Iceland has been the ultimate hot spot the last few years. Tourism is up by 40% from 2015 to 2016 and climbing steadily ever since. I’ve dreamt about visiting a destination where I might have the opportunity of catching a glimpse of the Northern Lights for as long as I can remember. Literally on a whim, I found myself booking a trip to Reykjavik for the beginning of February 2017. What lead me to taking the plunge was finding a really awesome deal with WOW Airlines. While they are no longer in business, there are plenty of other airlines that will get you there at a great price. Here’s a glimpse at where we stayed, what we did and some of my recommendations for while visiting.

While I love hotels because of the amenities, there’s nothing like a rental property when away – especially now that I travel with my toddler. I found the perfect rental in Reykjavik via VRBO.com and booked instantly. This apt had 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, 2 separate living room areas, washer/dryer, full kitchen + dining room and had enough space for us (a group of 5 adults/1 child) and for Victor to run around after a long day out in the city. The location was also perfect and that is KEY!

Click HERE to view our rental.

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Since we were visiting in the heart of the winter season, I decided to book tours vs. rent a car and go on our own. While I have heard great things about exploring on your own, I was little nervous about Iceland’s frequently changing weather while traveling with a 17 month old. We booked all of our tours and transfers through BusTravel Iceland. Click HERE to check out some of their top tours! They were so helpful in assisting me book everything. They were also super accommodating that we were traveling with a child and offered a car seat for each tour. Traveling with kids is a game changer but I found Iceland to be super family and kid friendly.

Day 1:

Blue Lagoon + Northern Lights Tour 

A lot of people will go on and on about how the Blue Lagoon is “touristy” and you know what – it is, but in the BEST way possible. While there are a ton of natural lagoons all over Iceland, the Blue Lagoon is a must when visiting. I could have spent hours here! It was so beautiful, relaxing and exactly what we needed after that overnight flight and time change.

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Chasing the Northern Lights will always be a hit or miss but I was still super excited to do so. I’m so happy to say that we totally lucked out and were able to see them during our tour even though the activity wasn’t super strong.

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Day 2:

Golden Circle 

For Day 2, we went with the Afternoon Golden Circle Tour. This worked out perfectly because it allowed us to get a good nights rest since we weren’t picked up until about 10am. With this tour we were able to visit and explore the Geysir geothermal area, Gullfoss waterfall, Þingvellir National Park and Kerið volcanic crater. All of these locations were simply breathtaking! It started to snow these huge flakes while we were at Kerið for about 5 minutes and then a beautiful rainbow came out and it was sunny. This was the perfect example of the Icelandic saying “If you don’t like the weather, just wait 5 minutes.”

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Day 3:

Southern Iceland

This was our last full day in Iceland and we spent it exploring Seljalandsfoss Waterfall, Skógafoss Waterfall, Sólheimajökull Glacier and Black Sand Beach. The Southern part of Iceland was amazing. I feel like it is a must see when visiting. 

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Our flight home the following day was late in the afternoon so we spent the morning walking around Reykjavik. We came across some really awesome shops, cafes, street art and hot dog carts (which are super popular in Iceland!)

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A few tips I would give anyone planning a visit to Iceland would be the following:

Book early! Because of the booming tourism, hotels and apartment rentals sell out quickly.

Plan ahead! Regardless if you plan to explore on your own or book tours, there’s nothing like being prepared before arriving and having a list of what you want to do and see. This is key if you have a short visit.

It’s all about the layers! Seriously, I was so surprised how not cold Iceland was. OK… I take that back. The night we chased the Northern Lights it was FREEZING but during the day, I was actually hot in my down coat. The weather is unpredictable so make sure to check the weather forecast before heading out there and remember to pack layers (long sleeves, leggings, snow pants etc.) These items will be easy to put on and take off  depending on how the weather turns out.

Budget wisely! I always try to save a little more than what I originally budget for spending money while away  because… well, you just never know. Iceland is expensive!! I’m talking like $20 for a burger and $15 for a mixed drink expensive. And gas…. it’s $7.50 a gallon!

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To say that I am in love with Iceland would be an understatement. Visually – it is one of the most beautiful countries I have ever been to. The people were so friendly and helpful and I felt safe the entire time. Waterfalls are everywhere and the scenery will leave you breathless. 

If you have any questions about Iceland – don’t hesitate to reach out!

Iceland is completely magical! With only 3 nights in this city I wanted to make the most of my time and so for me, that meant booking tours that would bring me to everywhere on my MUST VISIT list. I did a lot of research and compared doing it on our own vs. tours and tour companies and ended up booking with BusTravel Iceland. They were reasonable priced, had a wide variety of tours to chose from and had great customer service. They also were very accommodating that we were traveling with a toddler and even provided a car seat for every tour and transfer we booked.

These are the top 5 tours that I highly recommend not missing on your trip to Iceland.

1. Blue Lagoon 1The Blue Lagoon spa is one of the most popular attractions in Iceland, its natural geothermal water is rich of minerals, excellent to rejuvenate your body and soul. There are a ton of add on services like spa amenities and in-water massages that you can include or you can just pick up a drink from the swim up bar and relax in the warm water. While you have to purchase your entrance ticket in advance from the Blue Lagoon website, you can book your transfer from BusTravel Iceland to be picked up right outside your hotel.

2. Northern Lights Tour

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Catching a glimpse of the Northern Lights is a big reason why a lot of people venture out to Iceland but seeing them isn’t guaranteed. A guided Northern Lights tour is a great way to try to see them because your guide has so much experience chasing the lights that they know exactly where to go to maximize your chance of seeing them. They take you out of the hustle and bustle of the city and head into the quiet darkness of the countryside to enjoy the natural spectacle of the aurora borealis.

3. Golden Circle Tour 

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The Grand Golden Circle is a compact tour that takes you to a series of remarkable and diverse sites in the Southwest of Iceland. On this tour you will visit:

-Geysir geothermal area

-Gullfoss waterfall-

Þingvellir National Park

-Kerið volcanic crater

-Faxi waterfall

4. Southern Iceland Tour

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This tour takes you to various natural pearls along the enchanting south coast of Iceland. The landscape is characterized by strong contrasts, where grown plains meet coarse mountains and fire meets ice. On this tour you will visit:

-Seljalandsfoss Waterfall

-Skógafoss Waterfall

-Sólheimajökull Glacier

-Black Sand Beach

5. Fjords & Into the Glacier

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This tour will take your breath away at each stop! You get to explore the man-made ice caves dug into Iceland’s second largest glacier, Langjökull. From Husafell, you hop on the special glacier vehicles and dive inside the surreal entrails of the Ice Cap Glacier. There, you will witness the effects of global warming as well as Iceland’s seismic history. On this tour you will visit:

-Deildartunguhver

-Hraunfossar waterfall

-Husafell

-Langjökull glacier

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While these may be my top 5 tour recommendations, BusTravel Iceland offers many more tours including premium options that have a max of 15 people per tour which provides a more intimate experience, more flexibility, more free time and more spontaneous encounters than travelling in big groups. They also have special offers which bundles multiple tours to save you money.

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