Visiting Iceland

[icelandtrip2024]

I feel kind of bad asking this with what's going on at Grindavik but I'm due to visit Iceland soon and want some tips. What are the most sees and, most importantly, where sells the best thick hot chocolate?

Forgot to say I will be staying in Reykjavik.

We’ve just come back from 4 days there. It was very cold and windy, there was a dump of snow the first night which I loved, leading to very powdery snow. Take several layers and if going on trips include some sort of eyewear.
We did the 2 trips included in the package

• Northern Lights tour: a good camera is needed with a three second exposure to be able to capture them)
• Golden Circle tour: Gulfoss waterfall was amazing with it being half frozen
• Lagoons: The Blue Lagoon reopened while we were there. However we did Sky Lagoon with 7 Step Ritual which is about 15 minutes outside Reykjavík. We googled cheapest way to do it which was with Reykjavík excursions. They will pick up from your nearest bus stop and take you to the bus terminal to join with others going to the lagoon. Drinks from the poolside bar about £10 each. Highly recommended.
• A lot of bars do a happy hour, not two for one but drinks at a reduced price so worth looking at that.
• There is one long road - Laugavegur which has many bars and restaurants with a food hall at the top. Look for the rainbow road with the amazing church at the top that is free to go into but pay for the lift up to the top.
• Also have a walk along the harbour front to the Harpa concert hall and also look for the fleamarket if there on a Saturday.
• Some of the other guests on our trip did whale watching (and saw a humpback whale), snorkelling and quad bike riding which they enjoyed

Just to add, we also did the South Shore excursion. It was long (10.5 hours) but really interesting.

We did an Icelandic myths and legends walking tour that was great. About 1.5 hours.

Whale watching was ok....saw the back if a whale as it was snoozing. Also it stunk!

Did an in and on the glacier tour which I loved. Thats a man made cave but im guessing at this time of year there will be natural ones you can go in.

Messinn seafood restaurant was lovely.

For something a bit different there is a punk museum in a public toilet.

If you are not going with children I highly recommend the brewery tour. Don’t go if you don’t drink. Definitely don’t drive there. It’s a history of alcohol in Iceland with samples rather than a tour of the brewery.

These all sound great, thank you!

I don't suppose you have a link to the walking tour do you? It sounds right up my street.

Horse riding! Icelandic horses are a unique protected breed, you can even go if you are a beginner.

Also just bog standard public swimming pools are amazing, outdoors, geothermally heated with hot pools round the edge at different temperatures. We also went to a natural sauna (shed over a hot spring). Can't remember where though.

I would love to but the rest of the party isn't interested.

Sounds excellent, thank you.

Any hot chocolate suggestions?

We either drank alcohol or water (the latter in many places automatically brought to your table) when out. If you walk along the Main Street mentioned above there are many cafes and also a couple of bakeries like Braud & Co that were fabulous.

There’s also the penis museum, Museums like Perlan, food tour and famous hot dog stand plus simulated flight over Reykjavik.

it really depends on how long you’re there what you like doing and what’s your budget is. We found this was a good website to start with, and then you could also google an excursion website like Reykjavík excursions to see what’s available.
https://www.twowanderingsoles.com/blog/things-to-do-in-reykjavik-iceland

If it's going to be icy but shoe grips before you go.
Just down from the cathedral (facing it turn left) towards the water there is a cinnamon bun shop that is amazing. You can smell it for miles.have attached a photo as it's a fab building.

We also did the glacier tour and it was fantastic - even the transport up was great fun.
There is an app you can get that lists the happy hours around town which I think is called Appy Hour. Enjoy / it's one of my favourite holidays ever

Brilliant, thank you both.

Take a portable charger. My phone was drained of battery at Gulfoss in minutes it was so cold.

Eek! Thanks for the heads up.

We had hot chocolate at the pink coffee shop with a seat swing, on the right as you go up the main Riad towards the church before the rainbow crossing. The big lebowski bar did good food and I had a chocolate orange espresso martini which was the most expensive drink I’ve ever had (until I went to Hawaii).

@Binglebong

I booked through viatour but it doesn't seem to be in there anymore. I googled and I think this is the one - the 'your friend in Iceland' definitely sounds familiar.

The places it visits seem to be the same

booknordics.com/iceland/western-iceland/reykjavik/reykjavik-folklore-walking-tour

Think it will be an alcohol free holiday - can't afford it! But if will look out for the cafe, thank you.

That looks excellent, Fluffy, thank you.

I'd highly recommend going to one of the public swimming pools. They are amazing.

We wandered across the parks to a regular swimming pool, mixed with Icelanders, sat in out door plunge pools , steam room, swam , the hotel gave us directions.

Loved it.

The lava show was the best thing we did when we were there, it was fascinating for adults and kids and my son still talks about it as a highlight.

I'm with someone body conscious unfortunately and they really don't want to go to a pool. But the lava show sounds good, is that the one in the museum?