New Years Eve in Reykjavik, Iceland

Hey friends!

I have been dreaming of Iceland for a long time now, and a few weeks ago, this dream finally came true. I originally booked our trip to Iceland as a surprise Christmas present for my husband, but got so excited that I spilled the beans back in June. I couldn't keep the secret any longer! We traveled to Iceland right after Christmas and stayed a week through New Year's Eve and it was nothing short of amazing. For months, I read blog posts, websites, and travel books about the best places to visit, eat & stay in Reykjavik, Iceland and I'm here to share it all with you!

Traveling to Iceland During Winter

At first thought, traveling to Iceland during winter (November-March) might seem a bit crazy, but the winter there truly is mild. My husband and I both grew up in Florida and this was our first experience in true winter, and the weather was tolerable with the right outfits. It hovered around 32*F the entire time we were there & we were lucky enough to get 2 snow days while there. I personally think this is the best time to travel to Iceland because you can see the Northern Lights, the city is beautiful when snowed in, and the glaciers and waterfalls are beautiful when frozen. It's worth noting that the sun is up from 11AM to 4PM during winter, but coming from EST with a 6 hour time difference, most people will want to sleep in anyway.

Getting There

There are 2 main airports in Iceland: Keflavik Airport (KEF, about 30 mins from the city) and Reykjavik Airport. If given the chance to choose, pick Keflavik Airport. This airport is pristine, full of restaurants/shops/bars, and is the most efficient airport I've ever flown out of. It's a bit bigger than Reykjavik's airport and offers more places for food/drinks while you wait for your flight. If you're staying in Reykjavik, there are buses nearly every hour that go to-and-from the airport to the city. We flew Icelandair on a direct flight from Orlando, and this airline was also very efficient, had a clean plane, and great customer service.

Where to Stay

In Reykjavik, there is a plethora of hotels, hostels, and house/apartment rentals. We stayed at the Alda Hotel, a cute little boutique hotel right on Laugavegur, the main street in Reykjavik. I loved this hotel because it's right in the middle of everything but still quiet, each room has their own bathroom (some hotels have community bathrooms), they have their own restaurant and bar (which was absolutely delicious), and their own large lobby with lots of seating so you have a place to people watch and eat breakfast. We also booked all of our excursions through our hotel which made pickup/drop off super easy.

Where to Eat

Reykjavik has tons of restaurants and it can be overwhelming with how many they are. These restaurants all offered great gluten free (and gluten-filled) menus and were absolutely amazing.

- Rossopomodoro - offered amazing GF pizza and pasta as well as normal Italian food

- Brass Kitchen & Bar - has really good American and Icelandic dishes & GF fish and chips

- Old Iceland - has amazing seafood and complex flavors on their side dishes

- Sandholt Bakery - all gluten-y here and is super cute inside, but my husband loved it

- Sky Bar and Restaurant - has the best rooftop/indoor views of the fjords and the most amazing white chocolate martini. This was my favorite bar in Reykjavik.

-Hotel Holt - this was just a bar, but it was a really cool old school looking man cave look that's worth going to for a drink

-Solon Bistro & Bar - had the best lunch prices and lots of GF accomodations

Things to do in Reykjavik

- Walk around the city - we walked up and down the streets many times and enjoyed looking at the stores; there are hundreds of restaurants and stores to look at

- Visit the Harpa building - you can get in for free and enjoy the design

- Get a cocktail at Sky Bar and enjoy the view

- Visit one of many museums

- Shop at an Icelandic grocery store

Excursions

- Northern Lights Tour = there are TONS of Northern Lights tours available in Reykjavik. I highly recommend going with a smaller van tour rather than a huge bus tour because it's better in a smaller group and our guide brought along a special camera to take pictures of guests with the lights in the background. We booked this tour and our guide served hot cocoa, drinks, and took multiple photos for all the guests. This tour lasted 4 hours and began at 8PM.

- Into the Glacier Tour = If you are up for adventure and looking for an excursion you will never forget, this is the tour for you. This tour lasts about 9 hours and is 100% worth it. You are picked up early in the morning and drive a few hours to the Langjokull glacier. On the way, we stopped to look at occurring hot springs, breathtaking waterfalls, and a little town for lunch. For your ride up to the glacier, you get to ride in ginormous trucks with 5 feet tires specially built for snow up to the glacier and get to walk through a 500 meter long ice cave. This was our favorite day of our trip and I highly recommend it to anyone.

- Blue Lagoon - This was one of my favorite parts of the trip and is everything it's cracked up to be. It was magical, relaxing, and had great customer service. Be sure to get there right at opening (8AM) as this is the least busy time. The lagoon gets really crowded around noon and isn't as enjoyable. There's a few things worth mentioning when it comes to the Blue Lagoon - first, the Lava restaurant was really beautiful and was worth getting the upgraded package for that included the lunch reservation. It was a nice break from the crowds of people and offered really nice views. Second, condition your hair before getting into the water. I missed this step and my hair was a little dried out from the water. Third, skip the upgraded face mask. You can get the free one and it worked just fine. Last, don't be nervous to go to the lagoon during winter; you enter the water from inside the building where it's still warm and are submerged by the time you get outside so you aren't freezing.

- Golden Circle Tour - We spent our last day in Iceland on the Golden Circle tour and it was really fun. You get to see waterfalls, Geysir, and stop at a few towns for lunch. This is a bus tour and you get to see a ton of beautiful scenery on the ride. Our tour lasted about 6 hours and we really felt like we got to see a lot of the countryside in Iceland. When you stop at Geysir, there is a restaurant rest-stop for lunch; be sure to get an ice cream cone when you're there because it's locally made from the farms and is delicious!

Pro Tips

- A note on New Year's Eve = NYE in Reykjavik is crazy and super fun. Fireworks start around 9PM and last until around 4AM. The bars stay open very late on this night, too. The huge firework show is done at the church and you can easily walk there from your hotel. The rumors about a break between 10PM and 11PM are true; the Icelandic version of SNL called Stupido airs live at this time and everyone takes a break to go watch the show. We watched the show in our hotel with English subtitles and it was absolutely hilarious.

- Iceland really is as expensive as people say. I admit I did not believe the rumors before traveling there, but they are completely true. A beer at most restaurants is $18 and most entrees (even lunch) are $25 and up. Be sure to save up before your trip so you can enjoy yourself while there!

- Bring a reusable water bottle with you when traveling to Iceland. Their water from the tap or water fountain is just as pure as store bought water, so no need to waste money on buying bottled water while there.

- During the winter, skip the car rental. The roads in Iceland get really icy and navigation there can be a bit confusing because the english letters on your phone for Google Maps don't align perfectly with Icelandic letters. Many of our tour guides told us how dangerous it can be to drive in a smaller vehicle during the winter.

-Reykjavik/Iceland is not somewhere I'd recommend going with a big group or children. The restaurants in Reykjavik are very small and don't offer a lot of seating and you'd have to reserve everything in advance. It was hard for us to get a table for 2 at many restaurants, not to mention the children's menu for mac & cheese and chicken fingers was very expensive. Additionally, the waterfalls/cliffs are blocked off by a pole and string and could be a falling hazard for children. This is best suited for a couples'/solo/small group.

-Just about everyone speaks English, so you don't need to worry about learning the language to get by.

All in all, Reykjavik was truly amazing and one of the best trips I've ever been on. The tourism industry there is top notch, the people are friendly, and the country was beautiful. It was unlike anywhere else I've ever been. It's definitely worth it to do your research beforehand to make sure you get the most out of your time. If you are looking for a detailed itinerary, I am happy to email you the 5 day one I made for our trip :)

XX

Lil