My winter trip to Iceland began with the reactions of "why??". Many people were shocked that Iceland was my destination of choice over the 2017 winter reading week as most students choose warmer climates such as Cuba. The reasoning behind my choice was the beauty-- and the price.
If I'm being honest, the price of the trip came to around $1000 CAD each. Originally, the cheap flights are what caught my eye ($300 with WOW air), and then the accommodations followed. We chose to stay in airbnb, and the prices were very affordable. For the first few nights we chose to stay in a house to ourselves (Helga's Place). This allowed us to get settled and used to the time difference. For the remaining nights we opted for a private room in different locations around the south shore of Iceland. Traveling the south shore of Iceland was absolutely breathtaking. We rented a car from icerental 4x4, and only ended up paying around $245 for 3 days. Driving the south shore was definitely the best decision we made. At every stop along the Golden Circle, and most of the south shore, there were dozens of tour busses, absolutely filled with people. I couldn't imagine being crammed on a bus for hours while trying to take in the natural beauty out the window, but hey, if thats your thing, all the power to ya!
Helga's place, in the heart of downtown Reykjavik
The days we went were not the most pleasant in terms of weather, but the worst weather wasn't even that bad. On the second day, roads coming to and from Reykjavik were closed due to high winds and snow fall, but they reopened within 4 hours and we were able to resume our planned activities. Surprisingly, Iceland is not actually that cold. As long as you dress warm, you will be fine (see packing list for Iceland in the winter for more details). That being said, you do have to keep in mind that the sun rises later in the winter, and sets earlier than you're probably used to. We were prepared for this, and planned our activities accordingly. However, you do adjust pretty quick- only a few power naps were needed!
We started our trip around 5:00 pm on a Wednesday night, when our flight took off from Pearson, Toronto International Airport. We landed at around 4:30 am local time in Reykjavik. We booked transportation through Flybus, and it was just as easy as advertised. We arrived to the bus station around 5:30 and started on our way. We weren't able to check in until about 11:00 am so we ditched our bags and headed to the local geothermal swim spa. This was the absolute best way to start the trip, especially after being on a long overnight flight. The sun was set to rise around 9:00 am so we headed to a coffee shop and got a bite to eat. The rest of the day was spent exploring the town of Reykjavik, visiting all the landmarks and shops.
Reykjavik, Iceland from Hallgrímskirkja
Hallgrímskirkja, Famous church in Iceland
The next days were spent in the town of Reykjavik, exploring and sight seeing. On Friday evening, we planned to go to the Blue Lagoon, the famous geothermal spa located just outside of Reykjavik. I swear, it had to have been the most magnificent place to spend my Friday night. The sky was absolutely breathtaking, and the mountains in the background made me feel as thought I was in a fairytale. There were complementary silica mud masks, which E did enjoy!
The next day we checked out of Helga's place and started our journey around the south shore of Iceland. We started by driving the Golden Circle, then carrying on towards Vik. The Golden Circle is, hands down, one of the most beautiful drives you will ever experience. It was filled with so many amazing waterfalls, and not to mention the most adorable horses!
The drive to Vik, was yet again, the most amazing experience ever. Vik is famous for it's black sand beaches, but you have to be careful of the sneaker waves- seriously, they are over 15 feet tall! Visiting Vik was one of the stops I was looking forward to the most on this trip; there's just something about black sand beaches and tiny red churches that make me feel like I'm on a true adventure to another world! Vik is also home to many gorgeous, I repeat, GORGEOUS waterfalls. Pictures don't do them justice.
Seriously, breathtaking. More photos are posted under 'Photography--Iceland'.
Heading back to Reykjavik from Vik took about 4 hours, with little stops along the way. I truly enjoyed every moment of this amazing trip, as E and I got to share so many wonderful experiences together. Not to mention, the road trip allowed for a lot of singalongs!!!
Now let me ask you this- would you visit Iceland in the winter?
To see a full list of stops we made, visit Next Stop... Iceland!