Travel Guide Tuesday||Reykjavik, Iceland


Hope you enjoyed my last Travel Guide in Copenhagen if you missed it you can read it here

This week's guide is all about the stunning and magical Reykjavik in Iceland, the land of fire and ice. Iceland is somewhere that has always intrigued me but somewhere I haven't found the courage to visit (mainly due to the cold weather) I am hoping that but writing this post I will learn lots of great things about the country and hopefully muster up the courage to visit one day. 


Reykjavik||The Facts

So as mentioned already Reykjavik is the Capital City of Iceland. Iceland which is a Nordic Island Country is located between the North Atlantic and Arctic Ocean. It currently has just 300,000 inhabitants. Iceland is volcanically and geologically active.

 There are many volcanoes the most famous being Helcla, Eldgja, Heroubreio, and Eldell. The country also has lots of Geysers, the most famous being Strakkur which erupts every 8-10 minutes. Geysir which is another Geyser was previously inactive until it started erupting again after it was set off by earthquakes in 2000, but don't worry it is currently inactive and most definitely worth a visit.


Photo Credit: Goggle Images

How to get there||Flights

If you are flying from the UK it is very easy to get to Reykjavik and surprisingly quick. The main airport is called Keflavik and is a 45 minute ride away from the city centre in Reykjavik. (See 'How to get around||Transport' for more on this)

If however you are travelling long haul either to or from the Atlantic you are in for a real treat especially if you choose to fly with Iceland Air. They currently have a programme on called 'My Stopover' which is a great way to break up an otherwise long trip, you also get to tick two countries off your bucket list at once. (This offer is subject to availability and the maximum stop over time is 7 days.)


Photo Credit: Webstagram


 Where to Sleep||Hotels

Like many great cities Reykjavik has lots of great luxurious hotels on offer. One favourite I have found is a hotel which is part of the Radisson Blu chain called 'Radisson Blue 1919 Hotel, Reykjavik'. 
This 5 star hotel is located in the heart of Reykjavik in the 101 district not far from the Reykjavik harbour. It is also conveniently located a 50 minute drive away from the main airport. 


Photo Credit: Expedia.co.uk
Why not enjoy full use of the hotel gym for free and also free Wi-Fi in every room and in the public areas. It also offers a popular restaurant/bar called 1919 Restaurant and Lounge serving quality and traditional Icelandic food (mainly seafood) it also has a varied cocktail menu on offer. 

There is a selection of rooms to choose from all with different rates they include:

Standard Double/Twin room £194 per night

Deluxe Double/Twin room £212 per night 

Business Double/Twin room £243 per night 
(Breakfast included)

Junior Suite £284 per night 
(Breakfast included)

Suite with Spa Bath £318 per night 
(Breakfast included)



Photos taken from Radisson Website

**prices start from £194.00 per night for a standard room, breakfast is £14 a night pp**



What to do||Sightseeing

There are loads of great things to see and experience in Iceland and if you are someone who loves being out in the open with nature you are going to especially love Iceland. Here's some of the top recommendations... 


1. The Northern Lights/ Aurora Borealis

No trip to Iceland would be complete without seeing the spectacular Northern Lights or the Aurora Borealis as they are also known. The best time to see the lights are between September and April.  October to November and March to April are considered optimum times to go and hunt the lights. They can be spotted the further north you go and towards the Arctic  and 9pm till 2am is considered the best time to see them. 

Photo Credit: Bostonglobe


2. Tour the Golden Circle 

Spend some time getting to know Iceland by embarking on a tour of the Golden Circle. The Golden Circle is a tourist route which covers about 300km from Reykjavik into the centre of Iceland and back. The main attractions to see on the tour include:

Geysir- geothermal area and the Strokkur geyser


Photo Credit: quidipity
Gullfoss waterfall 


Photo Credit: beautifulplacestovisit.com

Thingvellir National Park


Photo Credit: trip-to-iceland

Fridheimar greenhouse cultivation centre


Photo Credit: Tripadvisor
For more information about the tour and to find out all the times prices and availability check out Reykjavik Excursion's website.  


3. Visit the Blue Lagoon

This is one place which sits right at the top of my personal Iceland Bucket list. It really looks amazing! For those who are not familiar with the Blue Lagoon in a nutshell it is great big Geothermal spa and one of the 25 wonders of the world! It is located 47 km's from Reykjavik (about a 50 minute drive) and 20 minutes from the airport. It is a big tourist attraction in Iceland and can get very busy so I would advise booking on their website here before you visit.  They have lots of facilities on offer including, In water massages, an exclusive lounge, an extensive variety of restaurants, bars and cafes and their own hotel which is 1 km away from the resort.


Photo Credit: boomsbeat
Ticket entry prices vary depending on what package you go for. The options include Standard entry for 40 euros pp (no thrills ticket) Comfort Ticket for 55 euros pp (includes 1 free drink and use of towel plus a complimentary miracle mask) Premium ticket for 70 euros pp (includes use of bathrobe and towel, 1 free drink, complimentary miracle mask, slippers and Reserved table at restaurant LAVA with sparkling wine)  finally the Luxury package is 195 euros pp (this includes everything in the premium package plus access to exclusive lounge).

