Tim in Seattle

Just one week after we returned from Iceland, Tim flew to Seattle for a visit with three of his high school friends.

Tim and the Boys

Iceland - Reflections

I absolutely loved our trip to Iceland and was overwhelmed by the beauty, majesty, and wildness of the country. I really had not known what to expect and was blown away with all that we saw. Some of my favorite things included the glacier lagoon, the waterfalls, the proximity of the glaciers to the roadway, and the vibrant green of the hills and fields.

Renting a car and touring on our own was absolutely the best way to see the country. And I am glad that we had planned a route and reserved all our hotels before we left home. That gave us a certain level of comfort and was one less thing to deal with and occupy precious time. Although I had planned the trip after consulting many guides, blogs, and reviews online, we mostly relied on Rick Steves’ guidebook while we were in Iceland.

As we suspected, this trip was a much better fit for us than a post-cruise extension might have been. We got to spend more than twice as much time, we saw much more of the country, and we had many more experiences than we would have with the extension. Plus, we never had to set foot in a motorcoach. And, surprisingly, the cost of this trip was only several hundred dollars more than the extension would have been, once you exclude meals (which weren’t included with the extension) and other incidentals (which we would have had to purchase on our own). For us, our trip was a much better value.

Iceland is a very easy country to visit for Americans. Everyone speaks English, most signs are in English, and one drives on the “right” side of the road. It’s also the closest European country to the United States, so flights are shorter.

Iceland was also a perfect country to visit after the COVID lockdown. Iceland required that all American travelers be vaccinated and present a negative COVID test. We were impressed that almost everyone complied with the mask mandate, both on the plane and indoors, and we felt very safe. Having our own car also provided another great level of protection.

The hotels we selected exceeded our expectations. The ambience and design quality and details were exceptional. The staff members were very friendly and efficient, and we enjoyed our stays at all the hotels. Now, if we could just figure out how to turn on the water in some of the showers, we’d really be impressed! Some modern design is beyond my grasp.

We were also impressed with the food in Iceland. We mostly ate dinners at the hotels where we were staying, and the quality and presentation were first class. Highlights for me were the fish and lamb. We opted, however, to pass on the horse meat. I did try one of Iceland’s famous hot dogs but wasn’t crazy about the sweet mustard that is the standard condiment.

People often complain that Iceland is very expensive, and that is partly true. However, with a bit of pre-planning and early reservations, we kept our costs to a reasonable amount. Our hotels averaged $200 per night, including a full breakfast. Meals averaged $100 per day for the two of us, and that included fine dining with wine most nights. Car rental and gas were expensive, totaling almost $900, but that was not too unusual anywhere this year (plus, we opted for an automatic, not manual, transmission). All in all, we were pleasantly surprised by what we spent.

I would return to Iceland in a heartbeat. We saw only a portion of the country and would love to tour the rest. Maybe some day . . .

Our Entire Route

Iceland - Day 8

We did spend some time in Reykjavik in the morning and checked out sights along the waterfront. We drove by the Harpa concert hall and passed the "Sun Voyager" sculpture on the way. Tim also wanted to see the Cathedral of Christ the King.

Harpa Concert Hall

The "Sun Voyager"

Cathedral of Christ the King

However, we wanted to spend most of our day in the Reykjanes Peninsula. This area is on the way to the airport but does not seem to attract as much visitation. We enjoyed the views of Lake Kleifarvatn and took a walk along the boardwalks at the bubbling mud pots at Seltún.

Lake Kleifarvatn

Seltún

Seltún

Seltún

The one famous sight that we skipped was the Blue Lagoon. Although that is the highlight of almost everyone’s visit, Tim and I are just not into hot springs. It would have been neat to just see it, but we didn’t leave ourselves enough time.

We returned the car and made our way to the terminal building where we were confronted with an enormous crowd of humanity. The ticketing area is small, and the line snaked around and around. I was so envious of the folks who breezed up to the business class counter, while we waited for way more than an hour to check in for coach class. I realize that the process takes so much longer these days since boarding passes cannot be obtained online and agents must check COVID test results, but this was truly ridiculous. The line for customs was equally long.

Unfortunately, I let all of this try my patience. I must admit that I was bitchy when we boarded the plane, and I realized that I would be sitting in the middle seat. Why I expected the middle seat to be empty in our row, I have no idea. I didn’t make a scene, but I did feel sorry for Tim. It wasn’t my finest hour. The seat (we had upgraded to an exit row) was actually fine, and the flight to Denver was easy enough. We made it through customs, retrieved the car, and made arrived home in one piece.

