Iceland is best known for its tree-less green summer landscapes, the magnificent waterfalls, the volcanoes, the glaciers, the volcanic beaches, hot sprints, puffins, and many others.
However, visiting this country in winter, is a different experience altogether.
Here are the top 8 things which you can do in Iceland during the snow covered winter.
1. Golden Circle Tour
When you are in Iceland in the heart of winter, the day starts at 11 AM and ends at 3:30 PM. Golden Circle is a popular route covering Thingvellir national park, the great Geysir and Gullfoss waterfall. There might be other things included during the longer and verdant summer months, but in winter there is limitation due to day-time and weather.
We had booked our trip with IcelandAir tour. which started at 10 AM.
Our first stop was at Thingvellir National Park visitor center located near the park´s awe-inspiring viewpoint at Hakid. It was around 11:15 AM and the sun was just yawning his way up the cloudy horizon !!! This place is where you can also view and walk through the great Almannagjá fault, which marks the edge of the North American tectonic plate.
The next stop was about 1 hour away at the Great Geysir. This is a geo-thermal area with hot springs and boiling mud pits. However, in the ice covered winter, anything but the geyser is hardly distinguishable. You can see smokes coming out from some areas with restricted access and the geyser exploding every 8-10 minutes. We heard that it explodes more frequently during the warmer months and hurls boiling water higher than in winter.
The last, and perhaps the biggest highlight of this Golden Circle tour, is the breathtaking Gullfoss waterfall. With the gusty and frosty cold winds, you can hardly stand still. But every bit of hardship is worth to experience the splendor of this one of a kind waterfall. We haven't been there in the summer, but we don't think it would be as jaw dropping as it is in the winters.
Apart from these specific points of interest, the entire tour is an excellent way to see south western Iceland. It is worth noting that all the key places have food and restrooms.
Stay tuned for more details in our upcoming blog Golden Circle & Northern Lights tour.
2. Northern Lights Tour
The night comes early, so darkness is almost omnipresent in Iceland from mid-November to mid-January - it is either less dark or completely dark. If you are lucky to have clear skies, you will get a few hours of sun from the horizon, else, on a cloudy day it is more like dusk. The mainland of Iceland lies just south of the Arctic Circle and is an excellent place to view the magnificent natural phenomenon of Aurora Borealis, commonly known as the Northern Lights.
Be aware that the view of this natural wonder cannot be guaranteed. Many people have been around the Arctic Circle for many times but are yet to have a proper glimpse. Clear skies and appropriate solar activity are the 2 deciding factors of a successful hunt for the elusive display.
Stay tuned for more about our experience in our upcoming blog Golden Circle & Northern Lights tour.
3. The Blue Lagoon
Another must visit and perhaps one of the most popular destinations of Iceland is the Blue Lagoon. Located near the airport, and about 45 minutes from the city of Reykjavik, it is an artificially created thermal pool in a land naturally formed from lava. If you want to have the best experience here, visit early when you can have less people around you. Being a favourite tourist destination, the Blue Lagoon can be very crowdy all throughout the year.
If you do not have a rented car, you will need to book a bus from Reykjavik to reach here. This also comes in tour packages from several tour operators.
For further details, please visit the Blue Lagoon official website.
4. Sculpture and Shore Walk
The Shore Walk starts from Harpa conference hall in the west (including the Sculpture and Shore Walk ) and ends in Viðey Ferry Terminal in the East. This is nearly a 5 km stretch along the North Atlantic and if the wind is not strong, a walk even in the harsh winter will be rewarding on a good day. The view of mountain Esja over the fjord Kollafjörður is a scenery that will be etched in your mind forever. You can see the iconic Sun Voyager and other sculptures like Íslandsvarðan (Iceland Guard), "Partnership" Sculpture along this walk.
This shore walk can also be productive for bird watching. In winter the light is extremely poor, still it is not difficult to spot some Common Eider, Guillemots, Herring Gulls, etc.
