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Holidays

Use our Travel forum for recommendations on everything from day trips to the best family-friendly holiday destinations.

Has anyone been to Iceland?

18 replies

tequilasunrises · 01/09/2019 19:33

My DH has a big birthday coming up and I’m surprising him with a trip to Iceland (he’s always wanted to go on a cold holiday as we normally go to beach destinations!)

I’ve only booked the flights and accommodation but I want to plan some special trips and meals while we are there?

Planning to rent a car so can be very flexible, if anyone can recommend any lovely excursions or even better, restaurants I would be so so grateful!

I’ve got my eye on a northern lights tour and trip to the blue lagoon but we are there for a whole week and I’d really love it to be special.

TIA Smile

OP posts:
SegregateMumBev · 01/09/2019 19:38

What time of year will you be going?

Whale watching trip is good, dinner at the Perlan, and a visit to the penis museum for sniggers.

tequilasunrises · 01/09/2019 19:46

Sounds right up our alley lol! Going in early jan - thanks Smile

OP posts:
MoederVanEen · 01/09/2019 19:49

Book the blue lagoon in advance as it gets booked up quickly.

Also I hope you have a large budget as food and drinks are eye-wateringly expensive! I'd recommend checking out some happy hour deals to save some money...

LutherRalph1 · 01/09/2019 19:49

Do the Golden circle tour. Their most famous excursion but I think entry to the locations is actually free, cost of excursion is just travel
It's the most popular for a reason

Try and visit the south shore too if you can

cptartapp · 01/09/2019 19:58

We went in Jan.
Be careful driving, the weather can turn in an instant and many people are unprepared for how difficult it can be.
Golden Circle tour.
BLue Lagoon, book ahead. Very touristy but unmissable.
We went quad biking, great fun but not cheap.
I've heard the waters are rough in Jan and whale watching not particularly successful. Northern lights too hit and miss, we didn't see them.
Walking tour of Reykjavik. Free, takes a couple of hours.
The South coast too is worth a visit I believe.
Eating out is expensive. Be prepared or take non-perishables!
Remember there will only be 5-6 hours of daylight. It can be very limiting. You really have to be prepared to make the most of each day.
Amazing place, would love to go back.

fourquenelles · 01/09/2019 20:03

The Icelandic people (who are fab with a very dry sense of humour in the main) say that there is no such thing as bad weather, just bad clothes. To make the trip comfortable pack for cold and wind!

There's a bakery/cafe on Lækjargata between the Harpa concert hall and the lake that we called the Icelandic Greggs. It does great sandwiches and cakes and has free coffee refills. Not too expensive.

I am not a great drinker so I didn't find the prices that much more than London ones for eating out.

Whale watching is good and if you don't manage to see any you can come back the next year for free!

I love Reykjavik. Hoping to go next November for the Airwaves festival again. Enjoy your trip.

Wereonabearhunt · 01/09/2019 20:09

We went early Jan.. save a day to explore Reykjavik- the penis museum is a laugh.

If you like coffee, theres a few coffee shops selling some of the NICEST coffee and fresh sandwiches!

We loved the golden circle tour and spent a few hours at the Laugarvatn Fontana geothermal spa + baths on route - you can do a mini tour at the spa to see how they make bread in the heat of the sand.

Restaurants are expensive!! But there are other options - theres a famous hotdog hutt in the town, a few convenience stores that do reasonable fresh sandiwches and baguettes. One nice restaurant near the harbour is worth a visit - the name escapes me but im sure it can be found with a google - sells fresh soups serves in bread bowls! Another tip would be to try local food in restaurants, fish and locally sourced food is "quite" reasonable..but anything imported is £££££ (£5 for a can of coke, unlimited water and cheap local juices for example).. if all else fails, although there isnt much fast food, they have subway, dominoes and taco bell.

cptartapp · 01/09/2019 20:53

Take a portable phone charger too. It was so cold at Gulfoss it drained my phone battery in minutes.

which1 · 01/09/2019 21:03

I'm going there in the autumn and pretty much everything I've read has said not to self-drive in winter unless you are v experienced in driving in extreme conditions.

Just something to think about..

Boobiliboobiliboo · 01/09/2019 21:07

Have been several times. I hated the blue lagoon. The secret lagoon on the golden circle is a million tones more authentic and much less touristy.

thefishcake · 01/09/2019 21:16

Check out the local swimming pools - far cheaper than the tourist spas, but you still all the hot tubs, but get to meet the locals.

Fontana spa is lovely - open until late, so nice to sit in, in the dark.

