Europe

Why Iceland Should Be at the Bottom of Your Bucket List

Prior to my trip to Iceland, I heard so much talk about Iceland being overrated and overrun by tourists. Luckily, WOW Air had just started servicing flights from Miami to Iceland for only $198 roundtrip! ROUNDTRIP!! By now, it should come as no surprise that I’m a sucker for a good flight deal! You can’t beat this deal with a stick! WOW is a budget airline, so you do have to pay for EVERYTHING, but once you include the cost of baggage, the flight was still only $298. My girls and I jumped on it immediately. Not only did I want to explore this volcanic island country, but I wanted to see what all of the negative talk was about.

Day 1

Our first day in Iceland, we visited the Blue Lagoon. I advise scheduling your visit the day you arrive or the day you depart because the Blue Lagoon is close to the airport, and you can arrange airport pickup and drop-off when you make your reservations. Transportation was an additional $40. For those of you that have a long layover in Iceland, you too can experience the magic of the Blue Lagoon. Make your reservations in advance!! The longer you wait, the more expensive the price will be. We originally purchased the standard package but upgraded to comfort once we arrived because we forgot extra towels. It’s not necessary to reserve the luxury package to experience the blue lagoon unless you feel like splurging a little, but as expensive as Iceland is, you’ll have more than enough to splurge on during the trip.

The 100°F water of the Blue Lagoon was the perfect remedy for a 49°F morning. We relaxed for about an hour and a half and took advantage of the swim-up bar and facial masks. Because we upgraded to the comfort package, our first drink at the bar was free. This included both alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages. I’ll take one glass of wine please :). The comfort package also included both a free algae and silica mud mask. Now, if you’re feeling fancy, you can schedule an in-water massage, but do make your reservation in advance; the massage therapists are limited. More information on admission and packages can be found here.

Day 2

By our second day, we were ready to witness the beauty of the Southern Coast. I have to give our tour guide Claus props because the man was A1! He is, hands down, one of the best tour guides I’ve ever had!! I loved the fact that we were transported on a minibus, so our group included a total of about 12 people. After being picked up from a neutral location, we were on our way to the Southern Coast via Ring Road. This tour lasted for about ehhh… 11 hours and included stops at the Skogafoss waterfall, Reynisfjara Beach aka the black sand beach and cliffs, the Solheimajokull glacier, the town of Vik, and Seljalandsfoss waterfall. We were allotted 30 minutes to an hour at each stop to explore and take photos. This tour can be purchased here.


Day 3

Because our previous tour was over 10 hours, we opted for an abbreviated Golden Circle Tour. Thankfully, this tour didn’t start until noon and lasted only about 7 hours; however, we were only allowed about 10 – 15 minutes at each stop. This tour included stops at the Kerid Crater, the Geysir geothermal area, the Gullfoss waterfall aka Golden Falls, and Thingvellir National Park. Our wheels on this tour was a deluxe motor coach, and there were about 50-60 people in our group. My preference is the minibus, but if you don’t mind large groups, this tour can be purchased here.

Day 4

Our last day in Iceland was spent exploring downtown Reykjavik, and I must say that it is a charming city. The colorful buildings, which I just so happen to love, and the street art left me in awe. This was actually the first time we were able to experience authentic Icelandic food because the restaurants where we ate on our tours served American food. If I wanted American food, I would have stayed in America. I’m just saying. Anyways, we absolutely loved Fish and More!! I tried the Plokkfiskur dish, which is basically mashed fish, rice, veggies, and rye bread. I know the sound of mashed fish may turn you off, but it was really tasty! Here, we also learned the Icelandic way to take shots. After taking a shot of Icelandic vodka, you consume the ENTIRE lemon, rind and all! Lol. Yes, you read that correctly. It wasn’t as bad as it seems. The next time I take a shot, I will be following this Icelandic tradition.



I’ve provided you with several arguments as to why you should bypass Iceland, right??? Nope. I failed to do so. In fact, Iceland is a beautiful country. I never knew how much I loved nature until I visited. My only regrets are that I did not have the opportunity to whale watch and visit the glacier lagoon. I guess this is all the more reason for me to return! What did you enjoy most about your trip to Iceland?


22 Comments

  • Danielle Jones

    I had a mini heart attack when I read the title because I’ve always wanted to visit Iceland! Relieved to read to actually had a good time, I’ll definitely keep these trips in mind when I go!

  • MsNub

    Iceland was not on my bucket list at all lol…..mostly because of the temperature. But after seeing and reading about some of the beautiful natural places there, I will have to add it to my list! And besides that, the temp is not as cold as I thought. Thanks for the great info, pics and tips!

    • Miss A&P

      I’m a Florida girl, and I love warm weather! I surprised myself when I added Iceland to my bucket list. Lol. The weather actually wasn’t that bad. Just invest in a waterproof jacket and some hiking boots. They actually have a store there that rents out outerwear.

  • Haley @readysetjetset

    Haha you got me. I only spent 4 days myself there, doing similar things, and I’m dying to go back! I could probably spend a whole day just soaking in the lagoon. Next time, I hope to drive it all over like 10 days or so.

    • Miss A&P

      If I do return, I def want to rent a car next time. I’m not too fond of driving in other countries, but a rental will allow me to maximize my time there. Those tours can be a bit pricey, especially if you reserve more than one. Renting a car has several benefits.

  • Elle

    I was so sad when I read your title because I’d love to go to Iceland… but then when I read your article everything was ok again haha! Still on my bucket list

    • Miss A&P

      I felt the same way when I heard all of the negative comments about Iceland. Glad I was able to find out the truth for myself. It is definitely something to experience.

    • Miss A&P

      There was definitely a crowd of people everywhere we went. If you rent a car and visit each site at night or early in the morning, you should be able to avoid the crowd…that’s if you visit during the summer months when it’s light outside 24 hours per day.

    • Miss A&P

      They also have helicopter tours!! I wanted to take one but had already spent so much money. Aside from the Northern Lights Tour, I really wanted to go on the glacier lagoon tour but we didn’t have time. It’s at the top of my list if I return.

    • Miss A&P

      Yes, it was just as expensive, if not more. We didn’t pay much for our flights or Airbnb, so that helped balance things out. I prefer not to eat any food that I can find at home, but we had no choice but to eat burgers and chicken sandwiches while out exploring. They were like $21 USD, and that did not include the drink!

  • Page_Traveller

    Oh my god, I’m so desperate to visit Iceland and so jealous of you! I’m from the UK, so I’ve been looking out for cheap flights, but haven’t found any true bargains yet. What did you use?

    • Miss A&P

      Our flight from Iceland to London cost $256 RT on WOW, and that’s because we waited until the last minute to book it. When I first started researching flights, they were $100 cheaper. Use the ita matrix airfare search to find inexpensive flights.

  • Esse D

    Soooo… the nerd in me jumped when I read whale watching! ? Anyway, you’re always very thorough and sell the locations! I’ve read your posts about places I’m not even remotely interested in and somehow they always start to seem appealing. I assumed Iceland would just amount to freezing your butt off in a gloomy location, but not so! You sold me… I guess. ?

    • Miss A&P

      There is no guess! I sold you! I’m sure you’ve experienced colder weather in SC!! I was expecting it to be much worse, but it was tolerable. I didn’t even need that big jacket I purchased. We didn’t have the opportunity to go whale watching. If we had time, I would’ve been right there…watching with binoculars from afar. You know I don’t do small boats! Lol

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