I went to Iceland in October in the Fall which brings cooler temperatures and the beginning of the Northern Lights season. Very exciting!

Reykjavík – the capital of Iceland

I spent my first day in Iceland in Reykjavík. I decided to take a Free Walking Tour conducted by CityWalk. This walking tour took us to some main tourist points in the city. The city itself is not very big thus one day is enough time to visit all the main attractions. It is interesting to have a walk around the Laugavegur the primary commercial area with several cool stores. It is also where you can find some nice bars at night. Since there is not much to do in the city, locals like to go to the bars to drink and party! I went to The English Pub with live music. The singer was really good and everyone was having a great time.

One of the main touristic attractions of the Icelandic capital is the Hallgrímskirkja church. The architecture of the church inside is really simple so I believe people visit it for the nice panoramic view.

While I was staying in Reykjavík I went to the famous Blue Lagoon. It is only a 45 min drive from the city.  This is one of the most famous attractions in Iceland so you should expect big crowds. For me it just felt like I was in big warm pool with a bunch of strangers. You often find beautiful pictures in the internet but google ‘blue lagoon crowded’ and you will see what I am talking about. Unfortunately, I did not take my phone with me in the water so I don`t have​ pictures to show you. However, if it is your dream to visit this spot you should definitely do it but just make sure to manage your expectations 🙂

I also have to mention another little “downside” of Iceland : food and alcohol are very expensive. When I went there (2018) in order to have a good meal including drinks for two people I spent at least $100 dollars. I did not want to spend more than $100 bucks a day in food so my plan was to go to the grocery store and buy breakfast food, fruits, and things to make sandwiches for lunch. Also, I went to the liquor store and bought beer and bottles of wine. It was way cheaper and many tourists do the same. At nigh I allowed myself to explore the local restaurants for a nice dinner and on the last night in Reykjavik I had the most amazing meal at this small restaurant called The Coocoo`s Nest. The food was delicious with reasonable price (no drinks though). I highly recommend this restaurant !

Although food and drinks are expensive in Iceland all the main attractions are free : THE BEAUTIFUL WIDE NATURE.  I think the best way to explore the island and take full advantage of this amazing place is renting a car . It can be a little intimidating driving in a foreign country but the roads in Iceland are very well maintained. However, please have in mind that driving in Iceland can be “isolating” because you can go miles and miles without seeing one gas station, one store, one house. Therefore, you have to be prepared for it and hope that nothing goes wrong. I read a blog post about renting a car that was really helpful to me: 8 thing you should know before renting a car in Iceland.

Road trip – South Coast

I decided to go to the South Coast of Iceland and my first stop was the Seljalandsfoss Waterfalls. I guess the coolest thing about this waterfall is that you can walk behind the falls into a small cave so you can view the falls from a complete 360° angle. Be prepared to get wet!

Tip: if you walk a little further to the left of the Seljalandsfoss falls you will find a “hidden” cave with smaller waterfalls inside. Most people don`t walk there so it will be less crowded giving you the peaceful sound of the waters all to yourself.

Tip: Remember to bring waterproof clothes and shoes for your trip. This is a must!

My next stop was the Reynisfjara beach. Here you will find a beautiful contrast between the  white waters of the Atlantic waves on the black sand. The waves are so powerful that it is almost intimidating. There are signs by the entrance that a few people have died in this beach because they got too close to the water (scary). The view was something I have never seen – it felt like I was in a Sci-fi movie. I walked to the center of the beach, sat down on the rocks and watched the power of nature. It was a great spot to visit!

Road trip –  The Golden Circle 

The second part of my trip was at the famous Golden Circle. It started at the Gullfoss Waterfall (be prepared to get wet – I am serious haha). There is a nice path along the waterfall for a hike and also on sunny days there will always be rainbows, a natural reaction with the clouds of spray from the tumbling falls.  With a short drive from the falls you will find another spot often visited in the Golden Circle – The Kerid Crater a volcanic crater lake. You can walk around the crate and take some nice pictures. There is an entrance fee of 400 ISK – approximately $3.20 dollars.

Reykjadalur Steam Valley

One of the coolest thing you will find in Iceland is the natural hot sprints. My favorite thing about this trip was the Reykjadalur Steam Valley a hot spring in the middle of the mountains. It’s not possible to drive all the way to the hot river so you have to park your car at a parking lot and then hike up the mountains for a little less than an hour to the actual hot river. The hike is relatively easy. The view is beautiful on your way there and you will find several boiling hot pools on the way. Some times the steam can be heavy so you can’t see clearly where you are going and also it smells like sulfur, but the view is worth it! There are no changing rooms in the area so it is better to wear your bathing suit underneath your clothes. The further up the valley you choose a spot, the hotter the water is. When I got to this hot spring it was snowing so for me it was a very unique experience bathing in the middle of nature in my bikini while snow was falling on the ground. And, the view of the mountains in the background is just amazing! The best part, there was not a lot of people! I was so excited that I forgot to take a picture of the actual hot spring but I did take pictures on the way there.

Tip: If you get hungry afterwards there is a small café at the parking lot where you start the hike.

Even though I went to Iceland in the beginning of the Northern Lights season unfortunately I was not able to see them. I booked a Northern Lights Hunt Tour for two nights but the weather was just not right. At least the agency refunded the amount of the tickets. As the name of the tour already says it can be a hunt and you need some luck to see this spectacle of nature.

I haven`t seen even half of all the great things Iceland has to offer. There is so much more to see! I would say that Iceland is PERFECT for nature lovers and adventure seekers!