A trip to picturesque Iceland has been on my to do list for far too long. Months ago I booked a flight and piece by piece put the ideal journey together. From every activity to the simple charm of this brisk land, the trip was truly magical. I highly suggest the following adventures, but just seeing this beautiful landscape would have sufficed as a great trip in itself.
Things to know before reading the following: I only had five days to complete this trip. There is plenty more of Iceland to explore, but this itinerary will cover Reykjavik and the Southern coast. I am not much of a hiker. There are some awesome sounding tours that would be great to add to your trip, if that is something you are interested in, that you can check out here.
DAY 1
I took the red eye from Logan to Keflavik airport, arriving in Iceland at 4:45am. The car rental company picked me up from the airport and shuttled me to their off site location. From there it was about a 45 minute drive to Reykjavik. Luckily, my hotel R31, which was excellent, let me do an early check in. So, time for some much needed sleep. Play airlines was great and inexpensive (only $390 roundtrip,) but not the most comfortable to catch some Z's.
A Northern Lights excursion was the first activity lined up. I suggest doing this the first night because it is not guaranteed that you'll see the Aurora Borealis. Due to this, the tour company allows you to go back on their tours for free until you do. Gray Line Iceland was awesome to work with. At the meet up location everyone had a beverage (white wine for me) and then boarded the bus to get away from the city for one of their best bets locales to see the lights. After waiting a few hours I had given up hope on seeing them and then excitement filled the bus as we all flooded out to see the majesty of the Aurora. It truly was an experience I will never forget. They view was fleeting, but every second of it was incredible.
DAY 2
After a triumphant start to the trip I was excited for the next adventure at the Blue Lagoon. This is a MUST in your plans and maybe my favorite part of the entire journey. It can get busy, but there are so many pockets of solitude to escape to if you are looking for extra relaxation. However, I would think it would be difficult not to relax here regardless. The milky blue water was the perfect temperature with little pockets of extra heat. I went at 11am, so after wading for a bit it was time for a drink. I went with their dry sparkling wine and maybe I was just uber relaxed, but I think it was the best sparkling wine I had ever had. Next up, I slathered on my silica mask, soaked in the steamy water and let this mask go to work. My skin felt so soft afterward! I would suggest carving out about 4 hours at the Blue Lagoon. Between checking in, the pre-shower, the soak and then a post shower you'll want that much time.
DAY 3
I planned the most strenuous part of the trip right in the middle to be able to really relax after. Today, I was off to Vík, a 2 hour 20 minute drive from Reykjavik. Warning: it is quite windy on the drive. But do not let that deter you, it was stunning. While in Vík I marveled at the iconic church standing on its own amongst the hillside. A local told me that if there is an eruption the entire town meets at that church.
Next, was riding Icelandic Viking horses on the black sand beach. Not to sound like Owen Wilson, but WOW. What an experience! There was only a small group of three, so we could really take our time and soak in the views. To my surprise Viking horses are much shorter and wider than expected. This was the view I have been waiting years to see. Black sand beaches... as a WanderLust Girl that made my heart skip a beat. This felt unworldly, like we were on another planet. Just like any Icelandic adventure you want to make sure you bundle for this experience. I wore thermal leggings, my MK waterproof jacket, wool socks and heat tech shirts from Uniqlo and I could still feel the crispness of the air.
I headed back to Reykjavik while the sun was still up and grabbed a delicious dinner back in the city. Then it was time to rest up for the final full day.
DAY 4
I heard quite a bit of comparing and contrasting of the Blue Lagoon and Sky Lagoon prior to my trip. So, I figured the only thing to do to really know is to force myself to go relax at not one, but two ultra beautiful lagoons. Twist my arm... I got to the Sky Lagoon around 10:30am, which was perfect because it was not as busy as the afternoon. (By the time I left it was a bit crowded for my taste.)
After taking a quick shower before entering the water I grabbed a morning cocktail and hung by the edge of the infinity pool. I did the Pure package, which included the 7-step ritual.
Step 1 - Floating in the lagoon while warming up in the geothermal waters.
Step 2 - Cold plunge, which I shockingly did three times. By the third time I felt much more comfortable. This is something I've wanted to incorporate more into my life, even in Nashville. It is so great for your immune system and quite the endorphin rush.
Step 3 - Sauna time in the traditional Icelandic turf house. The sauna opens the pores and let out toxins. The window in the sauna was my favorite part. It is actually the biggest window in Iceland!
Step 4 - Cold mist. This feels so invigorating after the sauna.
Step 5 - Exfoliate with the Sky Body Scrub. After being in such a dry climate all week this felt so incredible. It is best to keep it on for the next step as well.
Step 6 - Steam room to open the pores one more time during this ritual. The steam room was so steamy that you really could not see much. (It was definitely a Chandler and Jack Geller situation for all my Friends fans out there.)
Step 7 - Shower off the scrub. They claim by this step you will feel relaxed, rejuvenated and re-energized and I'll tell you, I totally was.
After you are done you can pick up some of their products in the gift shop! I skipped this part and headed into the city center for some retail therapy. The shops were all so cute and I wish I had a bigger suitcase. I will say I flew home wearing two jacket and a sweater just to fit my new Icelandic wool blanket in my bag. It was toasty, but worth it!
DAY 5
After packing up I made one last shopping trip to the city center (I couldn't help myself) and then it was time to head out to return the rental car. I think it goes without saying that this trip was better than I could have imagined.
Iceland recently went through a difficult time if you've seen the eruptions on the news. I missed the earthquakes by a mere week! Many of the places I saw are closed or literally separating from each other. However, once things settle down make sure you check out beautiful Iceland for yourself. It will be a trip you will remember for a lifetime.
Xx, WanderLust Girls
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