I always plan our vacations, so when Josh volunteered to plan our 10th Wedding Anniversary trip I happily obliged! He's been wanting to go to Iceland for a long time, so when we got Joyce as a tour guide in Belgium in 2022 we knew it was fate. Joyce has been doing private tours in Iceland since she first went there over 20 years ago. Josh got her business card and reached out to her in 2023. They started planning the trip and the only thing I had to worry about was booking our flights and packing 🙂
Friday, April 5th:
My dad drove us to O'Hare so we could catch our 7:30 PM flight to the Keflavíkurflugvöllur (Keflavík International Airport). We got through security quickly (thank you Global Entry and TSA pre check) and headed to our gate. Boarding for the flight was a bit chaotic since IcelandAir lets everyone board at the same time, but we found our economy plus seats quickly and settled in. The flight was only 6 hours and the seats were uncomfortable, so we didn't get too much sleep.
Saturday, April 6th:
We flew over Canada and Greenland and landed in Iceland at 6:35 AM local time. After landing we had to disembark right into the cold and WINDY Icelandic air and onto a bus which took us to the terminal. The airport is pretty small, but they are expanding due to all the anticipated tourism.
We went through Customs and Immigration and then grabbed our luggage. It was cold outside, so I put on some extra layers before we left the terminal. Joyce was waiting for us right outside the secure area. She asked us if we needed any water or food and I said we definitely needed water. She said we only need to buy water once while we are in Iceland because we can fill up ANYWHERE without issues. All the water is super fresh and clean! YAY!
We loaded into the rental car and Joyce drove us to the Reykjavík city center. During the 45 minute drive she told us some Icelandic history and what our plans were for the rest of the day. From the road we were able to see smoke from the Fagradalsfjall volcano, which is currently erupting.
We arrived in Reykjavík, found a parking spot (easily), grabbed our jackets, and then headed out! As we walked through the quiet streets (it was still early in the morning) Joyce told us about the architecture. Most of the houses and buildings are only one or two stories tall and are built to survive earthquakes. Most houses are made out of volcanic rock and then covered with aluminum. You will not find brick here since it doesn't hold up well during earthquakes. A lot of the houses and buildings in the city center are painted bright colors or covered with murals.
[ROK Restaurant]
We zigzagged our way through the streets and made our way up to the Hallgrímskirkja. This Lutheran church is 244 ft tall and took over 40 years to build (completed in 1986). Outside the church is a statue of Leif Erikson, which was a gift to Iceland from the United States for the 1000th anniversary of Iceland's parliament in 1930.
[Hallgrímskirkja and a statue of Leif Erikson]
We crossed the street and Josh got distracted by some pipes that were outside Café Loki. Apparently Café Loki is one of the few places in the city where you can still get a full slab of whale steak. Joyce said it's delicious, but a little controversial.
We then walked down Skólavörðustígur to the the Rainbow Street.
[The Hallgrímskirkja is built on a hill, so you can see it from all over the city]
[Puffins!]
Skólavörðustígur and Laugavegur streets are both very popular for restaurants and shopping. They meet at the end of Rainbow Road, which is the pedestrian only part of Skólavörðustígur.
I was starting to get hungry, so we stopped at Baka Baka for some breakfast. They are famous for their cinnamon rolls, but they were still baking and not ready yet. Instead we got vinarbraud (flat pastry with an almond-vanilla cream on top), an almond croissant, and a filled donut. They were all delicious! Joyce also bought a few loaves of fresh bread that we will consume over the next few days.
[American Bar 🤷♀️]
We then continued our walk and ended up at the harbor where we saw a large Coast Guard ship. Iceland does not have a standing army, but they do have a Coast Guard and they are in NATO.
[New development by the harbor]
We walked over to the beautiful Harpa Tónlistarhús (Harpa Concert Hall) which sits right on the harbor.
[Sellóspilarinn aka The Musician]
Each of the glass panels were individually placed and they all reflect the light differently.
Inside is just as beautiful as the outside! Icelanders LOVE natural light, which is why windows are large and featured heavily in architecture.
After walking through the concert hall we headed outside and walked along the harbor.
Even though it was a bit windy, the sun was out and it was perfect weather for a nice stroll around the Reykjavík harbor.
[Sun Voyager]
Joyce then took us to Laugavegur street where we did some shopping.
All the items in these stores (including the souvenir shops) are made in Iceland. They take pride in their clothes and all of the best stuff is made from local wool. Icewear is the best and 66 North is a close second (so we are told). You can even buy the local wool and make your own clothes.
[Adorable pedestrian walkway]
After shopping we went to Svarta Kaffið for lunch. They don't have a menu, they only serve the soup of the day in large bread bowls. We got the lamb and beef soup and it was delicious! Perfect for a cold day in Iceland.
After lunch Joyce took us to relax at the Sky Lagoon. First, a short (and simplified) geology lesson:
Iceland is located on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge (the space between two tectonic plates) and over a volcanic hotspot. Along this ridge there are tons of volcanos and geothermal areas. Under the ground are water reservoirs that are continually replenished by rain and heated by the magma. Geothermal plants are installed over these underground reservoirs. They pull up the water and use the steam (it’s complicated) to make energy. Icelanders use this geothermal energy to heat their homes and to make geothermal baths (aka lagoons). During this trip we will go to three very different lagoons (Sky Lagoon, Secret Lagoon, and the Blue Lagoon).
We got the "Pure Pass" at the Sky Lagoon, which allowed us to enjoy the lagoon and participate in a seven step ritual.
