I am always up for an adventure, so when Kas presented the idea of stopping over for 48 hours in Iceland for a couple of days at no additional flight cost, this seemed like a fabulous idea. Sure, why not! Our plan was to be in Iceland for 2 full days. This would have been enough time to 1) drive the Golden Circle, 2) explore a bit of Reykjavik, 3) hit the famous Blue Lagoon, and 4) perhaps catch the Aurora Borealis a.k.a Northern Lights. I know this was an ambitious itinerary. Unfortunately, our flight was canceled due to bad weather, and our visit was cut to only 1 day in Iceland. Nevertheless, we tried to make the best of our one day in Iceland.
Things to Know Before You Go To Iceland
- If you fly Iceland Air, know that it is a budget airline. Meals are not free; headphones are not free. So bring your own food, and bring your own headphones. Kids get sandwiches, snacks, and an activity bag with headphones.
- Iceland’s currency is the Iceland Krona. When we went the exchange rate was $1 USD to 122ISK.
- Iceland is expensive! There is no other way to describe it except to say when I looked at my statement, we paid $40USD for 6 croissants + a couple of juices.
- If you land before 9 am, do not go into town thinking there will be more food options. Reykjavik is a sleepy town; most food places open at 11 am. Eat at the airport. It is the most expensive crappy food you will ever eat, but you won’t be hungry. I cannot emphasize this more, especially if you are traveling with kids.
- Almost everywhere smells like sulfur. It is much like rotten eggs if you don’t know what sulfur smells like.
What Happened During our 48 Hours in Iceland
If you have only 48 hours in Iceland, don’t do what we did. We landed at the Keflavik airport at about 6 am. We scanned the food selections at the airport, and nothing looked the least bit appealing. So we thought we would find better options in Reykjavik. It took a long time to get our car, then we finally embarked on our adventure. We got to Reykjavik city center at about 9 am, there were no people on the streets, and there were no open eateries. We finally found an open bakery (Baud & Co) where we bought 6 croissants and pastries, 3 kid-sized juices, and 1 small milk carton. Altogether, this came to about $40USD after the exchange rate.
The Geysir
We decided that we would go and see the Great Geysir before we headed out to the Blue Lagoon, where we had a reservation for 5 pm. This plan was an absolute mistake. First of all, we were jet-lagged, then we embarked on a 1.5hr drive to go and see the Geysir. The drive offered nothing but vast barren lands for miles on end, with absolutely nothing appealing to marvel at. Once we got there and into the parking lot, we were so tired that we just slept off in the car. After about an hour-and-half, we woke up and walked a short distance to see the Geysir. The malodorous smell of sulfur emitting from the earth filled the whole area. We spent all of 12 minutes watching the Geysir blow up 3 times before heading back. Only this time, we were driving 2hrs across the barren lands to get to the Blue Lagoon.
Blue Lagoon
The Blue Lagoon experience was the one positive thing that redeemed our hectic day. The great thing was that children 2+ years old are allowed and free, so we didn’t have to take turns. It was absolutely rejuvenating and relaxing to be in the blue mineral water of this unforgettable geothermal saltwater pool. While we relaxed in the warm waters of the pool, we enjoyed a silica mud facemask and a beverage. We spent approximately 2 hours at the Blue Lagoon before heading back into the city for Dinner. We were indeed restored by this experience. A snapshot does not describe the journey that led to that snapshot. You wouldn’t know what we endured before this moment by simply looking at the photos below. This is a reminder that adventure is not always picture-perfect.
Icelandic Food
We found an Icelandic buffet with excellent reviews; I can’t remember the name. Once we arrived, we waited for approximately 20 minutes before anyone acknowledged us at this establishment. The establishment was not very busy, there were no other waiting guests besides us. The servers could see us and were walking up and down, yet no one came to greet us or let us know how long of a wait it’d be. Finally, I just had to complain, at which point the manager apologized and offered a 10% discount. Dinner was unremarkable. They mainly served cold fish and other cold foods. All other food that is supposed to be hot was lukewarm and bland.
What We Should Have Spent Our 48 Hours in Iceland
We should have cut out driving to the Geysir and explored Reykjavik, then go to the Blue Lagoon. Perhaps our experience would have been more pleasant. Overall, I can’t say that #Iceland was my favorite place to visit. Sometimes there are just going to be places that we don’t connect with, but that is ok; it is all part of the adventure.