My trip to Iceland was a bit of a last minute decision. I knew I was going to Ireland in October 2018 and I knew I wanted to go to at least one other country while I was across the pond. So around July, I decided on Iceland. I chose this country for a few reasons… The flights from Pittsburgh to Reykjavick were extremely cheap at the time I was booking. I flew with Wow! Airlines but this airline is no longer in service. The second reason I chose to visit Iceland is because it is en route to Ireland. Lastly, I chose Iceland because I had only 2 days open on my trip… I honestly thought to myself, “What is there to do in Iceland other than see the Northern Lights? Two days will be plenty.” Wow - was I wrong!

Ironically, I didn’t even see the Northern Lights. But I didn’t really care because there are so many other things to do and see in this unique country. I’m pleased with my experience here and I’m happy with everything that l I was able to fit in during my short trip. I’ll tell you all I did and give you my tips and recommendations. Here’s my first tip - schedule more than two days in Iceland if you can afford it.

If you can only afford two days or if you are doing a multi-destination trip, then please follow my lead. Let’s start with a few basics. You will want to rent a car. I rented my car from the airport and it gave me freedom and flexibility. There are many tour buses out there that will take you around the country. This is not a bad option. It just depends on your personal preference. I personally don’t want to be limited to a certain time frame to explore an area. There is also something really spectacular about walking around areas of Iceland with no other tourists (or anyone in general) around. As a solo female traveler, I don’t always recommend this. I can say with confidence that I felt extremely safe the entire time I was in Iceland.

Also, a common question people ask me about Iceland is: What language do they speak? They all speak English. You will be completely fine getting around with the English language. The official language is Icelandic. This is said to be one of the most difficult languages to learn or translate. The majority of people there speak both Icelandic and English. I heard occasional Icelandic spoken between locals. However, anybody I directly interacted with at the bars, restaurants, gas stations, airports, etc. spoke perfect English so there’s no language barrier to worry about. If you want to learn Icelandic, go for it and good luck!

Blue Lagoon

This is a must-do on a visit to Iceland. I’m sure you’ve seen pictures of this place. I’m telling you that the most beautifully edited photos don’t do this place justice. My pictures barely turned out because I chose to visit the Blue Lagoon at nighttime. I went at night because it was significantly cheaper. Pre-booking is required and you can book your tickets here. It can get very pricey. In fact, the entire trip to Iceland can get pricey real fast if you’re not careful. So if you’re a budget traveler (like me) then you’ll have to cut corners on some experiences. Consider how long you would actually like to sit in a hot spring. As a solo traveler, an hour was plenty of time for me. I booked my time slot for the last two hours the lagoon was open. (Hours vary depending on the season.) This did two things: made my price significantly cheaper and cleared the crowds. With any traveling, if you can avoid the “non-rush” times then you’ll get a cheaper and (in my opinion) a better experience.

The Blue Lagoon is about 45-minutes outside of the largest city in Iceland, Reykjavik. This is the city where most people stay while in Iceland (or at least make it their home-base) and I chose to do the same. There’s nothing around the Blue Lagoon other than the lagoon itself but it is very close to the airport. So the smart thing to do is to schedule your Blue Lagoon experience either upon your arrival or right before your departure from Iceland. I chose to go to the Blue Lagoon right after my arrival time. The airport is a small one and I didn’t have any trouble with long lines or waits for anything like luggage, rental cars, etc. I did need to take a shuttle bus to the car rental center. I would say book your time slot for approximately 2 hours after your flight's arrival time.

When you arrive at the parking lot, you’ll see a walkway and you’ll see a building. The walkway takes you to the actual resort so make sure you head towards the building. I’m telling you this because it is really cold in Iceland, especially at night, so walking even just a few minutes in the wrong direction (like I did!) can be extremely uncomfortable. Have your ticket handy and they’ll tell you all you need to know upon check-in. I chose the Comfort Package which comes with entrance to the Blue Lagoon, a silica mud mask, a towel, and one drink. If you have the extra money, you can upgrade to the Premium or Luxury Packages but I was completely satisfied with my comfort experience. I do recommend that if you have a water-proof container or case for your cell phone, make sure you pack it and take it with you to the Blue Lagoon. Even if it's dark, you’ll want a few photos!

