Trip #8 - Iceland Days 1 - 3

So, it is time to write about one of my all-time favorite trips. Iceland! One of the things that drew me to Corey in the beginning, was our shared love of travel. Very early on we realized Iceland was one of both of our top dream travel destinations. It was pretty much a no-brainer that a trip to Iceland was in our future.

In April of 2018, WOW Air started flying out of Cincinnati. WOW Air was a discount Icelandic airline that flew direct flights to Europe and the US at ridiculous prices. No joke, our round trip tickets were $600 for both of us, together. As soon as I figured out WOW was going to start flying direct from Cincinnati to Reykjavik, I knew it was time to plan the trip. (WOW Air ended up ceasing operations in March of 2019 and stranded people all over the world!)

I may have gone a little overboard when planning our Iceland Trip. There is just so much to see! We knew we wanted to spend a full week there. This meant we had time to do the entire Ring Road (the main road that goes around the entire country). Going in a giant circle meant we would need to stay in a different place almost every night. Therefore, I needed to figure out how much we could realistically see each day in order to know how far we could go.

I started by making a list of all the things to do. Then I went into Adobe Illustrator and took a map of Iceland and started putting the locations of those things on the map. On the list of things to do I even started adding how long different bloggers recommended spending there. This helped me understand how many things we could squeeze in each day. If any of you ever want to go to Iceland please reach out. I am happy to share any and all information I have!

From there I started making sample itineraries. I made 8 in total. That is how many it took to get one that let us see everything we wanted. Of course, we ended up switching it up a bit once we got there, so technically we ended up with itinerary #9. I will say, for as OCD as I am with planning these trips, I pride myself on being go-with-the-flow once we are on them. Spontaneity is part of what makes traveling so much fun!

I took 7 total days of PTO, making it an 11 day, 10 night trip. Because of the length and the shear amount of things we saw, I am going to split this trip into three separate blog posts. I will cover 3-4 days in each post.

Corey and I picked September to make the trip because it wouldn't be miserably cold yet (winters in Iceland are no joke) but there would still be a chance for us to see the Northern Lights (more on that later).

On Wednesday, September 5th, Corey and I took a red-eye from Cincinnati to Reykjavik. The flight lasted about 6 hours and we landed late morning. Advice for anyone going to Iceland, try to land either really late at night or super early in the morning, AKA when it is dark outside. It is pretty common to see the Northern Lights from the airplane as you are arriving. How cool would that be?!?! If you are able to do this, make sure you pick a seat on the correct side of the plane. You want to be looking north.

Thankfully most people speak English in Iceland. In fact, students are required to learn it in school. It is always a goal of mine to not be an ignorant asshole when we travel. I like to do some research on the local culture and language before we go. To me there is nothing worse than not understanding the cultural norms of a place you are choosing to visit. Normally I can pick up at least a couple words or phrases. Not in Icelandic. I spent the entire week just trying to master Thank You and by the end of the trip, I still couldn't get it.

Once we arrived, we picked up our rental car. The first thing we did was go grocery shopping. Corey and I have a nice large fabric cooler. This has been one of the best travel purchases. It is large enough to fit a couple days worth of food in and flexible enough to fold up into our suitcases to travel with. We stocked up on enough food to last a couple days and hit the road. This is the first time we truly realized just how expensive Iceland is.

I knew we were both going to be exhausted so I didn't plan a whole lot for the first day. Our plan was to go counterclockwise around the country. Our first stop was the small 'flower village' of Hveragerdi. Hveragerdi is 45 km from Reykjavik. This town is referred to as the 'flower village' because it has the largest concentration of greenhouses in Iceland. It is also a popular geothermal area. We spent some time wandering around the town and checking out the different geothermal hot spots.

There is one thing I wish we had done as part of this trip that we missed out on. That is the Hot Springs River Trail. This is one of the most popular trails in Iceland. There is a hot spring that was opened by an earthquake in 2008 that runs through a valley adjacent to Hveragerdi. A hike, 3 km each way, takes you to the hot springs river and you can actually swim in the warm river. This had been on our list of things to do and we attempted to find the trailhead, but couldn't seem to locate it. We were both tired from traveling and gave up before too long. Normally I would ask someone how to find the trailhead. However, it often takes me a day or two to adjust to the new culture and location when I travel and I was feeling nervous about asking questions. If it had been later in the trip I would have asked the first person I came across how to get there. We did run into a couple people in our travels that had done this trail and while it was difficult, it was apparently well worth it. I am always sure to recommend it to anyone who asks me what to do on their trip to Iceland. As bummed as I am that we missed out, it was genuinely the only thing I feel as though we missed out on, which I consider a win.

