Anna's Iceland adventure began with a spark of inspiration from a post on my Facebook page. Together, we crafted a dream itinerary for her and Ashley. I was thrilled to hear about their incredible experiences and to receive her wonderful review of the trip…
Iceland and the Northern Lights have always been on our travel bucket list so with our kids now grown-up we had the opportunity to tick it off our list with a short break together.
Felicity always puts together the best value packages for us, so we asked her to plan our trip based on a central Reykjavik location and an idea of the experiences we wanted.
We took the short flight from Manchester with Iceland Air, who were outstanding. The plane was a new 747 with spacious leg room and attentive staff.
Getting our baggage and clearing customs at Keflavik Airport was super speedy, and the transfer to the Hotel Fron was very efficient.
The hotel exceeded our expectations, with a comfortable, clean and spacious room that had everything we needed. Breakfast was great - a full continental spread that opened early enough for us to eat before heading out on early morning tours.
We spent a full day exploring Reykjavik city and visiting several landmarks and sites.
Highlights included:
The Sun Voyager sculpture on the seafront
The Harpa concert hall with its stunning architecture
The Lava Show
This was an unexpected hit. We upgraded to the VIP package, which included a drink of choice, a private pre-show lounge area, top-view balcony seats, a post-show backstage tour of the furnace, and a piece of lava from one of the local eruption sites. It was so informative and interesting – we loved it.
The Omnom Chocolate Ice Cream Shop
This amazing ice cream shop lived up to expectations – delicious.
The Hallgrimskirkja Church
We paid to go to the viewing area, which had fantastic city views.
Eating at one of the many food halls
There was a great choice of different local dishes, and we tried the delicious Icelandic lamb. It wasn’t cheap but we had been forewarned.
The only disappointment was the Whales of Iceland Museum, which we booked ourselves. It was very expensive for just a few minutes walking around one large room filled with life-size whale models.
Felicity had included our Northern Lights tour in our package. After a short walk to the bus station, we boarded a coach for an informative tour with a fun and knowledgeable local guide.
Unfortunately, despite chasing them for five hours, the heavy cloud, snowfall and freezing temperature defeated us. We did have the choice to rebook but decided against it with so much more planned in our itinerary.
The Nordic Gods duly smiled upon us the following day. We booked the Golden Circle tour with the added option of an evening visit to The Blue Lagoon. With a 20-seater minibus and the most wonderful tour guide, it felt so personal and was just perfect.
The views were breathtakingly beautiful, and we learned so much about the history and geography of Iceland. It was already our favourite day of the holiday, but just when we thought it couldn’t get any better - it did!
After being dropped back at the local bus stop, we gazed up in astonishment to see the Aurora Borealis lights dancing before our very eyes. We couldn’t believe our luck! It was such a spectacular sight and after a long and exhilarating day, it felt extra special.
Hungry and still buzzing, we decided to head to the Bastard Bar for a bite and some drinks. The reindeer burger was the best I have ever tasted and was a perfect finale to a perfect day.
On our last full day, we started with a visit to the brilliant Perlan Museum. The ice cave shows were exceptional, and the viewing deck had the best views of the snowcapped mountains.
Felicity had organised our Sky Lagoon Hot Springs experience, which we absolutely loved. The bus transfers were punctual, and it was an exciting way to get to know Icelandic culture. The 7-step spa ritual was blissful, and we enjoyed a few beers in the warm water overlooking the sea.
The changing facilities, as at the Blue Lagoon, were great - very clean and well-organised. We would probably just lean towards the Blue Lagoon if we had to pick a favourite of the two, as it just feels a little more authentic.
Ashley was keen to try the soup in a bread bowl dish before we left Iceland, so we made an excellent choice in visiting Svarta Kaffið.
We were fortunate with the weather, and it was really pleasant to walk around. We would definitely go back as it feels like there is still so much to explore and experience, like glaciers, snowmobiling, whale and puffin watching, black sand beaches, and Diamond Beach on the south coast topping our list.
This was a fantastic break that we will never forget. I knew it would be amazing, but we were blown away, and Iceland undoubtedly has found a special place in our hearts.
Felicity is a fabulous travel advisor and always puts her heart, soul and fantastic knowledge into every trip she books for us. Thank you, Felicity, for your hard work.
Anna x
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