Reykjavik

After the Blue Lagoon, I made my way into the country’s capital city Reykjavick. This city is a lot bigger than I expected and it was extremely difficult for me to follow the map or road signs. Like I mentioned, most people speak English. However, the names of the towns and roads just look like a bunch of random consonants put together. So with no GPS, no cell phone service, and a map I could barely read, I drove around in circles for awhile until I did something that I haven’t done in over a decade - I stopped at a gas station to ask for directions.

I finally found my way to my hostel. I’ve only stayed at a few hostels in my lifetime and this one was the fanciest I’ve ever stayed in. Also, the most expensive. I paid about $50/night which is expensive for a hostel but cheap for a hotel. I would recommend this place to anybody traveling solo. It’s called The Loft and you can check out the website here. The staff were extremely friendly and helpful. The public areas include a bar and outdoor patio and offer a safe setting to meet other solo travelers.

Once I checked into my hostel and put my stuff on my bed, I went back to the bar area. I started chatting with one of the staff members and he asked me how long I was staying and what I had planned on doing during my time in Iceland. I told him I just arrived this evening, I already did the Blue Lagoon, and I have about a day and a half left in Iceland. I told him I was considering The Golden Circle. This is a popular tourist drive that takes you around the center of Iceland. You’ll see some of the most popular waterfalls and geysers. I told him I would probably do that but I wasn’t sure if I wanted to book a tour bus or drive myself.

When he realized I had a rental car, he got so excited and told me to skip the Golden Circle. He told me that I can come back to Iceland and do the Golden Circle anytime. He says the Golden Circle is filled with tourists but if I wanted a better experience in Iceland that I should drive the Southern Coast. I went along with it and chose the road less traveled. It did not disappoint.

The view from The Loft’s outdoor balcony bar

Southern Coast

I spent the rest of my first night in Iceland having a glass of wine and drawing circles on a map. The guy from the hostel recommended to me about 12 places to visit along the route. He told me I wouldn’t have time to do all of them so he gave me a few must-sees then told me to pick and choose. We used Google Maps on my iPhone and he “starred” (or saved) all of the recommended places. I still have this on my iPhone so I’ll provide you the list in case you want to make this drive one day. I didn’t get to see it all. In fact, I only made it to a few places. The drive itself takes about 5 hours one direction. I followed his advice to drive the entire 5 hours to the farthest destination and then visit places on the return trip. That way, I could squeeze in as much as possible during the daylight hours.

I woke up and left around 5am (I had about 4 hours of sleep) and started my drive along the southern coast. At this point, I had only seen Reyjkavic at night so I had no idea there was a huge flattop mountain, Mount Esja, in the backdrop of the city. This was a pretty spectacular surprise and it made it hard for me to focus on the road. I had no choice other than to focus on the road, though. As soon as I got out of the city limits, I was driving through a snowstorm. I could barely see but I managed. There weren’t very many other cars on the road.

A sunrise drive along Highway 1 in Iceland

I traveled about two hours before I got to the small town of Vik. I was told this was the last “town” before the road trip so I filled up my tank. I didn’t do a lot of research prior to my Iceland trip so I had no idea (and I still don’t have any idea) how their number system works. You do have to pre-select how much you want to spend on gas. So I inserted my credit card and thought that 5,000 sounded like plenty. I selected the option for 5,000 and put the pump in the tank and it pumped gas for about 6 seconds. So I tried again and this time selected a number that had at least 5-digits in it and this gave me (just barely) enough to make it to Glacier Lagoon and back.

I also grabbed a large bag of potato chips and some gas station coffee. Food in Iceland can get really pricey. When people ask me how I can afford the life I live, I tell them it’s because sometimes I’ll go an entire day in a foreign country eating just potato chips and gas station coffee. Also, I usually skip out on full-night’s sleep when I travel aborad. This way, I can squeeze in a lot of activities into a short amount of overnight stays. Like in Iceland. Where I paid for two nights in a hostel and fit in almost a week’s worth of activities.

