Sep 19, 2024
Have you ever been to Iceland? Greg and I just came back from an 8 day trip and it was such a magical experience! Mind blowing, really. I didn’t know what to expect because I hadn’t done a ton of research, but now that I have finally experienced this country, I know why people rave about it so much. Iceland is a land of incredible natural beauty. It is diverse and stunning in every way, and to me it really felt as though I was walking through the set of the Lord of the Rings!
We ended up renting a car and doing a road-trip style holiday. We didn’t spend more than 2 nights at each stop, and made sure to cover all bases in terms of what natural beauties we wanted to see: Waterfalls, Glaciers, Hot Springs, Mountains and Grazing Sheep were top on our list. Yes sheep, I love how fluffy they are!!! We managed to see ALL of those things, and then some!
So – in case you haven’t guessed it yet.. I filmed an entire vlog lol. Which is no surprise! 😂
Honestly, I make these vlogs with every trip we’ve ever taken because it helps me hold onto the amazing memories made. I actually have a bad memory myself — and because of that, I just don’t remember finer details, and best/worst parts of our vacations. So having all this footage to look back on, tied up in a pretty little bow in video form, is the best gift I can give myself. And I do, with every trip !
So, here it is! If you need to kill 20 minutes, or you want to get some great Iceland recommendations, or even if you just want to be inspired to start planning your next trip…
This video is for you.
DAY 1
BLUE LAGOON:
We’re so happy we did this. After flying a red-eye, we thought the best way to start a vacation and bounce back after a sleepless night on a plane would be to dive into some hot springs and zen out. It was incredible! I will admit, when we first got there, it did feel very touristy. A little crowded.. a little like we are herded animals. lol But once we got in the warm sulfur rich pools, put on a facemark and had sparkling wine in hand, all our troubles melted away. It was just such a FUN way to start our trip and we would highly recommend anyone doing the same.
REYKJAVIK:
After the hot springs, we drove straight to our airbnb in Reykjavik and ended up having a rejuvenating nap. Upon waking, we were ready to hit a happy hour out crawl, play some darts and eventually make it to our dinner reservation. We decided to splurge on the first night at a more expensive place called Brút Restaurant because we heard Reykjavik had the nicest ‘fine cuisine’ in the country and we were only going to be here 2 nights of our entire trip. The food was 5 stars, excellent. Service was sub par! But the food really made up for it. We finished off the evening at the Magic Ice Bar which is exactly what it sounds like. A bar, in a massive freezer, that is completely made of ice. The walls, ceilings, sculptures and even glass wear were all made of ice. It was a ‘cool’ experience – pun intended. I appreciated the jackets and gloves provided, and we also got a drink credit with each entry ticket purchase — But it was also overly pricey and we did not want to stay long because it was too cold. We would recommend for the experience but wouldn’t opt to go here again.
DAY 2
BREAKFAST:
We woke up, packed our bags and walked to a nearby “American style” breakfast spot called Grái kötturinn which means ‘The Gray Cat Pub’. This charming little place was nestled in a previous old jewelry shop, sprinkled eclectic decor and with bookshelves full of old dusters and ornaments. The food was fantastic and very fresh — they are known for their pancakes which we tried and both agreed they were some of the best pancakes we’d ever had.
Þórufoss:
On our first night, we bumped into another couple who recommended “Thorufoss” which is a hidden little gem that happened to be en route as we made our way up towards the western peninsula. We started the 40 minute drive and saw that there were NO other tourists when we arrived (which we’d come to learn is very rare for any type of sightseeing here) but of course it was raining! Nonetheless, we got our rain gear on and made the short hike down to the small river and found the stunning falls. Apparently this river is known for is Atlantic Salmon population – and though we didn’t see any fishies swimming around, it was such a magical and impromptu stop since it was our first waterfalls of our trip.
Continuing our journey to the next airbnb, we made a stop in Kirkjufell which is another special place on the map. A seemingly popular stop on the cruiseship route led to many tourists and even a docked ship, but it’s such a unique landscape and one not to miss if you’re ever planning to see the western shores of Iceland.
AIRBNB:
We eventually made it to our airbnb and this is the one accommodation we splurged on. It was a large villa – way too big for just the two of us but SO worth every penny, that felt like home. Nestled on a private farm off the main road, we saw plenty of grazing sheep, and enjoyed the stretching views of old moss covered lava fields from the ample floor to ceiling windows. Equipped with 4 bedrooms, 3 baths and a bathhouse with a double sauna, showers and private hot tub, ahh I could have stayed here the entire trip! It truly was a little slice of heaven that I will never forget.
