In May, my wife and I celebrated our 25th wedding anniversary by visiting Iceland. Our flight from Newark to Keflavik took about 5 1/2 hours. We flew overnight but I don’t think I got any sleep.
Day 1
We rented our car from Ice Rental 4x4. They warned us about the winds and to make sure we held onto the doors when opening them. It was raining most of the first day and Melissa drove because I hadn’t slept. We visited Thingvellir National Park, Geysir Geothermal Area, and Gullfoss Waterfall.
Day 2
We visited the Westman Islands. Had to take a ferry (be sure to book these in advance). Our first stop here was Home Island(Heimaey). We drove up to the lighthouse, which is located at the highest point of the island. It is also the windiest place in Europe. We walked around there and saw some Puffins and Sheep.
We also climbed the volcano that erupted back in 1973, nearly destroying the town. And we did a RIBSAFARI boat tour. I highly recommend it, but don’t bring your camera. They outfit you in a dry suit, and you ride saddle style in the boat. They show you the caves and the scenery around the island.
Day 3
We traveled to Olafsvik to do some whale watching. We opted for Laki Tours because they specialize in Orca watching. They did not disappoint! We encountered lots of Orcas, several Sperm whales and plenty of sea birds.
After the tour, we grabbed lunch in town and then ventured to Snaefellsjokull National Park. Its a great place for hiking and we climbed the side of a volcanic crater. After that, we went to Grundarfjorour, a small fishing town and visited one of the most iconic tourist attractions in Iceland, Kirkjufell.
Day 4
We hung around Reykjavik, the “big city”. Beautiful small city. We visited Hallgrímskirkja Church, another of the most famous tourist destinations in Iceland. I talked to a kid in a coffee shop that just moved to Reykjavik earlier in the year from California. We had lunch at a place that had a sign that said “World’s worst pizza” according to a Yelp reviewer. We had to try it. It wasn’t.
Day 5
We traveled to Vik. Lots of spots to stop along the way just to take in the scenery. The first stop was the Seljalandsfoss waterfall. You can walk behind this waterfall but be prepared to get wet.
From there, we visited another waterfall, Skogafoss, with stairs going all the way to the top. But we passed on that. After that, we visited another tourist destination, the [abandoned US military plane in Solheimasandur(https://guidetoiceland.is/connect-with-locals/jorunnsg/the-abandoned-dc-plane-on-solheimasandur)]. You can walk to it or take a shuttle. Its about 2 miles off the road.
We arrived at Vik and checked into the Hotel Kria. We then went over to Dyrhólaey, famous for it’s arch over the water. The puffins use the cliffs for their nests and they fly back and forth over the water constantly, bringing back fish to their nests.
We ate dinner at the Strondin Pub, where I had the best fish and chips ever.
Day 6
After a great night of sleep, we left Vik and headed towards Jokularson Glacier Lagoon and Diamond Beach. We had booked a Zodiac tour through [Ice Lagoon(https://icelagoon.is)]. What a phenomenal time! We were able to get up close to the Glacier Wall. We saw lots of incredibly beautiful icebergs and lots of seals.
Day 7
We drove to Vestrahorn. It’s privately owned land, so we had to pay an admission. But it is worth it! Probably the most famous mountain range in Iceland. There is also an abandoned viking village on the land. Although, it turns out, that its from a movie set around 20-25 years ago.
We also got to see a small herd of caribou on our way back.
After this, we drove the 5 hours back to Melissa’s cousin’s home in Kopavogur.
Day 8
The last day! Our adventure for this day was to spend some time at the Blue Lagoon.
Visiting Iceland is an amazing experience! There is so much to see. I want to go back again and rent a camper van and tour the entire island. Possibly in the Autumn, because I really want to see the Northern Lights.
Here is the gallery of images I captured:
