What to do in Iceland in Winter

The Adventure People

by The Adventure People on 21st January 2019

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Guest Blog My name is Debbie Petrova, I’m 24 and living in London. I have a full-time office job by day and by night I relentlessly browse the web, planning my next adventures around the globe. The goal? 30 countries visited by the age of 30. Halfway there already! I am a self-taught photographer, travel blogger, website creator and drone flyer – awaiting my first crash! You can read more about my adventures on: www.debbiesdaydream.com  
The land of fire and ice So, you must be here because you’re thinking about travelling to Iceland in the winter months or you’re here because you’ve been there already and are planning a return trip? – Either way, stick around and find out what you can get up to in 5 days, with only 4 hours of daylight.  

Sunrises and Sunsets

I am never awake to ever see the former and therefore always ensure to seek out the latter BUT during the winter season in Iceland you get to experience BOTH and it’s the most magical and surreal experience. The sun rises roughly around 11:00 am and sets around 16:00 pm. When that happens the sky and landscape are just like something out of a fairy-tale.    

The Blue Lagoon

If you are planning on visiting the Blue Lagoon, you must book your tickets online in advance, to ensure you get your desired day and time! The best way to escape the sub-zero temperatures outside is to jump in this naturally warm geothermal pool. Here the water contains natural minerals (sulphur and silica) which are very good for your skin however not so good for your hair! Ladies listen to the warnings and tie your hair up! – I didn’t, and it was completely destroyed; Moroccan oil couldn’t even restore it. Prices range from €54.00 – €228.00. Best value for money and probably most popular option is the premium package, as you get a face mask, bathrobe and slippers, which is essential if you want to walk around and cover-up.   DISCLAIMER: It is very likely that you may never see your towel and slippers again once you get out of the pool, because dozens of people purchase the towel and slipper package tool. But there is no time to dwell on it for too long, just grab any towel and run away from the cold!      

The Northern Lights

Truthfully, this is the main reason I wanted to visit Iceland in the winter and I am sure that this is the case for most tourists too. However, if you are planning an upcoming winter trip here for the same reason, you must go with the mindset that you’re not going to see the Northern Lights. Here’s why! The Northern Lights are the most unpredictable attraction in Iceland (and every country situated in the North Magnetic Pole). Seeing them depends on many factors that are out of your control, including the weather, location and LUCK! If you go there with this knowledge and prepare for the likelihood of you not seeing them, then you will not go home disappointed.   Now let’s talk about how to increase your chances of seeing the Northern Lights in the winter season. For the duration of my Icelandic trip, I followed these methods every single day and I would highly recommend them to anyone who is serious about increasing their chances of seeing the Northern Lights because they worked for me.  
  1. Aurora website
http://en.vedur.is/weather/forecasts/aurora/ You need to make this website your best friend. Save it! Bookmark it! Set it as your default page! It shows you hourly cloud coverage over Iceland. If the area is not green, then you are most likely to see the Northern Lights there. Be mindful that the ‘Aurora forecast’ scale on the right-hand side can be useful, but it does not mean that you will or will not see the Northern Lights.  
  1. Instagram!
Yes you have read this correctly! – Instagram is the place to check out recent posts made by people who are currently seeing the Northern Lights. Trust me it works! – The first thing people do when they see something remarkable is post it on social media for all their friends to see. So use that to your advantage and if they don’t mention the location in the photo, don’t be afraid to ask them!  
  1. Rent a car
I personally don’t like guided tours, based on bad experiences in the past, and firmly believe that the most authentic experiences are the ones that take you off the beaten track, away from tour guides and give you full control. Renting a car can save you loads of money too. -Those Northern Light tours are NOT CHEAP, they don’t offer you a refund if you don’t see the lights and you don’t have higher chances of seeing them than those who have rented a car. In fact, you have less chances because the tour limits you with time. So, hop in your car find the darkest location possible, with no light pollution! Switch off your engine and wait for the show. Easier said than done, I know!   Here is a list of ESSENTIALS to get you through the wait:
  1. Food
  2. Drinks
  3. Blankets (temperatures can easily reach -10 degrees Celsius and with your engine off, you may as well be outside)
  4. Salopettes (warm ski trousers)
  5. Thermals
  6. Warm Jacket
  7. Portable charger (to get you through the long hours of waiting, as you need to be keeping an eye on Instagram and the website)
  Don’t be discouraged if you don’t see the Northern Lights on your first day. I followed these 3 steps every day and finally on the 3rd day after 18 hours of waiting and searching they finally showed up and danced over us. It was the most beautiful and unforgettable show ever!    

