spend a night in Vik, keep this in mind.
Day 6
There were a lot of driving and fewer stops involved in the upcoming days of our trip. On the 6th day in Iceland in the morning, we departed from Vik, and our final destination was Hotel Edda Egilsstaðir. On the way, we stopped at Diamond beach and Glacier Lagoon.
- Diamond beach got its name due to the chunks of ice being washed ashore from the nearby glacier. The water-washed clear pieces of ice look like glass or diamonds. Lying there on the black sand they make a stark contrast beautifully captured in pictures.
- There is a beautiful lagoon right near the Vatnajökull – the largest glacier in Iceland and the whole of Europe. At the time we arrived there, giant chunks of ice, broken from the glacier, were floating and spiraling in the lagoon sometimes bumping in each other. There were a lot of seals swimming back and for in this lagoon as well.
Later on, we found another access point to the Vatnajökull glacier where we could take pictures standing on the massive chunks of ice frozen in water.
Day 7
Today we were supposed to reach our final destination – the town of Akureyri. On the way there, we stopped briefly in the village called Raufarhöfn.
In this remote village, close to the Arctic circle, there is another tourist attraction, so-called the Arctic Henge. Some call it a modern Stonehenge. On this site stone arches and sculptures were built accordingly to the Norse pagan beliefs. These arches are arranged in a way to capture the Midnight Sun.
In the late afternoon, we arrived in Akureyri – the “capital” of North Iceland. Even though its population is less than 20, 000 people, it is the fourth biggest municipality in Iceland. This town is an important port and fishing spot. Certainly, we came there not to cach fish, but to watch them.
Day 8
We traveled up North to Akureyri for whale watching. This is one of the best places in Iceland to do this. We booked a whale + puffin watching tour.
We came to the tour office that was located right next to the port. Our guide gave us the gear – coveralls, gloves and rubber shoes. I chose to wear my Timberland shoes and I did not regret that. Even with it, my feet were slightly frozen in the boat so I imagine those who wore rubber shoes probably couldn’t feel their toes. Of course, I wore my hat as well because the temperature was below 0 and it was starting to snow.
We were about 10 people in our group. The guide introduced us with safety instructions, explained how he’s going to show us where the whale is (hours method), and also told some facts about the water Ferrari. In other words, it was a very fast and powerful boat so we needed to sit tight and not try to stand up while the boat is in motion.
Our first stop was at the Puffin island. Iceland has the biggest population of these sometimes called “clowns of the sea”. The Puffin Island is people-free therefore these cute birds can nest there undisturbed. Puffins dig their burrows between rocks or steep cliffs using their becks and feet. Similarly how dogs dig holes on the ground. You won’t see any white bird poops on the island. Apparently, puffins use the ocean as their toilet, in that way keeping their home island clean.
After spending some time with puffins, we set off to find some whales. Humpback whales, harbor porpoises, and minke whales are the most common in this area. However, paying for the ticket does not guarantee that tourists will see at least one whale. So we sat fingers crossed and hoped for the best. Luckily our Spanish guide (yup, a guy from Spain moved to Iceland) and the boat driver were true experts. We saw whales (or maybe the same whale multiple times) and even though we didn’t capture a perfect shot with the camera, we will keep a lot of mental photographs.
Day 9
On our last day, we needed to drive all the way from Akureyri back to Reykjavik International Airport to catch our flight home.
Visiting Iceland in a nutshell
Tris trip lasted 9 days. Here is our vacation in Iceland plan day by day:
1. Blue Lagoon SPA
2. Sightseeing in Reykjavik
3. Snaefellsnes peninsula (Snaefellsjokull, Kirkjufell, Arnarstapi and Ytritunga)
4. Waterfalls (Gullfoss, Seljalandsfoss, Skogafoss), Geysir and Thingvellir National Park
5. Sólheimasandur plane wreck, Reynisfjara Black Beach and Vik
6. Diamond beach and Glacier Lagoon
7. Arctic Henge, arriving in Akureyri
8. Whale and puffin watching
9. Driving back to Reykjavik International Airport
Iceland is all about nature’s wonders. I fell in love with this country’s sceneries not from first sight but from the first kilometer of our trip. Even though Reykjavik, together with other towns, might feel boring but you’re going to Iceland to be wowed by all the spectacular things that this county has. To sum up, Iceland is amazing but be ready to open your wallet widely as well.
It was a great trip, a great adventure. Years ago, during my first trip abroad, our guide said that “a real tourist is always tired but extremely happy”. So this is exactly how we felt back then.
