I stepped out of Reykjavik airport into a scene from a movie.
The world’s canvas had been transformed, with every surface caressed by pure white snow. It stretched, untouched, for as far as the eye could see. It was eerily still, silent, with only the soft crunching of our new snow boots to remind us that we were still firmly on earth, despite the exquisite moonscape surrounding us.
Winter, an indiscriminate artist, had painted cars and statues alike. I longed to run whooping through the pristine carpark, flinging cold crystals into the waiting sky with childlike joy. I stood on the edge, not able to bring myself to destroy the pristine picture in front of me. Luckily, our hire car was completely covered too, creating the perfect opportunity to surprise my sister, Melly, with a snowball to the head.
A friendly snowplough reminded us that we were driving out of the airport on the wrong side of the road, and with much shrieking and giggling, we were on our way, full of excitement for our upcoming adventure.
Black ice painted the road’s surface, determined to send us careening across two lanes of traffic. Despite driving 20km below the speed limit, the snow-covered world slipped quickly away behind us. As the winter sun began to peek over the mountain ranges, I had already begun to fall in love with this strange, and beautiful country.
The Icelandic People
It was clear from the beginning that this was a special place, full of the most gentle souls you could imagine, a stark contrast against the harshness of its landscape.
Parking in shin deep snow is no easy feat, especially if you are not used to winter driving. We looked at each other in pure panic as our wheels spun uselessly beneath us, unable to manoeuvre into the last parking space in sight. Before I could get out and push, a huge jeep pulled over from nowhere, hazards blaring in the middle of the road.
Despite no English, and in fact, no hearing at all, our new friend guided us patiently into the spot, indicating gently when to turn and when give the engine more gas. We signed a grateful thank you to our unexpected hero as he waved goodbye with a massive smile. A beautiful reminder that the language of kindness needs no words.
Dressing for the Weather
The name of the country gives away all you need to know about its climate. My phone insisted that it was -7 outside, but my windburned forehead screamed otherwise. The wind chill factor is brutal, and I gained a new found respect for those that survive these extreme conditions for prolonged periods of time. Luckily, we were prepared for the worst.
In terms of packing, layers were our best friend. We wore long sleeve thermals under tees, jumpers/fleeces and Superdry waterproof winter coats and we were plenty warm enough when out and about.
We bought fleecy leggings which were absolutely perfect for what we needed. Cheap, lightweight, quick to dry, and super toasty too. I bought a pair of jeans with me- but I wish I hadn’t bothered as I only wore them once!
It goes without saying that you will need hat, scarf, and gloves. I bought two hats so that if one got wet during the day, I had another dry one to wear in the evening, which was one of the best decisions I made in packing. I bought this awesome snuggly scarf from accessorize, which doubled up as a blanket on flights and tour buses. I’ll never travel without it again.
It’s hard to enjoy even the most beautiful of sights with cold feet. Seriously, it’s all you can focus on. Invest in some Thermal or ski socks to keep your tootsies warm.
Snow Boots. These. Are. A. Must. We would not have remained upright without them. Look for a pair that are waterproof, and have a sturdy grip. Ours were fur-lined and shin height, which I was grateful for when I plunged unsuspectingly into the drifts that swallowed my feet.
There are two things I wish I had packed: A balaclava to protect my face (see note about windburn), and touchscreen gloves. Taking your gloves off to take a photo results in some very smurf-like blue fingers, so I would definitely invest in some next time.
Winter Driving
One of my biggest learnings was that I would never rent a car here (in winter) again. We wanted the freedom to take to the road whenever we wanted, but driving in the snow is no joke, and conditions can change from bright sunshine to swirling whiteouts in the blink of an eye.
Combine the weather with a left-hand drive, manual gearbox and driving on the opposite side of the road- and you have a recipe for disaster. Rental companies advertise that you have ‘winter tyres’, but these are in no way enough to deal with the extreme conditions that we saw outside of the snow ploughed town centre.
Over 50 cars were stranded, crashed, or abandoned on the day that we took a tour around the Golden Circle. Thankfully we were on a coach, with an experienced driver who knew how to navigate the worsening conditions. We watched in horror as he rocked back and forth over twenty times to get out of a deep snowdrift, before being forced to scrape the length of the abandoned mini-bus blocking the last open road back to Reykjavik. It took us an additional six hours to reach our hotel, but we were grateful not to be among the unlucky tourists who were stranded overnight.