5. Rainbow Street
A street with the colors of a Rainbow - can you imagine that? You can rest your thoughts and let you eyes behold the beauty.
Reykjavik Pride is a colorful event to show unanimity and enjoy with the LGBTQ community of Reykjavik. It started as an annual event 1999 onward. From 1500 guests back then, this festival has grown manifold and hosts over 100,000 visitors all over the world now.
Klapparstígur was earlier temporarily painted for this festival. However, Skólavörðustígur, a street in Reykjavik city center, was permanently colored with hues of the rainbow, decided unanimously by the city council in June 2019. Hallgrímskirkja church is located at the top of this street.
You will certainly get some lovely pictures on this street. There are also a number of restaurants, pubs, street food options to choose from and many souvenir shops from where you can buy tokens of Iceland memories.
6. Churches and Museums
Iceland was Christianised in 1000 A.D. and Icelanders are, by default, registered as Christians into the Lutheran church of Iceland. Because of this, you will find many churches across Iceland.
Hallgrímskirkja is probably the most famous architecture of Iceland and the second tallest building (74.5 m) of the country (just about 3.5 m short of Smáratorg Tower) and the largest church in Iceland situated in the capital city of Reykjyavik. Landakotskirkja and Dómkirkjan or the Reykjavík Cathedral are two more churches you can visit in Reykjavik.
If you visit other parts (including some remote ones) of Iceland, you can include a few more beautiful churches in your itinerary like Vikurkirkja in the town of Vik, Budakirkja on the southern side of the Snæfellsnes peninsula, Saebolskirkja of Westfjord.
You can find the history and about more churches at Guide to Iceland website.
There are many museums in Reykjavik like most European cities have.
Þjóðminjasafnið or the National Museum of Iceland have a good collection of the archaeological items recovered since Iceland was settled. Saga Museum is a wax museum that takes you through the settlements of Iceland and important events like Black Death and Protestant Reformation. You can enjoy the Ice Cave exhibition and learn about glaciers of Iceland and also in general in the Perlan museum (details and latest information can be obtained from the Perlan website).
The Icelandic Phallological Museum is probably the only museum in the world to contain a collection of phallic specimens belonging to all the various types of mammal found in a single country. It contains a collection of more than 215 penises and penile parts belonging to land and sea mammals of Iceland, like whales, polar bears, seals, walrus, etc. and humans.
7. Food
The Reykjavik City Center is full of places to eat. From street food to cafe, from cosy restaurants to hot dog joints, you will get a variety of dishes to try. One of the most delicious things we have eaten in Iceland is the Icelandic hot dog and no wonder the people who have eaten it consider it to be the best hot dog in the world.
For more details and recommendations, stay tuned for our upcoming blog Reykjavik in a day.
8. Christmas decorations
The Christmas Cat, also called the Yule Cat, comes back every Christmas in the Lækjartorg Square, lit up with 6500 LED lights. In Icelandic folklore, Gryla is a troll and she owns the Yule Cat. The cat eats children if they are not well behaved and do not receive clothing as Christmas presents ... so you better stay away from the nasty claws !!!
Reykjavik is a pretty city in normal times. Christmas makes it come straight out of fairy tales.
On 25th December, no tour operators will be conducting any tour. This is the best time to explore Reykjavik as every street and house in the city is exquisitely decorated. The traditional Advent light is lit in every houses. You can also see trolls on the streets and in the window displays of shops bringing the folklores to life.
One of the most beautiful things to see in Iceland during Christmas are the cemeteries and gravestones adorned with lights. The families come up to the graves of their loved ones and place a candle or decorate them with electric lights showing that they are remembered and missed. We came to know about this on the very last night from our Norther Lights tour guide and missed out on an opportunity of visiting a Christmas cemetery. So please make sure to keep it on your plan for a Christmas visit to Iceland.