I started my recent trip to Iceland with only one goal in mind- to see the Northern Lights aka the Aurora Borealis. As some of you know I'm a super planner and as prepared as I thought I was, Iceland surprised me in the best way ever. Instead of a narrative I decided to make this post more of a tips & tricks article and let the pictures speak for themselves.

Getting there

If you're going to Reykjavik, which most people do and which I highly recommend, you'll fly into Keflavik Airport. From there it's a 50 minute drive to Reykjavik (most of the drive is lava fields!). If you're planning on staying in the downtown Reykjavik area you won't need a car, so instead take the Flybus. They offer free WiFi and are always at the airport so you don't have to worry about missing the bus. They do return trips to the airport as well which you will need to designate a pick-up time for though. As of this post it's $25 USD (2.500 ISK) for Flybus which will take you to the BSI Bus terminal, or $30 USD (3.000 ISK) for Flybus+ which will drop you off at your hotel. Those prices are one-way but if you book a round trip ticket online it's only $50 USD (5.000 ISK). Follow the signs at the airport to car rentals and you'll see the Flybus counter. According to their website, Flybus asks that you contact them in advance if you have a disability that you need assistance with.

How do you pack for Iceland?

On this trip I stayed in Reykjavik and the forecast was rain with strong wind gusts every day, but I went prepared and found myself out and about every day. There's a saying in Iceland "If you don't like the weather, wait 5 minutes" and they aren't exaggerating. I live in the Ohio Valley so my immediate thought was 'yea I know the feeling' but it's literally 5 minutes and the weather changes. This makes it hard to pack for, but I found that layers do the trick (and warm gloves). I've listed some of the items I took below if you're interested.

Backpack: KAKA Waterproof Laptop Backpack- Large

Jacket: C9 Champion Women's Puffer Jacket

Wool Socks: People Socks

Compression Bags: Acrodo

Thermals: Cuddl Duds thermal leggings and long sleeve top (Walmart)

Hat: warm hat with a bill like this one

What is there to do in Iceland?

LOTS! I'm only going to cover what I did in Reykjavik however. First and probably at the top of everyone's list: Hallgrímskirkja. As someone who doesn't go to church I sure find myself admiring an awful lot of them. The Hallgrímskirkja is the largest church in Iceland and it's design was inspired by the basalt lava flows found all over Iceland. The statue in front of the church is of explorer Leif Eriksson. The church is open every day from 9am-5pm and for $9 USD (900 ISK) you can take the elevator to the 8th floor, then 4 flights of stairs for amazing 360° views. Unfortunately this means that it is not accessible.

Hallgrímskirkja

Reykjavik from the top of the Hallgrímskirkja

Harpa (Concert Hall). To put it simply, it's beautiful. It's made of colored glass and if you watch closely you can see lights flash across, mimicking the Aurora. I didn't get the chance to see a concert there but I hear it's amazing.

On your way to Harpa you should most definitely stop and have what The Guardian dubbed 'the best hot dog stand in Europe.' They aren't kidding, it really is the best hot dog I've ever eaten. Bæjarins Beztu Pylsur's flagship stand is on Tryggvagata just a stones throw from Harpa, and if there's a line (which there usually always is, wait. It's worth it, I promise). I still think about this hot dog often.

Once you've gotten your dog, walk over to Harpa, then continue down the waterfront to see the Sun Voyager (Sólfar) sculpture. This is a popular spot for sunset and sunrise photos, so don't be surprised when you get there and see other people trying to find the perfect composition. You won't spend much time here, then you can head to Laugavegur.

Laugavegur is one of the oldest shopping streets in Reykjavik and you can take it all the way into downtown (which isn't that far). There are shops, restaurants and bars all intermingled together. As you get into downtown it's mainly bars. One of the coolest things about Laugavegur and the surrounding streets is the amount of street art. Literally everywhere you turn there is something to see, whether it's a four-story mural, a construction wall or an entire building beautifully painted. It became almost a seek-and-find of sorts for me to try and see all of them.

Some suggestions on Laugavegur:

*Watch our for cars. Crosswalks are hard to find and cars don't yield to pedestrians.

Spúútnik- Second-hand store that had lots of coats and fanny packs.

Durum- Get the chicken mozzarella sandwich. You'll thank me later.

ELDSMIÐJAN- Amazing pizza. Try the Del Casaro and make sure they give you the jam!

Dillon Whiskey Bar- It's above the Chuck Norris Bar, you can't miss it.

10/11- Convenience store

Bonus- Discount grocery store

Eymundsson- Bookstore that sells SIM cards if your phone is unlocked.

Sandholt- A bakery and restaurant. I ate breakfast/brunch there every day. Seriously.

Reykjavik Ink- Technically on Frakkastígur but it's right off of Laugavegur.

If you want to take the bus you'll go to the main bus stop Hlemmur (not to be confused with the charter bus stop BSI). Hlemmur is at the far end of Laugavegur, but again, not a far walk. *Buses take exact change only so be prepared. I met an awesome lady from Seattle named Kate on a Northern Lights tour and we decided to meet for brunch the next day and then take a half day trip to Árbæjarsafn to the Árbær Open Air Museum for a history lesson. Luckily for me Kate had a bus pass that worked for 2 people, so our credit card only situation didn't hinder our adventure. It was a cold, rainy weekday and we were lucky enough to be the only people there so we had a private tour from a guy who had worked there for 10 years. He was so friendly and knowledgeable- I wish I remembered his name! Anyways, some of the buildings date back to the 1700's and others were brought in from other parts of Iceland for preservation. The grass roof houses were phenomenal! Our tour guide also told us the story of the Yule Lads. If you haven't heard of them it's a great Christmas story. Especially if you enjoy the Brothers Grimm or other such folklore.

Church at Árbær Open Air Museum

Yule Lads and their mother Grýla.

Things I didn't see this time around that I want to see on the next trip- because yes, there will be a next trip:

Perlan

The Golden Circle

The Blue Lagoon

The Icelandic Phallological Museum (I'm not sure about this but it looks oddly interesting)

On the topic of the Golden Circle, the Blue Lagoon and the Northern Lights, Reykjavik Excursions offers tours for all of these things and more. I booked a Northern Lights bus tour through them and they will pick you up and drop you off at your hotel in a bus that has WiFi. It's $64 USD (6.400 ISK) and if you don't get to see the lights the first time, you can go every night for free until you do. I unfortunately didn't get to see the lights all four nights that I went, but I appreciated that they let you continue to go each night and get your moneys worth.

Final Notes:

I didn't have any problems not being able to speak Icelandic. The signs at the airport had English as did restaurant menus, and every Icelander I came in contact with spoke enough English that I could get by. Please don't assume however that everyone will speak English, you'll only look like an ass.

If you rent a car they are predominantly manuals, and you drive on the right-hand side of the road.

As is everything in Iceland, alcohol is super expensive so if you're looking for a happy hour I suggest downloading an app called Appyhour. It's full of information about happy hour times and drink specials.

I hesitate even mentioning this because I'm a strong supporter of independent shops and restaurants, and I think it only enriches the experience when you travel to patron local establishments, but if you start to feel homesick I did see some familiar eateries like Subway, Dunkin' Donuts and Domino's.

GO TO ICELAND!

#iceland #europe #reykjavik