Unfortunately, we did need to brave the road to return to the airport the next day, which was utterly terrifying. The wind howled around the car, forcing us gradually closer to the edge, and ten minutes later we couldn’t see a thing. I don’t know if you have ever driven blind on a motorway, but it was pretty awful. Melly, did an amazing job keeping us on the road, whilst I attempted to navigate the unfamiliar route. (Make sure you have data or download maps ahead of time!) We literally had to crawl from lamppost to lamppost until we arrived, not wanting to pull over for fear of being hit from behind. Later, the same road would be closed after an eight-car pile-up.
We arrived at the airport to discover that every flight out was cancelled, with hundreds of people stranded. When Hotel Jazz offered to come and pick us up, I absolutely bawled in relief that we wouldn’t have to drive in the storm again.
What to See in Iceland
The Northern Lights.
We didn’t see them. At least, we don’t think we did. We didn’t count the glimpses of colour that dashed across the sky just out of reach. Ghosts of auroras past perhaps.
We did a tour with Reykjavik excursions, and they were pretty good. I researched for hours about who to go with, and if you don’t mind the bigger crowd over the small intimate tours, then they are a steady, affordable option. They offer the opportunity to go again if you don’t see the lights the first night, so be sure to book the tour early enough in your trip that you can reschedule if needed.
We drove out to a remote area, away from the city lights and waited. And waited. For four hours.
You have to be patient. My advice is to enjoy the moment for what it is so that you won’t be disappointed if the lights don’t dance for you. We soaked up the beauty of the glowing yellow horizon against the darkness before warming up with a steaming hot cuppa.
Tips:
1) You need a tripod. We bought ours on Amazon. After much research, I chose this one because I wanted a lightweight option to fit in my luggage. This one extends out high enough to be able to capture the sky, and allowed me to mount a smartphone adaptor as well as my Nikon DSLR. To prevent blurred shots, it’s also a great idea to buy a Bluetooth remote so that you don’t shake your camera/phone when you take a snap.
I downloaded the Northern Lights app on my iPhone, as the app allows a longer shutter time than the standard phone settings. I’d recommend having a practice before you actually get there, as you may only have moments to capture the lights before they disappear again.
Hallgrimskirkja
When I told Melly I wanted to visit a church, she looked at me as though I had grown two heads. I actually do love European churches, but the true appeal of this particular one was the amazing view from its tower, and the opportunity to see the iconic shot of Reykjavik’s colourful rooftops for myself.
The snowcapped houses stretched for miles into the distance, each roof representing a story to be told. I lost myself imagining who might live there, making a life amongst the snow and ice. When it was time to leave, I followed the sound of the organ pipes back down into the church; a familiar sense of peace enveloping me. I could feel the magic in these walls, soaking it up amongst the music and flickering candles.
The Golden Circle
Our tour covered three of the most popular hotspots that we wanted to check out:
1)Þingvellir (Thingvellir) National Park
2) Geysir geothermal area
3) Gullfoss waterfall
It was a bitterly cold day in a blue-tinged world, still dark when we awoke. We set off from the hotel bright and early to Þingvellir National Park. Iceland is divided by the Mid-Atlantic rift and is the only place in the world where you can see the rift above sea level. The Eurasian and North American tectonic plates pull the country apart by a few cms a year here and it is so humbling to walk in the fissure, imagining the incredible power that caused it.
Next, we battled the howling winds to reach Strokkur, an active geyser. The strong gusts stung our faces and knocked people off of their feet. We watched as the geyser blew its majestic column of water high into the air to the gasps of onlookers before heading back for a much-needed hot chocolate!
Finally, we reached the iconic Gullfoss waterfall, famous for its impressive size and volume of water. We were the only ones that had braved the weather to get there, and it felt like we were the only people on earth in this desolate place. The icy torrents cascaded over the edge and we could only watch in awe. Mother Nature has an amazing way of reminding you how small you really are in her world.
The Sun Voyager
An ode to the sun, Jón Gunnar’s Sun Voyager is one of the most well-known sights in the city centre, and well worth a stroll down to the water’s edge. We followed the peaceful shore walk route, admiring the majestic Mt Esja along the way.
Stopping only to make a snow angel, we managed to catch the gleaming steel sculpture, silhouetted against the water. The boat is said to represent a dream of hope, progress, and freedom, and we sat and reflected for a while in the fading dusk light.
Husky Sledding
This was Melly’s 30th birthday gift and the absolute highlight of our trip. The look on her face when she realised what we had planned was a moment I’ll treasure always. We booked with Dogsledding Iceland, a family run business with over 45 Huskies in their care.
Two teams of eight dogs stood ready to pull the sleds. Rotated regularly, each dog is carefully selected depending on the terrain, the weather, and the weight of the sled.
