In March 2019, two friends (Sara and Daryl) and I took a 5-day trip to Iceland. In order to give you a different perspective, they’ve been kind enough to answer some Iceland travel questions.
1. Why did you pick the places on this trip?
Sara: I picked Iceland because of the Northern Lights and black sand beaches. I’d seen a few wisps of the lights in northern Canada and wanted a better view. The other stops were recommended to us by the tour company we booked through.
Daryl: The friends I was with were interested in going to Iceland and to tour some of the natural sights the country offers. We went at the end of winter specifically to have a chance to see the Northern Lights a couple of the nights we were in the countryside.
2. How did you plan – did you have a travel agent, go on a tour, go in with a specific plan or play it by ear?
Sara: I hadn’t been to Iceland before, nor did I know anyone who had been, so I wanted to book through a travel agent. We booked a guided tour through the agent so that we’d be sure not to miss any of the big sights in Iceland.
Daryl: The itinerary was mostly planned start to finish. We just had to sort out things for the first day we were there. Landing at 6 am, we had the whole day to ourselves, but needed to catch up on some sleep. We worked with the hotel to coordinate a trip around the capital.
3. Did you have any difficulty coordinating your schedules to plan the trip?
Sara: The most difficulty we had was when the tour company told us that our original dates were full after we received a confirmation for it. Other than that, it was fairly easy to coordinate because we had a list of available dates and just had to figure out which we would all be available for.
Daryl: The first set of dates we were looking at ended up being filled after we thought we were good to go, so we had to coordinate schedules again to make the second window work.
4. What were your specific goals?
Sara: I just had one goal: See the Northern Lights. Mission accomplished!
Daryl: Tour some of the more popular spots in Iceland and to hopefully catch the Northern Lights while we were there, which we were very fortunate to do. Getting familiar with what Iceland is like for a potential trip back in the future – to visit a different part of the island during the summertime.
5. Did you have any snags or issues traveling to or from your destination?
Sara: Everything was on time!
Daryl: We were lucky and had smooth travels throughout the entire trip. All flights coming and going were on time and we hit no snags getting around the island.
6. How did you get around while on your trip?
Sara: Since we had booked a tour, we had a tour bus that took us everywhere. Personally, that’s my preferred method when in a new country so I don’t have to worry about renting cars.
Daryl: We took tour company shuttles.
7. What did you pack?
Sara: I packed a set of thermals, a few sweaters, fleece-lined leggings, jeans, heavy duty gloves and coat, hat, and winter boots. I also brought my camera, books, and toiletries.
Daryl: Hiking shoes, trail running shoes, layers of coats (wind/rain outer layer, heavy coat and lighter coat), thermal shirts and pants to be worn under general clothing.
8. What did you pack but didn’t use?
Sara: I packed fairly light, so I used everything.
Daryl: A number of shirts. The hiking shoes.
9. What do you wish you had packed but didn’t?
Sara: A tripod! I got some decent pictures of the Northern Lights, but my hands were shaking too much during a long exposure to get a good one.
Daryl: Less. I packed for harsher weather, but we were really lucky with the forecast.
10. What were your favorite foods or meals from the trip?
Sara: Icelandic food is fairly lean and fishy, so it wasn’t my favorite. Our first hotel had this dessert bar that was amazing though!
Daryl: Fresh Arctic Char one evening.
11. What was your favorite experience?
Sara: My favorite experience was definitely the black sand beach (although seeing the lights was a close second). Our tour guide “surprised” us with a quick trip there and it was amazing to see the contrast between the sunlight and black sand. Most people who look at the pictures I took there think that they’re in black and white because of the white light reflecting off of the water.
Daryl: Hard to choose just one. The boat ride we took was pretty amazing with the crystal-clear weather, and the snow- and ice-covered backdrop of Iceland in the background.
Want to learn more about Djúpalónssandur (the black sand beach) and our Viking Sushi boat ride? Check out my Iceland Day 3 blog!
12. What was your least favorite experience?
Sara: I think my least favorite experience was the last day of our tour when it was super cold and windy. It made seeing some beautiful sights very unpleasant.
Daryl: I really don’t think there were any negative experiences. Everything went really well with most every aspect of the trip. Possibly having such a strict itinerary that there was no time to take in some of the sights longer, or to stop when passing some amazing views.
13. Is there anything you wish you’d done?
Sara: If I had to pick something, I wish we could’ve gone to the Blue Lagoon instead of the hot spring “hot tubs” we ended up visiting.
Daryl: We were lucky and there wasn’t much I think we could have done to make the trip even better. I’d say just taking a trip into Reykjavik for the evening the day we landed or the day before departing.
14. Who took longer to get ready?
Sara: Daryl
Daryl: Probably me in general
15. What souvenirs did you buy?
Sara: I brought back some Icelandic candy and alcohol for my family and shot glasses and troll figurines for my friends. My sister thought she was being clever when she asked me to bring back some ice from Iceland, but I actually found a small bottle of water from a glacier that I brought back for her. When she froze it, she got her Icelandic ice!
Daryl: Not too many. Iceland magnets. Some candy to bring home that you can’t get in the states.
16. Where would you like to travel next?
Sara: My travel list is very long. I’d like to go somewhere I haven’t been before where I can experience the culture. Morocco, Germany, Argentina, France, and Turkey are near the top of my list.
Daryl: Pacific Northwest or Switzerland.
17. Where have you traveled in the United States?
Sara: I’ve been up and down the Eastern coast but only to Nevada out West.
Daryl: Mostly everywhere up and down the Eastern states.
18. Where have you traveled internationally?
Sara: Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean, Italy, Greece, Ireland, Spain, and Iceland.
Daryl: Iceland. This was my first international trip!
Sounds like it was a great trip for everyone!!
Steph, if I were to make a Bucket List today, Iceland would be on it. It is a place i would never have thought of until I read your blog. Thank you. Can’t wait for your next trip. Liz
It was nice to read how companions viewed the trip. It sounds as if it was enjoyed by all. What a great perspective. Keep it up!