Where we're headed in Iceland

Reykjavik to Egilsstaðir & East Iceland: Laugavegur Window-Shopping, Icelandic Pool Etiquitte, and a Puddle-Jumper Flight

Reyjkavik

After a red-eye from New York, we land in Reykjavik. We stash our light luggage in some lockers and head out to explore the colorful city by foot. Iceland has some serious pool culture, so we wash away the overnight-flight funk by taking a dip at Sundhöll Reykjavíkur (only €5)! We grab famously-good Icelandic coffee and grub from a local joint, then stroll Laugavegur, one of the oldest downtown shopping streets in Reykjavik.

EGILSSTAÐIR & EAST ICELAND

Reykjavik's super-cool, but we're heading somewhere way more remote. We board a 40-minute flight across the country to the city of Egilsstaðir in East Iceland, where we pick up our car rental and begin our driving journey.

Heading South, we pass crazy-remote vistas of mountains and fjords. This time is about enjoying the dynamic landscapes as we head South toward the Vatnajökull region and the coastal town of Höfn.

South Iceland, Part 1: Glaciers, Lava-Columned Waterfalls, and an Otherworldly Ice Lagoon 

Höfn

Our first night in South Iceland is spent in Höfn, an Icelandic fishing town with scenic views of the Vatnajökull glacier. Höfn is an ideal stopover point for the Vatnajökull region, a dynamic collection of glaciers, waterfalls, volcanoes and geothermic activity.  

We hit the Ring Road to go forth and explore. 

Jökulsárlón

Just a slight diversion from the Ring Road, we pull over to explore the otherworldly coast-scape of Jökulsárlón, a large glacial lagoon on the edge of Vatnajökull National Park. 

SKAFTAFELL & SVARTIFOSS

Minds blown by the erie beauty of the ice lagoon, we jump back into the car and drive further into Vatnajökull National Park, where we prepare for our first hike!

The Skaftafell hike takes us to the Skaftafellsjökull glacier (huge) and the Svartifoss waterfall, which is surrounded by column-like dark lava formations. Amazing!

VIK

After an saying goodbye to Vatnajökull National Park, we travel to the southernmost city in Iceland, Vik, for dinner. Since we worked up an appetite trekking Skaftafell, we chow down on some Puffin (sorry, I know they're cute but it's probably happening. When in Rome, right?); and fermented shark (really stinky and gross, leaving that one to you, Matt).

After filling ourselves with Icelandic creatures, we to our resting place for the night, this adorable mountain cabin-lodge:

South Iceland, Part 2: Black Beaches, Powerful Waterfalls, a Secret Volcanic Pool, and... Puffins!

Dyrhólaey

Goodbye Vik! It's early morning, and we take the short trip to Dyrhólaey, a dramatic rock-arched peninsula that is - in May - home to nesting Puffins! On the lower level, we freeze our toes in the black beach sand and pose for some selfies in front of massive lava rock formations. Breathtaking.

SKÓGAFOSs & SELJALANDSFOSS

One day, two incredible waterfalls. We hit Skógafoss first, where (if there's sunshine) we catch an incredible glimpse of a waterfall rainbow.  After a few hours hiking up and around Skógafoss, we move on to trek Seljalandsfoss. Rainjackets needed! We trek up to and all the way around the waterfall to a spectacular vista facing outward from behind the massive wall of water. 

Seljavallalaug

After all that hiking, we need something to to soothe our aching muscles. Good thing we've found a secret hot spring pool, Seljavallalaug, nested on the side of a volcano. Ahhh...

Þingvellir, Bláa Lónið (Blue Lagoon), & Keflavik: Snorkeling Between Tectonic Plates and Rejuvenating in the Blue Lagoon

SILFRA

Today we enter Þingvellir National Park, where we'll meet our guides to snorkel between two tectonic plates. 

After the mandatory safety briefing, we suit-up in heavy drysuits to counter the icy water, take a look at the fissure, and jump into the blue!

We spend a couple of hours freezing our faces off between continents. Afterward, we de-drysuit (those gaskets are tight!), then we chill out and b-r-e-a-t-h-e. 

After throwing on our Icelandic sweaters (okay maybe just Lindsay got a cute Icelandic sweater), we thaw out in the warmth of the car as we drive Southwest to cap off our adventure at the ultimate Icelandic geothermal spa: The Blue Lagoon. 

Blue Lagoon

Time for some wonderful relaxation and rejuvenation.

Silica mud-masks washed away, we drive a few minutes up the road to Keflavik where in less than 12 hours, we'll board a flight to our next destination: Paris.

take me to Paris >