Amazing Iceland — Winter Edition

Enjoying the spectacular views in Iceland

Iceland is beautiful in the winter. Our first visit was in late June, where it was also absolutely breathtaking (see Amazing Iceland) with the days being filled mostly with sunlight for about 20 hours or so. This time we visited the day after Christmas, so downtown Reykjavík was festive with all the Christmas decorations throughout the city. While we were there it also snowed which made it truly magical. There were only about 5 hours of daylight with the sun rising around 11:00 a.m. and setting sometime between 3:00 and 4:00 p.m.

Downtown Reykjavík during the holidays

Upon arrival at Keflavik airport, we stopped for a hot chocolate to warm us up before boarding the Fly Bus. On this visit, we stayed at Center Hotels Laugavegur which was in the heart of downtown Reykjavík. Our final stop for the hotel was Bus Stop 9 (Snorrabraut), which was right in front of the hotel. We checked into the hotel and headed to tour downtown Reykjavík.

Hallgrímskirkja – Hallgrims Church

While walking around downtown Reykjavík, we strolled into Hallgrims Church. It was built between 1945 and 1986 and is Iceland’s largest church. We purchased tower tickets from the church shop that is in the foyer of the church to go upstairs to the tower. The views of Iceland from the tower of the church were truly awe inspiring.

Views from the Tower of Hallgrímskirkja, Reykjavík Iceland

Velkomin að Geysi – Welcome to Geysir

On one of our day tours, the Golden Circle tour, we stopped at Geysir, patiently waiting for the water to bubble up and spew up into the air.

Geysir. According to the sign: “Geothermal areas in Iceland are divided into high and low temperature areas depending on the nature of the geothermal system. The high temperature areas are within the volcanic zone, the low temperature ones outside. Geyser is a high temperature geothermal area with a base temperature around 250 [degrees celcius].“

Gulfoss Falls. According to the sign: “Gulfoss and its environs was designated as a nature reserve in 1979 to permanently protect the waterfall and allow the public to enjoy this unique area.”

Trail of Sigríður. According to the sign, the trail “is dedicated to the memory of Sigríður Tómassdóttir in Brattholt, and her heroic struggle for the conservation of Gulfoss”

The tour guides were full of stories about Iceland and the history of the waterfalls and landmarks along the way while we were riding on the bus and walking along the actual sights. Among the scenery were lots of beautiful horses and a landscape covered in snow.

Hraunfossar waterfalls. Hraunfossar and Barnafoss (the children’s waterfall)
On our way to this stop, the tour guide gave us some history surrounding the name of the Barnafoss waterfall and why it was named the children’s waterfall. He also explained why the stone arch that was previously a bridge for the river had disappeared.

The Mightiest Cave

On one of our day tours, the Silver Circle, we visited Viðgelmir, one of the larger caves created from lava flow in Iceland. Prior to entering the cave we were given helmets with head lamps on them and were told ahead of time to wear hiking boots. There was only one entrance to the cave and we walked down many wooden steps to enter the cave. Once we descended into the cave there was one small section where there was a narrow gap to walk through.

Peering up from inside The Mightiest Cave (which was 1585 m in total length)

Sky Lagoon

Our visit to Iceland happened after the recent volcanic eruption had occurred and the town of Grindavík had been evacuated. We were, however, assured numerous times that the visit would be safe and that air traffic was not disrupted. One point of interest on our itinerary, however, did change. On one of our day tours we were originally scheduled to visit the Blue Lagoon, however, it was very close to the volcanic activity and therefore we were given a choice of alternatives for a hot spring.

We decided on Sky Lagoon. While we would love to visit Iceland again and go to Blue Lagoon, we were not disappointed with our visit to Sky Lagoon. It was a once in a lifetime experience. Sky Lagoon consists of thermal baths located in Kópavogur Iceland.

After a day on the Golden Circle tour, we ended with a stop at the Sky Lagoon. There are different packages available — the Sky, the Pure, and the Pure Lite. We got the Sky package, which included a Seven-Step Ritual and private changing facilities. The Seven-Step Ritual included: relaxing in the Lagoon, taking a cold plunge, then a sauna, a cold mist, a sky body scrub, a steam and then finally a shower, after which we reentered the Lagoon.

