The post The Icelandic Golden Circle in a Day first appeared on Cosmo Wanderers.
]]>Do you have one spare day in Reykjavik? Then spend it in the Golden Circle trip, no objections please!
The famous Golden Circle is a popular route between 3 of Iceland’s most visited attractions. Starting in Iceland’s capital, Reykjavik, you’ll get a small idea of Icelandic nature beauty. Waterfalls, geysirs, craters, natural hot spring thermal river, all the natural beauty of Iceland in just one day!
Of course you can you drive it in one day!
The Golden Circle covers around 230 kilometres and it can easily be done in one day. There are many guided coach tours but we’d suggest you go self-guided, so that you choose exactly how long you want to stay at each attraction. As throughout our whole visit in Iceland we were stopping every 10- 15mins (we wish it was every 5 mins but we had strict timeline). Have in mind that although you can drive the 230 kilometres in 3 hours, start your road trip quite early, you will need it.
What to visit in Golden Circle in A Day
1. Hrunalaug Hot Spring
After proper research (on Instagram) I found that super cute small hot spring and I wouldn’t stop showing to KK so we had to get there, so first stop: Hrunalaug. This very instagramable hot spring is in a private land. Therefore, you will need to pay about 7 euros to enjoy it. It’s super small so it gets packed up easily, so our suggestion is to go and have a look first before you pay the fee and then decide whether you stay or not. The landscape there is beautiful and there is a small concrete room with a turf roof which makes the scenery even more beautiful but we were a bit unlucky and it was busy already when we got there, so we decided to leave.
Secret Lagoon Hot Spring is nearby but since we were going to Blue Lagoon the day after we were more excited about geysers and waterfalls. But if you prefer hot springs then you might want to go have a look.
2. Gullfoss
Next stop: Gullfoss. Foss in Icelandic means waterfall, so this is another waterfall, a very impressive one and one of the most iconic ones. There is a small path taking you closer to the waterfall. It’s very impressive to see the impetus of the water from that close, it’s a bit scary and wet, so don’t forget your waterproof jacket. The water originating from Langjökull glacier travels in Hvítá river before cascading 32 meters down Gullfoss’ two stages in a dramatic display of nature’s raw power. That waterfalls breaks down in 2 levels which make it very impressive. There is also a local delicatessen from where you can enjoy the view to the waterfall.
3. Geysers
Geysers. These magical “creatures” of nature. Yes, creatures because who says they are not alive? They wake up (ok, erupt, same thing) every a few minutes . I don’t know if you are lucky and you have seen geysers before, but that was my first meeting with something so bizarre. I was standing there waiting for them to erupt and I was getting so excited every time they were erupting and no matter how long we were there, they didn’t let us down, they wouldn’t stop erupting, very reliable! They are located in a geothermal area beside the Hvítá River.
Strokkur is a famous fountain-type geyser and it erupts every 6–10 minutes, as high as up to 30 meters. Some history around it, Strokkur was first mentioned in 1789, after an earthquake helped to unblock the conduit of the geyser. In 1815 its height was estimated to have been up to 60 metres and it continued to erupt until the turn of the 20th century, when another earthquake blocked the conduit again. In 1963, upon the advice of the Geysir Committee, locals cleaned out the blocked conduit through the bottom of the basin, and the geyser has been regularly erupting ever since without letting the visitors down.
Around Strokkur, there are also mud pools and other geysers and it smells funny, I am sure you get what I mean…but the landscape is very unique, you don’t want to miss it.
Geysir (also known as the The Great Geysir) is another famous geyser as it was the first geyser described in a printed source and the first known to modern Europeans. Geysir is not as reliable as the Strokkur as its eruptions are infrequent, it wakes up about 3 times a day and it can hurl up boiling water up to 70 metres, so you would be very lucky to see it waking up.
4. Kerid Crater
When in Iceland, I thought many times that although I would never imagine myself living in this country, it has breathtaking landscapes that I would never imagine and I don’t think I will find in many other countries, well this crater was one of those.
This volcanic crater lake is one of the several in the area which is a volcanic zone. There is a small entrance fee (about 3 euros) to entry. Enjoy the walk around the caldera and take the steps down to the lake. It’s totally worth visiting.
5. Reykjadalur Hot Spring - Thermal River
Iceland is full of hot springs but of course KK chose the one that we had to hike about an hour to get there. Reykjadalur is a long thermal river and at the top there are also a couple small waterfalls. It’s a beautiful place, a natural spa in between mountains but to get there you need to cross the mountains. Some women carrying their children at their back gave me strength and determination to hike all the way up there and I don’t regret it, as relaxing in a hot river surrounded by beautiful pure nature was a unique experience.
