Iceland

Travel, Wine Tourism, and Restaurants Forum
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Anyone here been to Iceland? We’re going next month for a short anniversary trip, and we’d love any tips on what to see/do while we’re there.

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Love it. Love it. Love it. You’ll love it too.

We stayed at Hotel Fron and we liked it. But there are plenty of other very nice hotels there too. For fine dining, I highly recommend Laekjarbrekka. Vid Tjornina is very good too. And for the best lamb hotdogs anywhere, you must try Baejarins Bestu which is a little stand near the harbor. Taxis are relatively cheap and the public buses are very efficient. Check out the tourism centers for a Reykjavik Welcome Card to use for public transit, museums, etc. And don’t forget your bathing suit for the wonderful public thermal pools and spas all over town. And, of course, there’s the Blue Lagoon and the short excursions to Gullfoss, Geysir, and Thingvellir. Let me know if you need any more rec’s. You’re going to have a blast.

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Great place. Love the fish at the restaurants. Blue Lagoon is a must. I also rented a care and drove around the south west of the island. Stopped at geysers and waterfalls.

Truly sublime.

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Driving this time of year in Iceland can be an adventure, lots of ice on the roads. We’ve been 4 times and have quite enjoyed our stays. The landscape is something that pictures just do not prepare you for.

The best part is if you have time to get away from the Reykjavik area. We spent some time in Myvatn, Akureyri and Husavik. Myvatn Nature Baths are way better than the Blue Lagoon, if for no other reason than fewer people and it’s open after dark http://www.jardbodin.is/english/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

If dining in Reykjavik find Prir Frakkar. It’s away from the main area, but the food is almost worth the flight and it is distinctly not a tourist trap.

Also, try the crazy stuff they eat, puffin, hakarl and others, you may not like them all, but it’s good fun. (You might even try the whale, as sushi it is delicious)

As for wine, well there aren’t many choices, and they all are pricey, beer would be my recommendation.

The hotel we enjoyed best was Hotel Borg but they’ve all been nice and very accommodating.

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Was there in the early 90’s on a two week Navy reserve active duty at the NATO base in Keflavik. Landscape is very lunar-like, but pretty in a stark strange way. Saw Gullfoss and Thingvellir and Stroker geyser. Good fish and lamb in the restaurants (they have seagull and puffin also [cry.gif] ). I guess there is great salmon fishing if you have the time. Saw a bit of the “northern lights”. Was there in October and it was more night than day. Also went spelunking, that was a trip! Iceland would be cool for a geologist. Oh and the water in the hotels smells like sulpher.

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I was in Iceland for about a month last summer, so obviously conditions will be quite different for you than they were for me. Darryl offered up some very good advice: get out of Reykjavik if you can. Nothing against the city, but to experience Iceland you have to get into the countryside. With luck, you’ll be able to catch the northern lights. Make sure you rent a 4x4 vehicle as some roads will be impassable without one.

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Melissa - I was there in October for business, so only had a day of sightseeing. The Golden Circle tour was fantastic - we got a driver/tour guide and it takes the better part fo a day from Reykjavik. The food was much better than I anticipated, both the seafood and the Icelandic lamb is very good. If you want any details, shoot me a PM.

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Thanks for all the tips. We are booking a golden circle tour, but not getting a car of our own.

As ridiculous as it sounds, one of the biggest struggles I have with travel is packing the right footwear. We try to travel light, and shoes take up a lot of luggage space. With that in mind, if anyone can answer these questions, I’d really appreciate the guidance…

  1. Is Reykjavik similar to a European city with regard to how people dress for dinner? I’d never walk into a restaurant in Paris or Amsterdam in clunky all-weather mocs, but they’re not at all out of place here in the Pacific Northwest.

  2. If you were there in the winter months, did you find snow boots necessary? Did you walk across a lot of uneven terrain on the golden circle tour, or mostly stick to looking out a car window or walking on paved roads? My best urban walking shoes (I’ve walked twelve hours in these w/o the slightest ache) are Dansko clogs, which are positively deadly on uneven terrain.

So… yeah. If you were visiting Iceland in March and you only had room for the shoes on your feet and one extra pair in your suitcase, what would you pack?

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I wore what I have been for over 12 years. When it snows, my hiking boots are close by! What I do remember when going outside the city is that there are no ropes or chains forbidding you from walking into unchartered territory. Thus your clogs are not the best to bring. Leave them home. I was in Iceland, the last week of March and there was alot of snow on the ground.

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Thanks Mike-- it sounds like boots are in order. In general, did you find the restaurants to be dressy, or pretty casual for dinner?

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Casual is the way to go. I don’t think we took anything dressier than jeans and hiking type shoes. You’ll likely be walking in snow or some remnants thereof quite a bit, so be prepared.

Mike is right about no ropes or chains, you can venture about at your own risk. It’s a beautiful thing.

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Melissa, most of the restaurants I’m most familiar with in Reykjavik (Lobster House, Perlan, Vox - Nordica Hotel and Seafood Cellar (I believe at the Holt Hotel) are sort of semi-casual. I’d feel comfortable in a jacket with no tie.

The better places in Reykjavik are not as dressy as NY, SF, London or Paris. The town still has a neat frontier, small town feel to it.

Have fun, Iceland is wonderful!

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One of my all-time favorite vacations was to Iceland. But, I did go in the summer months.

Off the top of my head, I remember really enjoying:

Riding snowmobiles on the glaciers
Horseback riding in the lava fields
GULFOSS!!!
The Blue Lagoon (although a bit touristy) & all the geo-thermal swimming pools
Waterfall and Geyser trips
4x4’ing on the black beaches
A couple of good museums
Shopping for an Icelandic sweater
Good (but expensive) food
Some good clubs

FWIW, there is a tourist center at the bottom of the main street (forgot its name)…but they make it VERY easy to plan trips…

If you want specifics on anything listed, let me know and I’ll dig out my journal.

Such a friendly, clean, safe, unique place - HAVE A BLAST!!!

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OH!!! Don’t forget a hotdog from here!!!

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If you like sculpture…check out Ásmundur Sveinsson.

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Melissa,

The March 2010 issue of Food & Wine has an article on Iceland. I know, I know, it’s not really much of a food/wine authority, but there might be some interesting info for you.

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If you have a chance before you go, read “The Geography of Bliss: One Grump’s Search for the Happiest Places in the World” by Eric Weiner, or at least the chapter on Iceland.

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Thanks Kim-- if there were any specific restaurants or clubs you loved, I’d love the info. Did you visit the Phallological Museum by any chance? Gawd, what a concept.

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Oh, that looks fantastic! It’s on its way to my Kindle now. Thanks [ken.gif]!

Jimmie, thanks for the F&W tip. I’ll be on the lookout for it.

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We’re back from Iceland, and we really enjoyed it. It’s such a great deal right now that I’ve decided to return next week with my 12 year old daughter. We will have a bit more time than Steve and I had there-- six days instead of three. We already have a second Golden Circle tour booked (I loved the first one) so now I’d like to branch out and see a little more of the island. Has anyone toured the south shore or the Snaefellsness peninsula?

Is this a shuttle bus ride away from Reykjavik, or more of a day trip?