So after waiting nearly a year since our last aborted attempt to visit Iceland. We have re-booked for a 5 night stay in the land of ice and snow. Flying from Luton on http://www.wizzair.com where extremely cheap flights can be found how does £70 for 2 people return sound?
Also cheap decent accommodation can be found by booking early we have found a guest house called Guest house Galtafell for £211 for the 5 nights. http://www.galtafell.com situated in the heart of Reykajvik 500m from the Hallgrmskirkja church. Galafell is an informal guesthouse offering a garden with complimentary parking plus a lounge with Icelandic artwork. Situated at Laufasvegar 46, 101 Reykjavik Iceland. Tel +354 699 2525.
Reykjavik is about 24km from the International airport of Keflavik which is where most tourists will arrive from the UK and beyond. A modern clean airport with plenty of amenities and transport links. Transport coaches are in abundance but its best to book before you travel. Plenty of choice and these are really regular about every 30 minutes or so. The large coaches are not allowed into the city so a change at the bus terminal to a smaller mini bus will be included in your price. There are numbered bus stops around the city for pick ups and drop offs. The tour companies use these as well. A great system as no large buses in the city makes walking around safer especially in the snow!
While we were in Iceland we went on 2 tours with Your Day Tours. A family run local firm which are excellent please find our 2 itineraries below. Contact them at http://www.yourdaytours.is
Itinerary
Reykjavík
We pick you up at your hotel, guesthouse or at one of the bus stops downtown Reykjavík in the morning (click here to see list of bus stops). The pickup is always between 8:00 and 8:30, but you have to be ready at 8 o’clock. After the pick up we head out of town and the guide introduce him/her self. Please note on days of bad weather the company will send you an email to cancel that days trip please do not rely on a phone message. As standing at bus stop 8 is rather cold in January at 7.45am!
(The itinerary we went on was all of this but in reverse so we started at the Secret Lagoon. Most exciting/ at 9.30am!)
Þingvellir
The last/first stop of the day is the national park Þingvellir, which is full of history and natural beauty. It has a special place in the hearts of all Icelanders, all the way back to the Viking time when they founded here the first parliament in the world.
We will have enough time to walk around and explore this wonderful place. We will have the opportunity to walk in the rift valley, where the tectonic plates are pulling apart. This is the closest you can get to being in two continents at the same time, since under the national park the eurasian plate and the american plate are separating by 2 cm every year.
Þingvellir was designated as a World Heritage of UNESCO in 2004.
In the area there are restrooms and coffee shops for visitors.
Gullfoss
The wonderful Gullfoss is in our opinion one of the most beautiful waterfalls on earth. It is one of the biggest waterfalls in Iceland and there is a beautiful story about the waterfall which your guide will tell you.
When Canadians and Americans go there they call it “the mini-version of Niagara falls”, we don’t know if we agree on that though, if you ask us it’s even prettier. The waterfall is located close to the second biggest glacier in Iceland, Langjökull, and you will see the fresh glacier water falling down 32 meters total into the canyon.
Gullfoss is beautiful from all angles, from above it looks perfect with the Icelandic nature around. In the summertime it is possible to walk all the way down to Gullfoss and feel it’s power and spraying water in the air.
Geysir
Geysir is the most famous hot spring in the world, no doubt. It’s that famous that people from other countries talk about “Geyser” when talking about erupting hot springs. Geysir is located only 8 minutes drive from Gullfoss and is our third big attraction of the day.
Geysir is the father of all the hot springs in the area, and first erupted hundreds of years ago. The “golden age” for Geysir was in the beginning of last century when it erupted up to 80 meters every half an hour. Geysir fell asleep late last century but woke up again after the earthquakes in Haukadalur area in the year 2000. It was erupting for 4 months, with a little help from the locals who put soap in it to make it erupt. They stopped doing that due to environmental reasons, of course. Geysir has been sleeping since the fall of the year 2000.
The only active erupting hot spring in the area is “the son of Geysir”, called Strokkur. Strokkur erupts every 3 to 8 minutes and goes as high as 35 meters. Strokkur is a spectacular hot spring, seeing this active hot spring erupt just a few kilometers from the glacier is a once in a lifetime experience.
This is our lunch stop. There are restaurants at the Geysir area where you can have burgers, salads, traditional Icelandic meat soup (our favorite) and much more. If you want to bring your own lunch with you, we let our customers eat in the bus, especially if the weather is bad.
We will have time to check out the hot springs (no bathing allowed!) and also time to have lunch.
Faxi
Before we head up the Secret Lagoon, we stop at one of the hidden diamonds in the area, Faxi waterfall.
Faxi is a small waterfall, sometimes called the little brother of Gullfoss. There are a few spots where you can enjoy the waterfall, from above or close to it. After checking out the waterfall we give you a little taste of Icelandic snacks: real Icelandic flatbread with smoked lamb on top and one of the oldest drinks in Iceland which is called “Malt”.