But if I were to do this road trip again, I would’ve given myself more time. I would’ve started the drive in the middle of the night so I got to Glacier Lagoon around sunrise. Unfortunately, I did not get to see some of the amazing waterfalls up close. However, I could see them from a distance on my drive. As I mentioned before, the drive from Reykjavik to Glacier Lagoon takes approximately 5 hours. I was told it is one road (which it is - Highway 1) and that there are plenty of towns to stop at along the way. What I didn’t realize is that in Iceland, two buildings and three houses built next to each other is considered a “town” and many of these “towns” don’t open their doors until 10:00am. So if you leave in the middle of the night or even first thing in the morning (around 5:00am) don’t expect to find snacks or a bathroom along the way.

What you can expect is amazing views and ever changing scenery. You’ll see mountains and waterfalls on your left… ocean views on your right. There are plenty of areas to stop on the side of the highway to take photos or stretch your legs. Keep an eye out for the horses! They have a unique look to them. I wasn’t able to get any photos of the horses so you’ll have to see for yourself.

Glacier Lagoon and Diamond Beach

I enjoyed so many places in Iceland but I’d say that Glacier Lagoon was my favorite. Glacier Lagoon and Diamond Beach are in the same area. If you’re coming from the west coast (which you most likely would be coming from Reykjavick) then the lagoon is on your left and the beach is on your right. (The beach is on the coastal side!)

I was so excited to see a site after over 5-hours in the car. I ended up spending more time here than I expected. I spent over 2 hours here. Since I spent so much time here, I had to cut out a lot of sites on the way home. But I was just enthralled with the natural beauty of Iceland. Upon arrival, I went to the first lagoon (this is right before you cross the bridge to get to the main lagoon) and it was just me and a few other tourists. I parked my car and walked down a hill and came across this magical scene of seals (or maybe sea lions, I’m not sure?) bopping their heads out of icey blue water. There were bits and pieces of glaciers floating around in the water. It was so quiet and serene.

After about a half hour of soaking it in, I drove across the bridge and found where all the tourists were hanging out. I explored this area for another half hour or so. There is an option here to take a guided boat tour. If I had more time and money, I probably would’ve done this. Maybe next time.

Side note: Next time I go to Iceland, I would probably do a road trip around the entire country and book cheap hostels along the way. Let me know if you want to join me!

So after I spent some time at Glacier Lagoon, I drove across the street to park then walked down to the most unique beach I’ve ever seen. If you don’t know this about me, I spent 4 years living and working on cruise ships and I’ve seen A LOT of beaches... Mostly Caribbean beaches. Caribbean beaches are beautiful but they all have a similar appearance. Diamond Beach looked like no beach I had ever seen before.

It has black sand and ice chunks along the beach that look like diamonds. That’s how it got its name. You cannot swim here for the obvious reason that the water is extremely cold. The other reason is because of “Sneaker Waves” which you should be mindful of anytime you are at a beach in Iceland. Sneaker Waves are giant waves that will come out of nowhere. Thankfully, I didn’t come across any of these waves. They can be dangerous and deadly and come with no warning. You have a better chance of seeing the Northern Lights than you do seeing a Sneaker Wave. I saw neither.

After an hour of wandering around the diamond-like ice chunks, I remembered that I was 5 hours away from Reykjavick and I also had about 5 hours left of daylight. So I got back in my car and headed back the way I came. When you make the drive in Iceland, you will cross many bridges. The highway itself is a two-way highway but the bridges are one-way so be aware that only one car can cross at a time. I think the rule is that the car that gets there first gets to cross (like at a stop sign) but I’m really not sure. But you won’t see a lot of other cars on the road.

