Iceland had been on my bucketlist for a very long time and when it was announced we were going there for my 18th birthday, I was so excited. The scenery and landscaping is completely out of this world, photos literally don’t do it any justice.
Intro & Culture
Iceland, a Nordic island nation, is defined by its dramatic landscape with volcanoes, geysers, hot springs and lava fields. Massive glaciers are protected in Vatnajökull and Snæfellsjökull national parks. Most of the population lives in the capital, Reykjavik, which runs on geothermal power and is home to the National and Saga museums, tracing Iceland’s Viking history.
CURRENCY
In Iceland they mainly use Icelandic Krona, but they also use Euros and GBP.
Download the app “Currency Plus” to get currency conversions on the go. It updates daily and when connected to WiFi or Network to give you the latest conversion and you can have multiple currencies shown in one go.
Download here: Apple App Store // Google Play Store
LANGUAGE
Icelanders speak two languages very well and that’s Icelandic (obviously) and English. But some may speak other languages if they have learnt it at school/uni etc. Learn some Icelandic here.
RELIGION
Their religion is predominantly Christian and the Church of Iceland.
TIMEZONE
Iceland are the same time as the UK, so there is no fear of experiencing jet lag. Their time zone is Greenwich Mean Time ( GMT+0:00)
CUISINE
It is always rumoured that Iceland people only eat fish including fermented puffin and whale. NOT TRUE – they cater for a multitude of different cuisines. Whilst the weird dishes may be considered a delicacy, most Icelanders don’t actually eat them!
Budget Tips
Suggested Daily Budget – 84-87 EUR / 72-75 GBP (Note: This is a suggested budget assuming you’re staying in a hostel, eating out a little, cooking most of your meals, and using local transportation. Using the budget tips below, you can always lower this number. However, if you stay in fancier accommodation or eat out more often, expect this to be higher!)
01. When buying your own food, shop with Bonus – Buying anything in Iceland is quite expensive, your best bet if you are going to be cooking your own meals is to shop in Bonus supermarkets. Their logo is a pink pig on a yellow background. There are quite a few around the ring road and in Reykjavik.
02. Stay in hostels or apartments to save money – Hotels are quite expensive and if you want to fork out on one then go ahead. Otherwise you can save more by booking into a hostel or apartment through AirBnB.
03. If you are planning on buying alcohol, get it in duty free – The first thing people said to us before we visited Iceland, was to buy our alcohol in duty free. It comes out so much cheaper than buying it from a supermarket. The duty free shop is as soon as you come through from the baggage claim belts and before you exit the airport.
04. Snack throughout the day and then dine out for dinner – Eating out in Iceland is known for being super expensive. The best way to do it is to snack throughout the day, have a big breakfast and then eat out for dinner. Buy your snacks from a Bonus supermarket and also drink the water from the taps, it will save you a couple of kronas and the water is fresh, clean and from the natural springs.
Travel Tips
VISAS
You do not need a visa to visit Iceland.
Check if you need a Visa or other documentation here…
With iVisa, all of your travel document requirements are all in one place. They help give you that piece of mind when checking you have everything you need to enter a country without any hassle.
You can apply for everything from visas, tourist cards, invitation letters and health declaration forms for COVID-19 differently from their website. It’s very quick and easy to use and they are very fast at processing your applications, some things can even be FREE for whichever travel document you need. You can even pay for speedy processing and delivery if you are in a rush.
INJECTIONS
You do not need any injections to visit Iceland.
READ MORE: A Guide to Vaccinations And Visas Around The World
CAPITAL/CITY
The capital city is Reykjavik, Reykjavik is located in the South of the island. It is not only Iceland’s capital but also their largest city.
ACCOMMODATION
You can book from a wide range of hotels, hostels and apartments. All depending on where you are planning on staying. We stayed in a lovely apartment near the centre of Reykjavik city. It was the best and most cost effective place to stay for the 4 of us when we visited.
ACCOMMODATION I’VE STAYED IN
• Downtown Stakkholt Reykjavik Apartments, Reykjavik
• Homestay, Vik
• Hostel,
READ MORE: Staying In The Stakkholt Reykjavik Apartments
EXPLORE ICELAND
Reykjavik | Höfn
DRIVING
They drive on the right hand side of the road with the driver being on the left hand side of the car. You can hire your rental car from plenty of rental places across the country. We used Blue Car Rental which were very good. There are also plenty of taxis and bus services around Reykjavik. And also some further out into Iceland. You are only allowed to drive in Iceland if you are over the age of 25 with a valid licence.
READ MORE: Hiring A Car In Iceland & Things You Need To Know
FLIGHTS
Flights from the UK are around 3 hours and 30 minutes depending on the weather conditions. You can fly with EasyJet, British Airways and Icelandair for direct flights and Lufthansa, SAS and other airlines for stop over flights.
Packing Tips
WHAT TO WEAR
The weather is very mixed, it could be sunny in one place. But freezing and windy in another. So I would bring warm clothes like jeans, beanie hats, gloves and a warm coat as a base. Then a mixture of tops for both types of weather which could be incorporated into your outfits.
WEATHER
Weather is very mixed. During their summer seasons, the weather is currently around 14 degrees Celsius. But will feel colder with the winds. During the winter and colder seasons, the weather can drop to between 0 degrees Celcius to -10 degrees Celsius. When we visited during the summer in June, the weather was constantly sunny and warm is some places. But also had a bit of wind which made it colder especially near the glaciers and glacier lagoon.
Activities
THINGS TO SEE & DO
There are plenty of things to do whilst you’re there, most things don’t cost a single thing. Apart from entrance packages to the Blue Lagoon and also to get to the top of Hallgrimskirkja cathedral. Make sure you read my post Amazing & Free Things To Do In Iceland. For everything you need to do when you’re there that do not cost a penny.
HIGHLIGHTS OF ICELAND
- • Jokulsarlon Glacier Lagoon
- • DC-3 Plane Wreckage
- • Gullfoss Waterfall
- • Skogafoss Waterfall
- • Seljalandsfoss Waterfall
- • Myrdalsjokull Glacier
- • Geysir
- • Reykjadalur Hot Springs
- • Hallgrimskirkja Cathedral
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Solo Travel / Landscapes / 
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