Iceland: Winter Adventures

How we got there…

Unfortunately, there are no direct flights to Reykjavik from Los Angles. We flew there through Portland and back through Seattle. It is a long travel day and night and makes for some tough jetlag, but it is definitely worth it.

Why we went…

Northern lights! And an amazing and unique winter adventure.

Where we stayed….

We stayed at the Edition in Reykjavik. It is a beautiful hotel with contemporary nordic design. It is very well situated for exploring the town. It also has a great breakfast and wonderful well reviewed restaurant for lunch or dinner. We used Marriot points for our stay.

To maximize our chances of viewing the northern lights, we chose to stay at the Hotel Ranga near Hella. Hotel Ranga is one of our favorite hotels. It has a casual long cabin feel which we really enjoyed. The restaurant was fantastic. The kids loved the game room and the other common room areas. We also enjoyed the hot tubs. The hotel also provides a Northern Lights wake up service. The hotel is in a very isolated location which is ideal for seeing the aurora. We stayed three nights and were lucky to get the call on the third night at 1 in the morning. Hotel Ranga is also a fantastic launching point for adventures in South Iceland. Even if the weather doesn’t cooperate for Northern Light viewing, the Hotel Ranga is a fantastic place to stay.

What we did in Reykjavik..

I love this town! Since we were there in November and it was freezing and windy, many of our activities were inside. It is still worth walking around town seeing the rainbow street, the cathedral, the harbor and just enjoying the charming street, but planning indoor activities for most of the day seemed to be the way to go.

The Perlan Museum was a great place to start our Iceland adventure. It is a visually appealing and interactive museum that delves into the amazing natural beauty of Iceland. It is a one stop shop to learn about the role volcanos, glaciers and the northern lights play in the history and culture of Iceland. They even have a man-made ice cave that you can experience.

After learning about the natural wonders of Iceland, we wanted to understand more about what life was like during the viking times. The Saga Museum provides a series of life size diorama scenes illustrating the turbulent history of Iceland’s early human history. The audio guide is free and you can move at your own pace through the museum. It is a pretty violent history so this museum might not be for children who are sensitive to dark spaces and violent visuals. My kids enjoyed it, and Spencer actually listed to every single stop on the audio guide.

In our search for more indoor activities, we decided to try the highly rated Lava Show. The walk to the Lava Show facilities took us through the harbor which was fun to see. The Lava Show was surprisingly cool! We loved learning more about lava and how volcanoes have shaped the landscape and culture of Iceland. It was also very cool to see and feel real lava. The kids were especially interested to learn more about volcanoes since we were in Reykjavik during the eruption of a nearby volcano fissure.

In the late fall/winter months there is a cute ice skating rink in the town center. It is definitely worth a stop. The setting is beautiful. You can get hot cocoa or a mulled wine while you watch the kids skate.

The Phallalogical Museum of Iceland is a fascinating place. We brought the kids and they definitely felt a little uncomfortable, but if you are ok with the subject matter, it is worth a visit. I have never been to another museum like it, and you can enjoy a beer while you explore.

One of my favorite things about Iceland at any time of year is the geothermal hot springs. The Blue Lagoon is the most iconic and famous hot spring, but unfortunately due to an active eruption it was closed when we were there. Ainsley and I went to the Sky Lagoon instead, and honestly, I preferred it to the Blue Lagoon (that being said, the Blue Lagoon is definitely worth visiting…do both!). The Sky Lagoon is 15 to 20 minutes outside of town by car. The only downside to the Sky Lagoon is the 12 and over age limit so Spencer couldn’t come with us. We loved the magical setting, the warm water, the waterfalls, and the walk up bar of the geothermal pool area. We spent a good hour in here wading in the magical water and watching the sun set. After you relax in the pool, you cold plunge, sauna, mud scrub, steam and take a rain shower. It was truly a luxury experience.

You can definitely see Northern Lights from Reykjavik. It is worth it to walk along the water at night when the skies are clear and you may get lucky like we did. Be patient. We walked around for about 45 minutes before we got lucky. Use your iphone to see them better. With my bare eyes, I could see a milky streak, and when I turned my phone toward the sky the green popped up. They only lasted a few minutes, but it was incredible.

Where we ate in Reykjavik…

Bæjarins Beztu Pylsur is a must! These are the best and most famous hot dogs in Reykjavik. In the summer there were long lines, but we never found it to be crowded when we were there in November. It is a great meal or a mid-afternoon snack.

Dill (michelin starred restaurant) was closed on the nights we were in Reykjavik this trip so we ate at Brut which is a Michelin recommended seafood restaurant. The food was great. Ainsley really enjoyed the sea snails.

The Posthus Food Hall is a great option for lunch. There is something for everyone. It is located in the center of town and has stalls with a wide variety of food and drink options.

Bryggjan Brugghus is a great dining option if you are out by the harbor. The beers are local and delicious and the food menu is classic pub/brewery food that will please everyone.

What we did outside of Reykjavik…

The Golden Circle is a must for any first timer to Iceland. I have been in both the summer and the winter and it is equally spectacular in both, though very much different experiences. We drove ourselves on the way to South Iceland and even with the snow and in the dark (winter sunlight hours are very short) the drive was pretty easy. The roads are well paved and easy to drive. On this trip, we stopped at the Gulfoss waterfall, the geysers, a farm for lunch and the Secret Lagoon.

Gulfoss Falls is spectaclar in the winter. The falls is partially frozen but still gushing with water. The snow was falling and it was a true winter wonderland. Parking is very convenient, and it is an easy and short walk to the viewpoint.

The Geysir Geothermal area is only a 10 minute drive from Gulfoss. The parking lot is located a very easy walk from the geysers. Seeing a geyser go off is definitely a bucketlist experience. The steam vents make it a very other worldly setting.

We ate at Efstidalur Farm. The setting is beautiful and the hamburgers and ice cream are fantastic. If you choose, you can also dine next to the indoor barn where the cows live. It was a little strange while eating burgers, but quite lovely while eating the fresh ice cream.

Our final stop before heading to Hella was the Secret Lagoon. Since Spencer and Rick missed the Sky Lagoon, we wanted them to have the geothermal pool experience. This experience was less luxury than Sky Lagoon and Blue Lagoon, but the water was equally fantastic and warm. I also was able to rent a bathing suit which was a nice perk since mine was buried deep in the luggage. This was a more local pool experience which was fun to experience. They have communal dressing rooms to shower, change, and lockers keep your belonging.

What we did in South Iceland,,,

Thorsmork Valley – You have to be flexible in Iceland. Weather and conditions can make certain activities impossible or dangerous. We originally wanted to go snow mobiling on the glacier, but we were forced to pivot. We chose to do a super jeep tour through the Thorsmork valley. It was an amazing day. You cannot access this valley by normal car given the terrain and the rivers you need to navigate through. The sites were beautiful. We loved seeing the glacier and several spectacular locations that were used in Game of Thrones. We also hiked up a mountain wearing crampons to behold the most beautiful vista of the valley. The kids loved the hike! We loved learning more about the volcanoes and glaciers that form the everchanging Icelandic landscape from our guide, but this time we were standing right next to them.

The Katla Ice Cave and South Island tour is an incredible day. We started the day at the Katla Ice Cave. It was incredible to stand on a glacier. We loved seeing the beautiful colors and striations in the glacial ice. Standing inside the tubular ice cave was surreal but very cold. After the ice caves, we visited the charming town of Vik, took a few pictures at the black sand beach, and stopped by a beautiful waterfall. All in all, it was a spectacular day.

One of the reasons that we chose to stay at the Hotel Ranga was to increase on chances of seeing the Northern Lights. The hotel is out in the middle of nowhere with no light pollution and they wake you if the lights are visible. It was cloudy the first two nights, but we were lucky that the clouds parted and the lights were visible on our final night.