Iceland is a wonderful quirky country with friendly locals. You can travel to Iceland all year with November to March being popular for the snow and Northern Lights shows whilst May to August is popular for Iceland’s incredible scenery, walks and Midnight Sun which peaks in June.
If you are looking for spectacular landscapes paired with rest and relaxation or are looking for more extreme activities like glacier hiking, ice caves or swimming in a volcano, there is something to suit everyone. You can plan an escorted tour or self-drive and as well as Reykjavik which is popular for city breaks you could visit Northern Iceland as well as the West Fjords.
I visited Reykjavik for a 3-night break in March and really enjoyed the experience.
My Weekend in Iceland
Friday: We arrived in Iceland early afternoon after a direct flight from Manchester on Iceland Air which included baggage and inflight entertainment – You had to buy headphones or use your own to watch the seatback TV’s. Transfer from airport to the hotel was approx. 45 minutes and if you do not want to pay for a private transfer busses are available. After checking into the hotel, we explored Reykjavik before having something to eat. I had heard Iceland was expensive and it is compared to some popular cities in Europe, but prices are not much more than the UK depending where you eat.
Saturday: We had pre booked a Golden Circle Tour approx. 8 hours. After breakfast we were collected from our hotel at 8.30am for a day filled with beautiful scenery, waterfalls, and geysers. After returning to Reykjavik we just about had time for dinner before our Northern Lights trip departed at 9pm. The northern lights trips can be by coach, minibus, 4 x 4 or boat. We were unlucky as instead of the dazzling light show I had dreamed about we could just about make out something that resembled a grey cloud. As we did not see the lights properly, but we were offered a chance to go the next evening.
Sunday: We pre-booked a whale watching trip and the Fly Over Iceland ride for the morning and then in the afternoon the Blue Lagoon. The whales were feeling a bit shy and did not make an appearance, but the boat trip was refreshing although a little bit rough. Busses run between Reykjavik and the Blue Lagoon quite regular and take approx. 40 minutes each way. We booked a package that included transfers, towel, face mask, drink at the Lagoon Swim Up Bar, locker & robe. Once at there you can spend as little or as much time as you would like in and out of the pool.
Monday: Checked out of the hotel very early for our 8am flight back to Manchester with Iceland Air.
Currency: Icelandic Krona
Flying Time: 3.5 hours
Top Tips:
Be prepared and make sure you have all your excursions booked before you go to make the most of your stay and help budget.