Waterfalls

Iceland has the most impressive collection of waterfalls ever seen, each one different from the other. As you can imagine these waterfalls can get very busy during the day, so try to come early in order to get the best shots. If you are staying in Reykjavik, here is the list of waterfalls that are within close proximity and 100% worth visiting:  

Gullfoss

  • 5 hour drive from Reykjavik and also part of the Golden Circle.
Its name means ‘Golden Falls’ and you’ll really understand what that means when the sun is beaming onto the vast expanse of water flowing down into a three-step staircase and then into a 32 meter deep crevice. For safety reasons, during the winter the footpath which leads down to the waterfall is closed, as its covered in ice from the mist. However, don’t let this dampen your mood because all the best views and photo opportunities are experienced from the top of the waterfall. Be sure to visit the Geysir Hot Springs afterwards!  

Seljalandsfoss 

  • 5 hour drive from Gullfoss
  • 40 hour drive from Reykjavik
This waterfall is 60 metres high and during the summer visitors are able to walk behind the falls into a small cave. However, please note that during the winter you are not able to do so, because the ground closer to the waterfall is covered in thick ice and its very unsafe. If you do end up coming here, be sure to visit Vik and the Black Sand Beach, only a 30-minute drive away!  

Skogafoss  

  • 2 hour drive from Reykjavik
  • 30 min drive from Seljalandsfoss
Skogafoss is one of the biggest waterfalls in Iceland, and I’d say the most impressive. It is 15 metres wide and 60 metres tall! You can get real close to this waterfall however, if you plan on doing so you’ll need to bring a raincoat, otherwise, you will get drenched. Also do bear in mind that just like all waterfalls in the winter, the floor is covered in thick ice, due to the amount of spray, making it very difficult to get close without falling. Once you are done admiring Skogafoss head over to the eastern side for an unforgettable hiking trail. But first, you have to climb 370 steps in order to get to the top Legend has it that long ago a man named Prasi (the first Viking settler in the area) had buried treasure in the cave behind Skogafoss waterfall. Many years later a young man attempted to find the gold but only managed to retrieve a ring. This ring is now used for the church door at Skogar.  

Geysir Hot Springs

  • 10 min drive from Gullfoss Waterfall
Entrance here is FREE! The water in the Geysirs is extremely hot so its best to keep your distance and admire them from far. Strokkur is the name of the most active Geysir in the area. You’ll know exactly which one it is as soon as you see loads of tourists crowding around in a circle. This Geysir erupts every 6-10 minutes and the water can reach up to 30 metres in the air. So stick around, it’s totally worth it.  

Black Sand Beach

Only a 30-minute drive from Seljalandsfoss waterfall. On this notorious beach, you can find the famous Super DC-3 plane wreckage situated very close to the shore. However, be prepared to walk approximately 40 minutes in order to get to it from the car park. The plane was forced to make an emergency crash landing in 1973. Thankfully all crew survived the crash! To this day, the wreckage remains abandoned on the beach. If you do decide to climb the plane, be very cautious because the roof can fall apart at any moment due to rust and exposure to the elements.  

F Roads

These are small roads that lead towards the mountains and offer you the most spectacular views of the country. Unfortunately, during the winter season, all F roads are closed due to dangerous snow and ice conditions. In Iceland the weather is very unpredictable and can change at any moment, so you don’t want to break down here! Technically speaking, if you are renting a 4 x 4 (recommended for road tripping in Iceland) and are an experienced driver, you can drive on those roads. – At your own risk! However, if you are not comfortable with driving on ice then do yourself a favour and go on a guided tour.   We did not rent a 4 x 4 during our trip but really wanted to get off the beaten track and escape the very touristy Golden Circle. So we went against all the warnings and took route F35 (just next to Gullfoss waterfall). It was the best-unplanned decision we had made because it felt like we had stepped into a winter wonderland. Like all good things, this was very short-lived because we were forced to turn around after almost getting stuck in ice, which had built up in the middle of the road and began scraping the bottom of our car.

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