Three weeks ago, Alan and I decided we needed to get out of the country to clear our heads. We decided to book a trip to Iceland over our Thanksgiving break.

We are not world travelers. When we booked this trip, neither of us had been abroad in over a decade. We had never traveled together internationally before.

As we settle back in at home, I wanted to write about our experience so the memories stick. If you’re planning a trip to Reykjavík, maybe you’ll find something useful in this post.

Magic awaits!

Iceland in late November

Iceland in late November is freezing. The sun doesn’t come up until around 10:30 in the morning and it goes down early around 4:00 PM.

The short daylight hours can be tough, but this also means more time to enjoy the gorgeous Christmas lights around the city!

When we visited, Reykjavík was DECKED OUT with sparkle lights, garlands, hanging bells, ornamental stars, donut-shaped wreaths, and Christmas trees on every street corner. In Lækjartorg square you can visit a giant LED cat, Jólakötturinn. According to local folklore, the Christmas Cat eats children who don’t wear whatever new clothes they got for Christmas.

Supposedly November is a good month to see the aurora but it’s no guarantee. You need both clear skies and solar activity. Things didn’t line up for us. Some folks caught them on camera a couple of days before we visited. If you miss them in Iceland, there’s always Ohio!

Accommodations

Hotel Holt

This family-owned “art hotel” sits in a neighborhood, four blocks from Rainbow Street and a short walk from the central bus terminal, BSÍ.

The inside is warm (they were cranking the heaters in the lobby) and richly decorated in a retro-throwback style with wood paneling and velvety carpets. Rooms and hallways are outfitted with interesting paintings and sculptures.

During the day, bells ring every 15 minutes from the Hallgrímskirkja which you can see from the windows on the fourth floor. Otherwise, the neighborhood is quiet. We heard some light noise from residential construction projects, the occasional dog barking in a backyard nearby.

Beds were made up Scandi-style with two separate duvets, which Alan now wants to try out at home.

Staff was super helpful, accommodating an early check-in, lending us a power adapter, and helping us read the aurora forecasts.

We opted out of the add-on breakfast package so we could explore local cafes instead.

Food

Sugar. Bread. Fish. Lamb. Sausages. Potatoes. More sugar, somehow.

While I understand tourist junk food isn’t the same as a typical Icelandic diet, I was shocked by how sweet everything tasted in Reykjavík. The ketchup was sweeter. The mustard was sweeter. Potatoes came glazed in caramel sauce. The fish came served with apple butter. By the end of the week, I was starting to wonder whether the whole Buddy the Elf syrup spaghetti thing originated in Iceland, not the North Pole.

Speaking of the North Pole, every dinner restaurant we visited was running a separate prix fixe “Christmas Menu.” We went a la carte, but I thought this was pretty cool, different from what we see at restaurants at home.

Here’s where we ate in Reykjavík:

Brauð & Co

Popular for a reason, this bakery was a highlight. Pop inside, ask for a filtered coffee and a cinnamon roll, and duck out. This is not the stiff and sticky cinnamon roll you pick out of a cake pan with the same table knife you used to spread on the frosting. This is something else. Warm, soft, blanket-like folds of dough around a thick paste of marzipan and cinnamon, dusted with powdered sugar. Tastes like Christmas morning. So nostalgic, I forgot I was freezing my buns off on a public park bench.

BakaBaka

Cozy bakery with custom-made wallpaper and metal-paneled coffee bar. Good pastries. Decent coffee. Loved the shimeji mushroom scramble. We ate many donuts on our trip and Alan said his favorite one was a jam-filled one from this spot.

Sandholt

Inside there are two lines, one on the left for takeaway and one on the right to wait for a table. When we showed up Tuesday morning, the line was 4-5 parties deep and about to bust out the door. You may be squished in like a sardine, but there’s lots to admire on display: glossy cakes, fresh bakes, and assorted homemade jams.

We got seated at a booth along the window looking into the open kitchen, which was rocking out to screamo music. I ordered a salmon toast that came with a mountain of arugula and roe over brioche. Alan got shakshuka with thick slices of bacon laid across the top. We split a Danish pastry with a delicate, eggy, vanilla custard filling.

