With Iceland’s popularity as a getaway break soaring in recent years, it is time to discover the world and put Iceland at the top of your holiday bucket list! I travelled to Iceland with a group of friends in January, and I loved every single second of my trip! I spent four days in the history and culture-filled capital of Iceland – Reykjavik, and a further three days at the Alfasteinn Guest Lodge in Hella, a more rural part of Iceland.
After stepping off the plane in Keflavik (Iceland’s International Airport), then transferring to the town centre, I unpacked my bags at the Hotel Reykjavik Centrum. The Centrum is a lovely hotel located on Aðalstræti, one of Reykjavik’s oldest streets, in a newly renovated building which was originally built in 1764! Making the most of my first day, I set out to find Hallgrimskirkja, one of the city’s best-known landmarks, both for its beautiful expressionist architecture and its un-paralleled views of the surrounding area. I’d certainly recommend a trip up to the top of the tower as the views are spectacular, the height of the building allows you to see the whole of Reykjavik on one side and the vast volcanic landscapes on the other – truly breath-taking! For dinner that night, I went to Bazaar Oddson, which describes itself as a place to “eat, drink and be merry”, which I can agree with! It is certainly a nice restaurant for a tasty evening meal. Whilst we were there, it was one of the group’s birthday, they very kindly made us a traditional Icelandic cake that was a combination of chocolate and liquorice, an odd combination but surprisingly tasty!
On my second day in Reykjavik I had some time to further explore the town centre. As a place so full of culture there are plenty of hidden gems and lovely scenery. Even the town square outside the hotel was rather scenic! With a nice water feature, it certainly adds character to the area. Whilst you are there I’d recommend the hot dog stand in the square if you’re peckish, Icelanders are famed for their hot dogs after all! I also ventured down to Harpa, it is the local concert hall and conference centre. It doesn’t sound particularly exciting at first, however once you see the building itself, you’ll understand the hype! Its monumental glass walls and quirky design certainly provide contrast to the rest of the city. It’s definitely worth the short walk to see such an iconic building. In the evening we went to Laugarvatn Fontana, a lakefront thermal spa with natural steam baths, outdoor mineral pools and a sauna. Before we went into the spa, we had a lovely buffet style meal provided by the spa, and then went on to relax in the outdoor pools. It was bliss, (well after you’ve got from the changing rooms to the pools in sub-zero temperatures!) I’d recommend this to anyone looking for an authentic Icelandic spa experience. The facilities were well kept, the staff were friendly and helpful, the overall experience was perfect!
The Golden Circle Tour was at the top of the list for today – something Iceland is well known for!
We were picked up from just outside of the hotel and set off for a day of sightseeing. The tour covers a wide array of well known tourist destinations in Iceland. We covered the geysers at Stokkur, the amazing 32-meter drop Gulfoss Waterfall and the Thingvellier National Park! There was a lot to see and do along the way and it was interesting to learn about the way the hot springs were all known as “Geysers” after the Great Geysir in Iceland! There are so many places to discover in Iceland and after our long day of travelling, we stopped at the Secret Lagoon. It is one of Iceland’s oldest geothermal spas, the lagoons in the area have existed since 1891! This lagoon was rather basic, but a nice experience nonetheless, the silica and pebble floor were a huge contrast to the other two spas we visited.
On the third day in the centre, we went on a helicopter tour. Departing from just outside the town centre we flew over the geothermal water processing plants and out into the barren volcanic landscape, eventually coming to a stop near some thermal springs. Apart from the delightful smell of sulphur, we were in an untouched area, stepping off the helicopter, knowing that you were one of only a few people to ever step there, was something truly special! After getting back on to the helicopter, the pilot landed on the top of a dormant volcano, before banking it right off the side! It is certainly an experience worth doing if you are a thrill seeker. After we returned to the airport, it was a short walk back to the centre of Reykjavik before Agust came to transfer us to his lodge. Agust is one of the best tour guides in Iceland. He owns a guest house in the more rural area of Iceland, his lodge has a private hot tub and several guest rooms. He provides a lovely cold breakfast and all sorts of hearty evening meals and his guest house features in our top 6 places to see the Northern Lights. On arrival, we had a nice home-cooked meal and then rested, ready for a further three busy days!
Having had four days brimming full of activities and fun, it wasn’t time to stop just yet! We had an early start and bundled in to Agust’s car, it’s a lot more challenging to get around Iceland without a car or 4×4 and given the really changeable conditions I absolutely advise against doing a fly drive trip – for your safety enlist an experienced local guide like I did. We then headed off in search of a glacial lagoon! En-route to the Iceland glacial lagoon, we stopped off at the famed Skogafoss waterfall. It broke the journey up nicely to have a leg stretch in such an idyllic location. Jumping back into the 4×4 we embraced the rest of our journey, lapping up the beautiful scenery as we travelled. Arriving at the lagoon, we were greeted by a cold Icelandic wind and even more magnificent scenery! We then had a short walk around the lagoon. The icebergs were fascinating, and we even saw the odd seal swimming around! The water was like glass, it is some of the most pure and clean water on earth having run down from the glaciers. It was certainly a unique experience! After the lagoon we headed home for another hearty meal and to rest after yet another busy day.
After having spent a day beside a glacier looking at the lagoon, it was decided we would get on top of one!
We had a short drive to the Sólheimajökull Glacier, where we were given a helmet, crampons and an ice pick each. This was certainly an adventure not to miss and not to be undertaken without a trained and experienced guide like ours! We ventured up the side of the glacier and made our way to the top. Whilst there were many groups also on the glacier, it was pleasantly quiet as we looked back on the route we had taken, an impressive view! We stayed on the glacier to enjoy the views for a short while, there were lots of opportunities to take photos with the stunning scenery behind us, so we made the most of them! Following this, we headed back to our traditional Icelandic guest lodge, to make the most of the hot tub and we sat out til late searching for the Northern Lights. Unfortunately, we weren’t particularly lucky and didn’t get to see them, it was still a lovely evening though.
On the seventh day, we went to visit the Blue Lagoon! Now this trip was something I was particularly interested in as I’d heard and seen so much about it online before I travelled. We travelled to the spa resort, on arrival we walked down a path with volcanic rock formations either side.
We then had lunch in the Lava Restaurant. It has views over the lagoon and is an unforgettable setting for a relaxed lunch! It was time to get changed ready for my eagerly awaited trip to the lagoon! The changing rooms were clean and pleasant, after a shower we then made our way down to the pool, once again it was a rather cold journey from the building! The pool and facilities themselves were lovely, although I was disappointed that it was PACKED with visitors! I found that I was waiting a long time to visit the poolside bars, finding a quieter area of the pool to chat with friends was also difficult. I’d say that whilst the resort itself stood up to my expectations, the sheer volume of people at the Blue Lagoon was certainly a disappointment. It’d be slightly hypocritical to say I wasn’t part of the problem, but on balance it wasn’t my favourite of the three spa experiences we did. If I were to visit again I would want to go back to Laugarvatn Fontana as I felt it was more of an authentic experience! After this it was time to pack up and head off home, the week had flown by and it felt as though we were going home all too soon!
If you’re interested in a trip like this to discover Iceland then please do get in touch either through our online chat or call 01793 752 532 to speak with one of the team.
