15 March 2023

One of the first questions people ask me when considering a trip to Iceland is, “When is the best time to go?” It’s hard to answer because Iceland is so varied in nature and wildlife and the weather is so unpredictable. Your experience can be completely different depending on what time of year you visit. We travelled out 9th March, it was a surprise trip to Celebrate my Husbands 40th Birthday, we expected the cold temperatures, but nothing could quite prepare us for that freezing Icelandic wind. It was -14* on the coldest day but felt like -20* it really is no joke, take all the thermals and lots of layers with you because as soon as your skin is uncovered it’s so painful. We flew with EasyJet from Manchester with just 1 suitcase between us. Our pre-booked Meet & greet airport parking worked a treat and was definitely worth paying the extra £6 to be able to leave the car right outside the terminal building and have just a short walk to check-in. We had a slight delay departing as the aircraft needed to be de-iced at Manchester Airport, however after a short 2-hour 40-minute flight we arrived at Keflavik Airport. I pre-booked our 45-minute coach transfer to Reykjavik, which saved time and money and allowed us to sit back, relax and take in the wintery Icelandic countryside. We stayed at the very central, Hotel Von, Reykjavik, a great location in a bustling part of the city right next door to a supermarket across the road from the many shops, restaurants, bars and cafes, the harbour, rainbow street and many other sight-seeing attractions was just a stone’s throw away. Getting around Reykjavik is really easy and there are lots of options: buses, taxis, electric scooters – we opted to see the city on foot as the buildings around us was fantastic. Reykjavik has so much to offer, we decided we would just get wrapped up and have a wonder around. After turning the corner from our hotel we found ourselves at the seafront and face to face with the impressive Sun Voyager, we took a few photos and carried on as the wind was biting at us. We had a walk down Rainbow street and visited the Church, you can have a look inside and take the lift to the top to take in the views over the city. We stopped off to eat at gastro pub and enjoyed a bottomless brunch, the tapas menu gave us the option to try lots of different food options that we may not have tried normally. At a very reasonable £40pp we had our fill before heading back to our hotel to get ready for the Sky Lagoon trip we had booked. The Sky Lagoon – WOW! You can choose the Pure lite Pass, Pure Pass or the Sky Pass, we opted for the Sky pass which gave us the private changing facilities and the amazing 7 step ritual, and let me just say this was worth every penny. The peace and the tranquillity you get from the spa, leaves you feeling so relaxed and with silky soft skin. It doesn’t at all feel commercialised, it was quite busy as we chose to visit at Sunset but you almost forgot anyone else was there as its quite rustic and plenty of room for everyone. You can add your card details to your wristband before you enter and you can enjoy up to 3 drinks at the lagoon bar. A Visit to Iceland is not complete without a visit to The Golden Circle. We did this as part of a escorted tour, our guide, Jacob, was fantastic. He had a wicked sense of humour and kept us all very well informed. I did consider hiring a car and doing the golden circle as a self-drive, which would have been quite easy to do as the roads good and are very quiet. But we would have missed out on lots of information, the only negative would be we could have done with more time (isn’t that always the case) we had just over 30 minutes at Thingvelir, 1 hour 20 minutes at Geysir, 45 minutes at Gulfoss waterfall and a quick 20 minutes at Kerid Crater. After I tried to take my gloves off for photographs in -14* and nearly froze my fingers off (so painful) it became clear to why you get a maximum of an hour at each place. Iceland is very a very beautiful place to visit, Reykjavik is a natural starting point for any visit to Iceland, and not undeservedly so. The Capital is renowned for its culture, history, and natural beauty on all fronts. I can positively say I will return one day and experience Iceland in the summertime and visit The North. I will never forget the cold bitter wind, but the warm hearts of the Icelandic people. **Weekend break top tip – pre book as much as you can to maximise your break and reduce the amount of time deciding what to do. Some trips include Multiple tickets if you don’t have much time** If you are looking to plan your next weekend break, call me on 01482270081 or email me at shelley.kaufmann@travelcounsellors.com