After checking out Hveragerdi, we took a small nap in our rental car. Our rental was a super beat up, old jeep. It had scratches all over it. It was also a manual. Both Corey and I have owned manual cars before so we are both comfortable driving them, but it had been awhile! It ended up being a super fun vehicle for the trip and it was nice not having to worry about scratching it! After the first day, I only stalled it a couple of times!

Our second, and final, stop for our first day was to check out Kerid Crater. Kerid Crater is a volcanic crater that has turned into a gorgeous turquoise lake surrounded by red volcanic rock. It is possible to go all the way around the top, as well as down into the crater.

After checking out Kerid Crater we headed to our lodging for the night. We were going to be staying our first two nights in Selfoss. It was one of only two locations where we spent more than one night. At a population of just over 7,600, Selfoss is one of the larger towns in Iceland. Our AirBnB was a garage that had been converted into a studio apartment. It was sweet and cozy. After making dinner we did our best to stay up until at least 10pm before crashing for the night.

Day 2 we saw what is known as the Golden Circle. The Golden Circle is a popular tourist route in south Iceland that covers about 300 km and hits many of the most popular tourist attractions. The three main sites are Thingvellir National Park, Gullfoss Waterfall and the Geysir and Strokkur geysers. We saw these and more!

We started the day with what was probably my favorite paid excursion of our entire trip. We snorkeled between tectonic plates in Thingvellir National Park! The Silfra Fissure is the rift formed from the diverging North American and Eurasian tectonic plates. It is considered to be one of the top five dive sites in the world. This is because of the crystal clear water.

The water that fills the fissure originates from Langjokull Glacier, 60 km from the fissure. The water can take up to a century to reach the fissure from the glacier. It travels underground and filters through lava fields before entered the fissure, making it crystal clear (with visibility up to 100 meters!), so clean you can safely drink it, and also COLD. The temperature of the water is between 36-39 degrees Fahrenheit. Therefore a dry suit is required to comfortably snorkel the fissure.

While there are TON of tours you can join, Corey and I specifically chose one that ensured we would be part of a small group. There ended up being 4 of us on our tour. Other companies had 20 or more people. While there is still a decent wait time to enter the water, a small group meant a more personalized experience. Our tour guide was amazing! He took photos with an underwater camera and shared them for free.

The experience was unlike anything I have ever done, and I have snorkeled several times before. Being in a dry suit was a bit weird to get used to. It was heavy and included full covering from head to toe. The the only part of our body that was directly exposed to the water were our chins, lips, and cheeks. While it was very jarring at first, your body quickly adjusts to the cold. Basically it didn't take long for your face to get numb. The dry suit makes it so you just float with some minimal foot kicking to steer.

The water really is as clear as the photos show. The level of visibility was incredible! The tour included a designated path through a portion of the fissure and then the last 20 minutes we were able to free float around the lagoon as we wanted. Honestly, I recommend this tour to anyone who is willing to listen. A lot of the sites indicate you need to be a strong swimmer, and while knowing how to swim is a definite must, I would not consider myself to be a strong swimmer and I did fine. One of the tour groups actually had a woman on it who had never swam before.

After the tour, which included a snack and hot chocolate at the end, Corey and I spent another hour or two checking out Thingvellir National Park. I can honestly say this is the first time I realized just how incredible this trip was going to be. The scenery is absolutely unreal!

Next on our list for the day was to check out the Strokkur and Geysir geysers. It took us about an hour to get from the park to the geothermal area. The area is about 3 km but has two main geysers. The Strokkur geyser is the most popular and shoots water 30 meters into the air every couple minutes. While it was pretty cool, this was one of the few things we did on our trip that I wasn't overly impressed with. If short on time, I would definitely recommend skipping. Also, my phone died right before the geyser exploded so I didn't even get a good video *face palm*.

