We’ve been to Iceland twice – the first time back in December of 2021, and most recently in March of 2024. Both trips were amazing, and we did different activities but the main purpose for both was to see the northern lights. Also, one of the reasons why we went to Lapland – we didn’t have luck on our side although it’s one of the better places to see them. Lapland blog is up!
But before we get into the details, this blog has various links embedded so you can quickly access the things I talk about. Some of those links may be affiliate meaning I earn some commission through them however this is a disclaimer that this does not influence my opinion. I will still share my honest thoughts and only recommend what I would do myself.
So, we did see the lights for the first time in our most recent trip in March, and I would say that March overall, provides a better experience – it’s warmer and has clearer weather meaning that lights are more likely to be seen and the day excursions are more pleasant.
But let’s rewind a bit and start from the beginning – I will take you through the whole trip, and you can pick and choose what sounds best for your trip to Iceland.
If you don’t already know, I am based in the UK. My main airports of use are Edinburgh, Manchester and Leeds – however that’s not to say the best deals are there – for most cases the best deals are in London airports but that’s a bit too far for us (actually on the opposite end to us). Our flights in 2021 were from Manchester and we paid around £100 per person (return), our flights in March were from Edinburgh and cost us a bit less of around £70 per person (return). I have definitely seen cheaper flights in London, so if you’re based closer to there, it’s good to keep an eye out for deals. Ah, it’s worthy to note that for both I have made bookings around 2 months before the trip – but I had it on my radar a lot earlier – it will just depend on your budget and personal circumstances, so if you can start looking earlier and making those bookings few months before, it can be even cheaper (those early bird deals).
We do usually just travel with backpacks, which was fine in March – but if you’re going in one of the colder months then it’s worth adding at least a 10kg suitcase for thicker clothing and layering – in December it was -5 but can get lower.
The flight takes around 3hours and you will land in Keflavik, which is about 45mins drive from Reykjavik (the capital) – airlines will often say flight to Reykjavik but that is a bit deceiving – Reykjavik only has a domestic airport. Iceland’s international airport is Keflavik and I would be surprised if you flew in anywhere else. Due to this, you will need a source of transport to the capital or anywhere else you’re planning to stay.
We book coach transfer from the airport to the capital with Reykjavik Excursions, or you can also find coach transfers on Getyourguide or rent a car. We don’t drive, and if we did, I would generally avoid winter months as it can be quite dangerous if you’re not a local. The coaches cost us £80 return for the both of us (meaning it covered transfer to the capital and then back to the airport). You get to choose the date and time, although the transfer from the airport is quite flexible so if your flight is late, it doesn’t matter as you can get on at any time on any available coach. They are located outside of the terminal, are quite big white coaches and will say Reykjavik Excursions/ Flybus on them.
Once you get to Reykjavik, they will drop you at the main bus terminal unless you chose drop-off (which is a bit extra). The terminal is quite close to the centre and on average for both visits it was about a 20-minute walk from our hotels.
Hotel-wise, the first time we stayed with Centre Hotels (through booking.com) and although it is a nicer hotel, it has gone up in price when we checked for our March trip. Back in 2021 we paid around £300 for 3 nights, whereas 3 nights in 2024 cost double of that. This is not to discourage you, as it might fluctuate based on month and other factors. It would have probably been cheaper months before – so if you have that flexibility to book months in advance, it can be worth it. Some Booking.com hotels has options where you can pay at a later date but reserve now.
Our most recent stay was with Hotel Local 101 and for 3 nights we paid around £300 which included continental breakfast. Again through booking.com- the hotel(s) are linked, just make sure to change to your dates.
The room was nice and clean, and if you’re planning to be more outside then inside, then we would definitely recommend! It is also close to the harbor which is nice in scenery and food options. More about that in a bit!
I’m going to list the activities from each and include booking links so you can choose what you’d prefer, and create your own itinerary:
TRIP 1
Day 1: Flight into Iceland
– Early arrival around 11am
– Coach to Reykjavik
– Check into hotel
– Explore city centre – pretty houses, Hallgrímskirkja cathedral, rainbow street, walk along the coast where you can see mountains and the Sun Voyager sculpture.
– Northern lights tour – big bus (didn’t see them and the rest of the week it was also cancelled due to weather so we couldn’t re-book but they do give you the chance to re-book)
Day 2
– Breakfast from a local pastry shop – we got some cinnamon buns which were amazing!
– Coach to blue lagoon at 12noon (around 45mins to get there). You can book the coach and entry to lagoon separately or in a package (links included).
- We stayed at the Blue Lagoon until 4pm and then got the coach back to Reykjavik
A bit about the blue lagoon:
If you book the standard pass, you get a free drink and a facial mask included. There is no private changing rooms but you do get a locker for yourself.
The water there is really blue and warm. I did enjoy it overall, but two things to note is that you will get whiffs of sulphur which isn’t that pleasant, and if you go in the winter, high chance you will encounter hail. We did and had to hide as it felt quite painful to be hit by little sharp balls of ice. But aside from that, it’s beautiful and relaxing.
