The Land of Fire and Ice

With glaciers above and volcanic activity below, the island of Iceland has been dubbed “fire and ice.” The country has been an up-and-coming tourist destination. But when to go depends on what you want to do.

I went in December, during the Winter Solstice so there was very limited daylight, about 3-4 hours a day. The sun would “rise” around 11am and set at about 3pm. I say “rise” because we couldn’t really see the sun; the sky just got slightly brighter during this period.

I booked the trip as a package through Fleetway, a UK based company, that took care of lodging and a couple excursions. We flew WOW Air, which is a European budget airline. Because it’s a budget airline they cut down all the amenities, charging you for overhead carry-on, snacks, and even water. It was a bit of a shock, but if you’re prepared for it and you know what type of service you’ll receive, then all is well.

The Icelandic currency, called the Icelandic kroná (ISK), has an exchange rate of 1 kroná to 0.0099 US dollars. You can choose to exchange your money if you wish, but I honestly never saw cash exchange hands because almost everyone uses credit or debit cards. Keep in mind that because Iceland is an island, they must import a majority of their food and supplies. This makes everything in Iceland quite expensive so I didn’t eat that many special things. However, I do recommend trying skyr, the Icelandic yogurt as well as their national licorice flavored liquor, brennivin.

Iceland actually has some of the cleanest natural water in the whole world, which means you can fill up your water bottle literally anywhere -- from the sink tap to shower water to even a river in the wild. So bring an empty reusable bottle and fill it up in Iceland. Just make sure you’re filling up your bottle with cold water because the hot water will smell and taste like sulphur (which you’ll notice when taking showers).

The public transportation is fairly easy to use. Download the app called “Strætó” in which you can check bus schedules, purchase bus tickets, and check real time bus locations. One adult bus ticket is ISK 460, one way. Most Icelanders speak English too, so if you get lost don’t be afraid to ask for help.

Excursions The excursions we added to our package were all led by Grey Line tour company.

1. Blue Lagoon If you’ve seen pictures, you know this place is a must. Plan to stay 3-4 hours; some people stay an entire day because it’s just so relaxing. Just a heads up - you will need to shower naked before entering the Lagoon. This is just to keep yourself and everyone else clean because they try to use minimal chlorine to maintain the natural beauty of the Lagoon. Although the Lagoon’s natural properties are very good for the skin, they’re pretty corrosive to your hair. So try not to get your hair toooo wet. The white stuff you see on my face is a complimentary mud mask they provide. A couple pointers:
• Bring your own cheap flip-flops to walk around if you want to save money
• If you don’t have a waterproof phone, make sure you bring a waterproof phone case
2. Golden Circle The biggest tourist attraction in Iceland covering the most well-known landmarks including Þingvellir National Park, Gulfoss Waterfall, and Great Geysir and Strokkur Geysir.
3. Northern Lights Unfortunately, the week we were there, the Northern Lights decided not to show. To see the Lights it requires clear skies in addition to solar activity. To check for solar activity, visit http://en.vedur.is/weather/forecasts/aurora/. Compensating for the lack of Lights, we went to the Aurora Reykjavík Museum, which has a 7-foot screen showing time lapses of Northern Lights captured throughout Iceland. The room has chairs, bean bags, and mats so you can enjoy the lights for as long as you want.

Reykjavík City Attractions

• Walk along Skólavörðustígur Street and window shop your way up to Hallgrimskirkja Church
• Hallgrimskirkja Church is the tallest structure in the Reykjavík city center. About ISK 1000 will get you a panoramic view of town from the clock tower observation deck. Plus the structure looks like the Asgard palace from the Thor movies.
• Admire the unique architecture of the Harpa concert hall. It’s free and is a sight to see.
• After you’ve visited Harpa, walk along the Old Harbour where there are several museums to keep you busy.
• Located on a hill south of the city center is Perlan Museum. There’s a free shuttle that will take visitors to and from Perlan from Harpa. The museum houses an indoor ice cave which is a great alternative to driving 5+ hours south of the island for a real ice cave.
• For some more shopping and city life, walk along Laugavegur Street.

What to Pack I did so much research about what to pack because I’m from California and I get cold if the temperature dips below 60F. During our trip, Iceland’s temperature was about 20-30F. I got most of my items from REI and Amazon. Just remember to pack layers because honestly it’s pretty cold and no one’s got time to look styling; we’re all just trying to keep warm. For my upper body I wore a tank top + silk thermal top + sweater + bubble down jacket + outer coat. For my lower body I wore tights + silk thermal leggings + jeans + wool socks.

I changed up my outfits (to show different days) by alternating scarves, beanies, socks, and gloves:

• Gloves with touch screen capability to take all the beautiful photos
• Blanket scarf
• Wool socks
• Fleece lined knit beanie

Next time I head out to Iceland, I’d like to go during the spring or summer when there’s more light. There’s still so much to explore like the black sand beaches, glaciers, snowmobiling, horse riding, and helicopter rides. The Icelanders even say that they're still discovering the island!

-- Emily