Now that I’m an Iceland insider, below are some of the basics you should know together with some personal tips that made my trip one to remember, for your own trip.
I’ve always wanted to visit Iceland — property of moonscapes, the freshest fish available, Viking culture, and crazy organic wonders. Have a looksie through any photo guide of this island nation that is glorious and try to contain your shock and amazement. Moss-covered cliffs, sparkling waterfalls pouring through to black sand beaches down below, and topography so beautiful it causes you to recover your humanness, ditching your mobile phone in the car so you can go through the singular glory of being a part of this beautiful Earth — that is Iceland in a nutshell.
I had the pleasure of being invited by Noken Travel to function as a beta-traveler with their advice for my first visit to Iceland (yes, there’ll be more). Noken supplies curated, end-to-end trips that supply the entire encounter with none of the job. You book together (Iceland is their initial destination) and as soon as you do, you download their program to get your whole itinerary, stuffed full of actually useful tips like which gasoline station has great snacks as soon as you’ve arrived at Keflavik Airport, to exactly how long to leave yourself when you walk from your hotel to dinner. I’ve done plenty of worldwide traveling, but always with myself as my guide, as I’ve always been fearful that traveling a country or city through a travel group would yield less than desirable outcomes. Where the locals do eat, I love to get off the beaten path, and see and experience the sights that just a few visitors come to, instead of busloads of people. After diving into the world of curated traveling, I can absolutely say that Noken has the same travel soul I do, and offers an unparalleled, full service encounter to seeing Iceland. I never felt like I was on a tour, bogged down by other sight-seekers, or was engaging in a run of the mill Iceland experience.
- If you’re heading to Europe, you can do a stop-over at Iceland for free on Iceland Air (you have to perform the leg-work here for info on this suggestion as we just went to Iceland) but it is a excellent way to get there for a few days in cheaper fashion.
- Try to have a daytime flight that arrives late at night, so that you may wake up in your hotel refreshed and ready for a day in Reykjavik, rather than take a red-eye and endure through Day 1.
- Explore Reykjavik on your first day in the country — it is a sweet and beautiful little city that is quite walkable, particularly if you follow Noken’s walking guide that leads you through the most enchanting pieces. I venture to see where the natives live and suggest getting off the beaten path here. The houses with wooden sideboards should not be missed and are characteristic of this city.
- On Day two and beyond get out and explore the country, but rely on your rental car for you there. Iceland is a country that’s simple to navigate and drive, with the beautiful roads seemingly police-free and unclogged. Seriously, I didn’t find a law enforcement presence in Iceland at any time. No offense I guess. Do not speed though — they will send you a speeding ticket in the mail and have radar setup along the roads if you go too fast.
- Climb the Solheimajokull Glacier at the Southcoast of Iceland. This is a Nat Geo experience that is not to be overlooked. Hiking boots are a must, in addition to weather proof pants and tops. They’ll supply you with crampons for you shoes, an ice pick (seriously), and helmet. If you’re not able-bodied, you should skip this. I fell twice during the climb and while I didn’t injure myself, I really could have. The Golden Circle is this 3ish hour drive from Reykjavik that is a circle, but drops you in some of the sites in Iceland. The geyser is a wonder of the world, and the water bubbles up into the air every 8 minutes. Be prepared to get a little wet!
- If/When you visit the Blue Lagoon prepare for your hair to feel extremely dry and rough if you submerge your head into the mineral-rich waters. Is a enormous amount of silica in the water there, and after it clings on to your locks be ready to feel weird for some time. When I return home to the US I immediately began adding baking soda to break down the minerals. After about a week of doing so my hair is starting to feel normal. I wore what I would wear everyday in NYC in Reykjavik though you’ll see tourists in outdoor gear walking throughout the city. Many people thought we were locals because we decided to dress in street clothes instead. If you go on adventures, bring the appropriate gear (hiking books, waterproof layers, gloves, hats, etc).
- Leave the city to see the Northern Lights. We didn’t see them and I wish as we heard they had been visible on the nights we had.
- Don’t be afraid to get in the car and GO! We had when we explored the countryside during a 5-6 hour car ride.
- Save yourself plenty of time when you leave Iceland as Keflavik Airport is a shit-show when you depart. There are no areas surrounding the gates everyone lines up in a shuffle clogging hallways that are confused. Checking in was pretty nasty. Immigration however, when departing and arriving, is a breeze.
- If you want to drink while there, buy your booze in the duty free shop in the airport downstairs before you get on your rental car and go. Everyone is friendly.
- Iceland is one of the cleanest, most pristine places I’ve visited. Keep it that way if you visit. Have Fun!
Long story short, we had the ability to completely bliss out over the landscape, at times totally uninterrupted by humans, adventured like we knew what we do, and ate like queens. I’m not one to dedicate multiple paragraphs on my blog to brands or products unless I genuinely dig them, so understand I’m doing so because I would literally give them a 5/5 star rating if I could. Seriously. And, because I love them so much I’ve asked if they would create a discount code to cut at some cost and they happily obliged. Use VIPLo for $200 off your trip (that is a lot).
Source: CelebrityChefs
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