*I got all of the following pictures from the internet, since I didn't want to risk my phone getting wet.*
Joyce checked us in at the front desk, explained how everything works, and then told us she would pick us up in a few hours. Josh and I headed to the separate men and women's locker rooms. I found a locker, undressed, grabbed a towel, and headed to the showers. Before entering the lagoon you need to take a shower and wash really well with soap and water. You then put on your swim suit and enter the lagoon (step #1 of the seven step ritual). The locker room was very fancy and had plenty of lockers, bathrooms, individual shower stalls (with shampoos), hair dryers, and bags where you can put your wet swimsuit when you are done with the lagoon.
It was very cold outside, but the water was very warm and cozy. We floated around for a bit, explored the infinity pool that overlooked the harbor, and got drinks at the swim up bar.
After floating in the lagoon we headed to the Turf House to continue the seven step ritual. Step #2 is a cold plunge. It was literally freezing outside, so we counted the cold walk from the lagoon to the Turf House as our cold plunge 🥶
Once we entered the Turf House we were given a small towel and shown to Step #3, the sauna.
The sauna was my favorite part. It was hot, but dry, and you can't beat the view!
We stayed in the sauna until I started to nod off (blame jet lag and the warmth). We then went into the cold mist, which woke me up VERY quickly!
We were then handed a sea salt scrub which we rubbed all over our bodies.
We then entered the steam room. It was so steamy I couldn't even tell where the benches or the people were! We found a spot and tried to last as long as we could. I definitely prefer dry to wet heat.
Once we were dripping in sweat, we exited the steam room and showered off before going back to the lagoon.
We floated around in the lagoon for a little while longer before heading back to the locker rooms. We showered (again), got dressed, and I was able to blow dry my hair. There's no way I'm going out in the wind with wet hair!
We found Joyce at the Sky Lagoon restaurant. She made sure we had a good time before telling us where we were heading next: Selfoss!
This little town of 10,000 is located about an hour from Reykjavík along the famous Route 1.
[Route 1 - blue route]
Route 1 is a paved road that extends all the way around the island. You can only access the whole thing during the high summer. During the rest of the year most people (like us) stay in the Golden Circle and the South Coast areas. The vast majority of people who come to Iceland only stay for a few days a focus on the Golden Circle. It has Iceland's main highlights and if you only have a few days that is the best place to go.
Joyce told us that Selfoss is perfect for accessing the Golden Circle and the South Coast (Vík) and we don't have to deal with the traffic in Reykjavík every day. It will give us an hour or more head start on the rest of the people who are traveling out from the capital everyday.
Golden Circle is composed of the area between Reykjavík (west), Þingvellir National Park (north), Gullfoss Falls (east), and Selfoss (south).
[Golden Circle - blue route]
Spoiler alert: During our 10 day stay we explored the Golden Circle and the South Coast. Here's the map of all the places we went:
As you can see we will not only cover the Golden Circle, but do and see so much more!
Joyce navigated through Reykjavík and headed south on Route 1 towards Selfoss.
During the hour long drive Joyce told us about the Icelandic culture and language. Icelandic is as close to Old Norse as you can get. The language hasn't changed much in the last 1000 years and the locals want to keep it that way. The Icelanders also know that no one can understand them and that learning their language as an outsider is nearly impossible. Good thing they are required to learn three other languages in school and English is one of them! Joyce also told us about Iceland and their history with alcohol. Beer and wine are available, but hard liquor is only sold in restaurants and it is very expensive. Driving in Iceland is very dangerous due to the wind and ice. The government restricts alcohol in order to prevent accidents.
These crashed cars are on display along Route 1. Don't drink and drive.
[Geothermal Plant that we will tour later]
[Pipes taking hot water from the plant to Reykjavík]
At the top of the pass we hit some intense wind and snow covered roads. Joyce is a pro and knows this area well, so I wasn't worried.
After the pass we started the descent into the valley.
[Icelandic Horses! Definitely NOT ponies!]
We drove into Selfoss, crossed the Ölfusá river, and had dinner at Kaffi Krús. I had fish and chips while Josh had pasta. Everything was delicious! We even took home a few pieces of homemade cake (made by hand by grandma) for dessert.
After dinner we headed out of town on the 35 to our cottage at Kerbyggð.
Joyce always rents these cottages when she is doing a tour in the Golden Circle. The owners have a series of cottages that are all different sizes. Ours (#11) is a two bedroom with en suite bathrooms and is perfect for us!
[Kitchen]
[Living room - remember what I told you about large windows?]
[Laundry]
[Our bathroom - it's quite large for Europe]
[Porch with hot tub]
[Beautiful views!]
Our first day in Iceland was sunny, cold, and windy (very typical for this time of year). I didn't get cold though. The trick is to dress in layers and it's worth it to spend a little more on good clothes like Smart Wool and fleece.
Here's what I wore most days:
Bottom - Smart Wool base layer, fleece pants, wind proof outer pants (or snowboarding pants if it was raining)
Top - Smart Wool base layer, wind proof long sleeve shirt, light brown fleece zip up, blue puffy down feather long jacket, long purple rain coat (if needed).
I also had fleece lined beanies, a fleece head band, thin gloves, thicker snow gloves (only used twice), a fleece balaclava (only used once), Smart Wool socks, water resistant hiking shoes, and water proof hiking boots.
After getting to the cottage we unpacked and Joyce told us the plan for tomorrow. I took a quick shower (the water is already hot, so there is no need to wait for it to heat up) and crashed. I'm so glad Joyce kept us busy all day, so we could stay awake and adjust to the time change.
We did so much on our first day and I am excited to see the rest of the island and learn more about the Icelandic people over the next 10 days!
Stay tuned!
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