About an hour away from the glacier and lagoon area, you’ll see a lot of Iceland moss. Keep an eye out for this when you are coming or going. You might be able to get out of your car in some areas but you cannot step on the moss. There’s not really a lot of grass in Iceland, just moss. Apparently there was a volcanic eruption in Iceland and it poured out molten lava. The lava cooled down and developed into a rock and the moss started growing over top of the lava rocks. The moss creates a pretty cool visual so keep an eye out during your road trip.

Fjadrargljufur Canyon

This is the other big stop I made on the way back. This is an ancient, massive river canyon. It’s not far from the main highway. It is about a 15-20 minute uphill walk until you get to anything worth seeing. It doesn’t cost anything but I think you can pay around $7 for a guided tour. I chose not to because there’s signs along the way to easily follow.

I don’t have a whole lot more to say about this area because it’s just one of those views you have to experience for yourself. I did go around dusk and once I got to the top, most of the tourists left. There was a brief moment where I was standing on top of a mountain in Iceland with glacier views all around me. I could see for miles but I couldn’t see any other human or animal. It was one of the most surreal feelings I’ve ever experienced. I don’t think I’ve ever had a moment of travel like this one. I was completely isolated but I also felt very safe. This only lasted a few minutes before another group of tourists came up to where I was… but if you have an opportunity to stand on a mountain in Iceland by yourself and just look around, take that opportunity!

At this point of the road trip, I had seen waterfalls, beaches, lagoons, canyons, and moss fields. I still had a lot to check off of my list but the sun was disappearing quickly. I decided that I will need to come back to Iceland again one day. I continued driving back towards Reykjavick and saw signs for Reynisfjara Beach. I do enjoy the beach at night time and I considered stopping here just to check it out. But then I remembered Sneaker Waves. So I kept on driving…

And then I started getting low on gas. And I’m not really sure what I would have done if I ran out of gas. No cell service, no towns nearby, barely any other cars on the road. I guess what I’m trying to emphasize is to FILL UP as much as you can before you venture on this southern coast road trip. I was able to make it back to Vik and get gas in the tank.

I arrived back to my hostel in Reykjavik very late in the evening. The hostel bar was very lively so I went upstairs for a beer. Since it was not only my second night but also my last night in Iceland, I sat in the hostel bar’s outdoor area and looked for the Northern Lights but they were nowhere to be seen. I ended up talking to another solo traveler. It was his first night here. I felt like quite the expert at this point so I told him all about my travels so far. We were both hungry so we walked the 5-minutes into the downtown area of Reykjavik and got some bar food and drinks. We met some other travelers from Australia and we all shared some of our travels stories and experiences. Around midnight, I went to sleep in my 8-bed bedroom and get my rest. My favorite place in Iceland was the Glacier Lagoon but my favorite experience is what came next...

Iceland in 24 hours. Here are some clips from Blue Lagoon and my drive along the Southern Coast of Iceland.

Mountain Top Yoga and Meditation

I found this adventure through the Airbnb website. Once I booked my hostel through Airbnb, I was provided a list of different adventures that they recommend. You can find all the information about booking and pricing here.

This is the description of the Airbnb Adventure from their website:
“We will meet at my farm, it is about a 20 minute drive from Reykjavík. From there we will hike to the mountain top (40 minutes hike). The hike does not involve any climbing but is quite steep as we get closer to the top. When we reach the top we will start our yoga and then go into meditation where we will become part of nature. We do the mountain top yoga in most weather conditions, since some of the biggest meditational experiences come in "bad" weather.

This is the perfect way to start your day if you are planning a golden circle tour or a trip to Thingvellir National Park since the farm is right on your way.”

This adventure was amazing! It was also more difficult than I expected. The 40-minute hike was no joke. I was also running on a very little amount of food and sleep. Hordur, the host, is a really great tour guide. Our tour group consisted of me, a couple from Germany, another solo American traveler, and Hordur. During the hike, he stopped 3 or 4 times to give us some interesting facts about Iceland and its culture. They really like elves in Iceland! There is an area on the mountain that we were not allowed to go to because that’s “where the elves live”. Hordur offered us “Elf water” which is the water streaming down the mountain. He had a cup and filled it with the clean, fresh water. While we were drinking the water he pointed out that we could see Reyjkavick from where we were standing. He mentioned that there’s very few places in the world where you can be within eyesight of a major city and the water is pure enough to drink. Basically, there’s not a lot of pollution in Iceland which is awesome!