On the way there you will see steaming vents and chimneys, beautiful waterfalls but keep walking, you will understand when you will reach the right spot. It’s also worth passing the river with all the people enjoying the warmth of the water and reach the “start” of the river, you will find some really nice waterfalls there.
Tips when visiting Reykjadalur Hot Spring
Tip #1: Apart from your swimming suit and towels , don’t forget to take some water with you as the bath dehydrates you and you had one hour of hiking to get there and one more to get back to the parking.
Tip #2: Although there is a path to follow to get to Reykjadalur it would be good to have trainers, if not proper hiking shoes. The condition of the path depends on the season you are visiting so be ready!
Τip #3: Once you reach the thermal river have in mind that the water is hotter further up stream so you can more or less choose the temperature that works the best for you.
Where to eat
Well I don’t have many suggestions as I had packed lots of snacks and skyr yoghurts for our road trip so we didn’t have a proper lunch. However, we were told that Efstidalur farm is a nice place to visit and have lunch there. Another highly rated place is Tryggvaskáli but again, we didn’t visit it ourselves so I can’t tell you much.
Is Blue Lagoon part of the Golden Circle tour?
It really depends on what you are willing to visit in one day. Our day in Golden Circle was full and it would be too tiring to visit Blue Lagoon on that day too, that’s why we dedicated half a day in Blue Lagoon. In any case you want to take your time in Blue Lagoon and relax so it’s better if you are not in a hurry and tight schedule.
You can read about our visit in Blue Lagoon, along with Reykjavik’s best, here.
What we left for next time
Langjökull Glacier. One of the few things we didn’t do in Iceland was to explore a glacier with a snowmobile. If you’re on a self-drive like us, you can get picked up from and returned to Gullfoss waterfall. Maybe this is something you’d like to experience as part of the Golden Circle tour.
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]]>The post The 10 Best Things to Do in Reykjavik first appeared on Cosmo Wanderers.
]]>Reykjavik has the beauty of the cities of the North. Traditional buildings with colourful rooftops in a relatively hazy atmosphere. The Icelandic capital is relatively small. Therefore, you don’t need more than 3 days there. Of course it always depends on what you like to do when you visit a new place. Here is the list with the 10 best things to do when in Reykjavik.
Hallgrimskirkja Church
One of the city’s most-known landmarks, the church of Hallgrímur. It’s located in the heart of Reykjavik and is definitely one of the 10 best things to do in Reykjavik. At 74.5 metres high, it’s visible throughout the city, so don’t worry, you won’t miss it. This church is the largest church in Iceland and among the tallest structures in the country. It’s named after the Icelandic poet and clergyman Hallgrímur Pétursson (1614–1674). After 41 years of construction it opened its doors to the public in 1986.
You can visit it most days. The best part is that it’s also used as an observation tower with a 360 degrees view to the city. It costs about 5 euros to get to the top of the church and enjoy the view.
The Sun Voyager
It’s a beautiful minimal sculpture. A creation by Jon Gunnar Arnason on the Saebraut road by the sea, close to the Harpa Concert Hall. Sun Voyager is described as a dreamboat, or an ode to the Sun. The artist intended it to convey the promise of undiscovered territory, a dream of hope, progress and freedom.
The Harpa Concert Hall
Harpa is a concert hall and conference centre. The opening concert was held on May 4, 2011. Its architecture is very unique as it features a distinctive coloured glass facade meant to represent the basalt landscape of Iceland. The structure consists of a steel framework clad with geometric shaped glass panels of different colours. The building was originally part of a redevelopment of the Austurhöfn area dubbed World Trade Center Reykjavík. It was partially abandoned when the 2008 Icelandic financial crisis took hold. A visit inside the building is worth it and free!
Old Harbour
We loved that place! It was very quiet there as it was very cold and rainy that day but the many colourful cafes and restaurants were still beautiful. From the old harbour there is stunning view across the bay to Mount Esja. The majority of marine activities, such as whale watching and puffin tours start from there. So you might be interested to go and check them out. The colourful Old Harbour was built between the years 1913 and 1917. It’s fast becoming a new boom area, well deserved I must say. The Viking Maritime Museum is located there. We didn’t have the chance to visit it but if you do let us know what you thought. The Old Harbour is worth the visit and one of the best things to do in Reykjavik.
Cafes / Restaurants + Hot Dogs
I have a thing with bakeries and I always search for the best bakeries wherever we go. In Reykjavik there are so many nice places to eat, but be prepared to pay relatively high. You might have heard already, Iceland is expensive, very expensive.
