All you need to know about planning your trip to Iceland

Photo by Not Lost MX

Check out this post to see what places to visit, reviews on the tours I've made and the company I've booked it with, reviews on my lodging and places where I've eaten some delicious icelandic seafood. 

​Iceland is one of the most beautiful countries in the world, make sure you know important details that can make your experience much better! 

Of course, the northern lights are one of the main attraction for Scandinavian countries, therefore dates are very important to ensure you can catch them. However, make sure you don't overlook all the other beautiful places and amazing activities in this country.  

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When to go?

Of course the Northern Lights are one of the main attractive for visiting Iceland, however, it is also one of the most unpredictable phenomenons. These lights are by no means easy to catch. 

There are lots of factors that intervene such as season, weather, location and definitely some amount of luck is involved. 

For catching these colorful wonders, the recomendation is to go in the winter season from November to Febuary. These months have the longest darkness periods. However, you have to take into account that between these months there is also stormy weather where clouds can block your view. 

Your chances of seeing the lights are higher if you stay for longer. In my case, unfortunately I was unable to see them (...sniff sniff), I stayed 4 days which was not enough. The recommended length is 7 nights. However, there are people who are able to see them on their first day, as mentioned before, it's pretty unpredictable ;).   

We could see our odds of seeing the northern lights through the Aurora forecast from the Icelandic Meteorological Office. This is a very useful tool where you can see a map in real time of the areas of clarity, (aka no clouds or light pollution) where it is most likely you can see them. 

Photo by Guide to Iceland

​Transport

Photo by Frommer's

For getting around Iceland you can book a tour or you can go solo. Both with their pros and cons.

As for Tours
Pros are:

1.  You are led by expert guides and drivers who know their way through Icelandic roads (which are very icy and can be dangerous).
2. Very experienced reading the forecasts for northern lights.
3. Wide variety of tours you can take with different pricing and length.
4. You can meet interesting people in the tour.
5. You can get inside knowledge about places from local guides.

Cons being:

1. Groups are very large and can take away some of the authenticity of traveling.
2. Depending on the tour, time dedicated to each place can be limited.
3. Prices can be higher if you are traveling with a large party, since you can use the money to rent a car.

(You can read my review on Reykjavik Excursions further down this post.)

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As for Self-Driving
I think I would have preffered this option if I was going with a bigger group (Mine was made up by 4 people). Also if there was somebody who had experience driving on icy roads  and snow stormy weather (obviously not recommended to drive in those conditions but just to be prepared in case of shifts in weather.)



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​Pros are: 

1. You can have your own pace, being able to enjoy without rushing to get back to the bus.
2. Less costly if you go with a large party
3. Flexibility for sites visited
4. More authentic and personalized way of visiting Iceland

Cons being:

1. Roads can be quite dangerous, with a combination of harsh weather conditions, icy roads and believe it or not, sheep!
2. There can be harsh weather changes, be sure to check forecasts regularly.
3. Not knowing the local laws or customs for driving, for example, many tourists stop on random places on the road to get snaps of the scenery. This is extremely dangerous on non authorized spots, plus, locals reaally hate it.

Tip: Be sure to follow local driving regulations of the rental company and the Icelandic Association for Search and Rescue.  Also, renting a car with big wheels is highly recommended. 

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Lodging 

For our stay, we arrived to Gretir Guesthouse, which was quite pleasant. For Icelandic prices, it was a pretty good deal. It has a self check-in service, the rooms are very charming and it is located in Laugavegur, Reykjavik's main shopping street.

​The only critique I would make is the fact that you share one bathroom with about 5 more rooms. If you are lucky and all rooms aren't occupied, it's pretty good! Otherwise, some organization will be needed. 

Review on Reykjavik Excursions Tours

Golden Circle Direct ($54 USD): On this tour, you go visit the world-famous Geysir geothermal area, Gullfoss, one of the most breathtaking waterfalls in Iceland and Thingvellir National Park, where the European and Asian tectonic plates meet. The places were absolutely breathtaking, however, in this particular tour, the time we had on each place was very short! I was just beguining to be in awe of what I was seeing when we had to get back in the bus :( 

Northern Lights Tour ($42 USD): Sadly, I would be unable to make a review on this one, as our tour was cancelled twice because of the cloudy weather. What I can say is what happened in our case, which was that clouds were making the odds of seeing the lights very low. On these scenarios, tours get cancelled and get passed for the next day with no added cost. However, weather conditions didn't improve so we couldn't go. At least we had a full refund though... 

Relaxing Blue Lagoon ($93 USD): One of my favorite attractions from Iceland, soothing in the lagoon was one of the most relaxing times I've had. However, make sure to buy your tickets in advance as there is a limited number and there are schedules for it. However, once you are in you can stay for as long as you want. You might also want to get some cheap flip flops, as some people take others stuff by mistake. Reykjavik Excursions was a good deal, for an entrance to the lagoon and transportation, I was very satisfied. The blue lagoon is by far the most popular thermal waters, if it is your first time in Iceland I highy recommend it. If you have more time you could also go to more  however some find it too produced, and prefer more natural and rustic bath houses to get more in touch with nature.  

Places to see

Hallgrimskirkja by Iceland Unlimited

Harpa Music Hall by Visit Reykjavik

Sulfar Sun Voyager by Visit Reykjavik

Inside Reykjavík:

• Laugavegur street: The main shopping street, Laugavegur, is also the place to go for Reykjavík’s nightlife. 
• Harpa Music Hall: It is a beautiful concert hall, easily one of the most beautiful building in the city.
• Solfar Sun Voyager: A sculpture by Jón Gunnar Árnason  described as a dreamboat, representing the search for untouched land and hope for progress. 
• Hallgrimskirkja: One of the landmarks of the city. It is Lutheran Church, standing at 74.5 meters. 
• Perlan (The Pearl): The most popular part of The Pearl, its observation deck offers a 360° view of Reykjavík.
• Grótta Lighthouse: Iceland’s oldest stone house. In winter, you can see the northern lights from there.Although not exactly inside the city but it is located 15-minute bus ride, on a small island which is only accessible during low tide.​

Outside of Reykjiavik:

• ​Reynisfjara Beach: A black sand beach, surrounded by hexagonal basalt columns of Reynisfjall mountain.
• The Blue Lagoon: A thermal lagoon where you can soothe your stress away. It's one of the most popular tourist destination in Iceland.  
• Skaftafell Nature Reserve: Measuring 4800 km² (1,850 mi²), Skaftafell is unique for it's surreal landscapes and strage scenery.
• Vatnajökull Glacier: Visit the depths of the Ice Caves in this glalcier, one of the unique experiences Iceland offers. 
• The Golden Circle: Surrounding the Geothermal area (the Great Geyser), Pingvellir and Gullfoss.
• Seljalandsfoss and Skógarfoss:  Take and adventure in the south of Iceland and visit one of the most well known waterfalls of the country.  

Reynisfjara Beach by Nordic Visitor

Vatnajökull Glacier by Katie Paterson

Skaftafell National Park by Extreme Iceland

Food

While I was in Reykjavik, I mostly cooked inside the Airbnb, however, I did go to Fisherman where I had this delicious Artic Char in Bernaise sauce. It was excelent! It is one of the best ranked Seafood restaunts in Iceland. It is a bit out of the way from the center of the city, but recommendations led us there and we were not let down. It is also more affordable than high end places such as those in Laugavegur street.  

For more info about where to go eat or to have a night out check out Visit Reykjavik for a wide selection of places.