December in Iceland
I can’t count the number of people who have said something along the lines of: “Why would you go to Iceland in December? Won’t it be freezing?!” My husband Andrew and I do live in Florida after all. If it drops below 60 degrees Fahrenheit, people start wearing puffer jackets and Uggs everywhere they go. Living in a place where other people vacation has caused me to start craving cold vacations. The idea of Iceland blanketed in snow and ice seemed like the way one should see the country. It’s in the name after all.
We flew out of Baltimore at 8pm Friday night, the 6th of December. The flight was a short 4 hours and 50 minutes. I got maybe 2 hours of sleep, Andrew got 0. When we landed, it was 6:30am Iceland time. We couldn’t check into our hotel yet, so we took advantage of walking around downtown Reykjavik during sunrise. Surprisingly, there was almost no one out, despite it being 9am on a Saturday morning. We enjoyed the peacefulness of the morning and the opportunity to take in the stunning views. Once the sun started coming up around 10, the streets started to fill up and shops started to open. Because of the time of year we visited, the sun never rose higher than just above the horizon, so for about 4.5 hours per day, everything looked to be in the state of constant sunrise or sunset.
Because we were functioning on practically no sleep, we thought a trip to Reykjavik’s famous hot springs would wake us up. We made a reservation in advance for 12pm at Sky Lagoon. After enjoying a serene morning in the capitol, we went to our booking, which turned out to be one of our top experiences of the trip. You can read more about our experience at Sky Lagoon here.
After returning to Reykjavik from Sky Lagoon, we were finally able to check into our hotel. We stayed at the Canopy by Hilton Downtown Reykjavik and it was such a treat! The room was unique and cozy, the bathroom floor was heated, and we had a lovely view of the city.
Canopy by Hilton Downtown Reykjavik Hotel view from window, fifth floor
As we lay down for a nap, I was worried we would sleep through the night. We only had one night in Reykjavik, it was a Saturday night, and I wanted to experience the city!
I set an alarm and a few hours later, sleepily started to get ready. We wandered around a few blocks and ultimately decided to eat at a trendy looking place called Monkey’s. We tried filet of reindeer and a wagyu beef dish. I also have to give a shout out to the cocktail I ordered called the Stuðlaberg. This was a gin cocktail with strawberries and marshmallow.
Stuðlaberg
Gin with Strawberries & Marshmallow
Filet of Reindeer
Wagyu
After dinner, we were keen to go out for some drinks. A friend of mine had told me about a place called Hús Máls og Menningar or The Bookstore Bar. This bar consisted of three of my favorite things: books, booze, and a band. The live music they had that night was exceptional, playing a range of music from Bon Jovi to Britney Spears. The building itself is an old bookstore that still has two stories full of shelves of old books. We found a spot on the second floor along the balcony to watch the band from above. It was such a fun time and I will certainly be going back for another visit the next time I find myself in Reykjavik!
With that, we concluded our night in the city and went to bed. We had an early morning coming up to catch our Golden Circle and Southern Coast Tour.
Iceland 3-Day Golden Circle & South Coast
It all begins with an idea.
One of the biggest questions asked about traveling in Iceland is: is a tour worth it or should we just drive ourselves? Because we were traveling in December, we opted to go with a tour. We live in Florida, USA and neither of us felt comfortable driving in potential snow and ice conditions. After researching our options, we opted for a 3-day Golden Circle & South Coast tour with Nice Travels. One thing that sets this tour company apart from others is its small group size. We had a small van that held 18 people as opposed to some of the 40+ person tour buses we saw along our journey.
Day 1:
Our tour bus picked us up right around the corner from our hotel in Reykjavik City Center at around 8am. It was still pitch black at the time and felt like the middle of the night. As we left the city, our guide gave us some Icelandic history. One of my favorite tidbits is that Reykjavik translated to English means “Smokey Bay.” As the Vikings were approaching Iceland, they saw the steam rising up from the natural hot springs and dubbed the land based on that first impression.
After driving for about an hour, we arrived at Þingvellir National Park. Walking through this park meant walking through the gap in tectonic plates, with the Eurasian plate on one side and the North American plate on the other. This is called the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, where you can stand with one foot in America and one foot in Europe at the same time.