Sweet Aurora

This basement-level patisserie was on the route between our hotel and Rainbow Street. Inside we were greeted by a blue-eyed husky. (Big stretch!)

The sculpted desserts are almost too pretty to eat. Literally. I had to apply force to break through the island of swiss meringue and the tectonic plate of shortbread sandwiching the lemon curd of the tart that I ordered. But it was excellent. Macarons come in flavors like olive-pistachio, lemon-bergamot, berry and arctic thyme. I smuggled a box home on the plane.

Deig Workshop

This hipster-ass bagel shop is in the same building with Le Kock and Tail. I got a sesame bagel with lox, tomato, onion, and caper cream cheese. Not exactly Ess-a-bagel. The raspberry-filled donut was a hit, albeit messy. Salted chocolate donut was obnoxiously fudge-y. Tread lightly around the savory bagel sandwiches. Why anybody would want to slather mayo on a bagel is beyond me.

Bæjarins Beztu Pylsur

You have to go here. Wait in line. Order a dog “with everything” which will come with raw onions, crispy dry-fried “cronions,” weird ketchup, sweet brown mustard, and yellow “remoulade” sauce. Set your snappy dog, wrapped in paper, in one of the wooden sausage holders affixed to a nearby table. Eat as quickly as you can before it gets cold.

Immediately upon smashing the final bite, I got overwhelmed with the roller coaster effect. What just happened? Was that even good? Should I get back in line and go again? Luckily there are two more of these hot dog stands before and after security at KEF airport, so you can have another go before leaving the country.

Salka Valka

When we sat down at this cozy little restaurant, a table of four friends was camped out next to us sharing sourdough pizzas topped with rocket. One of the women at the table was going on and on about how poor education was driving awful food quality in the United States. Eavesdropping on their conversation about how Americans only eat fried foods and potatoes, I nodded silently in agreement. Then I ordered fish and chips. Luckily, they came plated with a green salad.

Reykjavík Fish Restaurant

Local chain. Tempura-fried cod. American-style fries. Tartar sauce. Cold beer.

Icelandic Street Food

A word of advice: Bread bowl refills are an option, not a challenge. Savor your soup. Sit around long enough to get a free waffle with jam from the stack. Get out before you make yourself sick.

Snaps

Stepping into this bistro was like traveling back in time to a mall restaurant in the 90s. The tables were set with white paper. A Tennessee license plate hangs behind the bar that’s made of sawed up wooden doors. My french onion soup came topped with a slice of cheese toast that was only a few clicks away from melted Kraft on Pepperidge Farm. But the service was good and the vibes were high. A large group of grown men pushed stools out of the way so they could line up for a photo together, injecting a contagious jolly mood into the space.

Mat Bar

My nerves were shook when we showed up to our reservation and found this restaurant practically empty, but the tapas here were novel and tasty. The roasted cauliflower dip served with focaccia reminded me of a particularly great baba ganoush. I wasn’t sure about anchovies on brioche (so sweet) but I loved the rutabagas with stracciatella cheese and Icelandic wasabi. Lamb curry was a stand out.

Brút

Located in the epicenter of bougie Reykjavík tourist shopping, I can only imagine how crowded this place must get during the high season. The interior is modern, eclectic, organic, and moody with rattan, green marble, and hanging plants. I had a mezcal espresso martini, a mushroom pate served in a lidded mason jar with a layer of fat that broke up like a crème brûlée, charred carrots over yogurt with fried capers, and arctic char with crispy skin and apple butter (!!) on the side. Entrees came with complimentary greens, tossed in a sweet and sour sauce, and laminated potatoes pavé. In the States, I might write off a place like this as neon Instagram fodder. But through rose-colored vacation glasses, this restaurant put the “char” in charming.

Drinks

Lebowski Bar

Tourist trap. Despised by locals. Fun DJ. “White Russian Coffee” served in a glass mug with whipped cream was attractive enough to make other patrons jealous.

Einstök Bar

Dark and intimate. Had a seasonal beer that tasted like pine thrown in a fire.

The Roof at the EDITION Hotel

When you go into the hotel lobby, hang a right for the elevators and use the right-most elevator bay to get up to the 7th floor which has a bar that’s open to the public. The walk-around deck provides awesome views of the Harpa. Order a little gin martini as a prop while you keep your fingers crossed for some Northern Lights, like everybody else who’s drinking in this bar.

