Since our flight wasn’t until the afternoon, we could take our time in the morning before driving to Denver International Airport, parking the car, and catching the shuttle to the terminal. Business class tickets allowed us to skip the line at the ticket counter (boarding passes could not be printed ahead of time due to COVID) and included a pass to the United Airlines lounge while we waited until the plane was almost ready to board. Although business class on Icelandair does not have lie-flat seats like other airlines, we had no complaints and enjoyed the perks.
Our flight arrived at Reykjavík at a very early 6:15 am, and we cleared customs easily. We made our way to the Hertz counter and picked up our rental car. Rather than getting a local SIM card or renting a mobile hotspot, we had decided to use the international plan with our phones. Google maps directed us to our hotel, and we crossed our fingers that we might get an early check-in. Unfortunately, no rooms were available yet.
We then decided to drive around the city a bit. We visited the landmark Hallgrimskirkja Lutheran Church and found a bakery for a late breakfast. Figuring out the maze of streets and the parking was a bit of a challenge, but we somehow managed.
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| Hallgrimskirkja Lutheran Church |
Before leaving home, we had booked a helicopter tour for the afternoon in order to see the Norðurflug volcano that had been erupting for the past several months. Unfortunately, we got a call advising us that the flight had been cancelled due to weather. That was disappointing.
When we checked back with the hotel, our room was ready. Since Tim wasn’t feeling well, we decided to just nap and take it easy. We did manage to drag ourselves out of the room for a delicious dinner at the restaurant adjacent to the hotel.
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| Tim Eyeing His Dinner at the Scandinavian Restaurant |
We then went out to explore the neighborhood. Laugavegur, where our hotel was located, is the primary commercial street in downtown Reykjavík, and we enjoyed seeing the colorful buildings and nearby streets that are painted with interesting designs.
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| "Ode to Mother" Is One of the Most Famous Murals in Reykjavík |
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| Street Art in Downtown Reykjavík |
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| Our Route - Day 1 |
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