The Trip of a Lifetime.
(edited in April 2021, for a website revamp)
Though I say this after each and every adventure we take on, this one was the real deal.
Though we’ve traveled quite a lot, since taking a vow to regularly do so back in summer of 2018, this trip remains one of our absolute favorites.
It was November, 2018, and we took on Iceland with all three kids in tow.
To this day, memories from that time can be conjured up in a snap; they’ve been seared into our brains due to sheer fabulousness.
I don’t even recall having written about any of our adventures at the time. But after feeling the overwhelmingly positive response to a post on our adventure (in a physician traveling group), and so many questions hurled my way, I decided to write on the topic. This way, I surmised, it could adequately reach many more, and get the coverage it deserved, right here on my personal blog.
Below is my feeble, but honest, attempt to condense all ‘pearls’ gathered while there, in what looks like a foreign planet, now that I look back on those times. But they’re also summarized below, for those of you who don’t have patience for a long-winded post.
My bottom line: ‘happiness happened’, in Iceland, and I outline it all below.
Happiness Happened, an Iceland Narrative.
(If you’d prefer bullet-points, scroll to the end)
We set foot in Iceland in November – Iceland’s wintertime.
The following are the two main reasons why we chose to travel to this destination during particularly bitter cold:
1. ‘Northern Lights’.
Also known by its other, cooler-sounding moniker, Aurora Borealis (much more fitting when I try to come off as ‘scholarly’; in fact, I typically search for my bath robe – a la Hugh Heffner – & pipe when preparing to say it), this natural marvel is a fabulous display of brightly colored ‘puffs’ of air, shining in the sky at only specific hours of the night (and very specific conditions, too).
Only a few countries in the world are privy to this spectacular display, and they are (by order of no particular importance):
Finland
Norway
Sweden
Scotland (we traveled here and guess what? I wrote about it!)
Canada
and, of course, our very own Iceland.
Below, a photo of our experience.
Quite honestly, the emotions elicited by being there, and seeing the lights live, cannot accurately be reflected on film; nor with words.
(images were caught on my iPhone, my preferred medium because, quite honestly, it’s with me everywhere I go).
As mentioned above, the ‘Lights (we go waaaay back) can only be seen in certain months of the year, and in the wintertime.
Even when you’re there at the right time of year, you may still be in the ‘unlucky’ camp that doesn’t get to see this amazing display. Why? Because being able to see them properly depends on a variety of factors that include sky visibility, winds, etc. The Icelandic people have a system for grading the clarity each night, in fact, and use it to judge the probability of seeing the ‘Lights’.
(I tried to get all nerdy on you & find a good link to follow. Here, check out the website here and here for more).
The key, IMO, is to book a tour to see the Northern Lights (it’s an hour’s drive from Reykjavik to get the best view) the first night you’re there, because they’ll basically let you go again and again – one night after the next – until your luck turns and you see them clearly enough to be satisfied.
2. Good Deal.
I’m a sucker for good deals. That’s the truth. And we got ourselves a good one!
Now, mind you, flights to Iceland (when I wrote this blog post back in 2018) were cheap anyway. Very cheap.
You could find a plane ticket on Iceland’s own airline, in fact, for just a few hundred bucks a pop.
But there were still a few things to consider, when calculating out price:
Consideration A:
The airline typically charges for all bags – even carry-ons!
Though I will say this – no extra fees for under-eye bags, my parent friends!
Score.
Consideration B:
The exorbitant prices once there.
I mean, they’ll really get ‘ya.
Damn, Iceland is expensive!
One reason, I found out, is that most products need to be imported, rather than locally grown.
Here’s a quick example: 5 lunchtime bowls of soup at a gas-station like pit stop (on one of our bus tours) will set you back 80 bucks.
You could, of course, shop at the local grocery store and stock up on food, but you’ll have to find the right one. Even these can be quite pricey.. and sometimes even closed, depending on time of day.
The airlines charge no extra fees for under-eye baggage, my parent friends!
Reykjavik.
The capital city of Iceland is fabulous. No if’s, and’s, or but’s about it.
Its center is filled with cute little shops, and lights up with activity once the dark sets in.
There’s even – earmuffs are necessary for this one right here, eif there’s little ‘uns around, and maybe even brace yourself a bit – a Penis Museum to stretch out in. We didn’t go, but the posters that were hung (pun TOTALLY intended) up around town ensured an abundance of giggles from my boys – Every.Single.Night we passed by.
Lay of the land: Everything in Reykjavik is pretty much walking distance.
That being said, the country offers a fair share of physical challenges and you have to, for the most part, be prepared.
Excursion-wise, this is especially true, and covered below.
