Iceland was unlike any place I have ever visited. Two words that entered my mind when we began our journey around the golden circle was untouched and unexpected. It has been called the “land of ice and fire” where the landscape has been marked by volcanoes, geothermal heat, glaciers, black sand beaches, fjords, waterfalls, geysers and lagoons. It was the most pristine landscape I had ever laid my eyes on, almost unworldly.

As we made our way around the island, the extreme contrast in the Icelandic scenery was remarkable. Every turn we made, there was a dramatic change. The landscape is almost contradicting which was unusual and captivating. From fields of volcanic rock that go for miles and miles, covered in moss, to stunning green countryside fields filled with Icelandic horses and sheep. Barren steep towering mountains painted with striking color patterns from the volcanic eruptions that are adjacent to crystal blue glaciers that makes your heart race as you set your eyes on them. Then you approach an unexpected plummeting waterfall that just takes your breath away. Iceland is lush, stark, and frozen all at the same time. The weather changes drastically as well, from rain to shine, to dramatic fog. It was exhilarating and majestic.

The Icelandic culture is friendly yet straight to the point, interested and very helpful. They are also a very proud people. The history that Iceland has endured brings a strong passion amongst the culture. Although the glacier is melting so rapidly that the land is rising from the sea, their perspective (from what we gathered) was different than other countries in that although they believe global warming is happening, they will adapt to the changes in earth as they happen. They see it as a bigger picture and are beginning their own evolution adapting to the new weather changes. It was very interesting to us to hear this perspective. They didn’t downplay global warming, but moreover believe it is a natural phenomenon.

The food was fresh, simple, traditional and unpretentious. Fishing is abundant, strongly known for their Icelandic Char. It was prepared in many different ways and as fresh as it gets. The Icelandic lamb are dotted all over the countryside and forage on fresh grass and herbs. They even reside on the edge of steep mountains and cliffs which I found to be puzzling but also very impressive. The flavor of the lamb was mild and quite tender. It was also served in many different styles including carpaccio which was incredibly fresh. The city of Reykavik is a foodie destination. Most of the restaurants we went to used a modern twist on traditional Nordic dishes and ingredients. I was very impressed with the creativity. I had no preconceived thoughts of their cuisine, but we left with very satisfied palettes.

With that said, our favorite meals were the undiscovered, un-googled local restaurants we stumbled upon. Each day during our drives, we made unpronounced stops in little port towns where we dined on their local fresh seafood soup, homemade bread and local beer. It was delicious!

Iceland 9 Day Itinerary:

Day 1: (landed in Reykavik at 5 am)

Arrived to Reykavik and rented a car (drove to a cute coffee shop in downtown Reykavik to pass time and get much needed caffeine)

Sites: (Along the drive to Vík í Mýrdal, South Coast)

• Seljalandsfoss Waterfall
• Dyrholaey Peninsula and arch
• Vík í Mýrdal (a sea front village in South Iceland)
  • Lunch: Halldórskaffi in Vík
  • Hotel: Hotel Kria
  • Dinner: Drangar (located in Hotel Kria)

Day 2: (this was a long, very jam packed day)

South Coast tour

• ATV on the black sand beach to see Solheimasandur Plane Wreck
  • https://www.arcanum.is/atv-tours/
• Skogafoss Waterfall (small hike via stairs to the top)
• Snowmobile on Mýrdalsjökull Glacier on Katla Mountain
  • https://www.arcanum.is/tours/snowmobile-tour/
• Drive to Landeyjahöfn (about 1 hour)
• Landeyjahöfn Ferry to the Westman Islands (about 35 minutes)
  • Lunch: Tanginn (incredible soup and fresh baked bread)
• Rib Safari Tour on Westman Islands (you get to see all of the rock formations from the volcanic eruption, puffin sanctuaries and sea caves)
  • https://ribsafari.is
  • Dinner: Einsi Kaldi in Westman Islands
• We also hired a driver for a tour around the island to learn about the volcanic eruption from Eldfell in 1973)
• Ferry back to Landeyjahöfn, drive back to Vík í Mýrdal (about 1 hour)
  • Hotel: Hotel Kria