In terms of bakeries we visited Braud & Co, it’s a bakery chain and they have really nice goodies. We got cinnamon rolls and croissants from there that were just got out of the oven!
We had brunch at Sandholt in the city centre. A big range of pastries, desserts, sandwiches, toasts and a list of classic brunch dishes. A very lovely place to relax and enjoy a good brunch and coffee before you start exploring.
KK had an espresso takeaway at Stofan cafe. It wasn’t anything special but I am mentioning it here for two reasons. First, the interior design which was traditional. Second, the book club that they have and while we were there they were discussing a book.
In terms of restaurants, there is a long list you can choose from. Judging from their exterior, I really liked a couple along the Bankastraeti – Laugavegur street. However, we didn’t want to starve for the next 10 days we were in Iceland. Therefore, we skipped them and we had 2 or 3 times lunch/ dinner at Icelandic Street food. Below is the photo of the shellfish soup we had many times. It’s a very relaxed place with young staff (it’s name says it all). You can taste there some of the traditional Icelandic dishes in a decent price. You can get a refill and free dessert – my paradise!
We also had ramen in Ramen Momo. It was a decent ramen soup but we do have high standards in ramen after living in London.
We wouldn’t leave Reykjavik without KK trying the popular Icelandic Hot Dog. He had a couple from Bæjarins Beztu Pylsur. It’s nearby the old harbour by a square where local kids were skateboarding. I was not up for a hot dog then but he really enjoyed them!
Street Art
There is beautiful graffiti art on the streets that adds colour to the grey days in Reykjavik. Wander around in the city streets and you will find some great art pieces.
Blue Lagoon
Blue Lagoon is not located in the city but at its suburbs and it is for sure one of the best things to do in Reykjavik. We visited Blue Lagoon after we had completed our full road trip. This was a great choice as we enjoyed it to the maximum. After 10 intense days of driving and exploring Iceland we finally relaxed.
The fee was 142 euros for the 2 of us and we had booked our slot since February to make sure that everything would go according to our plan. Do you know more or less the day you’d like to visit? Then I suggest you book it well in advance to make sure there is availability. The entrance fee included a free drink from the bar inside the swimming area, as well as a face mask.
It’s super relaxing there. No matter how cold it is on the outside the water is so hot that you will want to just stand outside, yes in the cold, to just breathe. A fun experience to enjoy the geothermal power of that land and take some nice photos.
Tjornin Lake
A beautiful, peaceful lake to have a walk around if you have free time. There are many important buildings around it like the National Art Gallery and the City Hall.
Nightlife
Although it was getting dark at around 10pm when we visited Iceland, the locals wouldn’t wait until then to start drinking. There are many night bars where you can enjoy a drink and get to meet locals.
Souvenirs
Food is not the only expensive thing in Iceland. The souvenirs are expensive too. Iceland is not the destination where you will get souvenirs for all friends and family, so don’t promise them any souvenirs. There are many nice souvenir places near the church or the main streets and there is also the Kolaportid flea market where you can find cheaper souvenirs after bargain.
These were the 10 best things to do in Reykjavik according to our visit and taste. There are for sure many more places to visit and things to do in Reykjavik but as always we like leaving something off our list for next time. Some of them would be to visit a couple of the many museums – we didn’t visit any – take a ferry to Viðey island, hike mount Esja and Puffa hill. All these are our reason to visit Iceland again.
Tips & Advice when visiting Reykjavik
I’m sure I’ve said that many times, but Reykjavik is expensive. So if you plan to visit many museums and attractions then pick up a Reykjavik City Card. It starts from about 26 euros for a day. With that card, you have free access to many museums, all swimming pools in the city, the ferry to Videy island is free and there are many more free entrances and discounts to attractions and even to restaurants and cafes. Check more here.
Back to my first point, Iceland is expensive and if you are one of the lucky ones you can afford eating out all the time, well done you! If you are more like us, buying supplies from the supermarket helped us stay within the budget. KK enjoyed my homemade sandwiches for breakfast and dinner!
Although Reykjavik is a beautiful city, Iceland’s countryside has to offer much more. You don’t have enough days to do the full circle of Iceland? Don’t worry the Golden Circle tour is super exciting too. It’s about 230 kilometres and you will see amazing landscapes and geysirs. Read more about the Golden Circle here.
Here you will find more tips about visiting Iceland. Where we stayed, what season we visited, what clothes and equipment we had with us.
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]]>The post ICELAND – Useful tips first appeared on Cosmo Wanderers.