Museums, parks and landmarks

Reykjavík Art Museum

After a long night of travel, the Jónsi: FLÓÐ exhibition in Gallery A on the first floor was especially disorienting. Get lost in a dark mist. Imagine you’re in a forgotten subway tunnel under a highway, separate from society. Pat clumsily at walls in the pitch black until you realize the exit is the same as the entrance.

The House of Collections at the National Gallery of Iceland

Start at the top and mosey your way down through galleries of Icelandic paintings and installations. Imagine attending a party at the book salon or a children’s book reading in the troll-themed basement.

The Icelandic Phallological Museum

Visit Cynthia Albritton’s plaster caste of Jimmy Hendrix’s erect member, plus hundreds of animal specimens, from horses to hamsters.

Perlan

Getting over to the Perlan on public transit was strange. We walked along the side of a highway until we noticed people traipsing down a dark, unmarked path, which we realized led up to the museum through a garden of bushes. The exhibits here are mostly short films, flyover footage augmented with piped-in aromas to simulate the natural smells of volcanoes and ice. The real draw is the Observation Deck. Head upstairs to the rotating cafe and secure a table in a window.

Hallgrímskirkja

An epic monument. Get an elevator ticket to the tower, climb a few steps. Check out the bells. Step onto a little box, stick your face out a window, and try not to drop your phone snapping photos of the city below.

Tjörnin

Tjörnin is a lake that’s called a pond. When we visited, it was frozen over except for a small section near the edge where you could feed ducks and geese. When it’s frozen, you can go ice skating (bring your own skates) or walk out to the little island in the middle.

Tours and excursions

Elding Whale Watching

Had time to kill and I thought it might be nice to see the city from a boat. We zipped out of the harbour and spent the next two hours chasing a single juvenile humpback whale around in a nearby bay. There were at least two other boats on the same mission, and I started to feel bad for the poor whale who was being triangulated by paparazzi. On the plus side, there was a nice educational talk track of whale facts while we watched for spouts, and it was undeniably cool to get a glimpse of the fluke. This tour had professional photographers on board and they emailed us a Dropbox link to a whole folder of photos, upon request, the next day.

Katla Ice Cave & South Coast Waterfalls Tour From Reykjavík

Based on the reviews, it seems like a lot of people are unhappy with the rushed format of this day trip. But for a couple of rookie travelers who didn’t want to fuss with renting a car, this was an efficient way to pack in lots of sightseeing and an appropriate amount of adventure.

We reserved online through Viator but the group running our tour was Troll Expeditions. The shuttle met us at Bus Stop #6 near the House of Collections and had our names on a clipboard.

Our tour guide was great. Super friendly, multi-lingual, funny, and a fast driver. Over the course of the morning, we booked it across the South Coast stopping briefly at three different waterfalls: Urriðafoss, Seljalandsfoss, and Skógafoss. At Skógafoss you can climb 527 steps up to a metal platform that overlooks the waterfall with views of the landscape out toward the ocean.

We took an hour-long lunch break at Reynisfjara, the famous black sand beach. It was more than enough time to grab some burgers, wash them down, walk along the coast, and take photos. The beach was crowded but it was fun to see families and couples posing in front of the rock formations. Just be careful not to get too close to the water. Our tour guide warned us about “sneaker waves” and they were not playing around.

After beach lunch, we caught a glimpse of a rainbow on our drive to Vík, where we stayed only long enough to swap vehicles. Our group split up into two rough-and-tumble “super jeeps” with huge wheels. From Vík we rode out to the Mýrdalsjökull glacier at the Katla volcano.

Getting out of the car at the glacier was like stepping out of a space shuttle in Rogue One. Mossy green mountains are jutting up from the black sand. But when you turn around, you’re standing in front of a blue-green glacier, striped with ribbons of gray ash.

We converted our snow boots into ice cleats with crampons, strapped helmuts over our knit headwear, and followed a new guide out to hike toward two small ice caves on the side of the glacier. We made our way up slowly, following ropes tied to rebar over shredded wooden beams and metal bridges.

Along the way, we learned how quickly the landscape changes on the glaciers. Only a few months ago, a towering, moon-shaped archway of ice collapsed. The wind opens up new tunnels, and the caves shift shapes as the packed snow-ice melts and refreezes.

