NORTH OF THE WALL – “CHEAP” THINGS TO DO IN ICELAND
There is nothing actually cheap to do in Icleand, however there are plenty of activities if you’re willing to take out a loan from the Iron Bank.
Here was our experience. (This is part practical guide, part chronicle of our adventures, and entirely absurd).
- Day 1 – Travel from SFO, The Blue Lagoon, Northern Lights Tour (Attempt 1)
- Day 2 – Snorkeling and Horseback Riding
- Day 3 – Seljalandsfoss, Skógafoss, Jökulsárlón (Thor: The Dark World, James Bond, Tomb Raider, Prometheus, and… The Secret Life of Walter Mitty?)
- Day 4 – Glacier Hike and Ice Climbing (Attempt 1) Reykjavik & Northern Lights Tour (Attempt 2)
- Day 5 – Glacier Hike and Ice Climbing (Attempt 2), Northern Lights Tour (Attempt 2), (Game of Thrones, NOT Lord of the Rings)
- Day 6 – Reykjavik, Travel back to SFO
- Summary
- Practical Tips for the Blue Lagoon, Snorkeling, Horseback Riding, and Ice Climbing.
- Links
Day 1 – Travel from SFO, The Blue Lagoon, Northern Lights Tour (Attempt 1)
We opted for the plus fare, which actually manages to grant you a seat assignment in advance, a carry on bag, and a checked bag. Of course your seat assignments are limited, but you can of course opt for a nicer or larger seat! For another fee. We chose to only carry on. We stuffed our bags to the brim with protein bars, candy, instant oatmeal, and even a travel kettle. Oh yeah and a few layers to keep warm. We knew food was going to be expensive so we wanted emergency options.
On board, we were sat in aisle seats and lucked out in that no one sat next to us. The cushions are paper thin, so prepare for muscle atrophy. As you’d expect there is also no free food on board. I didn’t even see them offer water aside from bottled water (available for $3.99). Is that even legal? Also the power outlets are apparently very spotty. I ended up in a seat sans a working outlet. There’s also only 1 outlet for every 2 people on the larger planes.
The Northern Lights from the plane.
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We lucked out in that the Northern Lights happened to be active that night and we were able to see them from the plane. The captain came on the speaker announcing that they were visible from the right side of the plane. Given the stir that caused, he may as well have been Oprah announcing that everyone got a car. Folks seated in window seats were actually very generous about letting other passengers take a look out the window. What we saw… were milky clouds. Slightly underwhelming compared to the epic photos you see plastered all over the internet. The lights do show up better in photos than to the naked eye, and we were aware that unfortunately the week we were there was going to be end up being pretty quiet on the Aurora activity front.
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At 7:20 am we made our way to the bus stop right outside the airport and loaded onto one of 3 big tour buses full of folks heading directly to the Blue Lagoon. The Blue Lagoon is a geothermal spa in Iceland about 45 minutes outside Reykjavik. It is one of the “must do” items on everyone’s list. And like EVERYTHING in Iceland, it costs some serious dough. Basic entry to the lagoon starts at around $61 USD, that gets you entry, and a mud mask that you slap on yourself.
Once again we opted for just one level up, which got us the additional use of one towel, 1 drink of choice, and an Algae mask as well.
The Blue Lagoon.
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Human soup.
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After drying off we headed on the shuttle towards Reykjavik proper. Iceland has a huge tourism industry so the city has 12 major bus stops that are near the majority of hotels or landmarks. We hopped out at ours (Shout out to #5 – Harpa) and almost immediately ate shit on the ice. Turns out our boots did not have that great of tread on the ice. We checked in, and since we’d been up for about 30 hours at this point (yeah, this is still technically Day 1), fell asleep for a bit.
In an attempt to maximize our chances of seeing the Northern Lights (from the ground) we’d scheduled a Northern Lights bus tour for that evening. The tours leave around 8:30 pm, so we figured even with the Blue Lagoon and checking in, we’d still have a few hours to try to sleep.
Thankfully, our tour was cancelled due to cloud cover obscuring any chance of seeing the lights. I’ve never been so happy to receive a cancellation email.
Day 2 – Snorkeling and Horseback Riding
We became masters of smuggling food out of the buffet (which you are not technically supposed to do, but, desperate times). I’ve never eaten so many bread rolls in my entire life. We were a little timid during our first breakfast, so only took a roll or two each.
Since we knew we were going to be on the road most of the day, and again, that we were trying to avoid spending extra money, we gorged ourselves on the random variety of goods. Lots of bread/carbs, some bananas, surprisingly delicious homemade granola bars, the most horrifying spongy yet dense eggs (hint: eggs aren’t supposed to be spongy) and there was even a waffle maker.
We then headed out to the nearest bus stop where it turned out our driver was already waiting. Our bad… The tours tend to give you 30 minute pickup windows, and were surprisingly accurate about keeping to them.