The Lagoon itself was absolutely amazing and surreal. The water was warm and we were surrounded by a landscape of enormous rocks; and as we were in the warm water, it was actually snowing as the Lagoon is outside. There’s also a bar inside the Lagoon with a variety of drinks. The whole experience was relaxing and tranquil and definitely worth the trip.

Chasing the Northern Lights/Aurora Borealis

So we signed up for a tour to go in search of the Aurora Borealis. It was an evening tour that promised hot chocolate, warm blankets, a professional photographer and most of all the hope of seeing this spectacular sight that we had travelled all the way to Iceland at this specific time of the year to see. The tour bus stops were conveniently located directly outside of the hotel where we were staying. You literally just go outside and stand there and various tour buses come and go, usually shouting the names of the individuals on their specific tour.

Once we heard our names, we boarded the tour bus and were on our way. After a long ride we stopped at a sight and waited to see the aurora. The first night, it was freezing cold, so we would get off of the bus and look for a bit and then get back on the bus to warm up. Eventually we were served delicious hot chocolate and cinnamon buns. Unfortunately that night we did not see the aurora and were able to reschedule another attempt for free the following evening. The next night we finally saw some activity as is shown in the picture below.

Searching for the Northern Lights: A photo of Aurora activity we saw in Iceland

Tours we did on this trip

There were so many highlights to our tours in addition to the above. On one of our day trips we stopped at this quaint restaurant where we had the option of an all you can eat buffet. We opted for the all you can eat soup and bread. It was an especially cold day and the hot delicious soup kept us warm. We also warmed up with hot chocolate as well. The tour we did on our previous trip to Iceland included an overnight stay. This time we stayed at a hotel in downtown Reykjavík and signed up for two day trips as well as evening bus trips in search of the aurora borealis. So on this particular trip to Iceland, we were able to spend more time in downtown Reykjavík and explore the shops and restaurants as well.

Golden Circle, Sky Lagoon & Kerid Volcanic Crater, Small Group Day Tour, Nicetravel, Iceland (booked directly through Nicetravel) (this trip included many sights and stops, such as: Thingvellir National Park, Geysir, Gullfoss Waterfall, Kerid Crater, and in our case, Sky Lagoon. The trip usually stops at Blue Lagoon instead, but in our case we were given other choices because of the recent volcanic activity in Grindavík.)
Silver Circle – Lava Cave & Waterfalls, Small Group Day Tour, Nicetravel, Iceland (booked through TripAdvisor) (this trip included many stops and sights, such as: Deildartunguhver Thermal Spring, Snorralaug, Hraunfossar, Barnafoss, The Cave, and Husafell)
#1 Northern Lights Tour in Iceland from Reykjavík with PRO photos (booked through Viator) (As mentioned, this particular tour included hot chocolate, cinnamon rolls, and warm blankets as well. Additionally, if you did not see the Northern Lights and you were still going to be in Iceland, you could reschedule the trip as much as you wanted, pending space availability).

Some other restaurants/shops we visited in Reykjavík

One of the restaurants where we ate, the Old Iceland Restaurant, was quite the dining experience. The last time we were in Iceland, we had Artic char for the first time and loved it. At the Old Iceland Restaurant we had the Pan Fried Arctic Char with celeriac-potato mash, broccolini, etc. It was delicious and if you’re in Iceland and haven’t had Artic Char before, this restaurant comes highly recommended.

Also, since Iceland is so cold, there are many stores selling winter clothing. One store that was a must for us to stop into was The Handknitting Association of Iceland. There you can find hand knit sweaters, hats, gloves, scarves and even knitting supplies if you wish to create your own hand-knitted masterpiece. We also stopped into Icewear, an Icelandic store with wool sweaters and lots of warm outdoor apparel. Another fun store with outdoor wear we stopped into was 66° North. There were also lots of quaint little boutiques, souvenir shops, restaurants, cafes, galleries and museums.

Our trip to Iceland was not as long as we would have liked and while we were able to see quite a bit, we would still love to go back and have some more evenings chasing the Northern lights.

Some Apps/Websites we found helpful prior to travelling to Iceland

Below are some of the sites we used prior to travelling to Iceland. If you search online there are many more resources available.

katmsal.com