Reykjavík, Iceland – Day 1
I arrived in Iceland around 6am after an overnight flight from Baltimore, and headed straight to my hostel. Check in wasn’t until 2pm, and my first scheduled tour was at 12pm, so I dropped off my bags, and walked around the city a bit before catching the bus to the Golden Circle!
If you read any Iceland article, one cannot visit Reykjavik without a visit to one of the world’s most famous hotdog stands, Bæjarins Beztu Pylsur.
My first tour of the weekend was a visit to The Golden Circle. We starting with the Geysir geothermal area where the Strokkur geyser shoots a column of water up to 98 ft. into the air!
The next stop was to the incredible Gullfoss waterfall. I have yet to visit Niagara Falls, but I would bet that they both compare in size and power!
Our final stop of the Golden Circle tour was to Thingvellir National Park. Here you will discover that American and Eurasian tectonic plates are pulling apart every year.
Reykjavík, Iceland – Day 2
My second day was spent walking around the city and exploring some of the local attractions there. The first was one of the tallest buildings in all of Iceland, the Hallgrímskirkja church. Walking inside, you’re greeted with the beautiful sounds of the organ. After watching and listening to the organist, I purchased a ticket to see the incredible 360 views at the top of the church! The next stop was to the Harpa concert hall and conference center. There was a conference going on so I wasn’t able to get any photos inside! After that, I walked over to see the the Sun Voyager sculpture, which represents a viking ship and an ode to the sun.
Reykjavík, Iceland – Day 3
My third day was a full day of bus tours! The first excursion was a 10 hour day visiting the South Shore of Iceland. Our first stop was one of the most famous waterfalls in Iceland, Skógafoss. The shear size and power of this waterfall was just incredible. The long climb up the stairs to the top balcony provided an amazing view from above the falls and across the land.
The next stop was to another famous area and possibly one of my favorites of the trip, the Black Sand Beach. The rock formations and intensity of the ocean waves were unlike anything I’ve seen!
We visited the Sólheimajökull glacier which is a part of Mýrdalsjökull, Iceland‘s fourth largest glacier that covers the infamous volcano Katla. Apparently this volcano has been ready to blow so I am very thankful that has still held off!
Our final stop of the South Shore Adventure tour was to another well known waterfall, Seljalandsfoss. The best part about this one is that you can actually walk behind it! (Be prepared to get wet..like really wet.)
The last excursion of the day/night was the Northern Lights Tour which went from 10pm-2am. We got extremely lucky on this night because bad weather and low hanging clouds were forecasted all weekend. The wind and cold were exceptionally present at the time which made it a little difficult to steady the camera and tripod, but I think all in all I got some pretty good shots!
Unfortunately you couldn’t really see the Northern Lights with your naked eye. It kind of looked like grayish clouds, but when you adjusted your camera settings, you could see them from the back of the camera screen!
Reykjavík, Iceland – Day 4
My final moments in Iceland were spent at the Blue Lagoon before catching my flight at 3pm. I packed up everything in the hostel and caught the bus straight to the Lagoon. This place, along with almost everywhere else in Iceland, was pure magic! The geothermal spa located in the middle of a lava field is one of the most popular places in Iceland. I spent about an hour in the water before packing up to head to the airport. Of course, one cannot visit the Blue Lagoon without putting on a cleansing Silica Mud Mask!
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If you ever get the chance to visit this place, I cannot recommend it enough. Iceland is absolutely magical, and I can’t wait to come back.