Of note I know a ton of people rent cars in Iceland, but we are Californians, so not super accustomed to driving in snow, and boy did it snow. We also probably actually spent most of our time in Iceland in various tour buses/vehicles and were grateful for drivers familiar with the roads… and wifi.
So what makes sense to do in the dead of winter in Iceland? Snorkeling of course. Thingvellir National Park is home to the Silfra fissure where the Eurasian and North American continents meet. So of course we had to swim it. In January. If you snorkel you are given a surprisingly warm dry-suit. Your jaw area (around the snorkel) and hands are likely to get the coldest during the experience. The air temperature wasn’t horrible that day, so we had a warmer experience than most probably do in winter. It was the clearest water I’ve ever swam in. There are supposedly a few fish deeper down if you Scuba dive.
Crystal clear.
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Closest points between the Eurasian/North American plates.
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Just keep swimming.
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Before
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After? – Game of Thrones / HBO
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Not one, but two people dropped their phones during the ride, so if you’re going to go (which I recommend) don’t be a dumb dumb.
After our relatively athletic adventure, dinner consisted of… instant oatmeal and some protein bars.
Day 3 – Seljalandsfoss, Skógafoss, Jökulsárlón (Thor: The Dark World, James Bond, Tomb Raider, Prometheus, and…
The Secret Life of Walter Mitty?)
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On the third day, we ignored the sage advice of TLC, and went chasing waterfalls.
After a serious raid on the breakfast buffet we set out on another all day journey via tour bus. Then proceeded to Skógafoss, the more impressive of the two. Fitting that Thor: The Dark World has a scene there, since Thor is from ya know, Norse myth. Too bad it’s in the worst of the Thor movies. |
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We then piled in the bus for almost 3 hours. There are 1-2 stops for “food” which really is just dropping you off at glorified gas station markets. The first such stop had a very sketch restaurant attached to a mini-mart. We caved and spent our money on our first “meal” consisting of: mint oreos, Icelandic yogurt (which is supposedly a must try) and some McVities. Can you tell we’re really classing this thing up?
In the bus we passed the surreal terrain of Iceland, which double as various cinematic alien landscapes, with good reason. Finally we made it to the Jökulsárlón Glacial Lagoon, which is featured in Die Another Day, A View to a Kill, Tomb Raider. |
Die Another Day – MGM
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Our tour guide kept commenting on how The Secret Life of Walter Mitty had also filmed all over. Which I will have to take her word for, as I did not bother to see it.
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Our return drive was pretty quiet, with another stop for “dinner” which had small sized supermarket or an overpriced restaurant. We got more Icelandic yogurt, and I sprang for not one but TWO instant noodles (think Icelandic brand Cup-O-Noodles) to heat up back at the hotel. Best $1.65 I’ve ever spent.
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Day 4 – Glacier Hike and Ice Climbing (Attempt 1) Reykjavik & Northern Lights Tour (Attempt 2)
There are few things as unnerving as being abroad and not having cell phone service. We absolutely take for granted being able to get ahold of whomever whenever. In the dark and snow we waited and waited for our van. As 7:40 am rolled around we decided to eat the cost of calling the tour company to make sure our pickup was still coming.
Turns out our activity was the next day… Whoops!
After trying to sleep for another hour or two (since it was still pitch black) we went to explore downtown Reykjavik. Turns out there’s not a whole lot to explore… We saw the famous Hallgrímskirkja Church (not free, costs $10 each to go to the top, where the only thing to do is take photos of the city skyline… Just giving fair warning on that one). Also the main hall was closed for a school activity when we went.
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We walked around the city a bit and returned to our hotel to await news of whether or not our Northern Lights tour was go… Once again it was not.
We made one last venture out to try the famous “Black Death” which is a liquor you can only get in Iceland. Also known as Brennivín, the drink wasn’t available outside Iceland until 2014.
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Quite frankly it tastes a little licorice-y and a little bit like absinthe, and that’s about it.
Drinks in Iceland, as you can imagine, are obscenely expensive. An AMF was $29 (we did not get one). Dinner was the second of the ramen noodles and you guessed it, more protein bars. |
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Day 5 – Glacier Hike and Ice Climbing (Attempt 2), Northern Lights Tour (Attempt 2), (Game of Thrones, NOT Lord of the Rings)
This time our bus arrived quite on time, since we were waiting on the correct day this time.
We drove about 2.5 hours to Sólheimajökull where we were dropped off by a sketchy AF yellow school bus in the middle of an ice field. Turns out it was full of climbing gear.
We suited up with crampons, helmets, and ice axes, and set out. It felt like we were the Fellowship of the Ring. Fun fact: Lord of the Rings was NOT filmed in Iceland even though it would have been perfect – because apparently Iceland has very strict rules on bringing in animals, and the war horses of Lord of the Rings wouldn’t have been allowed. Somehow Gandalf on an Icelandic pony doesn’t seem quite as intimidating as him on the glorious Shadowfax. That being said it’d have been adorable to see a charge of Rohirrim all on Icelandic ponies.