Up there, on the ice, in the cold, I felt Alive. I felt like the glacier was Alive.

I also felt like humans were not supposed to be here. Certainly not touring in large groups, taking selfies. There was something sort of sad, a sinking in the stomach, realizing how easily we were granted access to this space. Even though it’s not exactly an endangered animal habitat or a designated historical site, you can’t help but wonder whether the constant foot traffic affects the environment in a damaging way.

The glaciers are melting and the active volcano, Katla, is 20 years overdue for an eruption. Nature is both threatening and threatened.

Speaking of volcanoes…

Volcano, surprise!

On the Wednesday before our trip, we saw on the news that a fissure had opened near Grindavík.

Source

Understandably, the Blue Lagoon canceled and refunded our reservations, as they were closed due to the eruption. Apparently they have effective protective barriers in place and should be able to scoop the lava off of their parking lot, but it wasn’t a good time for a visit.

We didn’t venture close to the volcano, but we did capture a view of it twice through the window of the Flybus that shuttles travelers to and from KEF airport.

Even from far away, it was spectacular to watch the glowing globs of lava spurt out under the pillar of smoke.

Speaking of the Flybus…

Transportation

From the departures area at KEF, you can get a Flybus ticket to any of the major hotels. Our hotel wasn’t available for a direct stop so we got our tickets to the City Center BSÍ terminal.

However! We later learned that you don’t need tickets at all to ride the public transit, Strætó. There is an app called Klapp for the bus lines but it won’t work for you if you have a US-based phone number.

Luckily, you can easily tap your credit card to pay for fare as you’re boarding any bus. The only trick is: you can’t buy multiple tickets at once. Every person in your party will need to pull out their own credit card.

When it came to getting around town, we found that ChatGPT was often more helpful than Google for getting info and planning routes.

Logistics, money, phones, etc.

Make sure you get the right kind of power adapter. I ordered a “universal” adapter and it didn’t have the two prong setup you need for Iceland. Look for a Type C adapter that is specific for Iceland, not Europe.

No AmEx in Iceland. Take a Visa or Mastercard. Everywhere we visited in the city let you pay with a tap. We never needed to stop by a bank or ATM. Tipping is not customary or required, for food or any other types of services.

Before we left, I used my bank’s app to let them know about my travel dates so I had no problems with my cards. We added the TravelPass for $12/day to our phone lines through Verizon.

Packing

I’m a terrible over-packer for trips, especially when winter weather is involved.

Here are the things I was glad to have with me for Iceland in November:

Insulated Parka Much heavier and sturdier than my puffy sleeping bag coat, this knee-length parka kept me super-warm, even in snow, sleet, rain, and strong winds. Tons of pockets, inside and out. My only gripe is that it’s tough to get the zipper to line up.

Winter Clogs These quilted clogs were clutch. Easy to slip on-and-off in airport security. Comfortable for walking all over the city in ice and snow.

Snowboots Crucial for the glacier hike.

I’d also recommend taking:

• Lots of long johns and thermal layers – more than you think you need
• Wool socks – make sure they’re thin enough to fit inside your shoes!
• Mittens that convert into fingerless gloves – so you can take photos without getting frostbite fingers
• Waterproof pants, like you’d wear for skiing or snowboarding
• Knit beanies, headbands, or ear warmers
• A swimsuit! I forgot mine and would have had to go shopping for the lagoon
• Oversized sweaters, jeans, and pants to go over the long johns in the city
• Hydroflask, or other refillable water bottle – all the bottled water in the city is the same as from the tap and it’s delicious
• Any medications or toiletries you must have – they don’t have drug stores on every corner like we do in the U.S.

Don’t bother:

• Scarves, neck gaiters – I only wore my neck gaiter once, for whale watching; next time, I’d stick to big turtleneck sweaters instead of messing with extra items
• Hand warmers – never got cold enough to need these
• Extra purse – I kept my passport wallet zipped up in my coat, there was no reason to carry a bag

Flights

Delta offers round-trip flights from ATL to KEF with a stop in New York, but we weren’t able to find anything for the dates we wanted on such short notice.