Don't waste time in hot tubs during the day - go at night as you've get a chance of seeing the northern lights, and they are lovely and hot (40c)

Service station food can be good / cheap (if you're on the road)

Don't be afraid to stay outside of reyjakvik - loads of airbnb cabins which are a) amazing and private b) tend to have private hot tub c) away from the city so better chance of seeing the Aurora

Have a great time - fascinating place, and a cool culture.

Look at the places that the tours would take you, and figure out a route - most places are easy to find on a map or with a satnav. Take time driving until you're used to snow. Cars have winter tyres, so it's not like the UK, but if you're not used to sliding around, take your time and don't rush

Dipped headlights all the time, all year round, even in daylight.

Petrol stations will tend to be unmanned- have a google how to use them first - nothing like figuring out how to use an unmanned petrol station in -8c, blowing a gale with snow!

PurpleDaisies · 01/09/2019 21:22

The blue lagoon is not worth the money and doesn’t in any way live up to its name. Golden circle tour is brilliant. I wouldn’t drive at that time of year-there are loads of great tours you can join.

There’s a fantastic view over the city from the top of the church tower. Everything is really expensive but the food is great.

mystupidmistake · 01/09/2019 21:26

We’re off this year for my OHs big birthday trip.

So far we’ve only booked northern lights and whale watching on a yacht.

Planning to do the Golden Circle too but mortified to admit I don’t really know what it is. Also plant to do Perlan and blue lagoon.

Dreading the food.

CherryPavlova · 01/09/2019 21:37

Iceland is one of our favourite places.
Fantastic place. We hire a car and drive ourselves mostly as we want geothermal swimming spots as well as tourist spots.

Skidoo’s on the glacier was brilliant fun.
Northern lights we try and find ourselves - dark spot outside Reykjavik. January is good for the lights.
Blue lagoon is surprisingly nice. Best in the evening. Fontana and secret lagoon are nicer still.
Pingvella was very other worldly but beautiful. Driving is exciting. Take a flask and food!
Local swimming pools are good value and swimming outside in a blizzard at -24 degrees of incredible. Need to be body confident though!

DustyD2 · 01/09/2019 21:43

We went in August last year. We rented a car from Blue Car and they were very nice to deal with. Having said that, the weather can change very quickly and even in summer it was scary at times driving, so I'd recommend a guided tour of the Golden Circle. There were some very cool ones in huge 4x4 minibuses rather than a coach which looked great fun.

The Blue lagoon is really near the airport so we booked to go there once we had landed, it's expensive and touristy but was a great antidote to the flight and good fun. We ate in the restaurant and the food was very good. Definitely pre book to get the slot you want.

Reykjavik is small and easy to walk round, but bot loads to do so plan some excursions.

Take loads of warm and waterproof clothes, proper walking boots and thermals. People don't get very dressed up so leave the "going out" stuff at home and fill your case with knitwear!

It's fascinating and we loved it! Would love to go in the winter to try and see the northern lights.

Tensixtysix · 01/09/2019 21:44

Another thing...at local swimming pools you have to take a shower NAKED and in full view of others (ladies). Not allowed to wear your swimsuit until you get in the pool.
Shock

fairydustandpixies · 01/09/2019 21:45

My favourite place in the world...

You'll have an amazing holiday.

Golden Circle is a must. Reykjavik is beautiful, so much to do. Has anyone mentioned the Penis Museum yet??!

Expensive to eat out but a bit of Googling will recommend really quirky places.

I went in a January and it was never properly light but I'd go again in a heat beat.

fireplacetiles · 01/09/2019 23:36

We went for OH's 50th in mid February, we were not prepared for how incredibly cold it was, it snowed every day, in fact the airport was closed and we had to stay an extra night! It was hard work walking anywhere as the snow was knee deep, it was really windy and -20 a lot of the time.

We had a hire car booked, we cancelled it even though my OH is a confident driver. I really wouldn't drive the road signs are in icelandic outside of Rekjavik including the road closed ones, there were abandoned hire cars everywhere and the locals were telling us it was crazy to drive small cars there in winter!

The golden circle tour is great but v v busy, you find yourself with dozens of other bus tours spending 20 minutes at one of the wonders of the world, we found it all too rushed.

We went with a small independent company for a semi private tour, to the smaller waterfalls and a glacier walk, group of 8 of us with a young Norwegian guy and it was def the highlight if the holiday.

If you see the Northern lights consider it a BIG plus, it is not guaranteed at all, our hotel had a mini bus which went out to a dark spot every evening, saw nothing all week, the owner told us he has to manage expectations about them all the time.

Everything is eye wateringly expensive, we found a local supermarket in the end and had sandwiches on a couple of evenings after the £120 bills for basic evening meals we had paid (we don't drink!).

Would love to go back but wouldn't go in the winter it was too much hard work!

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