Iceland
Hey everyone! We are finishing up our trip in Iceland and it was honestly so incredible. The pictures do not do this country justice! It is so different from anywhere I have ever been, and the weather can completely change in just a few minutes, which made packing a little difficult. Even though it is summer, it is still super cold. Here is a list of things I would recommend bringing.
What To Pack for a Trip to Iceland in the Summer:
-Wool leggings (Smart Wool)
-Wool long sleeve (Smart Wool)
-Layering jackets (Patagonia, Nike)
-Hoodie/Crewneck
-Tanks to layer
-Winter coat
-Gloves
-Beanies
-Swim suit (Bring an old one, the Blue Lagoon can change the color/make it gross)
-Hiking boots (Lowa)
-Flip flops
-Tennis shoes
-Sunglasses
We took WOW Air straight from Pittsburgh and rented a Toyota Land Cruiser for 10 days to drive around the country. The first day we had breakfast in Reykjavík at a place called Grái Kotturinn. It was adorable. It was in a basement filled with bookshelves. After breakfast we made our way to our first hotel: Hotel Húsafell. This was the cutest hotel with the best views. We stayed in a new hotel every night since we were driving to a new place every day.
The second day, we went snow mobiling up a mountain where we toured “In the Glacier”, which was incredibleeee. If you come to Iceland you HAVE to do this. They gave us onesie suits to wear with helmets, and even though I almost drove us off a cliff (sorry Logan) it was such a sweet experience. After snow mobiling we hopped in the car and made our way to Akureyri, which kind of sucked haha there wasn’t much to do and was the only place we didn’t enjoy on the trip. On the way in, we had lunch at the most adorable place called Hraunsnef where we had homemade bread and vegetable soup. On the way out of Akureyri, we visited the Godafoss waterfall, sulfur mud baths, krafla viti crater, and one more waterfall. It was pouring rain all day but it was one of the best days because of all of the things we saw. We stayed at the Egilsstadir Lake Hotel and it was so cute! Logan and I lucked out with our hotel views the whole trip and this one overlooked the lake.
The next day we headed to Hnappavellir, stopping in Seydisfjördur on the way (the names here are impossible to remember, spell, and pronounce haha) Seydisfjördur was a cute little town with a blue church, rainbow road, colorful houses, and waterfalls. We stopped here to check it out then got back on the road. After a long journey to the Fosshotel Glacier Lagoon, we finally made it and crashed after some moscow mules and salmon.
We woke up early the next morning to head over to the Glacier Lagoon where we took a boat tour through the lagoon. Guys, if you’re coming to Iceland you cannot miss this! We learned so much about the glaciers and were able to see the differences between pieces that broke off years ago vs. pieces that had broken off an hour earlier. We also saw some seals lounging which was pretty cool haha after that we walked across the street to the Black Sand Beach which was also so sweet. The black sand with glaciers floating in the water and pieces broken off along the shoreline was unreal. On our way out we hiked one of the national parks (I don't remember the name) and stopped for dinner (and a photoshoot with the purple nootkas) in Vik before arriving at the Volcano Hotel.
On Thursday we snorkeled between two continents in Silfra. The water was 37º and it was one of the wildest things I have ever done. We suited up, jumped in (with our very good looking instructor, Antes) and floated on top of the lava rocks and crystal clear water. This water is the clearest in the world because it is filtered underground for decades through lava rocks. Pretty cool.
On Friday we ventured out to the Blue Lagoon where we soaked in the geothermal tub while listening to people from all over the world speak their language. It is so amazing that even though everyone around us was from somewhere different with vast cultures and languages, we all were there together with our Algae facemasks floating in this geothermal pool. That night we stayed at the Skuggi Hotel in Reykjavik, and Logan and I went out to a bar called Lewbowski then to B5. The night took a wild turn but we had a good time. Be prepared for an expensive night though. Nothin like $53 for two moscow mules!
For our last day, Logan and I went whale watching while my dad and Mia went looking for puffins. Although I think these things are a scam, we actually saw a humpback whale and a few minke whales. Afterwards we hung out at the hotel for a bit then went out shopping. We came across a vintage store and I was in my GLORY. Anyone who knows me is aware of my obsession for vintage clothing, and this place was stocked. It really put a hole in my pocket, mostly because the stuff in Iceland is probably triple what it would cost in America, BUT my vintage Adidas jacket makes it worth it. We finished the night with some fish & chips and headed back to the hotel.
Iceland was one of the most unreal places I have ever been. There is so much different scenery throughout the country. You will be looking at green mountains one minute then 5 minutes later you are looking at glaciers in a lagoon. It is the most beautiful place scenery wise. If you are considering going to Iceland I think you need to go book your ticket now!