Iceland 🤍 All your travel questions answered:
Where I stayed:
Things I did:
Horseback Riding at Laxnes Horse Farm. Don't call it a pony (even though it is indeed a miniature horse). The Icelandic horse is known for having five different gaits (and if you're not a horse person, that's 2 extra so it feels like you're gliding once you get going). They also have an outstanding ability to cross rough terrain, which we did on this 3 hour ride. I definitely wouldnt pass this activity up - it was the first thing i did and probably one of my most favorite things of the trip.
The people who ran this place were lovely and super cheerful; they did have helmets, riding boots and a onesie for the cold, which i declined since i had a fleece & leather jacket, proper boots and leather gloves (you need a good pair the whole trip). It was so special seeing the Icelandic countryside by horseback and the views were insanely beautiful.
Golden Circle Drive
The whole Golden Circle route can easily be done in one day, as the classic journey covers around 230 kilometres (140 miles to you and me). You can actually drive the route in just over 3 hours. The Golden Circle is great for a shorter day trip, hitting up famous spots like Þingvellir National Park, Geysir, and Gullfoss.
Lunch at Fridheimar Greenhouse Farm.
another unexpected delight. Friðheimar Winebar & Bistro is a family-run restaurant located in one of the oldest greenhouses on the Friðheimar estate. Fridheimar is on the Golden Circle route, 50 minutes away from Thingvellir National Park, half an hour from Gullfoss and 20 minutes from Geysir.
The farm has abundant supplies of geothermal water, which provides heat to the greenhouses that grow tomatoes (yes, in Iceland) so the restaurant offers an entire menu of tomato-based dishes from onsite greenhouses. You can easily get up and walk around and see how the greenhouse works while you wait for your tomato soup (10/10...and the rye bread omg..which they bake by digging a hole/pot in the geothermal ground and i swear all bread should be baked this way lol just need some geysers) and dont forget to visit the bees :)
Strokkur Geysir
The Great Geysir is not the only famous geyser in the Geysir hot spring area. The most active geyser in the area is Strokkur (the Churn). It sprouts hot water as high as 30 meters (100 ft) into the air every few minutes.
Seljalandfoss and Kvernufoss waterfalls
A better wakeup than any cup of coffee I've ever had is the Behind-the-Falls Experience: One of the highlights of the hike is the opportunity to walk behind the cascading waterfall. BRING A RAINCOAT AND RAIN PANTS. You will get absolutely drenched and it is absolutely worth it.
Reynisfjara Black Sand Beach
The Land of Fire and Ice is home to around 130 volcanos (32 of which are currently active) and stunning black beaches have risen from the ashes. Vik Beach—or Reynisfjara, as it's known to locals—is not just the island's most famous black sand beach, but arguably the world's. It has these massive basalt columns, lava formations, towering cliffs, and caves. I snapped this near the shore by a giant basalt formations the locals called Reynisdrangar.
Real talk: Iceland is the windiest place i have ever been, and I absolutely did not want to get out of the car to see Iceland’s iconic black sand beach (Reynisfjara) let alone take a photo, because it was freezing cold, the winds were 60 mph and the waves were lookin treacherous… but this was one of the locations I told my guide in advance I desperately wanted to see. We walked down to the rocks to asses the situation, game planned where we could grab the shot (memories >>>) then went back up and waited in the car (with hot coffee) for over an hour until most of the tourists left and the winds dropped, both ran like crazy in hiking boots, I kicked mine off, my guide snapped this shot and we ran back to the car.
To my guide, Lelo, with no social media, wherever you are, so grateful for the silly little adventure behind this photo. 🤍
Solheimajokul Glacier.
This is a short hike from a parking lot and you get to WALK ON A GLACIER. The landscape it mindblowing, and I had no idea it would be this massive, even though my guide noted its melting pretty quickly. One of the coolest experiences I've ever done in my years of travel.
Dinner at Dill in Reykjavik.
One of the best meals I've ever had. Michelin-starred and spectacular. The presentation was stunning and each dish was better than the last. The menu was 13,900 ISK ($105) and the drink pairing was 11,900 ISK (~$90) at the time of my visit. I'm also sober and they had a kombucha pairing menu that was sublime. They thought of absolutely everything.
The restaurant is located inside of a building on the 2nd floor so you have a nice view of the hustle and bustle of the street and snowfall if you sit near a window.
Drinks at Tipsy in Reykjavik.
Cute, cozy little bar recommended by a local - great mocktails.
Late night hotdog stand in Reykjavik.
dont question this one.
Hot springs - Blue Lagoon was closed due to the volcano possibly erupting so I did Sky Lagoon. This was sort of a weird thing to do as a solo traveler, and honestly, it was PACKED. The spa is beautiful and you have a personal shower and locker for before you go into the lagoon. They have the chicest Icelandic souveniers in the gift shop and the lunch was 10/10.
Things I wish I knew before leaving: Every city/area in Iceland is far apart, we drove at least 5 hours a day, sometimes more. But honestly, some of my favorite parts were the long drives and the scenery/landscape. You definitely need to rent a car or book a driver/tour guide through your hotel. Be prepared to get wet and dirty. Iceland has microclimates and the weather can go from bright and sunny to extreme winds (70 mph) which makes visiting the waterfalls feel like an intense nature shower lol good hiking boots and wind jacket and pants are a MUST.
a week is definitely not enough time to explore all of Iceland. Missed the Northern Lights but the locals say it’s hit or miss. Tried to track it on an app but the weather got insanely windy and a storm came in so the clouds were a bit too low.
The people are extraordinary, live in a dream land and were super helpful to a solo female traveler. I also met two solo traveler babes while horseback riding and thought that was pretty rad (and a first time for me).
I’m sure I’m missing things but I saved everything to my highlight reel on my Instagram as well with location tags for those who ever need an itinerary reference! 🇮🇸✨
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