Above is an ‘artsy find, which we bumped into while trekking the streets of Reykjavik; magnetic wool sheep, herded together on a stretched fabric board, for a gajillion dollars, and displayed adoringly now, on our kitchen wall.
You can check out the actual item, among other random photos, on my Instagram account.
Light:
Keep in mind that daylight is limited, when you’re there in the winter.
The sun came up at around 10 AM, and set at around 4.
The shortest day sees light a total of less than 4 hours a day, from what local folks told us.
Bottom line?
Don’t bet on getting a tan in while vacationing in wintery Iceland.
Excursions We took On.
Keep in mind, while we are of the adventurous type, certain activities were limited due to my son’s age at the time (my youngest was 6).
We had to skip the glacier walks, for example, and some ice adventures.
But believe it or not, it didn’t matter. It was still amazing.
We focused on the South coast in our adventures, but traveled up the midsection of the beast, too.
Get Golden Circle.
The Golden Circle is basically the main attraction of Iceland, and follows a circular path that was created, more or less, for tourists: that’s us!
It was a bit crowded when we were there, but the amazingness of the wonders we took in far outweighed the discomfort of feeling like sardines. (Plus, I love sardines – there’s so much omega 3 packed into ’em!)
I did find that the beautiful clearings, waterfalls, volcanoes, and glaciers, all required some degree of physical stamina; even the fittest among us could not always take every bit on. I noticed, in fact that the ‘elders’ in our tour group hesitated at various points along the way, and some even turned back.
You
Furthermore, personal safety is an issue to keep in mind, as you’re in a land of natural wonders. Precautions aren’t exactly “built in”. So don’t take any potential dangers for granted.
Now I realize that this may be the mother in me speaking. Or maybe it’s the doctor (or quite possibly just the concerned, rational human), but you’ll literally be walking down a path, alongside a waterfall, with the edge – and the steep drop beneath it – an inch from the side of your shoe.
The cost of a misstep is a steep one – one wrong move and you’re waking up (maybe!?) in an ambulance – so be careful.
Take a look at the photo above. We may seem happy-go-lucky, but inside, we’re trembling from the fear.
Ok, I’ll admit it: I’M the one who’s the nervous nellie, holding on for dear life on that ledge. None of the other folks in my tribe seem to care. But trust me: be wary.
More nervous nellie concerns.. this time about ice.
There were a lot of icy patches, especially in our glacier pitstop.
It was impossible to walk past some of these, in fact, without taking the time to look for appropriate footholds.
Don’t get me wrong, you can choose to abstain from anything that appears like too much of a challenge.
Just keep it real.
You
South Coast.
Glaciers, sandy black beaches and waterfalls.
Cute tour, but probably our least favorite of the three main touring days.
That being said, the glacier we took on was spectacular to hike to, albeit very icy.
(I know, I know – we’re in Iceland. The irony isn’t lost on me..)
Oh, and if you get a chance to snowshoe, it looked like so much fun. We didn’t partake in it because age restriction limited participation on our end. If you go, I’d be happy to read your blog post about it, and then laugh at the nerdy things that you say. Tag me if you do.
Animals.
The animals there were limited to:
A. Sheep – so, so cute! Little curly balls of black and white, dotting the roadsides.
and
B. Icelandic Horses – Iceland’s own breed and apparently special because of its ability to gallop 5 different ways, compared to the American variety, which can only take on 3.
Fun fact: They say an Icelandic natives can hold a beer without spilling a drop, while riding on a galloping Icelandic horse. Cool.
This makes them proud, and also makes me smile when I pass it on.
Oh, and apparently, there’s also puffins.
And if you’re like me, the first thing you say when I mention them is, “The cereal?”
No, not the cereal. But the creatures gracing the cover of that cereal box.
We didn’t get to see any of them, but apparently they’re deliciously cute, and come out in droves in the summer.
Snaefellsnes Peninsula.
Wow. Just wow.
This excursion was my own personal favorite.
We saw:
Waterfalls.
A crater, which felt to me like we were on a completely different planet. I’m talking straight out of The Martian.
Lakes to die for.
Adventurous terrain, home to such amazing Icelandic folklore. We heard so many stories along the way – tall tales that not only intrigued us, but kept the boys quiet and (somewhat) interested.
Black sandy beaches.
Take a look at the photographic memories we made, below.
(and the best part is that anyone can create these because the country is so easy to get to.. and so very cool! Plus, all you need to create is an iPhone and fingers!)
This tour was worth every moment.
We even stopped at a little village that reminded me of the one from Monsters, Inc, in the scene with the Yeti lived.
