Has anyone here ever visited or lived in Iceland?

I haven’t, but my parents were there a few days and I have several friends who have been. Everyone liked it.

I don’t think anyone I know stayed more than a week. More than a week might get long. My parents stopped in Iceland flying home from Europe. I think they had done a transatlantic cruise over to Europe if I remember correctly.

One girlfriend just did a Northern Lights trip recently, and I’m almost positive that was in Iceland too. I could have that wrong.

If you don’t get jelly responses I can put you in touch with my friend who I think was just there or my parents.

I was there fo five days, based in Reykjavik. We didn’t do a lot of hiking or camping. One day to the Blue Lagoon, one day tour of the Golden Circle – waterfall, continental plate meeting, and geothermal springs. Great natural history museum in Reykjavik. A lot of the terrain is rolling grassland. I felt five days was enough but of course, we didn’t see all that much. A friend who is a real hiker has been several times for longer with a private gulde and loves it.

We did get taken on the first night to see the Northern Lights which were underwhelming the night we saw them. The city is nice.

We were there for 3–4 days (en route to London) in Fall 2016.

We stayed at an Air B&B in downtown Reykjavik, across the street from the Penis Museum.

We explored a lot of the city on foot. It is a fascinating and beautiful city. Easily walkable. Lots of cool shops and architecture to check out.

The food is hit or miss. We were told to try their hot dogs, which were…hot dogs (nothing special).

We rented a car a drove out to the countryside. 15 minutes out of the city and you feel like you’re in the middle of nowhere. It is truly gorgeous though.

We went out to the Secret Lagoon, which was amazing. We also took a midnight bus trip out to the hills to see the northern lights, but had no luck seeing them. We did visit a great old church along the way though.

Overall, a great trip but, as the Penguin said, a few days is enough.

@cookieman The Penis Museum was fun!

@janbb: It was. It was an uplifting experience.

^^Hardly! lol

We had layovers twice in Iceland on Icelandic Air flights between NYC and Luxembourg. We didn’t have time to leave the airport but when landing it looked like I would imagine the moon looking. The airport had a great store and I bought some wonderful wool capes and a lovely sheep skin rug. This was back in the 70s.

I have not. My daughter did a 10 day tour of Iceland about two years ago.

She loved it – wants to go back. You won’t go wrong with the trip. I can get specifics if you need.

The penis museum y’all ? ?

_muttering…THERE
NO SUCH THING AS THE PENIS MUSEUM!_]

@Dutchess_III:

https://www.phallus.is/

No, but I have shopped at https://www.penisland.net/.

^it’s a safe link, folks.

This is all great info!!! Thank you! Thank you! I am making a list now.

Another related question:
Did most of you go in tours or did you do it yourself? I am more than willing to wing it but I imagine a tour really helps hit the high spots.

They have an Elf sighting tour. I don’t know much more.

@LuckyGuy I was on a cheap and quicky tour through Gate 1 Travel. A friend went on a Back Roads tour that was more comprehensive and physical; another frined (the one who hikes a lot) had a prviate guide for the outer parts. there is a company that is pricey called Classic Journeys tht offers good tours – I’ve been other places with them.

there are easonably priced one day exursions bybus from the center of Reykjavik if you base yourself there and do that. You can see and do a lot that way. Don’t miss the Natural History Museum in the city, it is stunnin.

^^ Soorry for the typos above – overheated brain!

OMG. Ode to dicks everywhere!

@janbb These are great tips. I will be busy researching those options!

I have to visit Grimsey Island and I must find a few geocaches. I’d like to see Northern lights. I’ll have a drone with me so I need to investigate the rules for flying.
Everything else is optional.

i

My parents did not take a tour.

My friend who went recently wrote me this: Yes…we did it through Icelandair. You go on the website then go to vacations and pick the things you want to visit. I highly recommend the hotel Midgarder. They have a spa and thermal water outdoor and indoor spa. We’ve stayed there twice. You can book your hotel through them too.

Drone laws in Iceland > > https://drone-laws.com/drone-laws-in-iceland/

If you are coming from a non-EU country and this is the first time you will fly your drone in an EU country, you MUST register as an Operator.

@LuckyGuy: We did it in our own. It was not difficult to navigate around. The GPS on my phone worked well when we rented a car. There’s lots of travel guides online too.

My girlfriend just added: If they need any help picking things to do and restaurants etc…. I can hook you up as we have been there twice.

I haven’t been, but my best friend lived there for two years (Navy).
She HATED it.

November seems like the best timing for me. I’m not sure about the weather but cold is ok.
This will be fun!
I might buy a new drone for the trip. My existing drone requires FAA registration and a license (which I have) due to its weight. It has an aircraft “N” number!
A smaller drone will be easier to pack and carry when I hike to a waterfall or cliff face.

Thanks!!! You guys are the best!!!

I was there in October. The days were very short and the weather was about 40 degrees but in the late Fall and through the winter is the best time for seeing the Northern Lights.

Are any family members going with you?

@LuckyGuy: We were there in November. As the Penguin said, very cold (but I like the cold) and the days were very short, which was kinda neat.

My only advice is don’t count on seeing the Northern lights. I know a lot of people who have been disappointed when it doesn’t happen for them during an Iceland trip. Luckily, you live in Aurora Borealis latitude so it won’t be your one and only chance in your life of witnessing it.

@JLeslie I agree. While we saw some white flashes in the sky, iwasn’t overly impressed and others said we were lucky to see those! A woman in a shop said a man came in who had been to six places in the world to see them and didn’t. She also said the colors you see in photographs are not what you see in the sky, but I’ve never verified that elsewhere.

I just posted a couple of days ago on facebook that a solar flare was going to likely cause lights up where LuckyGuy is, so maybe he had clear weather and was able to witness it.

It’s really green in Iceland, not much ice. If you want ice you have to go to Greenland (which does not have as much green).

@RocketGuy I’ve heard that before – Greenland is Icy and Iceland is green.

I’ve seen the Northern Lights before from the south shore of Lake Ontario, ~ 25 years ago. It was a spectacular event. The lights extended overhead and behind us red and green. It was before I had a digital camera and I had no chance of capturing it on film. Maybe I will get lucky. I can always send my drone up and release something to simulate it.;)

@janbb I wish I could make it a multi-generational trip with all the grandkids but, alas, it will just be two of us.

Friend of mine just posted this on facebook about her trip that she just finished in Iceland:

We rented a car and visited the Ring Road, the Diamond Circle, the Golden Circle, the Snæfellsnes Peninsula, Myvtan, North Eastern Iceland, and the Southern coast. Every place was unique and remarkable! So pristine and not commercialized yet. The current population of Iceland is 375,422 as of Monday, July 17, 2023 and 60% live in Reykjavik, the capital. Most villages have only 1000–3000 people.

In the east on our way from Djupivogur to Egilsstadir we stayed on the 1 as much as possible. But in the North East Fjords unexpectedly there was a long section through the mountains on the cliffs that was gravel and fairly steep. Add the foggy weather plus fierce wind and it was the most challenging part of our drive.

The thing that truly impressed me were the Icelandic people. Everyone was happy, helpful, grateful, and truly enjoying life. I also really appreciated the more laidback lifestyle and lack of urgency about everything. And the food was delicious. I have no idea how an arctic island country has such fresh and delicious foods, but I enjoyed everything.

She has a whole series of photos and commentary from each day. I could ask if she will friend you, even if only temporary, so you can look through if you want to. Each day was amazing. He first day they had a few earthquakes. One day she her hotel room had an amazing view of a volcano, you can see the lava in the earth. Another day amazing northern lights.