]]>It was Christmas 2018 when we were discussing what our next travel destination would be. In the top of my list I had Greece, I love Easter time in Greece but KK was not so kean, so we crossed it out. Then the choice was easy to be made, Iceland here we come!
There is nothing quite like an Icelandic road trip. You will pass by volcanoes, waterfalls, craters, black beaches, icebergs, colourful small villages, rivers, ice glaciers, geothermal springs, so many extraordinary landscapes you wouldn’t imagine. Every turn is another breathtaking scenery.
The Ring Road encircles the entire country covering over 1,300 kilometres. Here is our exploration of the Ring Road. It’s self-driving but allow yourselves at least 7 days in order to enjoy it, visit most of the sights, stop very often to take photos and enjoy nature. I don’t get too excited when it’s about nature, I mean it’s mountains, rivers etc. but trust me, the nature in Iceland is from another world, it’s so fascinating.
You will find yourself wanting to pull over every kilometre for photos. We stayed in Iceland 11 days and we spent 7 days of driving the Ring Road and we thought it was a bit tiring, we wish we had more days there.
If you don’t have that many days, don’t worry,do the Golden Circle which can be covered in just 1 day and you will get a snip of what Iceland has to offer. Read all about the Golden Circle tour here.
What’s the best season to visit Iceland?
It really depends on what you want to see in Iceland. We visited end of April because it worked well with the Easter public holidays, a very practical reason. We knew there was no chance for us to see the magical northern lights then but since we were planning to drive all around Iceland we wanted to make sure that it wasn’t getting dark very early. Also, since we were driving we wanted to avoid much ice and snow. Last point, the temperatures and the weather you are used to is also a big factor, I hardly survived Iceland’s cold end of April, I don’t want to imagine the cold in “winter”.
If you want to go whale watching then May- September is the best time. Maybe end of September you will be lucky and see the Northern Lights. For endless days, June – August when the weather is dry is the best season for hiking. I imagine winter can be difficult there, some roads are closed and it’s not the safest to drive in a country you don’t know.
So when is the best time of the year to visit Iceland? Every season has its beauty, decide what you want to see and do there and then choose the dates.
Budget $$$
Oh well, make sure you have enough savings before you visit Iceland as it is an expensive country. The breakdown for both of us was as follows:
Accommodation: Average 90 euros / night (yep, we stayed in 2 or 3 star hotels).
Car: About 65 euros / day + 260 euros for petrol
Whale watching: 150 euros
Blue Lagoon: 140 euros
Mountain rescue: 130 euros (please do your best to avoid that cost, safety first!). You can read more about our unpleasant (horrifying) experience here.
Food: 60 euros / day (1 proper meal at a restaurant + supermarket supplies)
All the above sum up to 2,955 euros for the 2 of us without the flights cost. I won’t include flight tickets cost here as it really depends where you are flying from, as well as the season you will choose.
Where we stayed
I’ll be very honest with you, price was the first variable in booking the places we stayed at. Iceland is expensive so 3 and 2 star hotels was the only option for us.
Reykjavik
Night #1: Icelandair Hotel Natura https://www.icelandairhotels.com/en/hotels/reykjavik/reykjavik-natura
It’s about 2.5 km from the city centre but it was convenient for us since we had a car. The exterior of the hotel reminded us of an old airport but the interior had recently been renovated. A good choice if you don’t want to stay in the city centre.
Night #8, 9 & 10: Bolholt Apartments https://bolholt-apartments-reykjavik.booked.net/
Again, not in the city centre but since we had hired a car, one of the prerequisites was the hotel to have parking so there we were again 2.5 km from the city centre. This was a studio with a small kitchen, the bathroom had some mold issues but other than that it was ok.
Stykkisholmur: Syslo Guesthouse
We loved, loved, loved that guesthouse. The exterior looks like a traditional icelandic house. The interior is lovely, simple with natural wood and white tones. The rooms were ensuite and there was a common kitchen and living room. In Stykkisholmur we had the best shellfish soup, read here more about it.
Akureyri: Nordurland by Keahotels
We stayed there 2 nights. It’s a decent 3 star hotel in the The great thing about it was that breakfast was included in the price – happy me!
Breiddalsvik: Hotel Post
https://www.booking.com/hotel/is/post.el.html
Well, we are lucky that we made it to that hotel. We had an unpleasant experience on our way there as we got stuck in the mountain due to the fog. The person at the hotel (who we never got the chance to meet) was very helpful on the phone and he gave us the number of a local to rescue us (read about our adventure here). We were very tired and stressed by the experience we had to get there that we didn’t really pay much attention to the hotel. The room was decent from what we remember.
