I started off my first solo trip in Iceland on literally and figuratively the longest day of the year. I spent the whole morning before my evening flight packing and repacking my bag, I worked a full last day in the office and I flew all night squeezed into a pink WOWair airplane. We made it to Iceland right on time and after all my running around I landed in Reykjavik on a quiet, calm and sunny morning with no job, no boyfriend and no plan…ready to start my day.
My first task of the day, acquiring transportation. Soon after landing I raced to the rental place to grab dibs on the first car, then me and my high paced NYC energy were on the road. I drove straight from the airport to the bridge between continents, a bridge that connects the North American and Eurasian tectonic plates. The best way to start off my Euro trip… crossing over the actual tectonic plates.
The bridge across continents is only 15 minutes away from the airport, so if you ever find yourself with a layover in Iceland, it’s an easy and quick stop. I’ve read online that the bridge is a popular tourist spot, but at 5am when I pulled into the parking lot, there wasn’t a soul in sight. I wonder why? After being surrounded by non stop people, early wake ups and constant movement in NYC, it felt weird to sit on the edge of two continents…alone. The emptiness was unnerving.
I spent some time at the bridge sitting in the chilly Icelandic morning air and after reflecting on my past 24 hours, I decided I needed to slow down. Iceland was full of so much beauty and I didn’t need to rush through one second of it. When I finally got back in the car and moved on to my next stop, I was mentally ready to relax. Lucky for me I was headed to a spa morning at the Blue Lagoon.
I meandered my way along the coast and by lava fields lined with with lavender until I got to my first big ticket stop on the trip… the Blue Lagoon. I had spent the last few years saving all my money because I thought that is what adults were supposed to do, but on this trip I was resolved to splurge and treat myself nonstop. No more holding back. I’m getting every deluxe spa package this world has to offer and the Blue Lagoon was first on my list.
I bought the VIP package and drank fancy cocktails in the submerged bar. I smeared all types of algae filled mud on my face and I sipped champagne swathed in a fuzzy white robe. I FaceTimed my family back home to let them know I was safe and enjoying a nice geothermal bath. I relaxed. For the first time in what felt like too long.
After easing into this vacay at the Blue Lagoon, it was still so early. One of the many perks of Iceland’s 24 hour sun and starting your day at 5am. Thanks to the time difference I was just starting to get hungry, so I drove into downtown and got lunch at one of the many vegan spots in Reykjavik. It was surprising to see how many vegan options there were in Iceland. I assumed a Scandinavian city would be rooted in cheese and fish dishes, but I was delightfully wrong!
I decided to take my food to-go and drive down the highway for a make shift picnic. I didn’t have a particular place in mind for my picnic, but after heading 10 minutes down the road I found a picnic bench overlooking a field of lavender. It couldn’t have been more perfect.
After refueling with flowers and fresh food I headed back out for some afternoon hikes on the Golden Circle. Iceland’s Golden Circle is a loop of popular parks, landmarks and natural wonders that are easy to see off the highway. First up on the Circle is Þingvellir/Thingvellir National Park.
When you get to Þingvellir/Thingvellir National Park you can easily park in front of the visitor center, hit the bathroom and then jump on the trails. There are a ton of trails leading out from the parking lot, but I decided to choose the 7 mile loop to Öxarárfoss Waterfall and Þingvallakirkja (Þingvellir church).
This hike was WOW. Just wow. I was already shocked by the beauty of Iceland on my drive in from the airport, but everything about this park was breathtaking and better than expected. The hike was simple and more of a walking path, but it was the most gorgeous walking path I have ever strolled down. Once I got up the first set of stairs I was surrounded by sweeping landscapes and to my delight, it was relatively empty.
I normally listen to music while hiking or walking around, but similar to the bridge across continents, I tried to take in the silence. That didn’t last too long though. It was too beautiful and I just wanted to share his moment with someone, so I facetimed my friends and we marveled in the magical Iceland air.
Post hiking at Thingvellir National Park my confidence in this solo trip was bursting at the seam, but my stomach… my stomach was empty. I jumped in the car, rolled down the window and blasted Lizzo as I drove deeper into Iceland looking for lunch. I stopped at Laugarvatn Fontana and found a cute café called Lindin. It was right off the highway and next to the lake, so I popped in and pulled up a chair.
I ended up ordering soup because it was one of the main words I remembered from learning Norwegian. I know I was in Iceland, but the word for soup is pretty similar across Scandinavia – supa, suppe, soppa.
I warmed up with soup and continued down the road to Geysir, Iceland. It’s not only the name of the town, but also the location of an active Geysir that sprays water over 100 feet into the air every few minutes. The welcome center was right off the road, so I was able to park and jump on the path to Strokkur Geysir without any hassle at all. I love the Golden Circle.
The ground on the walk to the Geysir was scattered with bubbling hot pools and interesting vegetation. Then, when you get to the Geysir you can stand surprisingly close to watch the natural wonder for as long as your heart desires.
Next up was Gullfoss waterfall, my first waterfall stop on the Golden Circle. When you drive into the parking lot you can already hear and see the waterfall pouring over two layers of rocks and into the river below. Once you park it is only a short path down to a viewing platform at the edge of the falls. I knew going into this trip that Iceland was home to beautiful waterfalls, but visiting Gullfoss was my first glimpse into the Iceland waterfall scene and it was greater than I expected.
After a spa day in the morning, lunch by a lavender field and hiking the Golden Circle, I finally checked into my hostel. As I mentioned before, this trip was all really last minute, but you couldn’t tell from my hostel. The lobby was decorated well with lots of maps and cool gadgets that made it feel like a hip coffee shop. Then, each floor had a lounge area with leather couches and a TV. Mine looked out over the ocean!
After checking in I went up to my room and met my roommates. We all got along really well and quickly decided we should all celebrate the longest day of the year together with a little bit of Iceland bar hopping. Around 10pm we headed out to Reykjavik’s main bar area on Laugavegur street and met up with friends who live in Reykjavik that planned to show us to their favorite spots. I thought it was weird heading out to bars with the sun still in the sky, but it was quickly topped by the strange scene of a 2am bar with the lighting of 2pm sunshine.
And that concluded my first day in Iceland. The kickoff to my first solo trip. And the longest day of the year.