Iceland, AKA Not Planet Earth…

He is truly wise who’s travelled far and knows the ways of the world

From “Havamal”, a 13^th century poem of Norse mythology

Note: This blog post will focus on the Golden Circle and surrounding sites, which covers a loop around the Western and Southwestern parts of Iceland.

The land of geysers, Vikings, waterfalls, seemingly “weird” but tasty foods, geothermal baths, picturesque hikes, and most importantly awesome people in a sparsely populated but robust landscape. That is but a small summary of the land with the Northernmost capital in the world, straddling the Arctic circle.

Welcome to Iceland!

Itinerary

• I first landed in Keflavik International Airport, an hour drive south of the capital Reykjavik (which has its own airport but international arrivals come through Keflavik only). I rented a car at the airport for the whole trip, which lasted for 7 days.
• I stayed at an Airbnb in Reykjavik throughout the trip, exploring around the city during the day and meeting locals at night. I also went on a whale watching trip from the port of Reykjavik into the Arctic ocean that I booked online through Viator, a subsidiary of Travelocity
• For a few days, I embarked on a journey throughout the Golden Circle, which runs through 3 major national parks: Thinvellir National Park, Geysir Geothermal Area, and Gullfoss Waterfalls, along with other sites on the peripheries.
• Thinvellir National Park: The first and closest stop to Reykjavik. Here you can learn about the formation of Iceland as a nation through several monuments and see a lot of geological wonders, including seeing the 2 geological tectonic plates, the Eurasian and North American tectonic plates (which are drifting apart, creating the volcanic activity of the Iceland) and Oxararfoss, one of the many beautiful waterfalls of Iceland. The walk around is truly a wonder on its own.
• Geysir National Park: This where the world-famous shooting geysirs are found (and hence the word for it, “geysir”). The active one is called Strokkur, which erupts every 15 minutes (and erupt is an understatement). Climb up the nearby hill for a spectacular view of the whole geothermally active valley!
• GullFoss Waterfalls: The “Golden Falls”, where the circle derives its name, is one of the most beautiful places I have ever visited in my life. One of the largest waterfalls in Iceland, it truly is a magnificent show of the force of nature. Above the main falls, there is a platform for which you can truly “feel” the falls as they cascade around you (make sure you are wearing water-resistant clothing!). A nearby hill will give you a spectacular view of the whole area.
• Other areas of interest around these that I visited included Kerid National Park (a water-filled dormant volcanic crater where you can walk around and go down to the bottom of the crater), the small town of Vik (on the Southern shore) with the nearby Reynisfjara beach (Black Beach) with its black sand beach and cinematic landscape, Skogafoss (another huge scenic waterfall), Fagradalsfjall (an active volcano that can be seen all the way from a rooftop in Reykavik), and Seljalandsfoss, a large solitary waterfall where you can walk into a cave behind it for a view you will never forget (the first picture of this post is from there)
• And of course, spa day! I visited the world-famous Blue Lagoon, a luxurious man-made set of geothermal pools just a skip away from the airport. Less crowded and more affordable places I visited include the Secret Lagoon (on the Golden Circle, also man-made) and Reykjadalur, an out of the way natural geothermal river hidden in the mountains that is free (but you need to hike up a small mountain for an hour or so to reach it)
• An honorable mention to watching the Northern Lights (Aurora Borealis), which I tried to spot at a place close to Reykjavik (yes, there are places there where you can!), but I was not fortunate enough to see them…

A Few Tips

• Make sure you are aware of the laws governing entry into Iceland, as it is an island nation and they take their rules very seriously
• Timing is key! I went in September, which was a little rainy and on the chiller side (but not too cold and definitely not inundated with tourists). Although I missed the Northern Lights (due to the constant clouds), the rest of the trip was great since it was shoulder/off season
• Do not trust the forecast! The weather in Iceland is so unpredictable, you can have sunny breaks throughout the day without warning and rain in the next minute, even though the forecast predicted heavy rains throughout the day. Just be prepared for all types of weather.
• I highly recommend renting a car, even though the rental and gas tend to be expensive. The drive is absolutely amazing on every inch of road, and I guarantee you will want to stop multiple times for photos. If you are thinking of off-roading, make sure you book a 4×4. For insurance, I used my credit card auto-insurance (which I will talk about in another blog post). If you do not want to drive, there are buses and taxis to take you around.
• Icelandic people are super friendly! Make sure to say skál (cheers) when you meet them at a local bar/coffee shop
• Iceland is a huge island and so you are not just bound by Reykjavik for accommodation. There are other amazing cities on all 4 shores.
• To view the Northern Lights, you need not to book an outdoors campsite (although you can). There are places right outside of Reykjavik where you can see them as well, along with just driving out in the wild and spotting them yourself. There is actually a website dedicated to spotting the Northern Lights that you can follow updates on. The less light pollution, the better. Best times are between September and March (throughout winter, due to longer nights)
• Try the fermented shark, it is once in a lifetime experience…!