Incredible Iceland

Wow! What an incredible few days away I've just had. Iceland really is a destination that blows your mind at every corner.

I flew from London Luton on an Easyjet package and I must say after the few hectic years travel has had, this had to be the easiest journey through the airport I have ever had. We checked in online prior to arrival so all we had to do was drop our bags off, there was no queue so straight through. Security was looking a little busier but within 5 minutes we where through and getting breakfast, the flight was super quick and by 9:30am we landed into Keflavik.

We had a pre-arranged transfer that I booked at work which was the FlyBus, this was the most cost effective and only took 45 mins to get into the centre of Reykjavik. Reykjavik is a wonderful city, everything is within walking distance the scenery from the harbour is to die for and options for dining and shopping are endless. We went in December so it was all christmasy with lights everywhere which just elevated that festive feeling as it was so cold.

On our first evening we joined a Northern lights tour by coach which is what I would recommend everyone to do, providing the flight allows it. We were extremely fortunate to see them dancing most of the night however if you are not they allow you to join again for free at any point. So by going on your first night, you then have the option to try again. All the tours collect you from your hotel or a bus stop locally and take you up to the bus terminal to save you walking up there, this is a little extra in cost but is worth it when it's -11 degrees.

On our Second day we took a tour out to the Blue Lagoon, again we did this with an organised tour - we were collected from our hotel and taken to the lagoon for sunrise. In December there is only around 4-5 hours of daylight so they work the tours around getting you there when the sun is out. So it does mean you're getting up and waiting at a bus stop in the pitch black but its 10am - it's so bizarre!

When arriving to the Blue Lagoon you initially see large rock formations which is the lava fields that surround the Blue lagoon- the closer you get you see the steam rising from the lagoon. We had the comfort package which included 1 drink each, a mask and towel. We spent around 3 hours here before getting out and heading back, along with a towel they offer shampoo, conditioner and soap to use as well as very good hairdryers so you don't have to worry about having wet hair.

On our third day, which was our final full day we embarked on a full day tour doing the Golden Circle! This was an amazing day, we started early on and headed out about 1hr from Reykjavik - on this tour we did the Geysir, Gullfoss water fall and the tectonic plates -  we opted for the greenhouse tour add on which was a pleasant surprise as we didn't know what to expect, this specific one was growing tomatoes so we even sampled some delicious home-made soup!

We were eager to try and see the Northern lights again so we opted for a boat tour this time, just to do something different. This was operated by Special Tours Iceland which we can book in branch too, however as it was last minute I did arrange this one directly with them. I would say they offer the best option in terms of the Northern lights by boat as the boat has heated seating inside, cafe on board and bar as well as Wifi, so you can update your socials in real time with what you're doing. As you can imagine it is very cold so they even offer you extra thermal overalls to keep you warm!

Our last day was really our only time to actually explore the city, as it's quite small you can see everything you'd want to in a short time. We headed down to the frozen lake to watch the ice skating and then grabbed some food at the Hard Rock Cafe before our transfer back.

From my own experience heres a few things I would recommend:

• Don't be afraid to stay a little further out of the city limits, everything is easily accesible and car hire is very popular, or don't be too worried about location as it's all walk-able.
• Make an itinerary, there is so much to see you want to fit it all in - we can help with this and organise your tours/excursions.
• Iceland is pricey yes, but you can budget. There's lots of options to fill you up without breaking the bank - lots of guide books have vouchers in them save a few pennies.
• Pre-book your transfers as there's not many options when you arrive unless you pay for a taxi.

If you're interested in Iceland we have packages bookable with just a £60pp deposit, get in touch with Courtney today to discuss more 🙂