Secret Lagoon
The last stop of the day is the Secret Lagoon known in Iceland as the “Old pool” since it is the oldest geothermal pool on the island, founded in 1891.
It is nothing more relaxing after a day out in the icelandic nature then end the day in a geothermal pool. In Iceland we do have more then 100 geothermal pools all over the country and it is a big part of the icelandic culture to go there to relax. The Secret Lagoon is different from the pools in Reykjavik for example, the area is all covered in mossy lava fields and many hot springs all around. There is a little hot spring there which erupts every 4-6 minutes.
If you feel to hot it is nice to stand up and walk around the area on the walking paths around the pool.
The water is about 38°-40°celcius.
Before you enter the pool the staff will tell you the rules and what should be kept in mind when visit the pool.
Remember to bring towels and swimsuits with you, but they can be rented by extra cost at the lagoon.
We stop in the pool for about 90 minutes.
Itinerary
Reykjavik
The tour starts in Reykjavík, where we will pick you up at your hotel, guesthouse or at one of the bus stops downtown (See a list of bus stops in Reykjavik). The pick-up is always between 8:00 and 8:30, but you have to be ready at 8 o’clock. When the pick-up is done we head out of town and the guide introduces him/herself.
Hvolsvöllur
The first stop of the day is at a gas station in a town called Hvolsvöllur, it’s about 1 hour and 20 minutes from Reykjavík. Here we can go and grab a coffee, breakfast, candy, use the restrooms or simply stand up and stretch our legs. We usually stop here for 15 minutes.
Skógafoss
The second stop of the day is one of the most photogenic and visited waterfalls in Iceland, Skógafoss. The waterfall is extremely beautiful, both in summer and winter. If we are lucky enough and the sun is shining, we will see surprising rainbows.
The drop of the water is about 60 meters (200 ft) high and 25 meters (82 ft) wide. There are a few ways to admire the waterfall, either from the steps on the right side of the waterfall where you have a beautiful view from above, or right in front of it where you can feel all its power.
We usually stop at Skógafoss for 40-50 minutes. The parking lot is just 1 minute walk from the waterfall. There are restrooms for visitors.
Reynisfjara (the black sand beach)
Reynisfjara is a unique place, as simple as that. It is the most famous black sand beach on the island and one of the most well-known in the world. The landscape is dramatic, with glaciers and volcanoes all around. A few years ago Reynisfjara was chosen on the Top 10 list of non-tropical beaches to visit in the whole world.
The nature is beautiful at the black sand beach and the basaltic columns by the beach are one of a kind. The three cliffs called Reynisdrangar rise up in the ocean with the island Dyrahólaey not far away, making for one of the most stunning panoramas in our country.
Quite a few Hollywood movies were shot here, such as Noah, Star Trek and of course Game of Thrones.
It is really important when you visit the beach to be careful since the waves can be unpredictable and powerful. Your guide will tell you what to keep in mind when visiting the beach.
We also stop for lunch here, there is a small cozy restaurant where you can buy lunch. This stop is about 60-70 minutes.
Vík
Vík is a small fishing village at the other site of the mountain where Reynisfjara is. After lunch we go to the church in the town for a photo stop. The view is spectacular and gives you a real feeling of how the Icelandic fishermen lived back in the day.
This stop is about 10-15 minutes.
Sólheimajökull
We do have many glaciers in Iceland, especially on the south coast of the island. The one we stop at is called Sólheimajökull and is located between two our most famous volcanoes, Eyjafjallajökull and Katla. The glacier is part of a bigger one called Mýrdalsjökull and is fairly accessible.
The glacier is probably one of the most well-known in Iceland, especially among scientists, since unfortunately the glacier is melting rapidly due to climate change. We will tell you everything you need to know about the glacier and the area.
It is about 15 minutes walk from the parking lot to the glacier. This stop is about 50-60 minutes.
Seljalandsfoss
The last stop of the day is the waterfall Seljalandsfoss, which is one of the most popular waterfalls in Iceland. The reason for it is that in the summer time you can walk behind it and, if you are in the mood for it take amazing selfies there.
Seljalandsfoss is about 60 meters (200 ft) high and you can get really close to it. The water from the river is super fresh and good to drink!
There is a coffee shop here and restrooms as well, which are recommended to use before the drive back to Reykjavík.
As you can see Iceland is truly amazing as we went in January the landscape is somewhat different to the above pictures. Both tours switched the order of the stops due to weather conditions in January but we got to see it all thanks to our 2 Driver/Guides.
Summary. One of the most interesting and memorable holidays we have ever been on. As a foot note while in the capital please check out the punk rock museum (ponkasafn islands) housed in a disused public toilet! And certainly for the best meal try the Pakistani street food restaurant called Shalamar situated at Austurstraeti 4 101 101 Reykjavik, Iceland. The food is delicious
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.