My Top 5 Bucket List Iceland Experiences
This past summer, our family of four had the most epic vacation to Iceland. We toured with Adventures by Disney and were completely immersed in this beautiful country for a week. We learned so much about the history and culture of Iceland and witnessed first hand a variety of elements that make this country so special. From whale watching, to visiting local farms, tasting lava bread and scenery straight out of Game of Thrones, it was nothing short of spectacular. Below I’m summarizing my top five experiences and one of them was also my favorite souvenir (hint: it’s not something you can buy).
Lagoons
Tradition. Nature. Health. Connection…four words that summarize my impression of what Icelanders prize. Spending time in nature and enjoying a soak (either the hot, warm or cold version) is often a daily social ritual that Icelanders partake in and communal bathing is a tradition dating back to the 12th century. Many Icelanders don’t have a television and you can find pools and hot springs scattered throughout this island. We visited the Sky Lagoon near Reykjavik and the Forest Lagoon near Akureyri. It was the perfect way to shake off some jet lag, experience an important part of Icelandic culture and soak in this gorgeous country. The Blue Lagoon is Iceland’s most famous lagoon, and even though we didn’t get to experience this due to ongoing volcanic activity, we were able to experience on a later trip and you can check out my seven tips here.
Glacier Hike
Iceland is known as the land of fire and ice, so hiking a glacier was high on our list. We had a lovely guide from Poland and as we followed her lead, ice cleats crunching on the ash coated glacier, rivulets of water making their way to the lake below, you could sense the ephemeralness.
Icelander’s embrace the idea that things are always changing and in 2024 alone, the island experienced five volcanic eruptions. So maybe it was seeing an ice prism, or drinking glacier water running direct from the source, but the fact that this beautiful frozen mass retreats 150 feet every year made you take a hard look around. It truly was a once in a lifetime moment as the glacier we stood on was literally melting under us.
Turf House
Maybe it’s because my Grandfather was born in a turf house on the plains of Montana, but I’ve always been fascinated by them. Getting a glimpse on how life once was for an Icelander during our visit to the farm at Grenjaðarstaður dating back over a thousand years was a very moving experience for our family. When the settlers first arrived from Norway and were looking for shelter, the only available wood was either from birch trees or driftwood and both weren’t readily available. So they relied on sod mats and lava rocks stacked to build their homes. The roofs needed to stay alive in order to soak up the snow and rain and the only “windows” available early on were from a stretched cows stomach. We got to tour the old and “new” kitchen, hear more about what they cooked, and visit the long rooms where they slept. After a US naval base was established on Iceland in 1942, a lot of modern conveniences were brought in and this way of living started to fade.
Stepping inside and seeing the living conditions, the resilience and grit of Icelanders was on subtle display and it made me sad to learn that this part of Iceland’s history was a source of shame for some and to date, most of the turf houses have been bull dozed. Hearing the stories and standing in that space is something that will stay with me always and I know the appreciation of their strength is felt by their descendants. You too can visit this farm in northern Iceland during the summer months. We stopped here after seeing the stunning Godafoss (the waterfall of the Gods) and then drove to Húsavík on the sea for lunch.
Chasing Waterfalls
Iceland is home to over 10,000 waterfalls and if you see a word ending in “foss”, it means waterfall! I’ve always been drawn to waterfalls; their dynamic combination of thundering power, yet mythical beauty. Every waterfall we visited had a unique history and a breathtaking view. Some you could walk behind, some you could admire from above, and many were linked to a beautiful story. My favorite was what we learned about Gullafoss. We visited this waterfall on a rainy, misty morning and during our walk to see the falls up close, we learned that at one time, Gullafoss was at risk of being dammed off. The farmer who owned the land had an offer from developers to purchase the ground, but his daughter threatened to throw herself into the canyon if he did and long story short, it’s still here today for all of us to marvel at. There is a monument to her on the trail down and what a great reminder that one person can make a difference in this great big world of ours.
Lunch in a Greenhouse
Would you be surprised to know that Iceland is an ideal place to have a greenhouse? We stopped at the amazing Friðheimar Greenhouse Farm during our Golden Circle Tour and had the most wonderful experience.
Supported by a nearby hot springs, the greenhouse relies on geothermal energy to heat the soil and all the volcanic activity produces pumice which can be used as growth media. Very few plant pests and diseases exist here due to Iceland’s northern location and isolation, and because of all these factors, this one farm grows over two tons of tomatoes per day! The best part for us is you can enjoy lunch here. Homemade tomato soup, pizza, fresh breads, ravioli and bonus, each table has its own basil plant with scissors so you can add as much as you want to your meal. It smells amazing as you can imagine! You can enjoy Bloody Mary’s and even tomato wine and it’s the perfect place to warm up on a chilly day and learn more about growing tomatoes in Iceland. They do offer a tour of their greenhouse which I also recommend. Reservations are highly recommended (two weeks in advance) and can be made by calling by phone at 486 8894 or by email at [email protected].
“petta reddast”
One of my favorite takeaways from Iceland is their motto for living “petta reddast”, which translates to “everything will work out in the end”.
Anybody else spend way too much time worrying about things that really aren’t important? Before our trip to Iceland I worried my kids would have a hard time adjusting to the time change. They didn’t. I worried about our flights being rerouted. They weren’t. I worried about my clients traveling while I was and everything was fine! I was visiting with our guide while we were driving through the most picturesque, jaw dropping area of Iceland. Close to this area is a volcano long overdue to erupt and if and when it does, it will be catastrophic and completely change the landscape. There are some farms tucked in throughout and I asked, “Don’t they worry about losing everything?” He said, “We don’t worry about things we have zero control over. Life always goes on, because it must.”
It was such a powerful reminder and just another reason why I love experiencing other cultures. Sometimes a shift in your mindset is all you need and this was my favorite souvenir! I’ve noticed that certain things that used to create anxiety or worry for me don’t as much anymore and I can’t tell you often I’ve thought of “petta redast” since I’ve returned home.
Are you ready to plan your trip to Iceland? Do you have questions on Adventures by Disney or other companies that I work with to make your vacation seamless with flights, transfers and all your favorite excursions bundled in? I am an Certified Travel Advisor and would love to work with you. Reach out to me at [email protected] or fill out a quote request here.
