Last Updated: 4/19/2018 | April 19th, 2018
Iceland. It’s a land of sheep, the northern lights, volcanoes with unpronounceable names (try stating Eyjafjallajökull), majestic waterfalls, craggy mountains, as well as otherworldly landscapes. To me, it is one of the most gorgeous locations on earth. exactly how can such a small island have such a diverse as well as gorgeous terrain? It modifications every few feet — from verdant fields, snowy mountains, as well as fantastic glaciers to appearing like Mars. It never ceases to amaze me. I had high expectations when I very first visited. I’d seen films as well as photos in magazines of a land with jagged mountain peaks, volcanoes with desolate lava fields, rolling hills with grazing sheep, as well as glaciers that stretched for miles.
Iceland lived as much as all those expectations. Now, a year doesn’t go by when I don’t go to (see ya once again in September!). Sure, the country has seen an explosion in tourism in recent years as well as it’s gotten a great deal much more costly however many of the tourists concentrate in the south near Reykjavik. when you head out of the funding region, it’s mainly you as well as nature (I only saw three other tourists in my week in the Westfjords…during top season)!
So, in honor of the Iceland guide I just published today, right here are my preferred things to see as well as perform in Iceland that will persuade you to book your ticket:
1. go to Reykjavík
This hip funding is awash in thriving cafes, high-energy clubs, friendly pubs, as well as a brilliantly colored old town with rows of wooden homes clustered together. It’s much more like a huge little town than a city. though it’s very small, it’s worth a few additional days to truly get a feel for the art as well as café culture of the city. as well as if you’re a night owl, you’ll like the celebration life (Icelanders understand exactly how to drink). I like this city as well as never discover myself tired here. From reading in cafés to wandering the shoreline to enjoying drinks with my friends, Reykjavik sucks me in during ever visit.
2. check out the Westfjords
The Westfjords is a big peninsula in northwestern Iceland with tons mountains as well as a shoreline heavily indented by fjords. It’s one of the most raw parts of Iceland as well as my preferred region. few people online right here as well as fewer visit, though Icelanders make their method right here on summertime vacation. It’s an area of small towns, fishing villages, mountains, waterfalls, as well as lakes.
In the summertime months, puffins as well as whales phone call it their home. In the winter, numerous of the roads are closed by ice as well as snow for a number of months. however you’ll discover small towns, deep fjords, as well as gorgeous hikes all to yourself. It’s not simple to get around however locals will let you hitch rides with them quickly since bus service right here can essentially be non-existent. Be sure to eat at Tjöruhúsið in Ísafjörður for an all you can eat, catch of the day buffet. Nydelig!
3. soak in a unwinding Lagoon
Most people soak in the blue Lagoon. This huge, milky-blue health spa is fed by mineral-rich heated seawater from the close-by geothermal plant. though it’s the most costly one, you cannot reject that Iceland’s many well-known geothermal pool is the country’s top traveler attraction. however there are so numerous other hot pools in the country. Reykjavik has their regional one, in the north there is the Myvatn Nature Baths, as well as on the method to Vik there’s the well-known “secret” (but not so secret) mountain springs. You’ll discover lots of totally free hot springs all around the island. utilize the site Hotpot Iceland to discover them.
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4. See The golden Circle
The golden Circle is the prominent traveler path that includes Gullfoss waterfall, Geysir, as well as Thingvellir national Park. They make an simple day trip from the funding or airport, so people on a short layover always go to this area. You can quickly drive the whole sound in a day. Along the way, there are a few farms where you can stop as well as see Icelandic horses. Tehya re likewise all totally free to enjoy! The primary sites are:
Gullfoss– Fed by Langjökull, Iceland’s second most significant glacier, this is one of the most photographed waterfalls in the country. While not the most significant or many majestic, its V shape is distinct as well as powerful to watch. Iceland’s many well-known waterfall tumbles 105 feet into a steep-sided canyon, kicking up a wall of spray. On sunny days, the spray produces shimmering rainbows over the gorge. This is a really incredible spectacle as well as a gratifying scene after a good hike.
Geysir – A well-known hot spring in Haukadalur Valley. Geysir itself rarely erupts anymore, however close-by Strokkur spouts 15-20 meters of water about every 10 minutes. There are likewise various strikingly colored hot pools in the area along the path. If you want to hike up the mountains close-by (takes 20 minutes to get to the top), you’ll be rewarded with picturesque views of farmland.
