- Visit Iceland – Gullfoss Waterfall, Strokkur, Golden circle
- Explore Iceland: Skógafoss waterfall, Reynisfjara beach
- What to see in Reykjavik – Hallgrímskirkja, Sun Voyager and more
Two roads diverged in a wood and I — I took the one less travelled by, and that has made all the difference.Robert Frost
After a short flight from Amsterdam, we landed in the Land of Fire and Ice – Iceland. This was one of my Bucket List destinations. I came prepared for what is in store for me and was left completely awestruck with its magnificence.Visit Iceland and explore the Gullfoss Waterfall, Strokkur, Thingvellir National Park and more of the stunning Icelandic Golden circle landscape.
On arrival at Reykjavik Airport, we had booked a tour company who would pick us at the airport. They have busses running every 30-45 minutes which takes you from the Airport to the Bus terminal on the outskirts of the city from where smaller coaches take you to the respective hotels. Leave a comment if you need more information about bus pickups/drop from/to the airport.
Just as you get outside the airport and start your journey, it really strikes you this is going to be one hell of a trip. The sheer beauty that surrounds you is astounding. It’s not just about being surrounded by ice but the landscape itself is amazing. However, come well prepared to Iceland – Here are some tips which can help you. – Click here
We reached our hotel and tucked the night away as we had a busy day ahead. Now being closer to the Artic and also it being winter, Iceland has very limited daylight – just 4-5 hours. We woke up the next day while it was still dark and the tour company bus was right on time to pick us up for the famous Iceland Golden Circle tour.
The Beautiful capital city of reykjavik is like no other in comparison to its beauty – Read more.
The other thing which we crib about a lot while staying/working in UK is the weather which is very unpredictable. But Iceland is a whole different level. The weather is so bloody moody that it changes literally every hour and you actually need to decide your next move based on the weather. And yes, all the famous weather websites are simply useless in predicting the weather here.
We left Reykjavik and we were on our way to seeing the real Iceland. It was quite dark outside and it was snowing real heavy. So really didn’tknow what lie in store for us outside the coach. As it was quite dark, the first stop was an Icelandic horse show which was sort of ‘OK’ but not that great but you dint have much of a choice in the darkness.
By the time the show finished, we had few rays of the morning sun and it simply lit up the landscape. Though we weren’t at one of the landscape attractions, the view just outside stunned me. This was Amoli’s first heavy snow encounter and she went berserk.
So now we are back in the coach and with some dawn light, we could actually see the scenery outside. It was like a poster or a PC screensaver which kept changing and all were equally beautiful.
Next we made our way to Skálholt Cathedral – one of the most important places in Iceland for eight centuries and its first official school. We had a short break here just enough to see the inside of this beautiful little cathedral and also enjoy more of the outside which was slowly awakening up to the rising sun.
We were back in the coach as we made our way through the white cake frosting landscape to reach the famous – Gullfoss Waterfall. Its the Golden waterfall from which this tour derives its name I guess. As one first approaches the falls, the edge is obscured from view, so that it appears that the river simply vanishes into the earth.
I believe pictures speak louder than words here –
You can view the video here –
We had our lunch here and do make it a point to taste kjötsúpa – Icelandic lamb soup. Iceland is much more expensive than rest of its counterparts in Europe and that’s very much true in the case of food. However, we did manage to do this cost effectively —Click here for some essential money saving tips on food while in Iceland.
Post a nice lunch, we made our way to the Geysir geothermal area. The Geysir area is home of “The Great Geysir” hot spring, which all geysers are named after. This area is an impressive collage of bubbling mud pools, hissing steam vents, and colourful algae deposits. It also features one of the world’s most reliable fountain geyser, Strokkur hot spring, that every 4 to 8 minutes blasts out a column of super-heated water up to 20 metres into the air. So keep your cameras ready and I’m sure you can catch its eruption.
However, do make it a point to keep some distance as the water is quite hot and also with the steady wind can make it right for you. So preferably stay at a distance and stay up wind.
You can view the video here –
Next, we were on our way to Thingvellir National Park. The National Park is situated on the tectonic plate boundaries of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, the North-American and Eurasian continents, making it a very special tourist attraction. The tectonic plates are actually visible above ground and you can really experience the continental drift. Also it is the only place in the world which has been recognized by UNESCO as a cultural site connected to the Viking culture.
Though it was freezing cold with a steady wind, we stood back here just to sink in the beauty. As far as you could see with your naked eyes, this place was covered with the white powder on the ground, on the trees and in the ridge and to add to all, a lake midst of all this. It was simply serene.
You can view the video here-
The daylight was fading and we slowly make our way back to Reykjavik with some wonderful memories.
Other flavours of our journey:
Read all about our Iceland journey here – Click here
If you need any more information or have feedback, please feel free to comment on this page so that it’s helpful for others as well.
This is Aldrin and my partner Amoli. We bring you "Earths Pilgrim" - a unique insight into our travel escapades while leaving life in a cubicle. If you are looking for some inspiration to break the shackles of a regular life, then you are the right place. Read more about us- Click here.
Iceland is such a mesmerizing place, it has been on my bucket list for quite a while, thanks for sharing 🙂
Its truly a magical place… Hope u visit it someday 🙂
Some beautiful photos!
Thanks Laura
Wow! Iceland is gorgeous. I was in Murmansk in Russia a few months back and I saw snow for the first time. One thing that I learned about the arctic is that the weather changes very quickly. I loved every moment of it. The uncertainty, the landscape, the snow… It made our trip perfect!
Yeahhh Same here – Love the Unpredictable nature –Adds to the Thrill!
I love the pics hands down! Thingvellir National Park seems a must visit destination. Post reading this post, I am eneamored by Iceland!
Thanks Ambuj – Hope you can make it to Iceland soon
You trip to Iceland looks glorious. When we went there was no snow so it was not quite as magical looking. We missed out on the Golden Circle tour too 🙁 getting jealous reading this haha. Need to go back
Ohh that is sad.. 🙁 We also missed on the Glacier trips due to the bad weather. You should definitely go again.
the golden circle tour is such a good day that i have done it twice! i did it in february when it was freezing like you guys and then again in july – it was like a totally different tour!
Cool. Thats really nice. I havent been to Iceland during the “summer” months… Some day soon 🙂
You had an amazing trip! I would love to visit Iceland. It has always been on my bucket list!
Thanks Zel… Do visit it some day.. Its a Stunning place 🙂
Iceland is one of my dream countries to visit. I truly love to traipse my feet with those enticing snow and amble around. Thank you so much for sharing your lovely experience with us.
My Pleasure.. Hope you get to visit someday soon 🙂
Iceland is already high on my bucket list. Your pictures are perfect and they actually look like screen savers. The tectonic plates, geyser, in fact, everything looks so fascinating.
Thanks a lot Suruchi….