About 10 minutes from the geysers, Gullfoss Waterfall was next. I loved pretty much every waterfall we went to, declaring each one my new favorite of the trip. Be prepared to see LOTS of waterfall photos because we saw LOTS of waterfalls. It should really be called Iceland, Land of the Waterfall.

Gullfuss has two stages and a total drop of 105 feet. Somewhere between 360 and 460 cubic feet of water (depending on the season) go over the falls every second! It is common to see rainbows in the area due to the sun shining through the mist the waterfall gives off.

Our last stop of the day was the much smaller Faxafoss Waterfall (also known as Faxi Falls). This waterfall is much smaller than Gulfoss (dropping 7-9 feet), but is also much more serene. It is only 20 minutes from Gulfoss, and a short walk from the parking area, making it an easy and quick stop. Unlike Gulfoss, Corey and I were the only ones at this fall so we were able to enjoy in private.

It took about 45 minutes to get from Faxafoss back to Selfoss. After dinner we ventured out to get some ice cream. Of course it wasn't until after we ordered (by simply pointing at something on the menu) that we realized that had menus in English. The ice cream was delicious!

Day #3 was pretty much all about waterfalls! It was also the first day we really got to experience the gravel roads of Iceland. They are something! If you think pot holes in the US are bad... just go check out some of the roads in Iceland!

Our first stop for the day was Gluggafoss Waterfall (also known as Merkjafoss), about an hour away from Selfoss. It is a series of waterfalls in Merkja River that drops a total of 175 feet. Apparently this waterfall is often overlooked by travelers because there was only one other group of people when we were there. For South Iceland, which is definitely more touristy than the rest of the county, this is rare! Many of the waterfalls in Iceland don't require much hiking to get to. This one is no different. It was roughly 1/4 to 1/2 mile round trip from the car to the waterfall and back.

One cool thing about this stop was it also gave us the opportunity to take in Hekla Volcano, which can be seen clearly from this waterfall. Hekla is one of Iceland's most active volcanoes. It has erupted at least 20 times. Some of the eruptions lasted 6+ days! Because of this, the volcano has often been referred to as the Gateway to Hell. The most recent eruption, which lasted 2 days, was in 2000. Many experts believe that Hekla is due for an eruption. There are several monitors in place on the volcano for early detection. In 2000 when it erupted they were able to give local residents a 1/2 hour heads up.

The next stop on our itinerary for the day was the famous Seljalandsfoss Waterfall, about a 20 minute drive from stop one. This waterfall is very well known and is one of the most popular tourist attractions in the country. The waterfall drops a total of 200 feet. It is also possible to walk around behind the waterfall. This waterfall was very cool. However, it was hard to get over the shear amount of people here. Waterfalls just aren't as exciting when you are shoulder to shoulder with strangers.

A short hike from the parking lot of Seljalandsfoss is another waterfall, Gljufrabui, which means Canyon Dweller. This was probably one of my top waterfalls of the trip. Smaller than its neighbor, Gljufrabui drops a total of 131 feet. What I liked about this waterfall is that it is hidden by a large gorge and isn't visible without a little effort. Because it is hidden, it is often over looked by travelers even though it is walkable from Seljalandsfoss, which sees thousands of visitors every day.

In order to access the waterfall, you have to go through a cleft in the gorge that has a stream running through it. This means you have to wade through some water. There are also rocks you can balance on while entering the gorge. Either way, the path is a bit challenging. It is also short. Once in the gorge you are basically at the base of the waterfall. Because of the challenging path to get in, there were few people in the cave with us at a time. You can also get up close and personal to this waterfall. The one downside was that it was difficult to get good photos because of the lack of daylight in the cave as well as the small space.

Our next stop, about a 15 minute drive, was to check out the Seljavallalaug pool. This is a bit of a controversial site. Some folks find it amazing while others consider it to be overrated. Corey and I side with the amazing folks. Seljavallalaug pool is the oldest pool in Iceland. It was built in 1923 and uses local hot spring water to keep it warm year round. The pool is hidden at the base of a mountain and requires some actual hiking to get to. This, to me, was the first REAL hike that we did on our trip.

I will side with the folks who felt the pool was overrated on one thing. The changing rooms were absolutely disgusting. If I had known this, I would have worn my bathing suit and packed flip flops so I had something to stand on when changing. The changing rooms are also co-ed and have no locks. That was fun.

