Hæ! (that’s hi in Icelandic FYI) So you know what to pack, you know where to stay and now all there’s left to know are the splendors of Iceland.
As your adventure stylist, I highly recommend hiring a guide. My guide was fabulous! His name is Omar of IC ICELAND. He drives a big super truck and he won’t steer you wrong! Off roading was super fun, but be prepared for some twists and turns on this tour to view the rugged Icelandic landscape. It’s pretty treeless, but don’t make fun of their lack of big trees, Icelanders are very proud of their bushes. Ha! Driving to ice caves, on glaciers and on the lava rock terrain is much more exclusive than if you drove your own car. Omar is a great storyteller, too! He was great to have on board to hear about Iceland’s history. Icelanders like Omar pride themselves with recounting a good saga or two. They’re proud of their country.
Here are my highlights of places I visited in Iceland.
Reykjavik
When I arrived, I was unfortunately jet lagged and slept most of the day that I had planned on sightseeing in Reykjavik. I did have a few hours to visit Hafnarhús, one of the Reykjavik art museums. It’s a small contemporary museum where I was able to view the Erró exhibition, who is one of the best known contemporary artist’s of Iceland.
I also had 30 minutes to go shopping before the stores closed. I bought an Icelandic sweater, not the classic one with the yolk design, but a beautiful citrine colored one with nice detail around the cuffs. The designer is Baum Und Pferdgarten . Say that 10 times fast. Ha! I was also on a mission to find some handmade Feldur gloves and I was successful!
I also had time to visit the Hallgrimskirkja Church, which is Icelands largest church. I missed going to the top to see the view as it was closing time, but make sure to do that if you have time!
The Golden Circle
Before I headed out every day for a full day of eye-opening adventure, breath-taking hot springs, tectonic rifts and ridges, lava fields, volcanoes and glaciers, I prepped my backpack with the following items:
A warm puff hat
Gloves
Water bottle (filled with Neuro and TB12 electrolytes)
Tissue for bio breaks (not many restrooms when you go off roading)
Throat lozenges
Power bar
Camera
Phone
Lip balm
Icelandic Króna and credit card
Sunglasses
An essential hair elastic for the apres hat hair look
The Golden Circle drive is magnificent and a must-see! I experienced Þingvellir also known as the Parliament Grounds; a national park which sits in a rift valley caused by the separation of two tectonic plates. It’s so interesting that even a season of Game of Thrones was filmed there. I saw the most beautiful waterfall called Gullfoss, and a spouting geyser that ejected a big bubble of steam every eight minutes called the Strokkur Geyser.
After those excursions, I went snowmobiling up in the untamed highlands near the largest glacier in Iceland, Langjökull. Talk about cool! After that chilling and exhilarating experience I headed toward Friðheimar , also called The Greenhouse, which was warm and cozy. The climate inside is dry and warm year round, perfect temperature for growing tomatoes because that’s what they do as well as grow other plants. I had one of the freshest Bloody Mary’s at their small cafe. It’s a great casual venue for special events, too!
Along the drive I saw tremendous views of Eyjafjallajökull and more epic, majestic waterfalls. Please don’t ask me how to pronounce these Icelandic places though! ha! Another place not to miss is Thórsmörk, or the Valley of Thor, a mountain ridge named after the Norse god Thor. The canyon was jaw dropping.
Also in the Golden Circle area, I visited The Secret Lagoon, which is a natural hot springs with a rustic throw back. This place is very different from the Blue Lagoon, which is more like a spa.
The South Coast
More adventures were explored as I traversed along the south coast of Iceland where I saw the famous cascading Skógafoss waterfall, the black sandy beaches with its’ rogue waves (be careful!) and basalt column rock formations. Then I explored an incredible ice cave for the first time. It was helpful for Omar to bring helmets, head lamps and crampons for experiencing these caves and viewing the spectacular ice sculptures which formed inside the entrance of the cave. It was not only a unique experience, I was awestruck with the beauty.
Glacier Lagoon
One of the last places on this magical tour was a visit to the Glacier Lagoon. There were massive icebergs floating on a lake and I was lucky enough to see some seals frolicking in the water! I visited Diamond Beach, which is another black sandy beach with little icebergs on the shore and some floating in the water. This expedition was remarkable. But my chance to hike on an epic glacier completed my Icelandic trip. I trekked on the humungous frozen glacier called Sólheimajökull. It was with the assistance of Omar, my experienced guide, that I could get the chance to explore this glacier and view the many crevasses and ice formations. It was a phenomenal experience.
What an exquisite trip to Iceland! If you would like to hear more or get advice on planning your own adventure, Just Ask!