This one:
Covered in snow, this beautiful town was set on a peninsula, close to the edge, and away from anything else for miles.
I snapped a shot of my kids, playing in the backyard of a cafe. The nearby church was being used to film a movie.
Did I mention this place is ‘hella cool? Check out the purple sky hue.
Blue Lagoon.
This is a must-see.
I didn’t get pictures of this excursion, because I couldn’t bring any belongings into the water with me.
The place is basically built of naturally-made craters, filled with the warm waters of what can only be described as a giant jacuzzi, wrapped around a main building.
It’s very much like a lazy river for adults (complete with alcoholic beverages served inside the water).
Our kids were with us and had a blast, too.
The best part is that it’s cold outside; like, freeing cold.
And the lazy river is right outside in this freezing cold.
So you’re basically wearing almost nothing – depending on bathing suit preference – in freezing weather, but submerged in a natural pool of hot water.
We were advised to go at night, because we would get to see the Northern Lights, again.
However, while there, a major snow storm decided to rear its ugly head and literally pelt hail at our heads. The Iceland gods were pretty unsettled that evening, it seemed, and took out their anger on all of us.
Still, we enjoyed the experience, and so did the kids.
In hindsight, and from what I’ve read since, the Blue Lagoon is considered a bit touristy. However, we found that it was worth it.
In fact, it was my boys’ favorite spot.
Weather.
It was really cold, so bundle up. Get thermals and jackets and boots and gloves and hats. Hand and foot warmers are optional add-ons, too.
At the same time, it’s bearable, especially if you’re coming from the East Coast, like we were. You get used to it. You just have to wear the right gear.
If you’re part of a tour, your guide will take care of ‘ya.
And there’s always the shelter of the warm bus, if need be.
Oh, and something interesting about the weather: it has a tendency to change at the drop of a hat.
We kept hearing a famous saying, uttered again and again:
If you don’t like the weather, just wait a couple of minutes.
Touring.
Which tour companies: we used two different tour companies, and both were fantastic.
I don’t think you can go wrong with any of them, in fact, except there’s something to be said about having a smaller tour.
We enjoyed the smaller-sized tours much better: less people, less waiting around, more personalized stops and attention.
Tidbit of sage advice: if you don’t mind booking last minute, they have great deals on tours the day before (at least the ones that we booked, a fact we happily discovered by chance.
Where we booked: we used the shop in the center of Reykjavik, which works with all companies (seemed like they were the main hub), and got some fantastic deals because *clears throat in shame* we didn’t plan ahead (turns out not planning ahead is the way to go, eh? *again, clears throat*).
Tours normally $130 pp were closer to $100 pp, which added up for our family of 5.
Additionally, some tours had a ‘buy one child, get one free’ deal. Others were even free for children under 7. SCORE.
In A Nutshell:
- Blue Lagoon – a must see.
- Snaefellsnes Peninsula – another must see. My favorite trip. We saw waterfalls, a crater, cliffs.
- South Coast – glacier, waterfalls.
- Golden Circle- the basic sightseeing tour, I would do it and see the Geiser and tectonic plates.
- Aurora Borealis/Northern Lights: if you’re there during these months, an absolute must see! Only seen in certain months (winter), go first night because you can go a second if you didn’t see the first time. Sky has to be clear.
- Tours: (by bus. There’s either smaller or bigger bus- we preferred smaller, if you’re willing to spend a bit extra). But it’s more $ so you have to decide if worth it. For one, we paid for big bus but got smaller one so that can happen, too.
- Ages restrictions: make sure you can participate in physical tours. Our youngest was too little (had to be above 8), but they looked amazing. For example, trekking the glacier using snow shoes, or snowmobiling.
- Prices: finding a package for flight and accommodations can be very affordable but once you’re there, it’s very expensive (a cup of soup will cost $15, glass of wine $20).
- Limited light: In the winter, sunlight is limited. Can be 4 hours long in December.
- Discounts: if you can wait until the day before a tour, many of them get discounted. We paid $100 pp instead of $130, for example.
- Weather changes at the drop of a hat, be prepared with some warm clothes if you come wintertime.
- They say their water is as good as bottled, so no need to keep buying.
- Store hours only open certain times of the day. Best place for snacks and produce at their market called Bonus, but again, closes early, opens late.
- Flight back from Iceland will charge you for each piece of carry on (about $60 each) in addition to luggage ($70 each). That may be a part of our airliner, WOW- Iceland’s airline, but I’m not sure and it may an airport-wide rule.
- The trip is not for young kids. We took our 6, 10, and 13 year old boys. It was a physically demanding trip and it was cold. I don’t think taking younger kids would make sense.
- Go. Feel the exhilaration.
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