Guide to Reykjavik, Iceland

To be honest, I never had Iceland on my travel bucket list. I had no idea what Iceland was besides, well, ice. The thought of going from cold-Boston to even-more-cold-Iceland was just straight up crazy. However, a bunch of our friends were going, & I was not about to stay behind to endure FOMO (Mom: this means Fear Of Missing Out). So we booked our trip on WOW airlines, stuffed as many clothing items in our jackets because of the carry-on weight limit, & made our way to Reykjavik, Iceland.

We ALWAYS both sit in window seats on overnight flights- no shame!

Traveling to Iceland was truly a dream. Some of the sights brought tears to my eyes (or maybe that was the cold wind making my eyes water… we’ll never know). I can’t believe I almost let the unknown & cold scare me away from one of the most beautiful places I have ever seen. Most of the photos below are taken from my iPhone if that says anything to the beauty.

We only went for the weekend, but we made sure we saw as much as we could & didn’t get much sleep. Y’all know how usually my trips consist of going from meal to meal & seeing sights along the way? This wasn’t one of those trips, because there was too much natural beauty to be seen & eating shark fin isn’t my jam.

I would recommend a tour guide (Golden Circle Tour is the company we used) if you can budget for it. The guides really know how to navigate the roads & the best times for each site. However, whether you get a tour guide or DIY, here are the MUST SEES!

What to see & do in Reykjavik, Iceland:

• First, stop at Laugarvatn
• Check out  Vík í Mýrdal (Black Sand Beach) at sunset if possible
• View what the city of Reykjavik has to offer via ATVs
• Take a dip in the Blue Lagoon (don’t wear a white bathing suit)
• Chase the Northern Lights (be prepared to not see them though- aka bring wine)

• Walk the fault line at Thingvellir National Park, where the American and Eurasian tectonic plates are pulling apart at a rate of a few centimetres per year
• Don’t listen to TLC & DO go chasin’ waterfalls (I am lame, I know)- Gulfoss is unbelievable
• Watch the Strokkur geyser shoot up into the sky
• Walk the circle around the Kerið Volcano & Lake
• Party out in Downtown Reykjavik until the sun comes up (Kiki’s Queer Bar was our fav!)
• Go to the top of the famous church for views of the city

Eats:

• Fiskmarkadurinn – The Fish Market is super trendy, has great food, & even better spicy cocktails

* Just one food rec- so unlike me, I know!

Ugly truth:

• If you go anytime besides summer, it really is SO cold.
  • Shushu’s tip: Invest in good cold weather gear… Socks, boots, glove liners, mittens, a hat, & long underwear. Believe me when I say it is the coldest I have ever been in my ENTIRE life.

I want to explore other parts of Iceland for my next *summer* trip. Any recommendations?

xoxo,

shushu