Iceland- January 2024- south coast- WINTER!!!
My husband and I LOVE Iceland. This was our third visit- but first time to visit during the winter. We were a bit nervous- but luck was with us for our trip!
On our first Iceland trip we stopped for 48 hours on our way to Amsterdam. We loved it so much we came back a few years later in late August and stayed a bit over 2 weeks and circumnavigated the country. We saw so many amazing things (I have blogged on this trip as well)
https://1960travelgirl.blogspot.com/2016/08/my-iceland-experience-july-aug-2016.html
But I knew we were missing something! Winter in Iceland! We had 3 things on our list- walking on a glacier, seeing an ice cave and (fingers crossed), experiencing an aurora.
Spoiler alert, we got to do all three!
(at the end of this blog, I have some helpful tips for traveling in Iceland, so keep reading)
Check- in was 3 pm since our plane arrived at 6:15 am, I designed a, "what can we do for 9 hours plan". The plan included shopping at the Duty Free at the airport for liquor, picking up the rental car, sleeping in a parking lot for an hour, going to the Perlan Museum at 9 am, going to the grocery store and then soaking at Sky Lagoon (need advance reservations) Keep reading for more details!! I do know people who pay for a room for the night before and then show up at their hotel 7 am so they can drop their things and rest... but we didn't want to spend a minute or money in a hotel on day 1.
We took our time in the airport, bought some liquor at duty free shop. Liquor is so expensive and limited choices from the Vin Budin (country sponsored liquor stores). You can't buy wine or spirits at the grocery store, only at the Vin Budin shops- and there aren't many Vin Budins!
Then we picked up our rental car from Thrifty (you call when you get to the airport and they shuttle you to their office- 10 day car rental for a AWD - $700 ( no insurance- see bottom of blog for further details)
BTW- it was below 30F, -1C, dark and windy when we arrived - COATS on immediately!
Next, I thought we’d go to Bonus or Kronin Grocery Store, but they don’t open until 10 am- this surprised us! (When you go to Bonus, make sure you get a pink pig reusable grocery bag)
Putting off the grocery shopping, we drove to the Perlan Museum and parked in their lot and slept in the car until 9 am when they opened. We turned the car off and on, to get heat! We ate some snacks we had brought with us, then got a light breakfast at the Perlan Cafe and then toured the museum. It is a GREAT museum. It was worth the money (about $50pp).
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| Ice Cave and throne in the Perlan Museum- wear your coat and hat |
Then we went to the grocery store- we didn’t have to worry about refrigeration- it was 30F outside. I bought bread, cheese and lunchmeat, salad in a bag and fresh fruit- enough to last about 5 days. (and bought black licorice- yum - and chocolate -and chocolate covered licorice<really awesome)
To kill more time, we had a fabulous 2.5 hour soak at Sky Lagoon. (advance reservation needed)- our reservation was at 1:30 pm. We have been to many hot springs around the world, so we did just the basic soak, we didn't pay for the ritual experience. If it is your first time do the whole ritual.. We loved it - we love hot springs!
>>Helpful hint: wear a knit hat in all lagoons. When the wind kicks up, lagoon air gets so cold, even in the summer. You will thank me for this. I think some people would have paid me for my hat. The wind off the ocean was bitter and the lagoon had very few places to take shelter and still be in the water.
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| ALWAYS wear a knit hat at any Lagoon! Sky Lagoon has an infinity edge to the sea. See my bangs blowing up? the water was delightfully WARM but the wicked wind was freezing!! |
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| Get a drink and enjoy the lagoon |
Finally time to check-in to our apartment (2 nights), eat some dinner, and go to bed.
Check-in after 3 pm...We rented an apt, (Mos Apt) well located with a small kitchen, it was fine for the 2 of us. It has 2 queen beds, but they are both in the same room- so this place is good for 2 people or a family with kids. The apt was below street level but still had enough light. Parking was confusing. I got a ticket because I entered the wrong zone on the Parka app. I paid the ticket online before I left Iceland. However the Parka App was great the rest of the trip!
