Iceland

During my Thanksgiving break (mid of November), I went to Iceland with my girls and stayed for 5 days. Here are my travel tips and places you definitely should go in Iceland:

Day 0: What to Pack? 

Uniqlo Ultra Heattech leggings and crewneck t-shirts (shop it here), thick sweaters, jeans or waterproof pants, waterproof boots (I brought Timberland), sunglasses, (windbreaker) coats, thick scarves.

Day 1: Boston ✈ Reykjavik

I took WOW airlines (Icelandic low-cost airline) and arrived at the Reykjavik International Airport at 6 am. The flight was about 5 hours. There is a duty-free store on the arrival floor. I bought a 10GB SIM card since I used Instagram a lot lol. It was 0 Celsius outside (body temp -6 degrees). We rent a Jeep SUV and the wind is so strong that the car is shaking.

Sunrise is around 10 am and sunset is around 4 pm in Iceland during November.  We went to a Chinese restaurant called Fönix – Restaurant in Reykjavík (eating Asian food after I arrive at any country is one of my habits). When we looked at the menu, we were shocked by the prices. The most normal Chinese dish Sweet and Sour Spare Ribs was about $50.

Our plan was to explore the South Coast of Iceland.  First stop was the Strokkur Geysir (2-hour drive from Reykjavik). It goes off about every 5 minutes. The steam creates a wonderland there, but it really did smell like eggs… We headed straight back to Ion Adventure Hotel after. We also enjoyed our dinner in the hotel.

Day 2:

We woke up at 7am and started our day.

Waterfalls are the must-see sites in Iceland! We headed to waterfalls Seljalandsfoss and Skogafoss. Sunrise really gave the sky a cotton-candy feel.

 

@sunny

On our way to the Black Sand Beach, we went to the top of Dyrhólaey and took some stunning photos.

   

 

 

 

 

Black Sand Beach – the basalt columns are so beautiful!! They are formed as the result of cooling and cracking of a lava flow.

Unfortunately, we encountered snowstorm during that week :(( We canceled our Glacier Tour and re-booked hotel in Reykjavik. We drove back to downtown after the sun came down.

Day 3:

The Blue Lagoon geothermal spa is a must-go place in Iceland. You should book it in advance (at least 2-3 weeks before arrival). The ticket for premium is about $100 per person and is also the most popular choice.They sold waterproof cases there (but really expensive), so I recommend you to bring one.

 

We booked their 9 am slots. You can watch the sunrise while enjoying the Blue Lagoon. I highly highly recommend you to bring hair oil and put hair conditioner before getting in!! Your hair will be dried out after you are in there for over 30 minutes.

We stayed at the Ion City Hotel in downtown and asked them to book a Northern Light Tour for us.

How to shoot Northern Lights: YES! We saw northern lights that night!! I used my DSLR (Canon 5D4) with 24-105mm f 4.0 lens to shoot the footage.  The camera setting was ISO 3200-4000, f/4.0, and shutter speed was 15 seconds. We also brought a tripod to shoot time-lapse. We don’t need an intervalometer since 5D4 has the time-lapse function. You can see more footage in my Iceland vlog!

 

Day 4-5:

We slept in and enjoyed the environment and good foods in downtown. We spent $100-150 per person on every meal (really high price level in Iceland!!).  Here is a list of good restaurants you should try! You can also find more details and food videos in my vlog! (watch it here)

Grillmarkaðurinn – Lækjargata 2a, 101 Reykjavík, Iceland (book in advance)
Lava Restaurant – In Blue Lagoon (book in advance)
Matur og Drykkur – Grandagarður 2, 101 Reykjavík, Iceland (fish, lamb, beef)
Rossopomodoro – Laugavegur, 101 Reykjavík, Iceland (Italian Resturant)
Public House –  Laugavegur 24, 101 Reykjavík, Iceland (they also have sushi!)

We will definitely visit Iceland again!! I heard from our driver that the most comfortable weather for people to visit Iceland is from January to April.  Even though we were in such bad luck, I’m still glad that my friends and I made time for each other adventuring this winter wonderland.

I hope you enjoy reading my travel guidance! Please feel free to comment below! 💕