Iceland Oct 21 slightly late

[DFussy]

After a couple of posts today about Iceland, im going to try a trip report for our 4 days at the end of October. Apologies in advance for the sketchy detail, as I havent got all my receipts.

This was a long thought about but slightly late booked trip due to covid making it uncertain we could go.

We are two adults and 1 14 yr old and we went for four days. In July booked a two bed apartment in central Reykjavik with booking.com so cancellable till a few days before (500 euros for 4 nights), and to give us a kitchen in case of any problems. Once the covid rules became clear and we knew we shouldnt need to pcr on return to england, we booked flights with Jet2 from stansted about a month before. Price was slightly higher (£460) than when we started looking but not too bad.

three nights before we did online covid tests with Breathe Assured (£93 for 3), completed the covid.is preregistration for a barcode per adult to show in iceland, and did our online check in.

Stayed at premier inn at stansted night before paying for one nights parking there, and then drove to short stay green next morning.

Day 1

Stansted was busy being half term. Although w,d done online check in the check in desk staff were ok checking our documents to make sure everything was ok and stickered our passports so they didnt need scrutinising again on boarding.

We landed around 9.15 am, and our barcodes and documents were looked at by some immigration staff just before leaving the terminal. We prebooked the flybus to Reykjavik with RE, so found the bus and waited for it to fill up. Its around an hour to Reykjavik. We were dropped off at one of the free stops (The Culture House) which is in the centre of town. We couldnt get into our apartment till the afternoon, so went to the subway round the corner for a quick lunch. Unfortunately the had no hot drinks apart from coffee, but two subs between the three of us and some drinks was enough for lunch. Cant remember the price unfortunately.

Grayline were running a tour to the lower part of the lava flow of the recent erruption. There were several hour tours with hikes, but we didnt really have the time or the legs for that. The shorter tour was a drive to the edge of the flow, and was around a three or four hour round trip. This cost us euro 115, and the only day it was running was our arrival day.

The weather was mild (for iceland), and we stopped for a short time on the way at a picturesque lake

and some springs

When we reached the lava flow most of our group walked up the hill to see the volcano better, but i couldnt route march it quickly enough so joined another lady on the flow

This was one of the highlights of our trip. The volcano hadnt really been active for around 10 days or so so we were able to walk right on the cooled lava. Once back in Reykjavik we went to our apartment, unpacked a bit and went to the nearby Bonus supermarket for supplies. I bought things for milk, bread, eggs, crisps, bacon (as meat was really expensive) salmon, a bit of veg etc and spent £26.

We went to a restaurant called Fish & Co which was opposite our apparment which you could sit in, but ordered two fish and chips and a burger and chips to take out. From memory this cost around £25, but the fish and chips were really good.

[DFussy]

Day 2

We had prebooked via RE a whale watching trip with Special Tours. We walked to the harbour for this. There are oversuits to help you keep warm and these were very welcome. Even with a sea sickness tablet i felt a bit queasy, and my hubby who didnt take the free tablet offered unfortunately was. This wasnt the whole voyage, but it did get rough. They had a marine biologist as a guide and on the return in the cafe area she did a display of some fins etc, as in the pictures. We did spot a little bit but didnt manage to get any really good whale pictures.

After the trip we returned to our apartment to relax before a northern lights tour in the evening with grayline (around 100 euros for the three of us). We met the bus around 10/15 min walk away. This was a 4 hour round trip. They drove out of town for a bit and stopped at a service station for a pitstop and to work out the best viewing point as it changes every night. Our eventual stopping point was just off a main road, so felt quite light polluted and was exposed. It was a very cold night. Those with cameras set up for it, managed to get pictures, but with the naked eye it was more a yellowing of the sky. this pics was from the tour guide.

In my photos nothing is really visible apart from black sky.
She said this was a typical display. Even well wrapped up it was a cold night and slightly disapointing, so we decided not to book again for a try the next night. I think it probably is worth paying a bit more for a small group tour (our full size bus was with several others so they parked in a large gravel car park) or maybe the boat northern lights tour, as i was not expecting to be right next to a road with car lights coming from where we were trying to see the lights.