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| either of these apps work for parking. You will need this for all the sights in Iceland |
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| yes this is 9 am |
Sun Voyager Sculpture
and we saw as many street murals as possible https://reykjavik.is/en/news/2024/street-art-brings-joy-over-160-works-mapped-city
and ate the obligatory hot dog with all the toppings- make sure you get ALL the toppings!
The weather has been cold (27F - 2C ) and windy- but actually warmer than we thought, and no snow yet!!. But the afternoon brought light snow...it didn't matter, the roads were clear, so we headed 1 hour northwest to Hvammsvik Hot Spring. The drive was incredibly beautiful. This hot spring IS MY FAVORITE. It was sleeting/snowing as we were soaking in the many temperature pools- running quickly between them. People were actually doing cold plunges in the fjord water. This hot spring is not as commercial as others, which is probably why we loved it. Today they had a few fire pits lit outside with complimentary marshmallows for toasting.
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| you can't beat this view from the multiple temp lagoon pools |
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| hats on!!! It was lightly sleeting. The hats keep our hair from getting wet and freezing |
We checked out of our apartment in Reykjavik at 8:30 am and the sun wasn't up yet. We only had a 1 hour drive the Selfoss area. On the way we visited Hellisheidarvirkjun Geothermal Exhibition (my husband is an engineer so this place really peaked his interest). It was actually a cool exhibition with lots of great info- about $20 USD- worth the admission fee! opens 9 am
The sun was comin up on our way out of the exhibit at 10:30
Then we stopped at Hveradalir natural geothermal area for a short walk. This area is handicap/stroller accessible and really pretty cool.- bubbling mud pots and steam vents galore.
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| Dressing for Iceland is all about layers- 2 pairs of lined pants- waterproof boots with 2 pairs of socks, 2 thermal shirts and a vest and a necessary hat - my heavy coat is in the car. |
We continued driving, then went about 15 miles north on highway 35 (off the main highway 1) and hiked the perimeter trail around Kerid Crater- it was stunning. You can hike down to the water but we had too much to do that day. This is a privately owned place so there is a fee to park and hike.
Just outside Selfoss I rented a place (Onundarholt-Hotelspa- 2 nights) that was a bit big for us (a 2 bedroom apt located in a 3 apt house- there was a family renting the first floor - they were super quiet) we really liked this place! Having an AWD vehicle to get to this house made it easier- the road at the very end was a bit rough- The top floor apt that we rented had sky lights to help us see if the northern lights were possible!! We monitored Icelandic Meteorological Office for Kp index (possibility of the auroras).
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| pic taken from their website- our ground was DUSTED IN SNOW |
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| we had the top floor- lots of sky lights to look for weird, aurora cloud formations- the first night it was regular cloudy |
We woke up at 9 am- still dark- and headed to the Golden Circle. We visited Strokkur Geyser- it was (still) impressive, even though there were hundreds and hundreds of people sharing the geyser spewing with us- the last time we visited, in 2016, there were about 85 people watching with us- there were very few improved facilities, and a small parking lot back then- but it has changed- however it is still wonderful.
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| Strokkur erupts every 5-10 minutes Don't be downwind from the eruption or you will get soaked |
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| You can see this is a geothermal area |
Then we headed to Gulfoss to see the AMAZING waterfall. We needed our small spike crampons to get to the viewing platforms safely. It was super icy and people were slipping and falling. Bringing crampons from home was worth the hassle and cost. At Gulfoss, the waterfall was mostly frozen- it was still stunning. I must admit- it is better in the summer, not frozen!
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| You couldn't get any closer than this because the walkways were frozen and treacherous- lots of "proceed at your own risk" signs |
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| Lower viewing platform still the same distance from the falls |
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| during the summer you can hike to the head of the falls you can see the frozen path in this pic |
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| easy over boot small spike crampons |
At 2 pm we had a reservation at Fridheimar tomato greenhouse- aka The Tomato Restaurant!! Honestly, I was hesitant to eat here, due to the price- ($20USD) (hey, it’s just soup) but it was a great experience.
Oh, we weren’t quite done for the day, we headed to Secret Lagoon hot spring- open 10 am to 6:00 pm- $43 for the 2 of us- (senior discount-lol) but bring towels and flip flops – or rent towels. We really enjoyed the smaller, late afternoon vibe of this place (4pm)…though I have read that Secret Lagoon is a busy “tour bus” place during midday. FYI there are not individual/private showers stalls for showering before bathing. I am normally not nude comfortable- but no one in the shower made me feel uncomfortable- Please, get out of your head, like I did, and always do what the custom dictates!!
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| there is a walkway behind the Lagoon where you can see more hot areas that are too hot to swim in...and yes I am glad I had my hat again! |
We drove to our apt, cooked dinner and waited to see if the northern lights would appear! And finally at 10:30 pm we saw weird clouds- I donned my snow boots, jacket and many layers and headed out- (it was 15F , -9C and snow about 3 inches deep). I could see some auroras with the naked eye, but the best views were with my IPhone 15. In 10 days we only saw this one aurora event, It was always too cloudy... It will ALWAYS be luck of the draw, if you come to Iceland for the northern lights!!
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| pictures are all from the yard of our apt (outside) |
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| It lasted about 2 hours. I kept going inside to get warm and then outside to get more pics! So glad we got a dark sky property! |
We slept in until check out time- the sun still wasn’t totally up, and headed towards Vik.
Our first stop was Seljalandsfoss- it was icy today and pretty cold, so we didn’t walk behind the waterfall...AND when we saw people slipping on the approach steps to the falls, no handrails behind the falls and people coming out the other side soaking wet...we said NO THANK YOU!! We continued down the path to see the hidden waterfall inside a cave…most people miss this 2nd waterfall opportunity because they only know about this main falls!
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| You can walk behind this- look closely you can see people! It was too cold and too slippery.. And you get wet- so bring rain gear- no thanks! I'll save this for summer! |
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| Love the hidden waterfall just down the path from the main falls Walk on step stones to get a better picture like the person in the pic! |
Next stop was Skogafoss. There is a huge hiking trail straight up the hill- we passed- it was still cold and windy- look how my sweetie is dressed!
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| This is the hike up the hill we said NO to! I took this pic off the internet so you could see the hike |
We continued exploring and drove over the mountain pass to Vik to see Black Sand Beach -
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| people are too close to the wave line at Black Sand Beach Be aware of "sneaker waves"- a little girl was washed out with the waves and died on 8/2/25 as her brother and dad tried to save her and almost died as well. This tragedy occurs frequently. |
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| view of the Dyrholaey hiking area from Black Sand Beach, Vik |
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| hexagonal rocks on the beach |
We ate a great pizza at Black Crust Pizza Restaurant in Vik YUM!!!
and took pics at the Vik Myrdal Church.
Then we drove back over the pass , back towards our hotel, to the Dyrholaey hiking area and hiked and took pics and enjoyed a relaxing afternoon.
We ate sandwiches in our hotel room for dinner, rather than heading out to a restaurant. (always be prepared with food in your room and food in your car during the winter in case you get stuck or you just don't feel like going out.
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| yes PB and J... high class -Jif peanut butter from home and jam from Bonus Grocery, with box wine, potato chips and fruit- and a bit of a chocolate bar. |
YOU CAN SEE HOW COLD IT IS OUT!! ABOUT 20 F -6C-
AND YOU CAN SEE THE SUN ISN'T UP YET
hiking across a glacier and seeing an ice cave are checked off my list!
The skies cleared and the sun came up by the end of the tour!
It was a great tour- I think all the tour companies go to the same place ( because they all meet behind the shopping center in Vik), so pick your time and price. I don't remember the company's name.
We finished our tour after 5.5 hours (tour van driving was slow due to the snow). We ate again at Black Crust Pizza and snagged this sunset pic- this was about 5pm
We drove back over the pass- it was snow covered and had slick spots from the snow earlier that had melted and froze- I must admit I was scared- black ice stories and people in the ditch stories haunt me!. My husband drove slowly and we made it back to our hotel safely.
The next morning we got up and began our 2-sh hour drive towards Iceberg Lagoon.
The tour guide from the day before mentioned the Yoda Cave, so on our way east we stopped. Neither of us have ever experienced wind like we did that day. I needed my foot/leg/shoulder to get my car door opened ( always park into the wind or your car doors will ACTUALLY BLOW OFF). When I got out of the car, I needed to walk arm in arm with my husband to the cave- I am NOT a little person, but I felt I would blow over!
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| The drive out to the Yoda Cave was beautiful as it was on a peninsula- there was ice on the road so we drove carefully.  but the wind was crazy- you can see the wind blowing the yellow sand |
A stop at Fjadrargljufur was magnificent. We hiked to all the viewpoints and got some great pics (don’t forget to pay for parking with the Parka app, which is pretty easy now that we are out of Rekyjavik.)This stunning stop took us more than 2 hours. We did all the hikes. The wind was not bad today- thank goodness!
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| staircase and platform over the chasm |
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| The gold is the sun on the ice!- a view into the chasm with the river flowing |
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| The hiking trail and the river below |
We were headed further east towards our next apartment- The Potato Storage apt. It was a great place to spend 2 nights, less than an hour to Glacier Lagoon. (This was another dark sky place- but no luck for auroras for the 2 nights that we were there). Potato Storage has a small kitchen so we could cook- not many, if any, restaurants nearby.
cozy apartment
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| see the van above, and the cave below |
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| handrails cut into the ice |
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| see the person -lower left- this is a wall of ice. |
After the tour, the wind began to cut and we ended up with a nice, but cold afternoon. so we hung out and took pictures at the Iceberg Lagoon, and ate a picnic lunch in the car
and then headed to Diamond Beach- almost across the street from Iceberg Lagoon
And the sun is going down on another night in South Icelandmy diamond on Diamond Beach
In the morning it was time to head back east, sniff.
We did a stop at Svartifoss to see the hanging hexagonal rocks with a waterfall that was almost frozen. The whole park area is gorgeous - with lots of hiking trails.
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| frozen water from multiple falls |
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| view from the visitor center where we stopped to get an Einstock Icelandic beer to go with our picnic lunch. |
AND THEN THE WEATHER CHANGES...It was beginning to snow hard- we had planned to do a long drive that day 3.5 hours to make it to Selfoss, but the weather wasn’t cooperating- 5 inches of snow, so we stopped after 2.5 hours in Hvolsvollur and stayed at the Hvolsvollur Hotel- after all the cool places we have stayed, this place was a let down. It was cold and soulless. It was a tour bus hotel. If you really need a place to stay, like we did due to the snow, this place is okay. *** (This was the only night we did not book in advance -we didn't know how far we could make it in one day- it was weather dependent- and the weather didn't cooperate)
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| what you can't see- no shoulder on the road and ditches on ether side. And this is the main highway- Route 1 |
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| midday- the low heavy clouds are obscuring the least bit of sunlight |
After Hvosvollur, the next morning, the roads cleared up it was a quick 2 hour drive to the Gardur Peninsula to see the lighthouse and the boat exhibits.
We had no plan for this, our last day, because we were supposed to stay at the fabulous Silica Hotel- next to the Blue Lagoon. This was to be our splurge hotel night- but flowing lava near the hotel ended that idea!! so instead of luxuriating at The Silica we just went to a lot of random places!
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| Gardur Lighthouse |
Then we drove around and found a snow covered cemetery and church
and another lighthouse
We then googled "attractions" near me and ended up at the Viking World Museum. -It was cold, so we were scrambling for things to do!! We really enjoyed this place. There was a full sized ship model that you can climb into, and armor to try on, and informative displays made this a fun stop.
HALLELUJAH!!!
At the museum, I overheard that the Blue Lagoon was opening THAT afternoon/ evening...the lava flow had stopped...I quickly went to their website and booked a reservation for an hour from now (we needed to eat a LATE lunch first! ) We have been to The Blue Lagoon before- it doesn't disappoint!!
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| footprints in the snow leading to the water or you can go in straight into the water from inside the building no snow shoes required-lol |
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| There are lots of bridges to swim under- and areas that are adult only and spa areas- get a map to see your choices- this place is huge |
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| Final hours in Iceland spent at the Blue Lagoon |
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| It doesn't look like much from the outside but the inside is clean, lovely and very homey |
- We traveled from Texas on American Airlines and our first flight was to Boston. We decided to stay 2 nights in Boston on the way there, in case bad weather closed down either the Boston airport or the Keflavik, Iceland airport, we wanted a built in travel day cushion- Then we flew on Iceland Air to Keflavik. It was far cheaper to switch airlines! There are no direct flights from DFW on AA (and I won't fly through Heathrow- yuck!)
-Buy any alcohol you want at the airport at the duty free
shops-so much less expensive than the Vin Budin (liquor store).
-Get travel insurance- many times road close and you
can’t make it to your next place to stay- travel insurance may help. We didn't need it- so I can't attest to its worth- but I still get yearly travel insurance.
-Always check the weather before you head out. We were
self-driving (and I recommend this). The cars all have winter weather tires….
It did snow while we were there, but it was the wind that was actually wicked.
(THEY CLOSE ROADS FOR BOTH SNOW AND/OR WIND)
- Before leaving the lot with your rental car check all
the door hinges- if you hear any clicking sound it means that the door has wind
damage. Some unscrupulous companies may try to charge you for this! Our car had clicks in all the doors- and one
door was difficult to open. Also check the tire tread- do not take a car with bad tire tread.
-getting gasoline can be a hassle- I always tried to gas up at stations that had an attendant and a gas station related convenience store, I could pay using my credit card with no pin (I do not have a pin # for my CC- I forgot to request it from my CC company before I left) ... if not I could use my debit card- it has a pin#- but I get a transaction fee.. or you can buy a gas debit card and use that- it will come with a pin #....I did all 3 of these....The gas card was a pain, but I could get my gas easily, but only at the station associated with the card. If this confused you- read about it online!
-We did not take out full insurance, we have a really
great credit card that would cover us. After consideration and reading horror
stories, I would want roadside assistance for flat tires. It seems flat tires are the biggest hassle in Iceland.
- Each day as we drove out and left our suitcases behind, we made sure that we had
extra clothing, water, and snacks in case we got stranded somewhere. (and always carry your passport with you)
-Stay 2 nights at each location- this way if the weather is bad, you get a second day to squeeze everything in without driving too far!
-Keep in mind the lack of daylight hours- don't plan on driving long distances- most of my driving days were less than 2.5 hours hotel to hotel- so we had plenty of daylight to drive and stop and hike and take photos!! There is so much to experience- don't waste it white knuckle driving in the dark!!
- We brought some food from home. Peanut butter, jelly,
oatmeal packets, snack food, nuts, dried fruit and instant coffee packets. You can buy the rest at Kronan or Bonus grocery stores.
- here are a few things in Reykjavik that we saw in the
past that we didn't see on this trip- Skarfagardur Lighthouse, Skarfaklettur
(cool house painted),Recycled house, Ocean Girl Mural painting, Rainbow Street,
Lebowski Bar (burger beer happy hour), Hus mals og menningar- live music venue,
The Irishman pub, Penis Museum, Grotta Island Lighthouse (northern lights
viewing area), Laugarvatan Fontana Hot Springs, Seljavallalaug, Bridge between the Continents, Snorkeling the Continental Rift,
Read my other blog on Iceland during the summer- circumnavigating Iceland https://1960travelgirl.blogspot.com/2016/08/my-iceland-experience-july-aug-2016.html
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