Land of Fire and Ice
Iceland was the very first adventure that Josh and I had as a married couple. Two weeks traveling the Ring Road really changed our lives and introduced us to a natural beauty that cannot even be described. Fun fact, I got bronchitis the first day of our honeymoon and Iceland is not a country that sells over the counter medicine like America. I lived off 5 bags of cough drops for two weeks and it was worth every single second. Check out the rest of this post for our itinerary, where we stayed, and what all we experienced on our Icelandic honeymoon.
How did we spend 11 action-packed days in Iceland? Easy!
Day 1: Arrive in Reykjavik and explore the capital
Day 2: Explored the Golden Circle
Day 3: Explore Reykjavik/Relax in the Blue Lagoon
Day 4: Drive to Southern Iceland (stayed in Hvolsvollur)
Day 5: Drive to the Eastern Fjords (stayed in Stodvarfjordur)
Day 6: Drive to Northern Iceland and hunt Northern Lights
Day 7: Explore Akureyri/Northern Iceland
Day 8: Drive to Western Iceland (stayed in Hvammstangi)
Day 9: Drive back to Reykjavik
Day 10: Relax in Reykjavik
Day 11: Fly home
Reykjavik - Favorite Things to Do
Wow, I loved Reykjavik. What a picturesque, quirky little city. We did so much in so little time, and it truly felt like a whirlwind at times. But we spent about half of our time in Reykjavik, so I truly feel that we made the absolute most of our time. Out of that time spent exploring the capital, a large chunk was spent eating our bodyweight in pastries or sandwiches at Sandholt. Yall. I think of this restaurant/bakery at least once a week. When we weren’t stuffing our faces, we were roaming the colorful streets, exploring the majestically beautiful Hallgrimskirkja (Church of Iceland), and wandering in and out of the little shops that line the streets. We ventured to Grindavik to spend a relaxing day at the Blue Lagoon. For those who may not be aware, the Blue Lagoon is a spa and you do not actually get to touch the real Blue Lagoon because it is way too hot for our skin to handle. However, you do get to see and experience the real Blue Lagoon on your way into the spa area. We planned our Blue Lagoon day well in advance, as you have numerous packages to choose from. Although manmade, the lagoon that you do get to wade around in was beautiful and incredibly relaxing. My absolute favorite part of staying in Reykjavik was actually our day trip to visit the Golden Circle. The Golden Circle consists of Thingvellir National Park, Gulfoss, and Geysir. All three of these sites are utterly breathtaking and unforgettable.
Driving the Ring Road
Many people could not fathom that we chose to drive 2,000 miles around this wild country for almost two weeks for our honeymoon. If you know us, you know this is who we are so this trip was everything we wanted it to be. We drove through snow storms that made me literally think I was going to die, we lived off of peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, and I was sick for the full two weeks! And I would do it all over again. All jokes aside, this drive was an experience that I will never forget. I feel like we pulled over every five minutes to take photos of waterfalls, mountains, and horses. Everywhere we looked, there was something else other-worldly to take in.
As for the car that we drove, it was a rental through a local Icelandic company called Lotus. We drove a small Suzuki SUV and it was perfect for our needs. A Lotus employee met us at the airport at 6am when we arrived and he was fantastic. He went out to the car with us and gave us a rundown of how everything worked. We had no issues during our 11 days of driving, so I have no complaints! We did get buried in the snow at our Air BnB in Akureyri because the snow storm was truly insane. But an Icelandic fisherman came to our rescue and got us out!
Speaking of the insane snow storm, we chased the Northern Lights at 2am in those blizzard-like conditions and it was SO worth it. WOW. Just like everyone else, I have seen numerous photos of those dancing lights in various places around the world. But seeing them in person made my jaw drop to the floor and I was at a loss for words.
My favorite stops along the Ring Road are places and things that we did that I will never forget.
The black sand beaches in Vik made me feel like I was thrown into an episode of Game of Thrones. The crashing waves, the ocean mist, and the black sand really set the mood for an unforgettable place along our Ring Road journey.
This pool is located deep within a valley of mountains and the 20-30 minute hike to find it is well worth the time. The water is warm thanks to the water from a nearby hot spring that feeds into this pool. What made this adventure even more charming is the dog that you’ll notice in the second photo. She is a giant sweetheart and incredibly smart. She leads hikers to and from the pool - how cool is that?
Jokulsarlon is a majestic glacier lagoon. Since we went during the winter, the lagoon was completely frozen. It looked like diamonds scattered across the ground and it was breathtaking. Josh and I skipped ice rocks across the lagoon and it’s still one of my favorite memories from this trip.
The plane crash in Iceland will really make you feel like you’re in outer space (and I’m a sucker for sci-fi). The drive to find the wreckage takes about 10-15 minutes and you are off-road the entire time. The plane is smack in the middle of black sand, complete isolation surrounding it. You can enter the plane, climb on top, view from afar - whatever your adventurous heart desires.
Hvitserkur is a basalt stack located in northwest Iceland. This area was so serene and beautiful. We sat on the rocks, letting our feet dangle over the water and we explored the nearby fields.
Thingvellir National Park was a giant playground for me. There were waterfalls, hiking trails, a giant lake, wildlife, etc. We got to see it completely frozen over and it was a winter wonderland. Thingvellir is part of the Golden Circle
Traveling around Iceland was the trip of a lifetime and I can whole-heartedly say that this wild country changed my life. I spent two weeks exploring a foreign country with my husband and it was the most fun I have ever had. If you are considering traveling to Iceland, DO IT! We went at the very beginning of their winter season, so did lose daylight as our trip progressed. However, we planned our time very carefully to compensate for the loss of sunlight in the latter part of our trip. My advice would be to do your research on all of the different areas of Iceland, decide what sites and things to do are most important to you, and don’t forget to educate yourself on their weather/seasons.
If you make your way to Iceland or if you have already been there, I would love to hear about your trip and what your favorite moments were!