The Fellowship of the Ring – WB Pictures
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Gandalf on the full sized Shadowfax – WB Pictures
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They also give you an ice pick which looks badass, and I ended up with “Heigh-Ho” from Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs stuck in my head as there were seven of us on the tour.
You hike for about an hour uphill until you come upon a suitable ice wall. Yes, ice wall. The guides then set up a belay rope and hand you some even more badass looking ice axes. The first few people in our group struggled a bit with the technique, but they also weren’t following the technique… so c’est la vie? After the whole group went we hiked further up the hill, took some photos, and began the journey back down. |
I’m not sure why they ran our tour that evening, as the Northern Lights forecast was about 0 activity, and it was a bit cloudy. So what ended up happening is we drove about an hour to the park, all piled out of the bus, walked around for about 5 minutes, and got back on the bus. The guide said she’d come get us if she saw the lights, so about 95% of our tour opted to just wait on the bus. At around 10:45 pm the majority of the other buses began to leave as there was about as much chance of seeing the lights as getting a cheap meal in Reykjavik… However at around 11:15 pm our guide ran onto the bus and said two Auroras were starting to possibly form….
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Everyone piled off the bus, tripods and dslrs came out, and we all waited…
It was most definitely a false alarm. This time 99% of us climbed back on the bus, but some stragglers thought it would be fun to stay outside and chat, keeping the rest of us hostage. When they finally decided to let the rest of us go home, it was near midnight. Assholes |
Definitely NOT the Northern Lights.
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Day 6 – Reykjavik, Travel back to SFO
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Breakfast again! The last hurrah.
We looked at our flight to see if it’s on time, and it’s a good thing we did, because suddenly it was showing a stop at Spokane, instead of being a direct flight as originally booked. We were a little concerned, so headed to the airport a little early. Keflavík is one of the most efficient airports I’ve ever been to. Bless their hearts. We blazed through the security and customs checks and tried to head to our gate. Turns out that the airport is much busier at 2pm than 3 am… and there was nowhere clear to sit. People were sprawled out all over, and even sitting on the floor. We did discover a nice little waiting area on the basement level of Terminal D that I think most people overlook because it’s more labelled as a children’s play area. However it’s full of additional seating and power outlets. |
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Good thing we did, as somehow our flight was boarding 30 minutes earlier than originally listed.What we discovered thanks to chatting with another passenger, is that we never got the notice that the plane had been downsized, and therefore carried less fuel. Thus necessitating the need to stop over in Spokane. Apparently the email also contained the note that we’d be boarding earlier to compensate. Way to go WOW Air.
I will say they were at least generous about offering sandwiches or mini pizzas to the passengers to make up for the extra time. They also gave free coffee and tea! So generous 😐
The flight back felt way more uncomfortable than the way there. Probably in part because we knew we’d have to make a refueling stop, but mostly because it’s a longer flight. At least our power outlets worked…
To add one last monkey wrench to the plans, we ended up landing in Canada instead of the US, due to I assume some sort of immigration regulations. While time wise this is negligible, what it did mean for at least me, is that I couldn’t connect to a cell network without roaming, and therefore couldn’t download any new shows/movies (I’d burned through the last ration of them prior to landing in Canada). First world problems, I know.
After refueling, it took another 3 hours to get to SFO, at which point I completely lost feeling in my legs.
Summary
I don’t think I particularly regret not sampling the cuisine (fermented shark? that’s probably a hard no from me). Also apparently the hot dogs in Iceland are rather famous, but dietary restrivtions made those somewhat prohibitive for me.
Travel Tips
We were issued fancy wristbands that you can make charges to (similar to the Magic Bands employed at Walt Disney World) and our towels. Once inside we quickly went to the furthest aisle of lockers from the entrance. There are about 2 larger lockers for every grouping of 6, and about 24 lockers per section, and we NEEDED those 2 larger lockers.
They also make you take a proper shower (sans bathing suit) before entering the lagoon. So it was rather a waste of time for us to change into the suits (versus just wrapping in a towel and heading straight to the showers and then getting in the suit in the shower stall).
There are two ways to go into the Lagoon. There’s a smaller indoor ramp inside (which is absolutely what we did) or you can go running out some doors into the frigid air and via a larger outdoor ramp.
One other thing to note before you go into the Lagoon, is that you have to put your towel somewhere, and the hooks fill fast, and the towels look 99% the same. You can leave it in your locker if you want to make sure it stays dry, just be prepared for a dash through the locker room to retrieve it.
As previously mentioned they give you warm clothes to horseback ride in later as well. One odd note, they’ll give you a hat to wear under your helmet (in case you’re concerned about getting horse hair on your regular hat). They do apparently recycle/double use the hats (earlier ride of the day uses one side, they flip it inside out for the second ride). Just fair warning in case you’re concerned about such things.