Vik: Hotel Kria
We can’t decide whether hotel Kria or Syslo guesthouse was our favourite. Hotel Kria is a new, modern, beautiful hotel. With a huge window in the breakfast/ dining area towards a stunning view to the mountains. We really loved that hotel and surprisingly its price was very normal in comparison to the rest places we stayed at.
Clothes & Equipment
Layers, layers, layers. In Iceland, especially if you are driving all across it in 7 days, the weather changes a lot so layering is important. Fleeces and tights saved me from freezing to death, I recommend to pack enough of them with you.
Hiking shoes. You definitely need them. Whether your partner is a hiking enthusiast (like KK) or not, comfortable hiking shoes and ideally waterproof are ideal. I got mine from Decathlon, link here. They are super comfortable and waterproof!
Waterproof jacket. It’s a must-have piece. In Iceland it was windy, rainy and snowy. I never left the hotel or the car without my waterproof jacket. If it has the hoodie to protect your ears from the cold it’s even better.
Swimming suits. Yes, ok, we said about the cold and the snow but don’t forget the hot springs that Iceland is full of. Take a couple with you and leave one of them in the car (along with a couple easy dry towels), you never know. You might come across a thermal spring that you didn’t have in plan to visit.
Flash Light & Swiss knife. These are 2 things that we always carry with us. We find them very practical & useful, you may need to search for something in the dark or to peel a fruit, or even if none of these will happen they don’t take much space but you will feel good to have them as a backup.
Waterproof backpacks. In Iceland it rains and it snows so waterproof backpacks are very handy. Since much hiking / walking is involved find a backpack that is comfortable for you.
SIM card. Since we were travelling within Europe there was no need to buy a SIM card, we were using our UK number.
More Useful Tips
- I’m sure I’ve said that many times already, so apologies for repeating myself, but Iceland comes with a price. But if you are in Reykjavik and you plan on visiting many museums and attractions it would be good to pick up a Reykjavik City Card (starts from about 26 euros for a day). With that card, you have free access to many museums, all swimming pools in the city, the ferry to Videy island is free and there are many more free entrances and discounts to attractions and even to restaurants and cafes. Check more here.
- Back to my first point, Iceland is expensive and if you are one of the lucky ones you can afford eating out all the time, well done you! If you are more like us, buying supplies from the supermarket helped us stay within the budget. Also, if you plan on covering many kilometres as part of your road trip, make sure you have enough supplies before moving to the next destination, Iceland is sparsely populated. KK enjoyed my homemade sandwiches for breakfast and dinner!
- Book Blue Lagoon well in advance. It’s a popular destination and if you don’t have much flexibility on dates it’s better to book it in advance to avoid any unpleasant surprises. Read about Blue Lagoon and all Reykjavik’s best here.
- If you have a proper plan for your trip then try to book any other activities you know in advance that you will do, like whale watching or visiting a glacier. In that way, you will have everything planned. Change of plans is not necessarily bad but I’m just saying in case you have a tight schedule.
- Don’t forget to add more time to the driving time of your road trip as you will be stopping a lot for photos and for visiting places you hadn’t planned to so don’t underestimate the time it will take you from one place to another.
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]]>The post Indoor Cycling first appeared on Cosmo Wanderers.
]]>One of the few things that kept us sane during quarantine was indoor cycling. We had the Tacx Bushido Smart Trainer from when living in London. KK wanted to start duathlon and triathlon so he bought that machine and put it at the back of his bike so he could train indoors.
Poor him, I really wouldn’t like to be in his position, as I was making fun (complaining) of the new gadget for like 2-3 months. To be honest, I was quite right. It was £600. And apart from the money, we did a full restructuring of our living room and guess what! In sofa’s place we had a bike with that thing at the back.
Then, we packed it very very very carefully and we shipped it all the way here, to Dubai. We got very lucky and we received our stuff from London 2 days before the full lockdown here. So, KK’s bike (mine went to India for some reason) and the Tacx Bushido Smart Trainer arrived just in time.
Two days later the full lockdown started here in Dubai and I started thanking KK for buying it. It was the best purchase ever! We also got a subscription for Tacx online account (it’s about 8 euros/ month) and every afternoon we would cycle in Amsterdam, Como lake, Switzerland and of course the places we were missing the most, Greece and London. Oh! One day I was even cycling in the States, oh yes!
It’s indeed a great exercise and if you connect it to a big screen you would feel like you are actually cycling in the place of the track you’ve chosen, it’s very realistic.
Before I forget, we still have the bike in the living room as we have an one-bed apartment. Now the bike is next to the couch.
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