[DFussy]

Day 3

After our late night i had booked the Skylagoon just outside Reykjavik for 2pm. We chilled for a bit and then me and hubby walked a few minutes up the hill to the cathedral. As we arrived a service was just finishing so the organ was playing which was amazing.

You can pay a fee to go up in the lift to the top (i think approx £5 each) which we did.

Our apartment was the red roofed one on the left hand side of the top picture.

I was glad we did this. We were very close so it didnt take very long, and its really beautiful and different. After lunch we walked away from the mainly pedestrian area to a cab rank we saw near the bus stop the previous night and took a cab to the skylagoon.

We booked the skypass (premium with private changing rooms) and this cost around £200 for the three of us. It is over 12 only, and is man made so no sulphur. included in the pass we bought is a seven step ritual with sauna, steam, scrubs etc (one go at the ritual). This skylagoon was a pricey treat. We probably spent around 2.5 hrs here, but it was beautiful and very relaxing.

We had dinner in our apartment, and then walked across the road to an ice cream parlour isbudin litla valdis. This was fab. around 600/800kr for a two scoop ice cream or sorbet, with fab flavours,

[DFussy]

Day 4

Today we did the Golden Circle tour booked through Grayline. This was around 140 euros for the three of us and a seven hour tour. First up is Žingvellir (Thingvellir) National Park

This is where the us and european techtonic plates meet.


https://www.thedibb.co.uk/postImages...f8bdf8427.jpgl

After this we went to Gullfoss waterfall

Lastly the geyser

This was a good sightseeing day. Unfortunately it was very cold, despite lots of layers, and cold teenagers and a seven hour trip do not mix.

After a quick rest we went to the Hard Rock Cafe for a last night meal. We had a drink and main course each, and this came to somewhere aorund £40.

Returning home

We walked to the culture house bus stop for our bus to the airport. This arrived quite late, and i was very worried. For some reason the trip back was a lot quicker though so we were ok. Although we had checked in online Jet2 made everyone check in again at the desk to check our paperwork. Stansted was quite quick as id had bad experiences there before so paid extra to go through the express desks. We had ordered return lateral flows with Chronomics £51 for 3 and had put the references in to our passenger locator forms saturday night, and the kits arrived the day after we got home as promised.

[DFussy]

Highlights

Lava flow and skylagoon. I had hoped to see with the naked eye the northern lights, but unfortunately it was not to be.

We spent around £200 on a few souveniers, a replacement warm hat, and our fish/chips/icecream/subway and half the hard rock cafe meal.

It is a beautiful country and im glad we were lucky enough to be able to go. Im pleased we had the apartment, and whilst we had the odd problem having our own kitchen and space was worth it. It is an expensive place for a short break and obviously the trips mount up but its unlike anywhere else, and it was a special birthday trip.

[ClaireNJ]

Originally Posted by DFussy

Day 3

After our late night i had booked the Skylagoon just outside Reykjavik for 2pm. We chilled for a bit and then me and hubby walked a few minutes up the hill to the cathedral. As we arrived a service was just finishing so the organ was playing which was amazing.

You can pay a fee to go up in the lift to the top (i think approx £5 each) which we did.

Our apartment was the red roofed one on the left hand side of the top picture.

I was glad we did this. We were very close so it didnt take very long, and its really beautiful and different. After lunch we walked away from the mainly pedestrian area to a cab rank we saw near the bus stop the previous night and took a cab to the skylagoon.

We booked the skypass (premium with private changing rooms) and this cost around £200 for the three of us. It is over 12 only, and is man made so no sulphur. included in the pass we bought is a seven step ritual with sauna, steam, scrubs etc (one go at the ritual). This skylagoon was a pricey treat. We probably spent around 2.5 hrs here, but it was beautiful and very relaxing.

We had dinner in our apartment, and then walked across the road to an ice cream parlour isbudin litla valdis. This was fab. around 600/800kr for a two scoop ice cream or sorbet, with fab flavours,

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Very pretty scenery 😊