Our Route - Day 8

Iceland - Day 7

Today was the day to retrace our route back to Reykjavik in preparation for our flight home the following day. We still had a few stops to make, however, since we had missed them on the way up. The views going in the opposite direction were also new to us, and it was a beautiful drive on a beautiful day.

Our first stop was the Dyrholaey Promontory, a bluff set above a black sand beach with craggy cliffs, interesting offshore rocks, and sweeping views. We managed to find the trail that led us to views of the natural sea arches off in the distance. On the way out, we passed a flock of sheep making their way across the beach.

Dyrholaey Promontory

Dyrholaey Promontory

Dyrholaey Promontory

Sheep

We enjoyed more views of green hills and fields, as well as tidy farms with red roofs. Wildflowers dotted some of the roadside fields.

Most Farm Buildings in Iceland Seem to Have Red Roofs

Green Fields and Wildflowers

I finally was able to catch photographs of one of my favorite traffic devices in Iceland. Scattered along the highways are signs that monitor speeds. If you are exceeding the speed limit, you are greeted with a sad face. Maintaining the posted speed limit, however, rewards you with a happy face. How endearing is that?!

These Traffic Devices Always Made Me Smile (Even If We Were Speeding!)

Because a negative COVID test was required for entry back into the United States, we had made appointments for testing in Reykjavik. The site was fairly easy to find, and we were in and out in no time. Although we had thought we might explore more of Reykjavik, we were both tired after a long week of touring and decided to just check into our hotel.

Our Route - Day 7

Iceland - Day 6

Today would turn out to be my favorite day of the trip, and by chance we had the most gorgeous weather with bright blue skies. It was unseasonably warm in Iceland, but we were able to enjoy our day outdoors. Thank goodness we were able to get a fan for our room, since there was no air conditioning.

Our primary destination for the day was the glacier lagoons along the coastline of Southeast Iceland, which is shaped by Vatnajokull, the largest glacier in Europe. Vatnajokull loomed in the background for much of the day. On our route, we passed mossy cliffs and fields that were an incredibly vibrant shade of green. This beautiful green color is a favorite memory of Iceland for me. Ribbon waterfalls flowed from the cliffs, and tongues from the glacier filled the grooves in the mountains. I was amazed at how many glacier tongues and terminal moraines were so close to the highway.

Vibrant Green Hills and Ribbon Waterfalls

Vibrant Green Hills and Rocky Cliffs

Glaciers So Close to the Highway

Terminal Moraines Around Every Bend

When we reached the Jokulsarlon Glacier Lagoon, I was awestruck. Here, the bright blue water of the lagoon was filled with giant icebergs. I had thought that we might need to take a boat tour to see the icebergs, but they were amazingly close to the shore. The colors and shapes were mesmerizing, and I spent what seemed like hours just gazing at them. We also visited the nearby Fjallsarlon Glacier Lagoon, but the icebergs there were much farther away.

Jokulsarlon Glacier Lagoon

Tim and Sarah at Jokulsarlon Glacier Lagoon

Fjallsarlon Glacier Lagoon

We next stopped at Diamond Beach, a dramatic black sand beach glittering with large and small icebergs that give the appearance of diamonds.

Diamond Beach

Skaftafell National Park is a main attraction in Southeast Iceland, but visiting it requires considerable hiking, and we were ready to call it a day.

We did make a quick stop to see Kirkjugólf, a natural pavement of basalt. Here, only the tops of basalt columns in the earth are visible, giving the appearance of a paved church floor.

Kirkjugólf

After a long but satisfying day, we returned to our hotel, relaxed, and had another lovely dinner.

Our Route - Day 6

Iceland - Day 5

After the Golden Circle, the South Coast of Iceland is likely its most popular destination. Mountains, waterfalls, rugged coastal scenery, and more greet the visitor on this breathtaking drive. Our first stop was the state-of-the-art Lava Center. Although I wasn’t initially excited about going there, the center blew me away. I was impressed with the way in which the exhibits explained Iceland’s volcanic heritage.

Two gorgeous waterfalls were definite highlights. At Seljalandsfoss, one can follow a path around its back. Although tempting, we decided against it since the rocks were so slippery with moss. And to be honest, I wasn’t up for getting wet from the spray!

Seljalandsfoss Waterfall

Seljalandsfoss Waterfall

Skogafoss waterfall is much wider than Seljalandsfoss, but also beautiful. Here, we also skipped the stairway to the top of the falls. Wimps!

Skogafoss Waterfall 

The drive itself was amazing. We were stopped at one point by a “stampede” of horses. We also saw several cave houses from the road. These rock huts were built to shelter animals or supplies, but were like the types of dwellings early Icelanders lived in.