Day 3
We walked from the city centre to Sky Lagoon – although the views were lovely it is a long long walk (nearly 2 hours one way). We did see a beautiful black beach and lots of snow covered scenery but not sure if I would recommend this to everyone.
We were at the Sky lagoon from 12noon until 4pm to see the sunset (this was December so it got light at around 10am and dark at around 4pm).
A bit about the Sky Lagoon:
The sky lagoon offers 3 passes – one for entry just to the lagoon, the second one includes the lagoon and the 7 step ritual, and the last pass includes all previously mentioned with a private changing rooms.
The lagoon has gotten more popular so I would recommend booking early so you can get the pass you want.
The 7 steps consist of entering the lagoon, then taking a plunge into a cold pool, then entering the sauna, from which you go for a cold mist, then you get provided with a scrub to rub all over your body, and sit in a steam room that helps to absorb the minerals into the skin (I will warn that the steam room is intense and hard to breath in).
The last 2 steps is washing off the scrub in a cool shower, and then going back into the warm lagoon. The whole ritual consists of going through warm and cool phases which energize and refresh your body. I did feel quite good after the ritual and would highly recommend to anyone considering it.
On the way back we got on an electric scooter – two people on one – which is not really allowed but I was too scared to get on one, and thankfully no one told us off. I do not advise you to do this – especially in winter when it’s icy and you’re zooming through people on slippy surfaces.
We ended the day with a drink at the Magic Ice bar – which you can book here. You get one free alcoholic drink, and everything is made out of ice – the sculptures, the seats and even the glasses you get your drinks in! It was a fun experience, especially when the bar guy asked us to pronounce an Icelandic word and my boyfriend did so well he got an additional free drink!
Day 4 – flight back home
This wasn’t a very exciting day, as we didn’t have much time for exploring but we did go for some Icelandic food at Cafe Loki, which you can see below:
The food was a mix of emotions – it wasn’t bad, some of it was actually nice but we’re just not big on fish. The dessert of rye bread with ice cream was lovely though! Also, if you sit near a window, you’ll have a lovely view of the church!
We shortly got on our coach to the airport as our flight was at 1pm.
Now… onto the 2nd trip, which we enjoyed even more!
TRIP 2
Day 1 – flight into Iceland (landing evening – 7:30pm)
We got the same coach transfer as we did on our first trip, just this time around 8pm! We booked a Northern Lights tour which departed at 9:30pm to link with our arrival, as we arrived at around 8:45pm, and did not want to waste one night!
You can check out some of the northern lights tours here that we considered:
- Cheaper tour with GetYourGuide (£50)
- More expensive tour with GetYourGuide (£107 but you get hot chocolate and photos taken)
- Small tour with Reykjavik Excursions (£80 but no chocolate or photos)
The departure times will differ with each tour so we just went with the one that suited our arrival in Reykjavik. The tour lasted until around 1am – so I would check if your hotel allows late check-in!
We did see the northern lights this time, you can see the video below:
Day 2
We started with breakfast at the hotel and then went to get our coach to the sky lagoon – takes around 15 mins. You can book the coach and the entry separately or as a package with 7 step ritual included (linked).
We stayed at the lagoon for around 4 hours – this time it was quite busy but the weather was really nice – I would recommend going closer to the sunset time as the views are even better. And of course, we did the ritual again – I can’t recommend it enough!
We then got back to Reykjavik and went to the harbor for some lobster soup and grilled fish! You can find many cute restaurants there.
Day 3
Our last day was dedicated to the South Shore tour as it takes around 10 hours but has a packed itinerary. You can book the tour here.
About the South Shore:
The departure for us was at 9am. The tour guide was really insightful about the things we would pass as we drove, such as the lava formations and rivers, waterfalls etc. He would also talk about Icelandic myths and stories. About an hour into the journey, we stopped at a little town to for a bathroom/tea break. We then proceeded down south, onto the Eurasian plate (as Iceland is placed over 2 tectonic plates).
We stopped at the Skógafoss waterfall. You can walk up to the waterfall and also up the stairs to see the waterfall from above. We had around half an hour here. I will warn, if your cardio is not too good, those stairs can feel like hell. We speed-walked up and I was out of breath not even half way into.
The waterfall is beautiful but the closer you get, the wetter you will get so maybe bring some waterproof layers!
We also stopped at the black sand beach (Reynisfjara), with the famous rock formations.
We also stopped at a Glacier which was breathtaking!
And lastly, we stopped at some more pretty waterfalls – in better weather you could go behind the main one but it was really icy so they blocked the path off.
Day 4 – flight back at 5pm
We woke up for breakfast at the hotel and checked out. As we had nothing in particular planned but we love souvenir shopping, we decided to do just that!
A sneak peak of our shopping time:
We then grabbed some food and headed to catch our coach to the airport. I would recommend this little place in Reykjavik for some food too:
Picture is from our December trip but we liked the food here so worth a mention!
List of other activities you can book with links:
- Golden Circle tour
- Whale watching cruise
- Perlan Museum
- From Reykjavik: golden circle and glacier snowmobiling
Feel free to ask any questions/leave comments 🙂
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