There’s a reason Iceland is a huge travel spot: for lack of a much better word, it’s amazing. One moment you’re driving between snow covered mountains, the next you’re in a field of lava rocks. It’s holds an incredible history, culture, landscape and so much more. My friends Emily, Lauren, Grace and Rebecca (not to mention Betsy who was there at the same time!) just returned home from this incredible place. Can we go back now to the land of fire and ice???
If you’re like us and don’t have more than a few days to spend in Iceland, here’s how we did it. Buckle up, this is a lengthy post!
Friday 3/10 – Off to Reykjavik and Exploration
We flew WOW Air out of Newark Airport on Thursday evening. WOW Air doesn’t have on-board entertainment and food can be purchased on board, so be prepared if you take it! We landed in Keflavík Airport, took a shuttle to pick up our rental car, and before we knew it we were off to Reykjavik. We booked our car ahead of time through NÜ and made sure it had a GPS to make driving around a breeze. It took about 40 minutes to get to the capital city, as we were driving during the morning rush hour. Good news is that they drive on the same side of the road as America. Renting a car was very ideal.
We arrived at our lovely AirBnb in Reykjavik, and as much as we wanted to get right out there and explore, we had to take a quick nap. We woke refreshed and set out to Mosfellsdalur to find Helgufoss Waterfall…..which we never found.
Our running joke of the trip was our inability to find Helgufoss Waterfall. Guys, we hiked for quite some time in deep snow and could not find this waterfall, even after consulting signs and online guides. It definitely does exist, though! For my Game of Thrones fans, we felt very Jon Snow-y and as if we were North of the Wall. It was still an awesome experience, and my How To Get There beanie kept me very warm. So please, if you ever go in search of Helgufoss, be smarter and more careful about it than us!
On our way home, feeling slightly defeated, we stopped by a market to pick up snacks for the day next, when we would be doing the Golden Circle. Later that night, we ate dinner at Fiskfelagid, or Fish Market, and oh. my. word. It was one of the best meals I’ve ever eaten. The freshest, most delicious fish ever.
Saturday 3/11 – Golden Circle and Northern Lights Tour
We started Saturday off around 10 am and headed for the Golden Circle. First stop:Þingvellir National Park.
Followed by Geysir, where we also had a delicious lunch.
And our final stop on the Golden Circle, Gullfoss Waterfall.
We drove home through the most beautiful landscape, showered and had a quick dinner at Babalu Cafe. That evening we did my favorite part of the trip: a Northern Lights tour through Get Your Guide. The real star of that evening was our tour guide Harpa, who sang us an Icelandic lullaby and served us hot chocolate, donuts, and even the traditional fermented shark.
We of course didn’t want to get our hopes up in case the lights didn’t show, but we were extremely lucky. The aurora borealis was dancin’ away; it was truly a once-in-a-lifetime moment.
Sunday 3/12 – Blue Lagoon, Harpa, and Sushi Dinner
Ahhhh the Blue Lagoon. After nearly missing our bus (because we like living life on the edge like that), we arrived at the oasis that is the Blue Lagoon. After showering (mandatory before entering the lagoon) and putting large amounts of conditioner in our hair (the silicia in the water will stiffen it), we were in relaxation heaven floating in toasty water. We also enjoyed lunch in the Lava Restaurant. Definitely book your tickets ahead of time!
We returned home after a very relaxing day and spent our evening checking out Harpa Concert Hall and enjoying a sushi dinner at Sakebarrin.
Monday 3/13 – Exploring Reykjavik, Hallgrímskirkja and Heading Home
The beginning of the end 😦 . We ended our Iceland stay by strolling around Reykjavik and going to the top of Hallgrímskirkja church for some incredible views. After purchasing a lopapeysa sweater, it was time to drive back to Keflavík for our flight home.
And that’s how we did it! Iceland is an amazing, unique, out-of-this-world, wild place. We fit so much into our short trip, but there is still so much of Iceland left to explore, like Vik, Diamond Beach, whale watching, and Skógafoss. Which only means it’s time to start planning our next trip!
Thank you Iceland for an unforgettable time! If you have any questions about Iceland travel, feel free to leave a comment. I hope I can help!
Until we meet again xx
Other helpful Iceland links to check out:
Wow! Looks like a beautiful trip. The Blue Lagoon & seeing the Northern Lights are definitely on my travel list!
Rae // http://www.raechic.com
YES, you’ve gotta go! It’s incredible.
We are headed to Iceland In May and can’t wait. This just makes me more excited to be there.
