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How To Spend a Weekend in Iceland

How To Spend a Weekend in Iceland

Posted on: Sunday 27 November 2016

three women walking down huge hill in the middle of rural Iceland

Iceland isn't really the type of place you'd think of for a weekend break, but recently I went with some gal pals for three days; although I'd definitely love to go back to explore more because we couldn't squeeze everything in, it was 100% worth doing plus I'll be more clued up ready for the next time I go. If you do fancy a short break there though, I've put together some tips on how to do Iceland in three days, plus just a few tips for visiting Iceland in general (that I can reread myself when it comes to me going back; future me says thank you Amy).

two glasses of prosecco clinking together with two glasses of green juice over the steamy blue water in the lagoon

wooden steps leading up to a log cabin, against the backdrop of a rural grassy expanse

Prioritise // Decide what you want to do the most. For us that was The Blue Lagoon so we made sure we had that booked as a definite before we went and built the rest of our time around that. We would have loved to have seen the Northern Lights and the Golden Circle, but there just wasn't enough time (which is why I'm obviously just going to have to go back). As The Blue Lagoon was our priority, we made sure we were staying near it and explored the rest of the area around there.

Stay rural // We stayed in a wooden cabin in the middle of nowhere on a flat expanse of barren land right next to the sea (sounds grim, but it was bloody great). It was much cheaper than staying in Reykjavik, it was super cosy and it just felt a bit more like real Iceland. I'd say only stay in Reykjavik if you're planning on getting tours from there as there isn't actually much there and it's not as pretty as the rural areas. Although we visited the city and I'm glad we did, I probably wouldn't bother going there again when I revisit celand. It's not difficult to stay rural either seeing as the majority of Iceland is!

Hire a car // With only a short amount of time there we couldn't really do tours to places because they take up quite a bit of time, plus we thought it'd be easier to just do our own thing. We'd definitely have been lost without our car because we were staying so far out we needed it to drive pretty much anywhere (I think this is generally the case in Iceland). It also meant we could make random decisions about where we wanted to go; at the last minute we decided to stop off on the coast on our way to The Blue Lagoon so without the car we'd definitely have seen less and would have spent a fortune on taxis! It goes without saying that you do have be very careful driving in Iceland as the weather is extremely unpredictable. 

blue icy choppy waves against black rocks

snowy path leading up to snowy mountains, moody sky

Don't underestimate the weather // As I briefly touched on above, the weather is very changeable and often very quickly. We'd just driven through a massive hail storm before the above picture was taken and the ground was clear of snow about ten minutes earlier! I'd like to go back in the summer months because daylight wasn't very long (6 hours) and the wind was ridiculously strong which made it feel bitterly cold. Obviously the romanticised vision of Iceland is being in the snow watching the Northern Lights, but for practicality I think it'd be better to have more daylight hours to see things and for it to be a little warmer so you actually enjoy being outside for long periods of time, although it's personal preference I suppose!

Tips in brief:
- I'd read a lot about it being a requirement to have a naked shower before you enter The Blue Lagoon and a lot of people seemed to be worried about that. Don't worry because there are separate cubicles so it's all very private.
- I'd also read a lot about how bad The Blue Lagoon is for your hair. I did layer conditioner (provided) on before I went in, but I honestly didn't notice any bad effects at all.
- Unlike most other European countries the tap water is very clean and drinkable so you don't need to waste your money stocking up on bottled water.
- It's very expensive for things like food and drink. I don't know if it's just because of the bad exchange rate or if it's just expensive anyway, but be prepared!

Have you ever been to Iceland?

Amy x

Comments

  1. Great tips, I've never been to Iceland but great tips if I do. The Blue Lagoon sound amazing! x
    A Blushing Beauty Blog

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    1. The Blue Lagoon was amazing and definitely the highlight of the trip! xx

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  2. If this was a travel magazine recommendation I would be booking a trip now! Love the photos!
    Dora www.BangsBang.com

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    1. Aw thank you, I would definitely recommend it as a great place to visit :) xx

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  3. Great post and tips! I would love to go to Iceland someday. Some of my friends have been and they are all very positive about their experiences.

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    1. Everyone I know who's gone has loved it - including me! xx

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  4. Great post, the photos are beautiful! I really want to go to Iceland and visit the Blue Lagoon, it must be an amazing experience. And staying in a rural part sounds really good, I love the buzz of the big city but it's always nice to get a little break. Isn't water drinkable in nearly all European countries though? The only place that comes to my mind where you shouldn't drink tap water is Majorca (apparently it's okay on the mainland) but then I haven't been to many places in Eastern Europe xx

    113thingstosay.com

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    1. Thank you, the Blue Lagoon was such an amazing experience and staying rural was definitely the best option as their main city wasn't all that buzzing! I think it depends - it's drinkable but they treat it differently in most places which usually means if you're just going on holiday you're advised to drink bottled water, but if you're there for a longer period you get used to it (which I guess is probably the case for you?) xx

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  5. Your giving me travel envy! I want to visit so bad!
    www.georginadoes.co.uk

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    1. You definitely should, I would 100% recommend it as a destination :) xx

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  6. Iceland is on my bucket list, purely for the Blue Lagoons! I went to Norway last year for around 4 days to see the Northern Lights which thankfully I got to see. Man, the weather is unreal! SO, SO COLD.

    Your photography is beautiful and I think I'll stay in a rural area as I have read the capital city can be expensive!

    Lima
    F A S H I O N I C I D E
    xo

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    1. That's so good you got to see the Northern Lights, that's still on my bucket list! Thank you so much :) xx

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  7. Wow, Iceland is stunning! Thanks for sharing.

    Kisses & Happy Monday,
    BLOG | TAISLANY

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    1. It really is isn't it and it's so much better in person as well! xx

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  8. I love your landscape photography in the last photo! I have to admit I'd not given too much thought before now to visiting Iceland - though clearly it's worth exploring for those who enjoys the outdoors :)

    Gabrielle | A Glass Of Ice x

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    1. Aw thank you :) it was even better in real life! Yeah you definitely have to enjoy the outdoors to enjoy Iceland! xx

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  9. That cabin sounds like the kind of place I would love to stay. I would love to go to Iceland so really enjoyed your post. I hope you are having a lovely day. Gemma x
    www.jacquardflower.uk

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    1. It was so cosy! Thank you, hope you get to go someday! xx

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  10. Thank you, the pictures really don't do it any justice! xx

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  11. Wow only 6 hours of daylight and I've been complaining about the UK's hours of daylight! Lovely photos by the way x

    vvnightingale.com

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    1. Haha I know, made me appreciate it here a bit more! xx

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  12. Love hearing about your weekend there! Iceland has become one of my top bucket list places (it got on the bucket list after I watched the movie The Secret Life of Walter Mitty).

    http://thetatteredpassport.wordpress.com

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    1. It's been on my bucket list for so long and I'd still love to go back! xx

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  13. Lady I LOVE this post (your Iceland content and pictures have been amazing!). I loved Iceland so much when I went - such a beautiful country and it sounded like you had the best time!

    Hayley xo
    www.frockmeimfamous.com

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    1. Thanks so much lovely - I really did have the best time and can't wait to go back! Xx

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  14. I've been daydreaming about going to Iceland for years and I can't wait to finally be able to visit it and enjoy the beautiful landscape! Sounds like you've had an amazing time and can't wait to hear more about it the next time you decide to go there! You're so lucky! xx

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    1. Hope you get to go someday it's such a great experience! I can't wait to go again! Xx

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  15. This sounds great. I quite fancy going myself now! :)

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    1. It was amazing, glad I've made you want to go haha xx

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