GETTING THERE
For my wife’s birthday we decided to go to Iceland to try to see the Northern Lights. Since the Aurora Borealis are a natural phenomenon and there is no guarantee of seeing them we planned to base ourselves in Reykjavik to definitely give ourselves a City Break.
Flights from the UK were fairly cheap, and fly into Keflavík International Airport 50 km southwest of Reykjavík. The cheapest way from Keflavik airport to Reykjavik is by bus. You can find a time and price that suits you on airportstaxitransfers.com. The bus comes into the bus station BSÍ in Reykjavík. From there you can walk, take a cab, or try a local bus – depending on where you are staying.
The easiest way from Keflavik airport to your accommodation is to take a cab. It only takes about 45 minutes and you can find some special offers online, for example hreyfill.is (the web site is in Icelandic, but you can switch over to English) or icelandictaxitours.com or airportstadxitransfers.com. However easiest does not usually mean cheapest!
We opted for a slightly different approach by combining our transport from the airport to accommodation with a trip to the Blue Lagoon. This way we were able to cross off an attraction as soon as we arrived which meant we were free to have a quiet afternoon/evening without feeling guilty. We booked the ‘Blue Lagoon from Keflavík Airport’ trip via www.grayline.com which was easy and had flexible times.
THE BLUE LAGOON
This geothermal spa was a very welcome sight after an early start, drive to the airport and flight to Iceland. By pre-booking with Gray Line our tickets were included in the price which turned out to be a stroke of luck – it was very busy when we arrived and people who had turned up unannounced were having to wait for a while, or perhaps return on a different day.
There were a few different options, but we went for the basic package which provided us with entrance and a free Silica Mud Mask. If you have a bigger budget you can scale up to include things such as an Algae Mask, Use of Bathrobe, Drinks etc.
After queuing up we were given our wristbands which allowed us entry, to open and close lockers, and also payments for drinks at the bar once you are in the Lagoon. You then scan the wristband at the very end of your visit and settle your bar bill. Since you may be coming straight from the airport you might have big luggage with you. If so they provide luggage lockers (for a fee). Luckily we only had Carry On so could easily fit that in our changing room lockers.
Regarding changing rooms – prepare to get naked! Iceland is not a prudish country, so you will likely find yourself naked in a changing room at some point on your visit. Lagoons also tend to ask you to pre-shower naked before entering the water. Once that was out of the way we entered the Blue Lagoon…
It was a lot of fun. You kind of wander around in steamy warm waters rich in minerals like silica and sulfur. In one area there is a booth that dishes out Silica Mud Masks and Algae Masks to rub on your skin, and in another area there is a bar. Because of limited visibility due to the steam it took us a while to figure out where the bar was but once we did we were very happy to chill out with a beer – we had arrived in Iceland!
ACCOMMODATION
Being on a budget we opted for an AirBnB. It was our first time using this service but we ended up with a great little basement apartment in the ‘101’ or Miðborg (City Centre) district. This is definitely the place to aim for as it is close to the main street of Laugavegur, the famous Hallgrimskirkja church, and all the bars and restaurants in-between. Staying in an AirBnB also gave us a chance to prepare some of our own food and to pre-drink before going out in the evening. With that in mind it is a good idea to buy your booze from Keflavík Airport when you arrive.
THE NORTHERN LIGHTS
It is best to book your Northern Lights tour as soon as you arrive as they sometimes don’t run due to poor weather conditions. If this is the case your trip is rolled over to the next day but if you have limited time this could mean you miss out if you were to only book it for the last night of your trip.
There’s lots of different companies which offer various options. I would suggest going for the cheaper option and maybe booking a couple of trips to maximise your chances. You should also avoid booking your trip when it is a full moon as this takes away from the intensity of the Lights.
Our first night was cancelled but on the second night we had better luck;
FOOD AND DRINK
If you like a drink, as well as buying alcohol from the airport, I would recommend downloading the ‘Appy Hour’ App by The Reykjavik Grapevine. The Reykjavik Grapevine is a free magazine dedicated to life, travel and entertainment in Iceland so is perfect for tourists. The App lets you know where to find the cheapest drinks and deals closest to your location. This proved very useful for us and also meant it took the decision making out of the process – just head to the cheapest nearest place and see what it is like!
I always like to try local and/or unusual food while I’m abroad and I managed to tick off a few things in Reykjavik. First up was the famous Icelandic Hotdog - Pylsa or Pulsa. This is a lamb, pork and beef hotdog in a warm, steamed bun with raw white onions, crispy fried onions, ketchup, pylsusinnep (sweet brown mustard), remoulade (a sauce made with mayo, capers, mustard and herbs).
We also tried Puffin, Minke Whale and Horse Carpaccio at the Sæta Svínið (Sweet Pig) Gastropub. The smoked Puffin was very rich but nice. The Whale had a pleasant beefy taste but a strange stringy consistency. The Horse was fine.
THE GOLDEN CIRCLE
I think everyone that does a trip to Reykjavik ends up doing the same things – and The Golden Circle tour is high up on the list. As this was a special birthday trip we went all out and booked the ‘Golden Circle, Secret Lagoon & Bubble tour’ with https://www.buubble.com.
For this trip we had a small group of six people and our own guide who drove us around in a very nice pick up truck. The tour starts off with Thingvellir National Park before heading off to the Geyser hot springs. Next up is probably the highlight of the Golden Circle - Gullfoss waterfall. After an early dinner we head off to the Secret Lagoon - a natural hot spring (think a more low-key version of The Blue Lagoon). However, the USP of the trip is the chance to sleep in your own bubble for the night!
The bubble is indeed see-through but you are isolated enough to never see the rest of your group, and if you’re lucky you can even see the Northern Lights while lying in bed in a Icelandic woodland.
This is an expensive trip but it’s a door-to-door service, includes the Golden Circle tour, plus the Secret Lagoon, plus a unique night’s accommodation. It was a great birthday treat and the perfect way to round off our long weekend in Reykjavik.