Day 3:

South Coast tour continues…(drive from Vík í Mýrdal to Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon)

Sites:

• Fjadrargljufur Canyon (my absolute favorite, also a Game of Thrones site)
• Svartifoss Waterfall Hike ( black from dark lava basalt, 45 minutes one way)
• Natural Ice Caves/Sólheimajökull Glacier walk (dramatic ice formations including crevasses, rugged ridges and sinkholes, we had a private guide and it took about 4 hours total)
• Diamond Beach, Jökulsárlón (worth walking around)
  • Hotel: Glacier Lagoon Foss Hotel
  • Dinner: Foss Hotel Glacier Lagoon Restaurant (at the hotel, delicious food and wine)

Day 4:

North East Iceland: (this was a long drive but one of the most memorable ones..the scenery changed dramatically)

Sites:

• Stokksnes Viking Village (reminded me of the scenery in Braveheart…my favorite)
• Dettifoss Waterfall
• Grjótagjá Cave (Jon Snow and Ygritte’s cave in Game of Thrones)
• Goðafoss Waterfall (second favorite waterfall…100 feet wide)
• Arrive at Akureyri (really cute town, capital of the North)
  • Hotel: Kea Hotel (great location but our least favorite hotel…would recommend either just doing a day trip to Akureyri and keep driving or staying across Lake Myvatn)
  • Favorite pastry shop: Bakaríið við Brúna (amazing Icelandic pastries)
  • Dinner: Rub23 (Icelandic sushi…trendy scene…)

Day 5:

We slept in and walked around Akureyri. Stumbled upon the cutest coffee shop in a little yellow house…Kaffi Ilmur, amazing coffee and Icelandic cake. It was also our first sunny day.

East Iceland: Drive to Reykjavik

Sites:

• Kolugljufur Waterfall (beautiful waterfall and canyon in the Northwestern Region)
• Hvammstangi, Iceland to have lunch
  • Lunch: Sjávarborg Restaurant (favorite seafood soup of the entire trip)
• Arrive in Reykjavik
  • Hotel: Black Pearl Luxury Apartments (amazing)
  • Happy Hour: Apotek Restaurant (lively vibe)
  • Dinner: The Food Cellar (favorite in Reykjavik)

Day 6:

Reykjavik

• Grabbed a coffee and walked around the main shopping district, Laugavegur
• Hiked to Thrihnukagigur Volcano and went inside (Andrew’s favorite part of the entire trip, took about 4 hours total)
  • Hotel: Black Pearl Luxury Apartments
  • Dinner: Grillmarkaðurinn (beautiful ambience, unique food…I recommend the Icelandic whale)

Day 7: (last day in Reykjavik)

Reykjavik

• Reykjavik to the Retreat at the Blue Lagoon
  • Lunch: Rok Restaurant in Reykjavik (amazing Icelandic tapas)
• Arrive at The Blue Lagoon
  • Hotel: Retreat at The Blue Lagoon
  • Dinner: Lava at the Retreat at the Blue Lagoon

Day 8: (spa day)

• Retreat at the Blue Lagoon
• In Lagoon Massages (in water massage using geothermal seawater, it was magical…we did them twice)
  • Lunch: Retreat at the Blue Lagoon Spa
  • Afternoon Tea
• Blue Lagoon Ritual (self applied in their private sanctuary, using silica, algae, and minerals…we did it each day)
  • Dinner: Moss at the Retreat at the Blue Lagoon (set menu, stunning views)

Day 9: (spa day)

• Last full day in Iceland
• Retreat at the Blue Lagoon
• In Lagoon Massages
  • Lunch: Retreat at the Blue Lagoon Spa
• Blue Lagoon Ritual
  • Dinner: We ordered room service and packed for our next leg of the trip to Ireland)