Iceland is truly a scene straight out of Game of Thrones (some footage was filmed there) with the lushes green landscape, giant glaciers, and volcanic rocks, you feel like you are on another planet. Traveling in the summer meant three hours of nighttime and twenty-one hours of daylight: meaning lots of room for activities. Just remember that even though it is summer, it is still cold, cloudy, and rainy, so pack appropriately!

Where We Stayed: Reykjavik

Reykjavik is home of many boutique hotels that caters to the many tourists they get each year. We stayed at the Canopy by Hilton, which was a beautiful yet quaint hotel. The hotel receptionists were eager to help with any questions we may have with activities or local sights around Reykjavik. The interior design of the hotel was contemporary and had incredible views of the surrounding city and ocean. The only downside about this hotel is that it is close to some of the clubs which are open until 5:00 pm meaning the music is blasting all night. However, due to Iceland’s nightlife, I have a feeling that most hotels have this problem every Friday and Saturday night. Overall, I would highly recommend this hotel because of the service and beauty.

What We Did

Exploring Reykjavik:

Reykjavik is an incredibly lively city with a bunch of restaurants, history, culture, and shopping. So, I highly suggest taking a day to explore the streets. Along the way, you will find amazing murals, chalk art, and colorful buildings (great for taking photos). Iceland is also land of the Vikings, so make sure to stop and take some pictures with all of the Viking statues.

A must in Reykjavik is to go to the top of the church (Hallgrímskirkja: a staple of the city. The church is beautiful and towers over the entire city of Reykjavik. When we went, we were welcomed by an opera singer as they were having a performance in the church. On Sundays, the organist plays, so I would highly suggest going at this time if you want to hear the organ.

To see the best view of the city, I suggest going to the very top. You can either take the stairs or the elevator (we took the elevator). There is a small fee to go to the top, but it is well worth it for the views.

Golden Circle Helicopter Tour

The Golden Circle is a must to see in Iceland whether it be by car or by air. The family I went with booked us on a helicopter tour because last time they drove it. This was my first helicopter tour ever, and I was terrified. However, after getting into the air and taking the most amazing photos, it is an experience I would recommend to anyone. We did our tour with Reykjavik Helicopter Tours. The service was excellent from the driver who picked us up to the pilot. Our pilot was incredibly qualified and had flown many celebrities who have come to visit Iceland (which was comforting to me because I was terrified). I highly recommend this company if you are looking into tours.

Our first stop was to a glacier. To get to the glacier, we flew over an area where they filmed a fight scene of Game of Thrones (our pilot flew the cast members out to this spot because you can’t get there by car).

We then approached the glacier. Landing on the glacier was pretty surreal because it was if we were the only people to have ever stepped foot on it before (like the moon landing). This glacier is the second-largest glacier in Europe. This meant that you could only see glacier for miles over the horizon. The glacier is really cold, so make sure you have a hat, gloves, warm coat, and warm shoes. I didn’t have a warm hat with me and was regretting it as soon as I stepped out of the helicopter.

The next stop was to fly over the geysers and some waterfalls. Flying over the geyser, we could see hundreds of tourists gathered patiently, waiting to see it shoot off. Lucky for us, we saw it go off in the air, so we didn’t need to fight the crowds. We also flew over the tectonic plates. The tectonic plates are where North America and Europe ultimately meet each other. Here, you can snorkel; however, this was a little too cold for us, so we opted out. 

To beat the crowd of the famous geyser, the pilot took us to these secluded geysers in the middle of the Golden Circle. We landed, and you could immediately smell the sulfur. The smell was brutal, but the views were spectacular. We got to see some sheep bask in the sun and miles of the Iceland green horizon. After this we then returned home, finishing the tour.

Blue Lagoon

Going to the Blue Lagoon is a must because it is a staple place of Iceland. However, I warn you that it is a huge tourist trap and you will be fighting the crowds. Before going to the Blue Lagoon, you have to buy tickets in advance. This will ensure that you get to chose the time you want to go instead of being given an inconvenient time. There are three different plans you can choose from: comfort, premium, and retreat spa. The comfort includes entrance fee, a towel, one mud mask, and one drink. The premium consists of the entrance fee, a towel, slippers, and a robe, two mud masks, one drink, a restaurant reservation with a glass of sparkling wine. And finally, the retreat spa includes the entrance fee, a private changing room, “the Blue Lagoon Ritual,” skincare from the spa, access to the spa restaurant, and four hours in the retreat spa. We did the premium, which ended up being the perfect option. I, unfortunately, was allergic to the mud masks, so I only did one. But my friend’s skin looked terrific so unless you are like me (allergic to everything) the mud masks will be great.