As mentioned above there is also a hotel situated 1 km from the main Blue Lagoon resort. The hotel is called the Blue Lagoon Clinic Hotel. It is a 35 double/twin room hotel which caters not only to the public but to people with specific skin conditions. For a 1 nights stay in a single room it will set you back 285 euros. This does include complimentary access to the Blue Lagoon's main resort after 5pm. 



Photo Credit: Regent Holidays
 Opening times: 
Open every day of the year
Jan-May 9:00-20:00
June-Aug 8:00-22:00
1 Sept-30 Sept 8:00-20:00
Oct-Dec 9:00-20:00

Please be aware the resort is going through some construction works which are due for completion in 2017, bear this in mind when visiting. 


Photo Credit: Lonely Planet

4. Visit well known waterfall's Gulfoss and Seljalandsfoss 


Photo Credit: freshadda


Photo Credit: girltweetsworld

5. Glacier hiking and Ice Cave trekking

I must admit this is something I didn't really know much about and it didn't really appeal to me at first, but when I saw some photos of the beautiful areas you can hike and trek in Iceland I immediately became interested and wanted to find out more. 

'The Ice Queen- Winter Ice Caving Tour' especially caught my eye.  I found this particular tour on the Extreme Iceland website and would love to give it a try.  The website says that the 'tour starts from the Glacier Lagoon Jokulsarlon where you will be picked up from your tour guide' you will then be driven to the glacier for the start of the hike. 

Theres 1 km (0.6 miles) hike to reach the cave (make sure you bring sturdy waterproof hiking boots) you are then to stay in the actual cave for 45 minutes and then after that you will be taken back to the start and then picked up.  During the tour you will be given access to some of Iceland's amazing blue ice caves, you will learn all about them and you will have a specialist tour guide on hand to guide you through it all. 


Photo Credit: amusingplanet

So there we have just a few recommendations for your bucket lists. Which place would you like to visit? and if you have already been lucky enough to visit what places did you like the most, what did you think of the Blue Lagoon? 



Where to Eat||Restaurants 

Iceland has some amazing and authentic restaurants to suit all budgets and tastes I have picked out 2 which I am hoping will suit every budget from the Michelin star, fine dining restaurant to the more laid back cafe, There is something for everyone, you are really spoilt for choice in the city. 


1. Dill Restaurant
Location: Hverfisgata, Reykjavik 
Price range: £££

This Michelin star restaurant which is located in downtown Reykjavik is very special indeed.  Although it is a fairly new restaurant on the scene it has been nominated for the 'Nordic Price' for three years in a row, so they must be doing something right? Creators Chef Gunnar Karl Gislason and Sommelier Olafur Orn Olafsson work together to produce quality Icelandic foods using classic Nordic ingredients which are prepared in a contemporary way. 

One thing to note about the restaurant is that depending on when you choose to eat you will see a different atmosphere. Lunch, for example is much more informal the menu is simple, short and apparently new every day. You can expect to find dishes like meatballs, lamb shanks, salads and soups on the table. 

During the evening dinner the restaurant is completely transformed and presented at its very best. Every week a new and inspiring seven course menu arrives with wine selected to match each course. The wine list changes often as the restaurant is fairly new and they are still putting together an impressive wine cellar. I don't know about you, but I always think it is good to have a bit of variety? don't you think? 

Dill Restaurant is open from Wednesday- Saturday 19:00- 22:00 only. 


Photo Credit: dandad
Photo Credit: afar
Photo Credit: 90plus


1. Cafe Paris

Location: Austurstraeti, Reykjavik
Price: ££


Cafe Paris is a great little restaurant located in the heart of the city not far from the famous Austurvollur Public Square. It offers an extensive Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner options all within budget and is often open till midnight most evenings and even later during the weekends. The atmosphere here is very relaxed and can be quite touristy at times due to its central location in the city. It is always busy especially at weekends so it may be a good idea to try and book in advance for a table. There is lots of seating available outside as well and again that usually fills up fast especially during the summer months. 


Check out their website for their full menu's here

Photo Credit: Reykjavik.com

How to get around||Transport

As mentioned in the Flights section of this guide the Airport is around 45 minutes from the city. The most cost effective way to get from the airport to the city is by Flybus see here for more info a handy thing to know is that for a bit of extra money you can get the driver to drive you directly to your hotel. This is usually a cheaper and more convenient way than hailing down a cab. 

Most of the local's rely on cars to get them around, roads tend to be a bit more underdeveloped in some of the very rural areas. Tourists who visit Iceland tend to say it makes sense to hire a car. I would suggest doing your homework before you get to Iceland, you will obviously need to budget your money for a car. Hire car prices in Iceland can be very expensive as the cars need to cater to the extreme cold weathers, but it is very worth the money as it is the most efficient and easiest way to explore outside of the city, allowing you to take in more amazing sites on your trip.  


Photo Credit: Auto car hire


So that brings me to the end of my Tuesday Travel Guide, Reykjavik Iceland. Hope you have enjoyed reading the next Guide will be all about Bern in Switzerland so watch out for that one.  

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