DAY 3
HORSEBACK RIDE:
This was my favourite day, probably because it was packed with so many fun little adventures! First we went on an epic 2.5 hr horseback ride with Lýsuhóll. The other couple in our group were no-shows so we ended up getting a private tour with our own guide! We took it very slow since we are beginners, but it was just so nice to trot around the countryside on horseback. To me, it really gave a sense of how the vikings and settlers used to live and get around. Not easy – that’s for sure! I loved the opportunity to experience a slower pace of living on this excursion and totally recommend anyone who plans on visiting Iceland to do the same.
Snæfellsnes PENNINSULA:
Ok – lots to cover here. Though the peninsula is small, it’s packed with tons of little view points, fishing villages and tourist attractions that are worth a visit. Driving the roads on this trek of our trip were SO beautiful. There are more epic coastal and landscape views than you can feast your eyes on, and you don’t even have to leave your vehicle! We visited the iconic Búðakirkja (a petite church from 1703), Arnarstapi cliff point (a decently long winding path along gorgeous rocky cliffs) and Fjöruhúsið café (a quaint old fishing shack converted to a tiny restaurant in a picturesque cove, serving fresh waffles and coffee). Finishing off the day we stopped at “Hafnarvagninn”, a highly rated food truck, for some hot fish & chips.
DAY 4
GLYMUR FALLS:
Both Greg and I like to be active on our vacations, so a nice long hike was a must for us. We landed on the Glymur Waterfall hike, which was supposed to be a roughly 3 hour (7km out and back), moderate trek. This trail was STUNNING. We started off strong, by crossing a rapidly flowing river and climbing up a steep rocky path with the help of the ropes in place. Unfortunately though, we did not make it to the very top – though we got close! Right before we got on the hike, Greg ended up finding out that a woman had died by falling over the edge of the cliff last year. And while we were up on the steep cliff edge with all that loose, slick gravel, we saw the spot that had been roped off where the woman had succumbed and decided to turn back. It started getting too dodgy the higher we climbed. Honestly, it was probably the most dangerous hike I had even done and we decided it just wasn’t worth the risk of our lives. We still got incredible views of the falls and felt accomplished even after turning back early.
Friðheimar (A tomato greenhouse & restaurant)
A very surprising highlight of our trip was at an unusual place that came highly rated on google maps. We walked into an unassuming tomato greenhouse/restaurant and was sooo pleasantly pleased by our entire experience here! Everything on the menu came from the restaurants large on-site Tomato Greenhouse (that I assume supplies all of Iceland with it’s own tomatoes). From tomato beer to tomato soup, to fresh pasta sauce and even tomato ice cream! This place has a very unique menu and all in all it was an unforgettable experience. You don’t need to be a tomato lover to enjoy the ambience and atmosphere of the restaurant – it’s bright and airy dining room with a ceiling of windows is covered in living grape vines and green horticulture, we were so impressed and would come back here any day. PS. My strawberry basil cocktail was to DIE for, and the staff were awesome as well. 5 stars plus plus plus!
DAY 5
GOLDEN CIRCLE
And now for my least favourite day 😂 (or at least part of it)… the golden circle.!
Apparently it’s a very popular and touristy thing to drive around The Golden Circle and see the various attractions. On this drive we got to see a massive waterfall and a famous Geyser. First stop was “Gullfoss” which WAS indeed a beautiful waterfall. It was spectacular, and the nice thing about this waterfall is that you can get right up close by an easily accessible walking path (no treacherous hike necessary) and feel the power and mist of mother nature. It actually reminded me of Niagara falls in Canada and the far that you can get right up to the waterfalls edge. We also saw the Geysir which also showed mother natures power for an entirely of 30 seconds of an eruption. Lol — It just wasn’t that exciting to me, and I think I felt this way because it was SO overpopulated with rude, entitled tourists. I was pushed around a bit, and we just felt like we were herded cows. I did not like the experience in the end, and would not recommend it, unless seeing very famous attractions are important to you.
Reynisfjara BEACH
This beach is one of a few Black Sands along the southern route of Iceland – and it was very cool! I had already experienced black sand beaches before on previous travels to Hawaii, but this one was extra special because there is a huge colony of native Puffins that live among the cliffs. Though it was raining the day we were here, the puffins were flying around and having a great old time looking for fishies and catching wind. It was fun being able to see them flying around the mossy cliffs – like little penguins! Though it felt very touristy with tons of people, to me it was still worth the visit JUST to experience a little bit of birdlife on our trip.