Driving to the Black Beaches

We took a full day to get to the black beaches in Vík from Reykjavik. You can head straight to the beach, making it about a five hour round trip plus time spent at the beach. But we decided to make different stops along the way, making it about a ten-hour trip.

Leaving Reykjavik, our first stop was Seljanlandsfoss (one hour and forty-minute drive). Seljanlandsfoss is one of the only waterfalls in Iceland that you can walk behind. Because of this, you will get very wet and very cold so make sure to bring a raincoat and good shoes. There is no entrance fee to see the waterfall. However, they do have a coffee stand and a clothing shop, which was an excellent place to get hot chocolate after being pounded by cold water.

The next stop was the Dyrhólaey Rock Arch (forty-eight minutes from the waterfall). Here you get a birds-eye view of the black beaches and a beautiful view of an arch in the rocks. To get to the top, you drive up a rocky, narrow road, so make sure you have a car good for the trek. Once you are at the top, there are various trails you can take to see different views of the beaches.

We then drove in the town of Vík (twenty-five minutes away from the lookout). Vík is a super cute town that has a population of three hundred and eighteen people. This super quaint town sits seaside in a valley like landscape between two hills. The staple of Vík is a white and red church that dates back to 1929. The church sits up on a hill and towers over the rest of the town, making it hard to miss. The quaintest and history that Vík holds makes it one of the coolest places I have ever been. We decided to grab a bite to eat here at a burger place and was not disappointed. Vík is also known for the puffins so be on the lookout.

The final stop was the Black Beaches. The Black beaches are incredibly beautiful and genuinely looks like you are living in black and white. All around are impressive rock formations and caves to explore as well. However, I cannot express this enough; the water is incredibly dangerous. Though there are signs everywhere saying to stay away from the water, sadly many tourists lose their lives each year. For someone who is always by the ocean, I thought that they were being overly cautious and just trying to release themselves of liability. However, it is truly one of the most dangerous waters I have ever experienced. Though the waves are not big, the undertow is so strong you can hear the “whoosh.” They call them “sneaker waves” for a reason because if you turn your back to them, you risk getting sucked into the water. So please be careful as you enjoy this beautiful place.

Here you are also able to see the puffins so once again be on the lookout for them flying in the sky or camping out on the rocks. When we went, it was super windy, and the cold air can hurt your ears, so depending on the weather I would suggest a hat. If you walk down the beach, you will see different caves with the prettiest rock formations you will ever see. Once you get to the end of the beach, there are a bunch of rock formations. At low tide (it has to be low tide) you can walk through those rock formations to see a beautiful view of the rocks in the middle of the ocean.

After the Black Beaches, we returned to the hotel. This day was exhausting but well worth the time spent. A lot of people will take a road trip around the entire country of Iceland; however, if you are like us and only have a few days there, this is a great alternative.

Where we ate

Iceland is known for their cod so definitely make sure to try the cod at some point. Iceland also does grilled puffin, shark, and whale. I couldn’t bring myself to try any of these because of ethical reasons but it is traditional Icelandic food.

Joe’s Juice: this is a chain smoothie and juice bar in Iceland that is so amazing we went for breakfast every single day. They have an extensive menu of freshly juiced fruits and vegetables and also have a fantastic menu of healthy breakfast foods.

-5/5

Grillmarkaõurinn: this is the best restaurant in Reykjavik, however, is also the most expensive. If you are looking to treat yourself, I would highly suggest this restaurant, as they have a large menu and the service and ambiance is amazing. I highly recommend  getting the beef tataki and the sampler dessert.

-5/5

Sjávargrillið: this is a seafood restaurant that has a ton of options of fish. I got the cod here, and it was amazing. The drinks here are beautiful and delicious, so make sure to take a look at the large drink menu. Unfortunately the night we came in the service was incredibly slow. Our waiter was super nice, but the kitchen got backed up due to the number of people they had in the restaurants. Other than that the experience was good.

-4.5/5

Perlan: this beautiful restaurant is on top of the museum. The restaurant is a cafe-style where you order your food before sitting down. The views of Iceland are stunning here, and the complete glass dome architecture makes the ambiance beautiful. The food was decent, but you go for the views. We went for lunch, and that was a great choice. Perlan is not within walking distance of Reykjavik; however, a short taxi ride will get you there.

-4/5

Rossopomodoro: if you are looking for something other than European cuisine then I suggest this great Italian restaurant. We loved it so much we went twice. They have great pasta and pizza, and the service is truly amazing.

-4.7/5

Overall, our time in Iceland was nothing short of amazing. It is so easy to get to from the US and is a bucket list place.

 

TIP:

When flying to or from Iceland from the United States, make sure to look out your window to get a beautiful view of Greenland.