Þingvellir National Park
In addition to the unique topography, Þingvellir National Park holds great historical significance in Iceland. The National Parliament of Iceland was founded here in the year 930 and met at this location for nearly 1000 years! (Until 1798). It became the first National Park in Iceland in 1928.
After a short hike through the park, we boarded our small bus once again and headed to Geysir in the Haukadalur geothermal area. Interestingly, this area is where all geysers throughout the world earned their moniker.
Important Note: If you are visiting Geysir in winter conditions, make sure you have crampons! Crampons are spikes that attach to the bottom of your shoes and help with grip in icy conditions. The tour company we were with provided these for us, but not all did so. We saw two tourists have bad falls due to the slippery conditions without crampons.
The Strokkur geyser is the main attraction here as it is the largest in the area and erupts every few minutes. After seeing the geyser erupt, we had the option to hike up hill, see a few more thermal pools, and watch Strokkur erupt again from a higher vantage point. The hike was well worth the effort, but was slippery so we were glad to have the crampons on our shoes.
The next stop on our itinerary for the day was our first Icelandic Waterfall - Gollfoss. This two-level waterfall is a sight to behold on any day, but especially the day we were there due to the warming temperatures after a cold-spell. As we would see over the next few days of our trip, the warm air (about 45 degrees F/7 degrees C) was causing snow melt, making the falls more powerful than usual.
Our final stop to Kerið, a volcanic crater, was a personal favorite and often missed by tour groups. With only four and a half hours of sunlight, we were thin on time before it got dark, but we made it just in time. To our surprise and delight, we had the rare opportunity to see the crater lake frozen!
The turquoise color of the water was beautiful in and of itself, but the cracked layer of ice on top made the experience truly otherworldly.
As we made our way to our accommodations for the night, we had one final stop on the drive where we got to meet, pet, and feed some Icelandic Ponies. A perfect cherry on top of a wonderful day.
Our Golden Circle day ended in the town of Hveragerði, where we stayed in a wonderful hotel that offered geothermal hot tubs. It was raining that night, so we chose to skip the hot tubs and explore the town, where we enjoyed incredible food, beer, and were let in on a local secret.
After dropping off our luggage in our hotel room, we decided to stop by the hotel bar for a drink. Our bartender was extremely friendly and was eager to give us tips for how to spend our evening. The first thing he suggested was that we check out the local Food Hall. Food Halls are prevalent in Iceland and known for their delicious options and the one in Hveragerði was no exception. It was stylish and chic, with options for everyone. We enjoyed a shrimp salad, recommended by the hotel bartender, and a couple of cold beers.
We were also recommended to try Ölverk Pizza & Brewery, so that was our next stop after the Food Hall. Here we encountered another very friendly bartender who happily shared stories of living in Iceland along with some local traditions.
Since we were visiting in December, they had a special beverage option called Jólabjór, which in English translates to Christmas Beer. The flavors were malty and included hints of caramel and coffee - the perfect winter time flavors in my opinion. Being from the United States and loving to try a variety of beers, we asked the bartender if they sold “flights” (typically four to five small pours, perfect for tasting). It occurred to me that the word “flights” may translate differently in Icelandic, but the bartender knew what we were asking for an provided our picks accordingly. One of the funnier moments of our trip was when a man who seemed to have enjoyed several beers of his own stopped us in broken English trying to warn us that we had ordered too many beers. He gestured to his pint saying, “This is one! You ordered four, it’s too many!” I tried to explain that we were ordering four small beers, but the language barrier prevented clear understanding. Only when the bartender came back did the man’s eyes grow wide with understanding. I hope we introduced him to the concept of a flight and changed his life forever.
A moment for the cute Christmas TV bar decoration
Now onto the star of the show: Hangikjöt pizza. We learned from the bartender that Hangikjöt is cured and smoked ham - a traditional Icelandic Christmas meat. The restaurant served a pizza with Hangikjöt and a blueberry vinaigrette. I can be picky with what I like on my pizza, but this was so unique, we decided we had to try it. And wow, it was incredible. If I could recommend one food to try if you ever happen to be in Iceland in December, it is this!
