Back in the summer of 2018, I travelled to Iceland. While I wrote a reflection piece on my time there (4 Things I Learned in Iceland), I never shared the details of the amazing experience I had. My family did the first and last part of our trip (Reykjavík and the Blue Lagoon) ourselves, and the rest with Backroads. We have used this company numerous times, and love every trip! Keep reading for how I spent my time in the beautiful country of Iceland!

Reykjavík

First, we spent a couple of nights in the country’s capital city of Reykjavík. While there, we explored the city a little, even climbing to the top of the Reykjavík’s famed church, Hallgrímskirkja, for an amazing view of the city.

Inside a Volcano

Before leaving the Reykjavík area to begin our hiking trip, we took a day to go inside a volcano! After arriving at the site, we hiked about 2 miles to get to the volcano and descended down 400 feet into it via an open cable lift. I was originally scared to get on the lift, but the experience was well worth it! The rocks’ colors are beautifully vibrant, and even the hike to and from the volcano offered a great introduction to Iceland’s scenery.

Glaciers & Icebergs

With Backroads, we got to see Iceland’s amazing glaciers and icebergs. One day, we took a Zodiac boat to see the amazing Fjallsárlón lagoon and icebergs. Sadly, these ice formations are melting rapidly due to climate change. The beauty you see in the first and second pictures will all be gone soon if humans keep destroying the earth at this rate.

Another day, we got crampons to actually hike on a glacier in Skaftafell National Park. Our guide even took pictures of us to make it look like we were climbing a treacherous slope (bottom left!).

Hidden Waterfalls

Iceland is known for its many waterfalls, and we got to see lots while there. A personal highlight was taking jeeps across rocky lava beds and rivers to then hike out to a “secret” waterfall.

Hiking

One of my favorite days in Iceland was spent in Vatnajökull National Park, where we hiked through beautiful meadows to an overlook of one of Iceland’s glaciers.

Another day, we hiked through some mountains where we actually saw trees, an anomaly!

Hot Springs & Black Sand Beaches

In addition to its glaciers and volcanos, Iceland is also home to many other natural wonders. We got to see some amazing hot springs (and even swim in a more temperate one), and visit a black sand beach. Given the bleakness of the day, it felt like the world was in black and white with just bits of color peaking out.

The Blue Lagoon

Lastly, we spent a night at the Blue Lagoon, Iceland’s most famous attraction. It was very neat, but it is definitely overhyped and therefore overcrowded in the swimmable parts. It is man-made, after all. That being said, it was still neat, and we got to see a beautiful sunset after eating at Moss, Iceland’s only restaurant recommended by the Michelin guide.

That wraps up my time in Iceland! My whole family greatly enjoyed our trip, and we all agreed that is a completely unique country with lots to offer. If you liked this post, please like it and subscribe to my blog below, and be sure to check out my related posts below: