Iceland has a pretty good business model. Their airlines get you to the country and open up several routes to Europe in the cheapest way possible, while in the process encouraging you to stay awhile. Then, you see how beautiful and how expensive everything is. I’m afraid to check my bank account. 

Since I did so much in Iceland and had a chance to go on a culinary adventure, I’m going to split this post in two. Sorry it is a bit long! Stick around for my thoughts on the food and cafes of Reykjavik!

What I Did

Golden Circle + Snowmobiling– This trip lets you get a sense of Iceland over a day: geysers, glaciers, waterfalls, volcanic landscapes, and Euro/American tectonic plates. Crammed into a 10 hour trip with only ~5 hours of daylight was a bit much. The weather when I went was horrible for sightseeing. A fun mix of snow, rain, and wind that made seeing anything impossible. At the famous waterfall I couldn’t even open my eyes without shards of ice stabbing my face. The wind literally made it snow sideways. 

I decided to do the snowmobile tour of Langjökull Glacier as well… which was a much prettier picture in my head than it was. After all, this was the major moment of my entire vacation! Already the group wasn’t hopeful, with the wind and snow and the fact that we couldn’t see out of the windows of our massive monster truck. I started to wonder if the excursion would be cancelled and feared a bit for my life considering I couldn’t see 2 meters ahead of me. 

To paint the picture a little better… we arrived at a small cabin in the middle of nowhere and were told to keep all of our winter gear on. Then, they gave us full insulated snow suits, new gloves, face masks, and full on helmets. Ultimately, I looked like an astronaut turned snow warrior. The group who went before us came in looking like living popsicles and as though they narrowly escaped with their lives. I asked how it was and they told me they were completely scared, couldn’t see a damn thing, and a bit miserable. So hopeful right?

Once we all looked like burnt marshmallows, a beautiful Icelandic man named Bobby gave us a short brief on how to survive the trek and what to do if we got lost or crashed. All with an innocent smile on his face. It’s probably entertaining when anything goes wrong! He let us know that even with the horrible blizzard the trek was on and how excited they all were for the first big snow of the season. Oh no. 

Everyone had to share a snowmobile. I let my new English bus friend drive the first 30 minute shift, and I would get the way back. Unfortunately this guy was a bit of a top gear maniac and loved to rev the engine and go off course. I was pretty scared… mainly due to the fact that we couldn’t see jack s*** and rocks and snow drifts would come out of nowhere. He nearly wiped out a few times while I held on for dear life. To make things worse, we had to stop to watch someone being loaded onto a stretcher and into the back of a van/makeshift ambulance. My fear grew. 

Once we got to the lookout point (lol funny joke when you can’t see anything) about 10 people started making snow angels and having snowball fights as if they have never seen snow before. Meanwhile I was wondering who would tell my mother I couldn’t come home for Christmas because I died on the glacier. Meanwhile I smiled for a great photo, lost feeling in my fingers and feet, and waited patiently for my driving shift. Around this time, I saw someone switch to the medic’s snowmobile. 
Turns out it wasn’t so bad, the weather began to clear and I could actually see how treacherous the path was. I also regained my courage and inner adrenaline junkie and got the snowmobile up to a solid 45kph! Oops 😉 when I drove, even though I thought my fingers would fall off, it was one of the most freeing rushes of my life!

Tips

• I had handwarmers I forgot about and extra gloves i should have worn. Always dress for the second half!
• Unless you are going to the airport with Reykjavik Excursions, you have to wait in the ticket counter line to switch your printed voucher to a day trip ticket. Not worth printing the voucher and very annoying with the line. But trust me. 

Blue Lagoon– I dedicated an entire day to this excursion and couldn’t contain my excitement. 

I booked the premium package which included a robe, towel, slippers, a few drinks, and an extra algae face mask. Worth it? Yes. Too many people walked around naked in the locker room for my liking. 

I also booked a 1hr in-water massage a few months in advance. Booking tickets in advance is key since they limit the timing and number of entries per hour and day. That way it isn’t like a crazy swimming pool during Memorial Day weekend. 

The water was surprisingly perfect temperature considering it was freezing outside. There were warmer pockets and shallower areas with seating, and enough volcanic rock to guard from wind when it got out of hand. 

Tips

• Buy a waterproof phone case in advance, they are too expensive when you get there
• Unless you have a premium package, bring a towel and guard it!
• Don’t submerge your hair. Bring shampoo for later in case you do as the showers only include conditioner and shower gel.
• Check into spa treatments at the time you check into the lagoon. May be a separate process. 

Hallgrimskirkja and Reykjavik– For my last and shortest day in Iceland, I waited at the top of this unique church for the sunrise over the city. I was surprised how the inside of this church looked a bit like the inside of a glacier. Luckily for me, great visibility of the city, ocean, and mountains!

The city itself is also charming. Homes are bright and rainbow colored, there is a good amount of street art, and the shopping is great. The chains are mostly Icelandic brands. I decided to go to a few wool shops, the highlight being the Handknitting Association of Iceland. Here you can buy authentic wool items knitted and sold by locals!

I would include the Northern Lights as a major itinerary item, but unfortunately due to weather my excursion was cancelled 3 nights in a row. I guess I will be visiting Iceland again soon!