We suited up in giant snowsuits and goggles, and were finally ready to meet our new friends. The big Siberian husky immediately threw back his head, howling like a wolf. The hairs on my arms stood on end, appealing to some primal part of my brain.
‘It means he is excited,’ his handler explained, ‘Ceasar loves to run!’
We cuddled the pups, rubbing their huge heads and tummies as they squirmed and vied for our attention. They presented furry butts (their favourite part to be rubbed) and offered us paws to shake. We were in ecstasy, and the ride hadn’t even begun yet.
I got to ‘drive’ the sled first, and I do use the term loosely. The dogs pulled hard against their restraints, shifting us along, despite all my body weight standing on the brake. When the Musher finally shouted go, the world stopped.
The yelping and barking became the silent padding of feet on snow. Nothing existed except the cracking of ice beneath the sled rails, and the glorious mountains looming ahead. I couldn’t speak for a while, utterly enthralled. Sunlight glittered across the snowy horizon, and there was nowhere else on earth I wanted to be in that moment.
As we sped along, we talked. Our Musher shared her thoughts on breeding the dogs, the language of the sled and the history of sledding. She explained that back in the day if you lost your dog-team, you were as good as dead. Looking out across this unforgiving landscape, I could certainly believe it.
Blue Lagoon
I am always happiest in water. Be it the ocean, the bathtub, or natural pools; water soothes my soul, leaving me ready to face the world. The Blue Lagoon had been on my bucket list for as long as I could remember, and a rejuvenating soak in the geothermal pool felt like the perfect end to our epic adventure.
We arrived in the dark, sinking into the embrace of the 38-degree water with a contented sigh. Many insist that the Lagoon is an overrated tourist trap, but as the sun rose over the mountains, lighting up the milky blue water, I couldn’t have disagreed more.
Despite its popularity, there are many quiet corners of the lagoon to pause and take it all in. We donned our silica face masks and scooted off to find the perfect spot. The iconic bridges rose out of the mist in silent glory, and we hunkered down against the swirling snowstorm that blew in around us.
The backdrop is truly stunning. From the warmth of the pool, we gazed out over a snow-capped mountain vista, the icy wind nipping at any body part not submerged beneath the surface. Being the water baby that I am, I could happily have stayed there all day.
Tips:
1) The water will wreck your hair. We heard stories about people who couldn’t get a comb through their locks for a week after dunking their heads. We coated our hair in a good conditioner, paying particular attention to the nape of our necks (as it’s closest to the water), and our hair was fine when we rinsed it later.
2) Buy a waterproof phone cover. We had to chuckle as the third group of people asked us where we had bought our covers, lamenting that they didn’t have one. Though we didn’t trust the cover to completely submerge the phone, it was a perfect protection against moisture and splashes, and we got some fabulous shots.
3) Be in the moment. After we had taken the photos we wanted, we returned our phones to our lockers so that we could just experience the moment for ourselves, rather than through the phone lens. It’s good to look up sometimes.
Five little things that can make a big difference to your trip:
1.) Bring a thermos/ vacuum flask
Most hotels have free hot drinks, and you can fill your flask for a day (or evening) out on the road. After a spell out in the freezing cold, a hot drink to warm you back up feels absolutely heavenly.
2) Don’t buy bottled water.
The tap water in Iceland is delicious- and free! Save money (and plastic) by refilling your own bottle.
3) Choose which meals you want to eat out
Eating out is quite expensive in Reykjavik. Being a bit of a foodie, I, of course, wanted to sample some of the local fare, but we balanced that out by preparing our own food at the hotel too.
We bought groceries from Bonus to take our own picnic lunches on day trips, as well as bringing two-minute noodles, biscuits and cereal bars with us from home. Our hotel had a kitchen, which made it the perfect base for us to explore in an affordable way, and spend our money on experiences instead.
4.) Bring Sunglasses
This was a surprisingly useful tip that we read whilst packing. I didn’t expect to need sunnies for a winter holiday, but the sun reflecting on the snow was blinding, especially whilst driving!
5) Be prepared to change your plans
Perhaps the biggest lesson for me was the need to be flexible in this stunning, but unpredictable place. On finding ourselves stranded, we made the most of our extra time by walking, eating yummy food, and exploring. We even built a cute snowman named Jazz.
I would recommend building extra slack into your itinerary, so that you don’t need to drive if it is unsafe. Give yourself permission to do nothing, or explore somewhere random instead. Sometimes the best days are those spontaneous ones!
At a Glance
We flew: Norwegian Airlines and Icelandair
We stayed at: The Brim Hotel and Hotel Jazz (both highly recommended)
We booked tours with: Reykjavik Excursions and Dogsledding Iceland
We rented a car with: Budget