When we got to the top, I didn’t think I was going to make it. I only packed two pairs of shoes for this trip so I was wearing boots that were more “fashion” boots and less “hiking” boots. I couldn’t feel my feet by the end of the hike because they were numb from walking in the snow. I thought about turning around but I had already told so many people that I was going to do yoga on a mountaintop in Iceland so my pride (and some hand holding from Hordur) pushed me to the top of the mountain.

Hordur poured us all some hot tea as we soaked in the views of Iceland’s capital. He continued to tell us interesting facts about Iceland. One that sticks out in my memory is that Iceland has more published books per capita than any other country in the world. Icelanders love to read and write. The reading and writing usually happens in the winter when Iceland only experiences a few hours of sunlight.

Then we did yoga. Cold yoga! I teach and practice yoga in a hot yoga studio so this was a new experience. It was a very basic flow. Hordur admitted to us that he’s not a certified yoga instructor. His background is in banking and he was very successful in his business. But also stressed out. So he started taking his dog (who was also on the tour with us) on hikes and realized that his backyard was the perfect place to do yoga. He started a daily routine of hiking, yoga, and meditating and then it turned into a side-business once he partnered up with Airbnb. I think he was able to quit his banking job and now just hosts these hikes and works with the horses on his farm. The yoga was good but the meditation was even better. My anxiety level was on high but I was able to calm myself a little during this 10-minute meditation. At one point, he had us lay on our bellies and smell the moss and breathe in the energy of the volcanic ashes underneath us. What an experience!

Then we hiked down and he had us help him release the horses from the stable and into the field. So I guess I did get to see an Icelandic horse… I’m not sure if he normally does all of this extra stuff. I was here late in October and he told us that we were his last tour of the year because it gets too dark starting in November. He then invited us into his home. Wow!

He brought us in for coffee in his beautiful home where he lives with his wife and five kids. I never thought I’d be sitting at a dining table, chatting over coffee in someone’s home in Iceland but here I was! His home was filled with skylights so he could view the Northern Lights. He had a piano and his home was decorated with his wife’s paintings. He told us about Iceland Christmas and that everyone gets books for Christmas and then they spend Christmas day relaxing and reading. I got a real feel for the simplicity of life in Iceland.

Hot Springs

I had just a few hours left in Iceland. I had already checked out of my hostel and had time for one more activity. I asked Hordur and he recommended either going to the continental divide or the local hot springs. I really wanted to take a shower before my international flight so I chose the hot springs. I do wish I would’ve gone to the continental divide instead. The hot springs were refreshing and I did enjoy sitting in them while admiring the mountain views in the distance. But it had a real “community pool” vibe to it. Groups of school children were here on field trips. The springs were also man-made and I was hoping for a natural hot spring. I honestly can’t remember the name of this particular hot spring that I went to but I can direct you to this Guide of the Top 30 Hot Springs in Iceland.

After the hot springs, my short time in Iceland was up. I made the hour drive back to the airport and enjoyed the views along the way. I returned my car and got on my return flight back to Pittsburgh.

Summary

You can do Iceland in two days but I would recommend more. I also would go at a different time of the year. I went in October when the daylight hours ended around 7pm. If you go in the summer (mid-May to mid-August) the sun only sets for about 3 hours. This will allow you so much more time to see all the natural sights there are to see in this unique country. Rent a car and give yourself some freedom in your itinerary. My yoga hike was only scheduled for 2 hours but it lasted almost 4 hours because I accepted the invitation to have coffee and hang out with the rest of the group in his home. Don’t get your heart set on seeing the Northern Lights but be happy if you do get to see them. Know that there’s so much more to do here. If you want to see just how beautiful our planet is then please go check out Iceland! You won’t be disappointed.

Iceland