LAVA SHOW
We finally made it to the next city ‘Vík’ which is a small but popular village located on the southern part of the ring road (and on the way to the famous glaciers). Since it was raining most of the day, Greg and I decided to look up some fun indoor things to do in Vík… Well, turns out there’s not a lot to do here! It’s a very small town – but luckily we stumbled upon the last two tickets to the evenings “Lava Show”. This was also a highlight! We got to sit in a room for an hour and witness real lava flow. The room heated up VERY quickly while the tour guide showed us real molten lava up close, and and performed some tricks by making a ‘lava bubble’ and cracking the lava as it cooled down. This was a super cool experience and everyone visiting Iceland should try it! There is a Lava Show in Reykjavik too apparently – very worth the modest ticket price to get up close and personal to real molten lava, which is a very rare opportunity for anyone, anywhere in the world.
DAY 6
GLACIER BOAT TOUR & HIKE
To be honest, I didn’t know what a Glacier was before this day – but what a cool experience. We found a company that offers short boat trips to get up close and personal to a glacier (which is basically a river that’s been frozen over and compacted many times for hundreds of years, and turns into little icebergs as they chip off and melt away.) We booked a full day excursion which included a 2 hour boat ride on the Fjallsárlón Lagoon plus a 4 hour hike on the Glacier. It was special to be able to learn about the history of the glacier and to see the stunning crystal blue icebergs that had chipped off just days prior. The hike was even more spectacular, especially because the other couple who booked it did not show up. So AGAIN, we got our own private tour, just the two of us and our guide!
I have to say, I didn’t realize how dangerous it is to walk on a glacier. Of course we were provided safety equipment like helmets and crampons to prevent us from slipping through a glacier crack, and we were with our trained guide the entire time who never put us in harms way…. But man, it’s a pretty crazy thing to think about! Just one foot slip into a large crevasse and you’re a goner. Anyway – we are safe! And we learned a TON on this excursion with our exceptional guide. This was a 5 star PLUS rated excursion and everyone should experience a glacier up close and personal once in their lifetime.
DAY 7
SKOOL BEANS CAFE
Waking up after that glacier hike earned a nice frothy warm beverage for breakfast. Following our guides recommendation, we headed to Skool Beans Micro Roaster in Vik, which is a little cafe inside a big yellow school bus. I definitely wanted to mention this on my “must-see” list because according to to Greg it’s the best coffee he’s ever had, and according to me, it was the BEST hot chocolate I’ve ever had! There were nearly hundreds of different beverage options from coffees to mochas, to teas, macha, hot chocolate, mushroom tea, and everything else in between. My lavender white hot chocolate was glorious, full of sugar and topped with whipped cream and sprinkles. Greg is a plain coffee kind of guy and he said even just their plain black brew was phenomenal. This place is worth a visit if you planning on driving the ring road.
KVERNUFOSS
Making our way back to Reykjavik for our final night, we stopped at a waterfall called Kvernufoss,- and we are SO glad we did. You can’t see this falls from the road as it’s tucked away in a gorge, but it’s only a short walk on a paved path, and a truly sight to behold. This is one of those falls that always has a rainbow peeking through when the sun shines, and you can easily walk UNDER the rainbow and RIGHT behind the falls to experience its magnificence without getting soaked. Ahh, I wish we brought a picnic and stayed longer, because this place really held some magic. I cannot recommend this falls enough – and the best past is that it’s a lesser known waterfall in Iceland which meant, less tourists! Definitely worth the stop.
RAMEN MOMO
The last restaurant worth mentioning is Ramen Mono in Reykjavik. You guessed it – they serve ramen! It’s a tiny little 8 seater restaurant, very Japanese feeling, and the owner himself is Japanese too. This ramen is authentic, truly delicious, ands the taste like it’s made with a lot of love and soul. We devoured our ramen and it was some of the best we’ve ever had. Can’t recommend this place enough if you’re looking for a nice warm down of soup on a cold, damp day.
PHALLOLOGICAL MUSEUM
Though it sounds hilarious (which it kind of is) this was our last ‘experience’ during our 8 day Iceland trip….and it was actually a bit of a letdown.
I don’t know what I was expecting, but this museum was kind of just… meh. A lot of animals penises in sealed glass jars full of liquid. I guess I thought there would be more lore, and more kitchy-type things to see. There were some some phallically designed home decor items like clocks and candles, etc… but not a ton. It was moreso just REAL penises on display from the animal kingdom. Yes, it’s interesting to see some of the sizing difference between species, but it got pretty boring (and gross) pretty fast. Lol So no – this was not very fun and I think I would only recommend if it were cold and rainy and you were looking for something indoors to do. Otherwise I’d pass… you’d be better off using the money towards Ramen or even the Magic Ice bar.
And that’s a wrap!
Thanks for joining us on our 7-night-8-day-iceland-adventure ! I had a blast being able to relive each day of our trip and I hope some of our highlights gives you inspiration to start planing your own trip to Iceland, or anywhere else in the world for that matter!
Get out there and get exploring 🙂
Love,