The "Stampede"

One of the Many Cave Houses

The Skogar Folk Museum was an interesting stop. While I wasn’t as taken with the indoor area, with its old-fashioned display of too much stuff, I loved walking around the outdoor open-air museum. Even though I’m not typically a fan of collections of relocated buildings (what I like to call architectural petting zoos), I didn’t seem to mind them here.

Skogar Folk Museum

Before we reached the hotel, we stopped at a wayside within the Katla UNESCO Geopark. Here we were able to get up close to an otherworldly landscape where lava flows were covered with a thick moss sheet. The bright green mountains in the distance provided a wonderful contrast.

Katla UNESCO Geopark

We ended the day with a fabulous dinner at another wonderful hotel, the Hótel Klaustur in Kirkjubæjarklaustur.

Another Fabulous Dinner

Our Route - Day 5

Iceland - Day 4

The Golden Circle is the most popular day trip from Reykjavik since its three main attractions, Thingvellier National Park, Gullfoss, and Geysir, can easily be visited in one day. We would be touring on our own and decided to take the scenic route via Nesjavallaleio, part of which follows the giant hot-water pipe from the Nesjavellir Geothermal Power Station’s, the second-largest geothermal power station in Iceland.

We were almost as impressed by the scenery on the rugged drive over the mountain range as we were by the attractions we would visit later in the day. I was especially happy when we encountered some of Iceland’s free-roaming sheep alongside the road.

Along the Scenic Nesjavallaleio Road

The Sheep Were Roaming Freely

First up was Thingvellir National Park, the first national park in Iceland and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Thingvellir, known as the birthplace of Iceland as a nation, is home to the oldest ongoing parliament in the world.

For me, the coolest thing about the park is its geology. Thingvellir sits in a seismic rift valley caused by the separation of two tectonic plates. Here we could see parts of both the Eurasian and North American continental plates as they have drifted away from each other, and we were able to walk in the valley that marks the border between the two continents. This site turned out to be one of Tim’s favorite attractions in Iceland.

Thingvellir National Park

Walking Between the Two Continental Plates

Tim at Thingvellir National Park - Which Plate Is He Standing On?

Next, we stopped at Geysir, a large geothermal field dotted with geysers and mud pots. We saw the original Geysir, which rarely erupts anymore but is where the international word geyser comes from. The most active geyser here is Stokkur, and we were able to see it erupt.

Stokkur Geyser

We finished the Golden Circle tour at Gullfoss, the most spectacular and dramatic waterfall we had seen so far. This waterfall is massive and was a wonderful finish to the day.

Gullfoss Waterfall

Gullfoss Waterfall

We then made our way to the town of Selfoss where we spent the night at another lovely hotel.

Our Route - Day 4

Iceland - Day 3

We knew that today would be a long day since we planned to circum- navigate the Snaefellsnes Peninsula in West Iceland. But we were looking forward to the myriad of sights that awaited us. Our first stop was the Gerðuberg basalt cliffs, an interesting volcanic formation of interlocking hexagonal columns.

Gerðuberg Basalt Cliffs

Gorgeous Scenery Along the Drive

Next up was the Black Church of Budir, one of Iceland’s most iconic landmarks. This simple one room church is perched on a cliff with nothing else around it, except for the many tourists who are looking for that perfect photo op.

Black Church of Budir

My favorite stop along the coastal drive was Arnarstapi, with its dramatic basalt sea cliffs and arch. A shoreline trail connects Arnarstapi with neighboring Hellnar, but we had time to walk only a small portion of it. We did stop at Hellnar for views of more sea stacks and the birds that nest on the cliffs.

Basalt Sea Arch, Arnarstapi 

Sarah at Basalt Sea Arch, Arnarstapi 

Basalt Sea Cliffs, Arnarstapi 

We drove into Snæfellsjökull National Park, one of the three national parks in Iceland, but knew we would not have time to do the park justice. From the park one is usually able to see the glacier clad Snaefellsjökull volcano that looks over the entire peninsula. Sadly, the overcast skies kept the mountain hidden in the clouds.

Near the end of the loop, we stopped to see one of the most photographed sites on the peninsula, and I immediately could understand the draw. The small Kirkjufellsfoss waterfall is lovely, but the entire setting is what’s special. Here the waterfall occupies the foreground while the Kirkjufell Mountain rises behind it in the background. Simply beautiful!

Kirkjufellsfoss Waterfall and Kirkjufell Mountain 

We returned to the Hotel Varmaland and enjoyed another wonderful meal.

Another Fabulous Meal at Hotel Varmaland

Our Route - Day 3