Icelandair has flights between JFK and KEF but they only run once per day, overnight. Once I booked those flights to and from, I worked backwards. I used Delta to book flights between ATL and JFK, paying partially in SkyMiles.

Efficient? No. Cost effective? No. But we got where we needed to go.

The biggest issue was getting the layover times right. On the way there, we gave ourselves way too much time at JFK because we didn’t want to risk missing our flight on Icelandair. At JFK Terminal 7, the desk for Icelandair doesn’t even open until 4:30 PM. There’s no food at Terminal 7, not even a vending machine. When we landed in New York from Atlanta, we rushed over there, realized there was nothing to do, got hungry, and ended up hauling our luggage around on the AirTrain in search of snacks.

On the way back, I didn’t give us enough time to get between Terminal 7 and Terminal 4 comfortably. Our flight to New York from Iceland landed around 6:10 but our checked bag didn’t hit the luggage belt until 7:00. When we got over to Terminal 4, we had to check our bag home and go through security. The people in front of us were not hustling. I was sweating. We made it through to our gate before boarding started at 7:40, but we didn’t have time to eat or change out of our long johns.

Lesson learned that you really need more than two hours for transfers at JFK if you’re checking your luggage!

Complaints

Here are my few complaints, from most serious to most petty:

Shockingly casual racism and bigotry from service workers and other tourists: While we were in Reykjavík, my husband and I were each on the receiving end of separate “joke” comments that people had no business saying out loud to strangers. I didn’t get the sense that the country is overtly hostile to any group of people, but sometimes the subtle shit is more insidious.

The sad, dumb Americanization of everything: Please tell me why I get on the road in a new country and the first thing I see along the highway is a strip with a Domino’s, a Subway, and a Kentucky Fried Chicken? Every restaurant we visited was playing the same playlist of American pop rock music. I stepped into one bookstore that didn’t have a single Icelandic book. It’s convenient that everybody speaks English in Reykjavík, but I was hoping for more cultural immersion.

Bread baskets gone wrong: Every restaurant brought us a generous basket of bread chunks with butter (love it) but the bread was usually cold to the touch and never accompanied by side plates. So, you’re spreading this gorgeous cream butter over chilled soda bread and there’s nowhere to catch your crumbs. The lip of the basket is too wide to balance the butter knife. I’ll never take a tiny plate for granted again.

Concerning Elves

Half of the population of Iceland believes in Elves, and now I think I do, too. Here’s why:

When we were visiting the black sand beaches, I noticed a curious heart-shaped rock. It was too tempting to ignore. I KNOW you’re NOT supposed to take things home with you from the natural landscapes of Iceland, just like you’re not supposed to steal from the land in Hawaii.

Against my better judgement, I scooped up the black rock and stuck it in an interior pocket of my coat. I didn’t even stop to clean off the clump of sand. I was nervous somebody might see me and call me out for breaking the rules. I buttoned my pocket shut.

Later, after our South Coast tour was complete and we made it back to our hotel, I dug around in my coat to retrieve my contraband souvenir. Not only was the rock gone, but there wasn’t a trace of sand left behind. It’s reasonable to think the smooth rock tumbled out, but I hadn’t removed my coat.

Not a single grain of sand.

Did the hidden folk break through a parallel dimension and claim the Earth back from me while I wasn’t looking?

I can’t prove it happened and you can’t prove it didn’t.

For next time

Iceland is so beautiful, and I’m already dreaming of a chance to go back. If/when we’re able to go again, I would definitely plan the trip more than a couple of weeks in advance and spend more time outside of the city.

Now I understand why people recommend you should rent a car and explore on your own. Reykjavík is gorgeous but it’s sort of like Disneyworld and you can knock out the major attractions in a few days.

I would have loved to have more time to stay in a smaller town. And a few extra days would have been useful for aurora hunting.

With more advanced planning, I also think we could have also tried some of the more renowned restaurants, which were all booked up.

Peace, love, magic

I am so grateful for everything that made this trip possible. I returned home inspired to decorate for Christmas—something I usually dread. And, I’m looking forward to our family’s version of Jólabókaflóð, the Yule book exchange.

There’s just something supernatural about the energy in Iceland that feels electric and peaceful at the same time. I hope we can carry some of that with us through this holiday season.