Thingvellir – This location is full of hiking tracks as well as spectacular camping grounds, however its huge draw is that it’s the only location in the world where you can see two major tectonic plates drifting apart above sea level. walking with the park takes a great 1-2 hours, however the landscape is so beautiful (and it’s not a challenging walk). You can likewise go diving diving between the plates as well as there are some great guided walks.
If you have a vehicle, take highway 1 east from the city up until you hit path 35. comply with that north to Gullfoss. The journey will be just under 2 hours. On your method back to Reykjavik you can stop at Geysir as well as Thingvellir through path 37/365. If you are not returning to Reykjavik, do Gullfoss last so you can continue on highway 1 around the island.
5. view the northern Lights
From September to April, the northern Lights ended up being much more visible here. These dancing lights are one of the biggest natural wonders in the world. To see the aurora borealis in all their glory in Iceland needs patience, luck, as well as darkness. The country towns in the north are the very best location to see the lights, particularly during periods of “low” activity. If the lights are truly strong, you can in some cases see them in Rekjyavik.
6. go to Jökulsárlón (The Jökulsár Lagoon)
Located in the southeast of Iceland, this ice floe is only a couple of decades old as well as now one of the most prominent attractions in the area country. Breiðamerkurjökull Glacier retreated extremely rapidly from 1920 to 1965, leaving this breathtaking lagoon behind, which is as much as 190 meters deep. Icebergs float in the lagoon all year. I delight in just sitting as well as listening to the ice blocks accident into each other on their method out to sea. You can likewise take boat trips around the lagoon.
The lagoon is found best on highway 1 about 5 hours from Reykjavik if you’re heading east (counter-clockwise) around the island. There is totally free car parking available.
7. Do a Glacial Trek
During the winter season months, the glaciers get a bit sturdier, as well as groups of tourists are led across them. There’s no much better method to see the glaciers than to walk on them, releasing your inner Arctic explorer. Vatnajökull is one of the most prominent glaciers to hike, though there are others around the country, as well. Some trip business that offer glacial expeditions are extreme Iceland, Icelandic mountain Guides, trip Iceland.
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My like for Iceland ended up being an obsession as I’ve drawn back by the people as well as the raw natural charm of the terrain. Don’t let the high costs frighten you away from Iceland. There’s lots of methods to save money while you’re there. get inspired, take advantage of the inexpensive flights, head north away from the crowds, as well as sit in a hot springs while viewing the northern lights!
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Book Your trip to Iceland: Logistical suggestions as well as Tricks
Bestill flyet ditt
Use Skyscanner or Momondo to discover a inexpensive flight. They are my two preferred browse engines since they browse sites as well as airlines around the globe so you always understand no stone is left unturned. begin with Skyscanner very first though since they have the most significant reach!
Bestill innkvarteringen din
You can book your hostel with Hostelworld as they have the most significant stock as well as finest deals. If you want to stay somewhere other than a hostel, utilize BookIng.com når de konsekvent returnerer de rimeligste prisene for gjestehus så vel som billige hoteller. Mine foretrukne steder å bo er:
Kex (Reykjavik)
Hlemmur Square (Reykjavik)
Akureyri Backpacker (Akureyri)
Ikke klarer ikke å huske reiseforsikring
Reiseforsikringsdekning vil ivareta deg mot sykdom, skade, tyveri, samt kanselleringer. Det er omfattende sikkerhet i situasjonen noe går galt. Jeg drar aldri på tur uten det, da jeg har måttet bruke den flere ganger i fortiden. Min foretrukne virksomhet som tilbyr den aller beste servicen og verdien er:
Sikkerhetsving (for alle under 70)
Forsikre turen min (for de over 70)
MedJet (for ekstra hjemsendelsesdekning)
Leter du etter den aller beste virksomheten å spare penger med?
Sjekk ut ressurssiden min for den aller beste virksomheten å bruke når du reiser. Jeg viser alle de jeg bruker for å spare penger når jeg er på vei. De vil spare deg for penger når du også reiser.
Vil du ha mye mer info på Island?
Sørg for å gå til vår RobustDestination Guide til Island for enda mye flere planleggingstips!