Iceland Travel Diaries

Iceland is without a shadow of a doubt the most magical country I've ever visited. From the quirky, colourful streets of Reykjavik, to the breathtaking views outside of the city - it is nothing short of amazing. There isn't a single thing it doesn't have to offer and I would go back in a heartbeat.

We stayed right in the heart of Reykjavik city in Storm Hotel by Keahotels for 4 nights. The hotel was modern, cosy and smelt AMAZING. The staff were really friendly and the breakfast that came included was amazing. There was so much to choose from!

DAY ONE

After getting settled in to the hotel, we quickly got out to explore Reykjavik and the must-see sights. We were only a short walk from the coast where The Sun Voyager sculpture and the Harpa Concert Hall were - both of which are great things to see. We went inside the Harpa and it's literally such an incredible building! There's also a few quirky shops inside too. 

After a walk on the front and a trip to the Viking Museum (which btw was very meh and overpriced), we pottered around admiring all of the colourful buildings and stopped the most gorgoeus, warm cafe bar for lunch. I could have lived in there! 

To end the first day, we managed to scout out the famous Braud & Co Bakery and went up to the top of the famous Hallgrímskirkja Church. The building itself is so beautiful but THE VIEWS from the top are amazing! Definitely worth a visit.

After a short nap and a nice relaxing watch of The Food Network, we headed out for dinner. We ate at a pizza place called Eldsmijan which wasn't that far from the hotel. After this, we took a trip 10 minutes out of town to the Grotta Lighthouse to see if we could catch a glimpse of The Northern Lights.

We sat in the car for around 30 minutes looking at the stars, before we started seeing any movement in the sky. Through the eye, there was a very faint display but luckily the pictures came out much better to show them off in all their glory! I'm glad we chose to come out on the first night, as we didn't get chance to see them again for the rest of the trip. Stupid clouds!

To get around the island, we hired a car which we booked in advance from Budget Car Rental. This cost around £180 for 4 days which was very budget friendly for us, as we wanted the freedom to go where we wanted (without being tied down to the hefty prices of tours). We had a stylish, black VW Polo (which I now REALLY want) which got us by perfectly for the trip.

DAY TWO

 

The next day after a banging breakfast, we headed out bright and early for our Golden Circle road trip! Our first stop of the day was to Pingvellir (Thingvellir) National Park. This was absolutely beautiful and there was so much to see, we definitely spent a good few hours there!

From there, we drove another hour to the Geysers. I'd seen these all over Instagram & Youtube so I couldn't wait to see the real thing in person! It's crazy how big some of these explosions are and to think this is a natural wonder!?! So cool!

The last stop on day 2 was Gullfoss Waterfall. I was speechless at the size of it and how angry it seemed! It really was one of those things you felt in the moment. Before we set off, we grabbed a hot chocolate and coffee in the cafe to warm up, then headed out for dinner at Hard Rock Cafe that night! Big yums!

DAY 3 

On this day, we prepared ourselves for the longest road trip of the whole holiday (with our first stop being an hour and a half away!). The weather really wasn't on our side for the whole journey - the rain and winds were so strong the car was getting blown all over the place.. All totally worth it though!

First stop, Seljalandsfoss! This is one of many waterfalls in Iceland we visited but the only one we found where you could actually walk underneath/ all the way around it. If you are planning on visiting here, take waterproofs and suitable walking shoes/boots. You have to climb on slippery rocks and it can be pretty dangerous!

The Seljalandsfoss area is also surrounded by a few other smaller waterfalls. One of which was in a slight cave which you could wade up to through a stream if you fancied! Jack absolutely loved it but I had to give it a miss because of how clumsy I am - I'd probably end up drowning or something..

When we got back on the road, we still had a fair old drive to the next location which was Skogafoss - Iceland's 2nd highest waterfall. This is very close to the coast and it just kind of comes into view when you're driving on the ring road! It's surrounded by a campsite, the odd house and a folk museum with some cute, grass covered houses.

Skogafoss is a beast to say the least (soz) and it's one you can actually walk up to the top of. We did do this and I think I almost died at least 6 times. THE STAIRS. OMG. I am waaay too unfit to be climbing those again in a hurry.

Needless to say, the views from the top were pretty awesome - it was cool to see the waterfall from a different perpective and see where it started!

The last stop of the day was Reynisfjara - Iceland's World Famous Black Sand Beach. I can't say I've ever properly watched it, but apparently it's a location filmed on Game Of Thrones (don't ask me what it's called haha!). 

This was pretty cool and bustling with tourists! Considering it was literally in the middle of nowhere, I was shocked to see so many people there. If you visit here on a windy day, be warned that as soon as you get out the car, sand will fly into your eyes without warning! 

DAY FOUR

To end the holiday off with a bit of relaxation, we had the famous Blue Lagoon booked. I've wanted to go here for as long as I can remember, so it was a very proud tick on the bucket list!

The 30mph+ winds hadn't really eased from the day before and we were actually blessed with a bit of rain, but we were determined to not let this put us off.

The whole experience was so surreal and it's nice that once you pay for your time slot, you can stay as long as you want to! There's also so much to offer whilst your in there - aka a steam room, a cave and a bar!

I wish it wasn't so windy because I think we could have stayed for most of the day if it wasn't for that! Regardless, I'd definitely want to go back there!

We the rest of the last day relaxing and trying to find a cheapish happy hour bar in Reykjavik. We walked up and down the main street and stumbled across a cool looking diner/bar called Lebowski Bar.

When we arrived, we got chatting to a lovely American couple who had just won 10 beers on the wheel of fortune and gave us one each! From there, we just spent the rest of the night chatting and drinking together.

By 8pm, we decided it was probably time for some food, so headed down to go and check out the famous hot dog stand, Baejarins Beztu Pylsur. OH MY GOD, DID THEY LIVE UP TO THE HYPE? Jack and I ended up getting 2 each as we loved them so much.

For our final visit of the trip, we all popped into The Icelandic Punk Museum on the way back to the hotel. This was actually a former public toilet which they transformed into a museum. From what I remember, it was really interesting and interactive at the same time.

I really can't believe the trip was over so quickly! Iceland is like a different world and it was everything I imagined and more! We definitely want to visit again and see the rest of the Island now and I can't wait to do it again.

Until next time Iceland.. x