Hangikjöt Pizza
A Local Secret
Earlier in the evening, when we had been sitting at our hotel bar, our bartender let us in on a local secret. There was a place in town we could go to see the gap in the tectonic plates. Where we could stand with one foot in Europe, and one in America.
To get there, we walked into a local supermarket called Bónus. Instead of turning left to shop the aisles, we turned right, past the shopping carts and through some sliding glass doors. Because it was late, there was no one else in this part of the building as we followed a long hallway. Eventually, we found the spot. There was a portion of the floor where glass had been installed so we could look directly into a crack in the Earth. One side was the Eurasion tectonic plate, the other was the North American tectonic plate. This was such a unique find that is probably missed or walked over as people do their grocery shopping every day!
Sky Lagoon Iceland
Sky Lagoon Iceland GoPro Video
Every day that I was in Iceland, I thought This is the coolest thing I’ve ever done or This is the coolest thing I’ve ever seen. We did Sky Lagoon on our first day after coming off of a red eye flight. As tired as we were, this was one of the most amazing experiences we’ve had. I booked the Sér package which included access to the lagoon, their famous Skjól ritual, and private changing rooms.
Walking into Sky Lagoon felt like walking into a luxury spa. The ambiance takes you completely out of the hustle and bustle of the day, which is perfect if you’ve just spent countless hours in airports, airplanes, and taxis. First, you change into swimwear in one of their dressing rooms which comes complete with a shower and hair dryer. Then, directly from the dressing room, you enter the lagoon.
Entry to Sky Lagoon from Sér changing room
Entering Sky Lagoon
It felt like an entryway into a secret world. There were no people as we enjoyed the hot water and moved further into the lagoon. Because the air was so cold - about 26 degrees Fahrenheit / -3 degrees Celcius - the steam coming off the water made it somewhat difficult to see more than a few feet in front of us. After wading through caves and rock walls, the lagoon opens up to a stunning view of the bay. The lagoon itself is very big, with several different places to explore. It is complete with a waterfall, an infinity edge, and even a bar in a cave towards the back. The steam made us feel like we had the place to ourselves. Because of the time slots required for entry, no area was uncomfortably crowded. Here, I will let pictures and videos speak for themselves.
Note: We were there from about 12p to 3p. Because of the time of year, the sun never rose higher than what you’ll see in the images which gave the feeling of a sunrise/sunset the entire time the sun was above the horizon!
Waterfall at Sky Lagoon
After spending some time exploring the lagoon, we continued to the Skjól ritual. The ritual was as follows:
Enter the lagoon
Cold Plunge
Sauna (with a view!)
Cold Mist Shower
Body Scrub
Steam room
Elixer Fruit Drink
I wasn’t able to capture much footage from the ritual (outside of the lagoon) due to many of the areas being very misty and dark. The cold plunge was outside and I probably could have gotten footage, but I was in and out of that cold water!
Sauna with a view
After completing the ritual, we spend another hour or so enjoying the hot lagoon. When we exited, we were felt incredibly rejuvenated. I remember saying to my husband, “This was so amazing, I don’t know how the rest of Iceland is going to top this!” Spoiler alert, the rest was just as amazing. You can read about the 3-day tour we took around the Golden Circle and South Coast here.
Drink I got from the coolest bar I’ve ever ordered from - in a cave in a hot lagoon in Iceland
Blog Post Title Four
It all begins with an idea.
It all begins with an idea. Maybe you want to launch a business. Maybe you want to turn a hobby into something more. Or maybe you have a creative project to share with the world. Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference.
Don’t worry about sounding professional. Sound like you. There are over 1.5 billion websites out there, but your story is what’s going to separate this one from the rest. If you read the words back and don’t hear your own voice in your head, that’s a good sign you still have more work to do.
Be clear, be confident and don’t overthink it. The beauty of your story is that it’s going to continue to evolve and your site can evolve with it. Your goal should be to make it feel right for right now. Later will take care of itself. It always does.