Iceland

Why go?  When planning our RTW trip, Iceland made sense as a first stop, because it is a gateway to mainland Europe.  But, Iceland has so much to offer, including the Blue Lagoon, Northern Lights, and the Golden Circle.  

Learn the language.   One tour guide told us that "betta reddast" is the unofficial motto of Iceland, meaning "it will all work out in the end."  

Get there.   There are tons of great flights from the US to Iceland, and they are super affordable.  A smart way to do it is to check out flights to other European destinations through Iceland Air.  You can book up to a seven-day 'stopover' in Iceland for no additional cost to your original European destination. 

Read before you go.  Nobel-prize winning author Halldór Laxness wrote his book Independent People about Iceland and its people, set in the early 20th century.  It highlights much about the culture - the mythical beliefs, the love of coffee, and poetry.  It was an interesting read and it really set the tone in helping me understand some Icelandic culture.  

Weather advice.   Traveling to Iceland in Spring meant that it did not get above seven degrees Celsius the entire trip (44 degrees Fahrenheit).   We packed appropriately with base layers, waterproof pants, and hiking boots -  but, it was still pretty cold.  

Expenses.  Iceland ended up being about 4% of our budget and 2% of our time - which made it fairly expensive using a 1:1 cost to schedule ratio as our baseline.  Our ice cave excursion bumped the price up a bit - but the most impactful cost was eating out, as food in Iceland is quite expensive (even by European standards).  

Teachable moment.   We learned about kindness in Iceland.  The one story I will share here was about a bartender at a local beer bar.   We spent some time chatting with him, and he mentioned to us that his last day was the following day.  He invited us to his going away celebration, and we stopped by.   Upon recognizing us, he handed my wife a mead that he had brought from his personal cellar (he had remembered that she could not drink beer because of her celiac disease).   He did not charge us for the bottle, and told us to have a great time on our trip in Iceland.  

Three “Must Do’s”

• Must eat.   We missed out on horse, whale, and puffin - but, we did end up trying the famed lamb hotdogs in Reykjavik.  There is one stand that apparently has the best, called Baejarins Beztu Pylsur.  I have to say, I was really blown away with how good these tasted.  
• Most impactful experience.  The Ice Cave at Vatnajökull was our coolest adventure in Iceland.  The color of the ice as the sun pushes through the cave is an incredible shade of blue.  These formations are created by melting glacier water in the Spring and Summer, and can only be viewed at certain times during the year.  I definitely recommend this excursion.  
• Must Visit.  The most popular attraction is the "Blue Lagoon" which actually sits about 5km outside of Reykjavik.  Friends had told us that you can arrange a pick up directly from the Airport - which makes things easy.  Through additional research, we also decided to get the "Premium" package, which is a bit more expensive, but gives you access to some cool things - including drinks at the swim up bar and bath robes (which came in handy in the cold).  Doing this on the first day definitely set the tone for a nice relaxing stay in Reykjavik.  

The Wrap.  Our guide in Jokulsarlon started our tour by saying "what good is being lucky if you don't know you're lucky?"  He pointed out that on that particular day we were lucky - that the universe was "rolling the dice" for us.  In other words, the weather held out and we were able to see what we wanted to see (and we didn't die in a volcanic eruption).  

As I sat in my hotel room in Keflavik preparing for our early morning flight to Dublin, that's exactly how I felt.  The people in Iceland were amazing, and the stunning geology and scenery were unmatched.  Pictures do not begin to do it justice - it is simply something that must be experienced.  I wholeheartedly recommend Iceland to anyone who is looking for an adventure - there are plenty to be had.  

The Blue Lagoon