Have an AMAZING time! You’re going to love it ❤
How incredible! The photos are just surreal in their beauty! I was also interested to read you took Wow air. I’d read about them and was curious. Thanks for sharing! 🙂
Wow Air wasn’t too bad, I’ve gotta say! If you can download some TV shows, bring a book, and are able to sleep on a plane, it makes for a smooth flight 🙂
Omg! It looks like you had an amazing time in Iceland! You got to visit the Blue Lagoon! I’ve always wanted to check it out! Hopefully I’ll be able to visit one day! 🙂
xo, Chloe // http://funinthecloset.com/never-enough-black/
It’s such an incredible place!
That looks like so much fun! I really want to visit Iceland one day!
Molly and Stacie
You definitely have to go!
Looks like you had an amazing trip!! I went in November for 5 days too, and it was really the perfect country to visit for that period of time. The tours allow you to pack in so many sights into one trip – I normally would never sign up for something so touristy, but with Iceland, it’s so advantageous. I’m so jealous of your shots of Gullfoss – when we went, it was pouring!!
Ah that’s amazing!! We also got really lucky with the weather!
I so want to go to Iceland! I’m in NY I think you can get cheap and quick flights. The blue lagoon looks amazing!
You definitely can! We flew out of Newark, and our flight was pretty affordable.
Looks like an amazing trip! My goal is to see the Northern Lights…They are amazing!
Jenn
Joyfuliowan.com
It was such a once-in-a-lifetime moment to see them! ❤
I love that you got to see the Northern Lights! I grew up in Iceland, this post brought back many fond memories ❤
Oh my gosh, that’s incredible! You grew up in such a beautiful place! I’m glad to hear this could bring back some nice memories ❤
Wow! It looks incredible!! I think I would sit in the blue lagoon all day!!
It was heaven 😀
WOW! This is freakin awesome!!!
Thanks Brittany! ❤
Looks like a great trip! I did a trip to Iceland many years ago with my family and have been interested in going back to see more of the country. 🙂
xo, SC // SCsScoop.com
That’s awesome! I feel the same way, I want to go back immediately and explore so much more.
Just reading this Camille! Great write up and loved all the pictures!! xxoo K-
Thank you so much Karen! ❤
Thanks for these tips.. It is indeed tricky to fit all of this in 4 days. I will take some of these tips for my upcoming October tour to Iceland although we plan stay for a while and drive down the ring road 🙂 … Btw, do you think the Blue lagoon was really worth it?.. Let me know!
Hey Aarti! Have an AMAZING time! We all really enjoyed the Blue Lagoon. Since we hiked and explored the first few days, it was nice to have a day of relaxation and pampering 🙂 I would do it!
Oh my gosh, Iceland looks absolutely amazing. Great post, dear! x
Emma // http://www.brooklynisburning.co
Thank you so much Emma! ❤
Iceland is definitely on my bucket list!! It looks like an incredible country!!!
It was incredible! ❤
Iceland IS amazing. And breathtaking, awe-inspiring, captivating, other-worldly, and a whole host of other adjectives I don’t want to rack my brain for. I did a pair of trips in 2015 and I can’t wait to go back. I spent probably a total of 10 or so days there, so I had a bit more time than you, but you saw a lot in your time!
I went at the absolute height of summer in 2015, so I didn’t get a chance to see the northern lights – a good reason to go back for sure. Do you have plans to go back? There’s just sooo much to explore and see on that island. I could get lost for weeks!
Hey Tom! That’s awesome you’ve spent a great amount of time there! I would absolutely LOVE to go back. I still need to visit the Black Sand beaches, glacier lagoon, and so, so much more. I’m a big whale enthusiast, so I would love to do some whale watching as well. I hope you get to see the Northern Lights soon!!
I didn’t do Black Sand or the glaciers either – I dedicated my time to Reykjavik and the nearby Thingvellir, and the on my other trip I rented a car and drove up to the West Fjords and back, sleeping in the car and thoroughly taking in the sights, sounds, and atmosphere of that region. If you get the chance – get up there, it’s incredible!
That sounds absolutely amazing. Are there posts from that trip on your blog? I’d love to check them out. Thank you for the suggestion!
Of course there are 😉 I just don’t like spamming around my links without an invitation from the blog/platform I’m on. Here ya go, this is my launch page for my Iceland series, Exploring Iceland!
https://abroadamerican.com/exploring-iceland/
Awesome, many thanks!
Woowww! This place looks simply amazing. I have been wanting to see the Norther Lights and the Golden circle for a while. Hopefully will get a chance soon!
I hope you do, too! ❤