After getting into our suits we got in the water. While not nearly as hot as I prefer (hello hot tub!) it was definitely warm. In September the average temperature outside is between 43 and 52 degrees. Even though the water wasn't HOT, it was pleasantly warm in contrast to the air.

The water does have a decent amount of algae in it. Instagram and the internet always show photos of the pool as though it is deserted. That definitely was not the case while we were there. In total there were probably about 20 people milling around between the water and changing rooms. This made getting cool photos a bit challenging, but still allowed us enough privacy to have a corner of the pool to ourselves. My favorite part about the pool is how half of it is made up of the mountain. People also didn't seem to spend a lot of time in the water so if it got crowded we gave it a minute and things would thin out again.

Our next stop was another well known waterfall, Skogafoss, only 8 miles from the Seljavallalaug parking lot. This waterfall is about 200 feet tall and it is powerful! It is impossible to get close to this one without getting covered in spray! Similar to Seljalandsfoss, this waterfall was packed. This is another fall that is just a short walk from the parking lot. While definitely worth checking out, it felt a little overrated because of the amount of people. There is also a trail that leads you to the top, if you want to climb 370 stairs. The top of the waterfall is also a termination point for a popular 25 km hike.

Rather than checking out the top of the waterfall, I was determined to find a so-called 'hidden waterfall' I had stumbled upon when researching things to do in Iceland. This waterfall, Kvernufoss, (not to be confused with the Kvernufoss waterfall in West Iceland) is hidden away in a gorge. It is even less well-known than the Gljufrabui Waterfall. The trailhead is somewhat difficult to find. Finding it involved some google and some wandering around. All we really knew was the trailhead was behind the museum adjacent to Skogafoss.

We ended up parking at a warehouse/storage building and starting there. Behind the building there was a barbed wire fence. It looked private, but a blog we found said there would be step ladder providing a safe path over the fence. The blog was correct. Once over the fence there is a path that leads you into the gorge. The trail is about 1/2 mile from the parking lot to the waterfall.

While we were wandering up there was a group of people who were clearly part of a wedding party. We thought they were simply taking wedding photos. However, while we were sitting and enjoying the waterfall, they started a service. We got to watch two people get married at a deserted waterfall in Iceland. Talk about moving. Other than us and the small wedding party, there was only one other person there while we were. It is so crazy to think just minutes away there were hundreds of people and yet we had almost complete privacy.

I loved this waterfall, not just because of the privacy, but also because of the contrast between the waterfall and the green landscape surrounding it. I also loved that when approaching you turned a corner into the gorge and there it was. Definitely one of my favorite waterfalls of the trip.

At this point in our day the temperature dropped and the wind picked up. This was something we would come to find happened often in Iceland. The days would often start as warmer and sunny with clouds, wind, and sometimes rain blowing in around late afternoon. By the time we made it to our next stop, Dyrholaey, it was cold and windy and rainy. Dyrholaey is about a 30 minute drive from Skogafoss parking lot.

Dyrholaey is a land formation with an adjacent lighthouse that makes up the southern most point of mainland Iceland. The land formation is recognizable by the large arch opening. From the lighthouse there is a path that leads out onto the rocks above the arch formation. It is actually somewhat hard to see the arch from the lighthouse. The best views of the arch are from surrounding beaches. However, from the lighthouse there are amazing views out over the shores of Iceland.

I am going to be completely honest. By the time we reached the lighthouse the weather was miserable. There was a cold blowing wind and rain. We didn't spend much time checking out the area. I only took one photograph! By the time we made it back to our car we were freezing and soaked. We had one more stop planned for the day. Instead, we decided to head to our lodging for the night and relax and warm up.

We stayed at a nice AirBnB that had several rooms located in Eyjafjallajokull. Yup, good luck trying to pronounce that. There were 4-5 other groups at the same time. Each room was private and there were two bathrooms and a shared kitchen and living room. We took a nap, made dinner, and then spent some time relaxing in the living room and chatting with other guests. It was cool to hear the different stories of people visiting as well as what they had seen and visited. Some people planned everything out like me while others were winging their entire trip.

That was Iceland day #1-3. Stop by next week for the next installment! As always, feel free to reach out if you want any of my travel information or recommendations!