September 5, 2018

iceland travel guide – part 2

Don’t forget to read my general overview (Part 1) – here!

So while Reykjavík definitely had it’s little pockets of goodness (the many thermal baths located around the city, for example), the real gem of Iceland is exploring the countryside. We opted to do that by doing many different excursions through different companies.

Grayline

We used Grayline for quite a bit. We bought our transfer from the airport to our apartment and back through them, and used them to get to the Blue Lagoon. We also did two tours through them and loved each. The first one we did was their Glacier Lagoon & South Coast tour. It’s a ten hour trek along the coastline towards Vatnajökull glacier and the Jökulsárlón glacier lagoon, with a few stops along the way and back. The views of the lagoon honestly took my breath away. The air was cool and crisp, and the water was like glass. It was so worth the drive! The second was their Snaefellsnes Peninsula and Cave Exploration tour. It had spectacular views of the ocean, we got to see seals frolicking in the bays, and the lava cave exploration was really unique. I would definitely recommend either of these tours!

Arctic Adventures

We did two different “activity” tours through Arctic Adventures. The first was their Horse Riding & Snorkeling tour. It was, in short, amazing. I’m also a little biased because I love horseback riding, but Icelandic horses have a unique gait, called the tölt, and that made it a little more unique than just any horseback ride. Also, you’re riding alongside little bubbling streams and take a break in a meadow covered in flowers, so. There’s that. The snorkeling was a really, really cool. You snorkel in between the North American and European tectonic plates, in a fissure that is fed by a glacier. The water is filtered through volcanic rock for 40 years making it the cleanest water in the world. You can see down through the water over a hundred feet, and although it was a little chilly on the face (literally the only thing not protected by a wetsuit), it was well worth it. The second tour we did was their Sea Kayaking tour. This one we did a little last minute but I’m really glad we did. The guides were super friendly and clearly wanted you to enjoy your experience. We saw a mama seal and her cub and they were happy to wait while we took photos and basically just take in the views.