Day 1 : 24 hrs in London

We spent 24 hours in London, just to have dinner with some friends :)

Day 2: Arrived at Reykjavic, Iceland

The roundtrip flights between SFO and KEF were so cheap, about $600 with luggage. However, we heard that everything else was expensive in Iceland so we decided to get an Airbnb for most of the stay. We found this beautiful apartment in Reykjavic, close to a bus stop and a grocery store. Unfortunately, we packed our schedule so tightly and the fact that there was like 6 hours (?) of daylight, we were unable to enjoy this apartment in natural daylight.

When we planned out our trip to Iceland, there were a number of things to consider. Did we want to rent a car and have flexibility in our schedule but possibly have to drive in icy/snowy roads (with no experience doing so)? Or did we want to go on a bunch of bus tours which meant no flexibility but not having to worry about driving? We spoke with a lot of people who have went before and decided on doing all tours, since none of us gals had experience driving icy roads. (Good thing because we had to travel through crazy weather to get to some destinations!)

We booked all our tours with Reykjavic Excursions, with no regrets!

Day 3

Wonders of Snæfellsnes

With the Wonders of Snæfellsnes Wonders of S tour, we explored West Iceland, north of Rekjavic. This was probably my absolutely favorite tour of them all, although the least popular. Our group was probably 1/2 a bus full.

Stop #1

The first stop, not going to lie, I was a little worried. Temperature wasn't that bad but it was just extremely windy! With icy rain. Thank goodness we listened to all the articles online about bringing a parka.

Primus Kaffi, Hellnar

We stopped at a cute cafe for some lunch. Luckily for me, they had delicious vegan mushroom soup!

Despite the muggy weather, was completely amazed by the scenery.

Arnastapi

Djúpalónssandur, Snaefellsjokull

A Crater in Snaefellsjokull

Ólafsvík

Kirkjufellsfoss

Day 4

The Golden Circle

Probably the most popular tour but my least favorite due to crowds.

Þingvellir

Iceland´s best-loved National Park known for its exceptional beauty and historical importance. The park is also a designated UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Friðheimar

Greenhouse cultivation center where delicious, pesticide-free tomatoes and cucumbers are grown with the aid of the geothermal heat that Iceland has in abundance.

Geysir & Strokkur

Geothermal area around the incredible spouting hot springs of Geysir and Strokkur. Strokkur spouts every 5 minutes, and varies in size but reaches us high as 115 ft. Geysir is now calm, steamy vent with occasional hisses and gurgles. Eruptions are caused by a pressure buildup formed when hot water and gas is trapped beneath a cooler layer of water.

Gullfoss Waterfall

Gullfoss is the queen of Icelandic waterfalls and plunges into a crevice some 32 m deep and is along the Hvítá river. Your proximity to its edge is so close that you can feel the spray of the glacial water on your face. Bring waterproof jackets/pants.

Icelandic Horse

Exploring Rekjavic

Day 5

South Shore Adventure

This tour fought the first tour for most favorite.

The trip started early. I closed my eyes as we were driving out of Reykjavic. Still dark but clear skies. An hour or so later, I open my eyes to a Winter Wonderland.

Seljalandsfoss

A narrow but very powerful and picturesque waterfall dropping some 60 meters straight off the fell side. If you like you can walk behind it and through to the other side.

Sólheimajökull

Reynisdrangar Cliffs

Skógafoss

Skógafoss waterfall is one of the biggest waterfalls in Iceland with a width of 25 meters (82 ft.) Due to the amount of spray the waterfall consistently produces, a rainbow is very often visible on a sunny day. There is a staircase that leads to the top where you can look down on nesting fulmars.

Day 6

Wonders of Reykjanes

Strandakirkja

Strandakirkja, a small church by the coast. There has a been a church in the area since the 12th century, but the one standing now is much younger. It was built after a young farmer was in danger of crashing into the rocks by the shore. He prayed to God and promised if he would survive, he would build a church where he came to shore. A glowing angel appeared at the stem of the boat and directed him safely to shore.

Krýsuvík

The geothermal area of Krýsuvík includes solfataras, fumaroles, mud pots and hot springs and sulphur was mined there early in the 18th century and then again in the 19th century.

Grindavík

Grindavík, the small fishing village with about 3000 inhabitants, has a long history, including when pirates from Morocco and Algeria arrived in the 17th century and took fifteen residents to sell as slaves. The reefs near the town can be very difficult to navigate, and many ships have crashed on land. We will see one shipwreck on this tour and see how ruthless the ocean can be.