Before Covid, I had Iceland on a list of places I wanted to visit. I am a cold creature and an early morning person who enjoys sunrises from different locations but on doing my research, the sunrise in Reykjavik is 10 50 am in December. They have about five hours of daylight this time of the year.
Firstly, Iceland Air is a fantastic airline and when we entered the airport at Keflavik, I knew I was in for something special. The design and layout inside was crisp, clean and artistic. The Flybus – Reykjavik Excursions are equivalent to our air coaches but more frequent. Just look for the Reykjavik Excursion desk at the airport. These can be smaller shuttle buses that may need to change at the BSI terminal which is the center point for booking all your trips also. The transfer to Reykjavik is approx. 45 minutes so make sure to add that time on when returning to the airport. We arrived at 2 30 pm and were able to experience the sunset on our drive to the hotel.
The landscape is bleak and dark but so captivatingly beautiful. I was in awe.
Our hotel Fosshotel Baron was situated along the harbour and our room looked out at the sea and the mountains. This hotel is a perfect base if you like to explore on foot which we did. The BSI terminal is 15 minutes walk and where we had to go to begin our two trips to the Blue Lagoon and the new Sky Lagoon.
On our first evening, we walked up to the bustling shop area and also the magnificent Hallgrimskirkja church and only 10 minutes away from us. It is superb and you can go inside and light a candle and just walk around taking in the amazing architecture.
We were starting to fade so we found a corner food stop and devoured our meal and back to the hotel to relax. It’s funny how the lack of daylight affects your body clock as we were sure it was 9 pm but on reaching our hotel we had ordered drinks that were in the happy hour time frame which finished at 6 pm. Your concept of time is tested here, you go out and return in the dark. So, make sure you savour the few hours of light for your photos.
Our first trip the next morning was to the infamous Blue Lagoon. We walked to the BSI terminal and our coach took about 50 minutes outside Reykjavik. You drive off the motorway and into the mountains and the first thing you see is steam and black terrain. Walking down a path with overexcited tourists, you then enter a ski resort-style structure and get your band for the lockers and the outdoor bar. Out of the changing room and down the steps into the hottest pool, out a door into lagoon heaven. Steam rising, people excited, bridges to swim under, and lots of quieter areas to just take in this serene, out-of-body experience. It is quite a large lagoon so you can easily take your time and swim around the many nooks while sipping on Moet, Prosecco, Gull beer or alcohol-free refreshment.
We stayed for about two hours sipping our sparkling wines, oohing and aahing as we waded around the lagoon. We had refreshments after waiting for our bus in the café at the entrance and check-in area while looking out the huge windows to the lagoon, wanting to go back in.
We slept like logs that night.
Our second trip was to see the popular Sky Lagoon which is 10 minutes by coach from the BSI terminal. As you drive in you see a dome-style structure and once inside you know it is going to be special. We got the package including the seven-step ritual which includes entering a hobbit-like structure out at the lagoon and going through 7 steps of pure relaxation – Slow down in the lagoon, Cool down in a plunge pool, Relax in a quiet room with a huge window looking out at the sun and sea, Refresh in a cold fog mist then the Sky body scrub followed by the Steam room, Shower and back into the lagoon.
A magical, rejuvenating, unforgettable experience.
Have you booked your trip to Iceland yet? Haha
We returned to get ready for our night yacht tour to see the Northern Lights through Sea trips. We walked about 15-20 mins to the old harbour near our hotel where a lot of the boat trips go from. There are many fabulous restaurants here also and the magnificent landmark – Harpa Concert Hall and Conference Centre is an award-winning work of art in itself.
Our yacht the ‘Amelia Rose’ was superb. It had plenty of room to walk around and a cozy bar inside with hot chocolates, alcohol and a selection of beverages and snacks. We got to see the northern lights after about an hour out at sea, it was magical.
We had a whirlwind three-day trip to Iceland, one I 100 percent recommend everyone to do, maybe in the summer months if you don’t like the freezing cold. I think it adds to the magic of this country going in Winter. If you like an ‘experience’ on holidays, this is for you. And if lagoons are not your choice of trip there are lots more unique ones to choose from.
We booked all our trips on the Get Your Guide app.
Until next time, stunning Reykjavik…
