Iceland Was the Trip of a Lifetime!
I was in Iceland with my husband and sons (11 and 14) from Nov. 23-30. It was my bucket list trip…and I am SO dazzled by this gorgeous island, the beautiful things we saw, and the experiences we had! We are already planning to return in 2025 with my parents!
I have some cool photos to share and a few tips for anyone who wants advice!
I took a Finnish friend’s advice to visit Iceland around late November and I’m SO glad I did. The cold wasn’t unbearable, the tourists were more sparse, and our hotel rooms were reasonable. If we return, it’ll likely be the same week.
You probably need fewer clothes than you think. I am a native and current South Floridian, so I don’t have much experience in cold climates. Honestly, I overpacked. Much of the merino wool base layer can be reworn (merino wool was a great tip I got - stays warm and clean). One big fleece and jacket would’ve been ample (I brought a few). One pair of hiking boots is enough.
Buy a bag of disposable hand and foot warmers (Hot Hands brand was great).
Don’t buy bottled water in Reykjavík. Most coffee shops and cafes have free jugs of water with cups. We were well hydrated and never needed to purchase bottles, nor did we use our reusable bottles in the city.
Bring a neck gaiter!
Reykjavík is a very walkable city, we only took cabs a few times (to the bus terminal for tours). You likely don’t need to budget for lots of cabs there.
Some of our favorite nicer meals were at Skál!, Reykjavík Kitchen, the Steak House…and we had excellent quick meals at Shawarma & Falafel, Icelandic Street Food, and Posthus Food Hall. I loved Braud and Co. for pastries and Te & Kaffee for coffee. Loo Koo Mas for hot cocoa…trust me, best I’ve ever had!
Some of our favorite experiences were a Northern Lights Tour with EastWest (great tour company), horseback riding at Laxnes Farms, the Perlan Museum, FlyOver Iceland, seeing Gullfoss, seeing Vik, the Lava Tunnel, and just simply walking around downtown Reykjavik.
I was in Iceland with my husband and sons (11 and 14) from Nov. 23-30. It was my bucket list trip…and I am SO dazzled by this gorgeous island, the beautiful things we saw, and the experiences we had! We are already planning to return in 2025 with my parents!
I have some cool photos to share and a few tips for anyone who wants advice!
I took a Finnish friend’s advice to visit Iceland around late November and I’m SO glad I did. The cold wasn’t unbearable, the tourists were more sparse, and our hotel rooms were reasonable. If we return, it’ll likely be the same week.
You probably need fewer clothes than you think. I am a native and current South Floridian, so I don’t have much experience in cold climates. Honestly, I overpacked. Much of the merino wool base layer can be reworn (merino wool was a great tip I got - stays warm and clean). One big fleece and jacket would’ve been ample (I brought a few). One pair of hiking boots is enough.
Buy a bag of disposable hand and foot warmers (Hot Hands brand was great).
Don’t buy bottled water in Reykjavík. Most coffee shops and cafes have free jugs of water with cups. We were well hydrated and never needed to purchase bottles, nor did we use our reusable bottles in the city.
Bring a neck gaiter!
Reykjavík is a very walkable city, we only took cabs a few times (to the bus terminal for tours). You likely don’t need to budget for lots of cabs there.
Some of our favorite nicer meals were at Skál!, Reykjavík Kitchen, the Steak House…and we had excellent quick meals at Shawarma & Falafel, Icelandic Street Food, and Posthus Food Hall. I loved Braud and Co. for pastries and Te & Kaffee for coffee. Loo Koo Mas for hot cocoa…trust me, best I’ve ever had!
Some of our favorite experiences were a Northern Lights Tour with EastWest (great tour company), horseback riding at Laxnes Farms, the Perlan Museum, FlyOver Iceland, seeing Gullfoss, seeing Vik, the Lava Tunnel, and just simply walking around downtown Reykjavik.