How to Have a Spontaneous Long Weekend in Iceland

It may seem strange that a wind-swept, geothermal island in the heart of the North Atlantic would qualify as a spur-of-the-moment weekend retreat, but chances are you already know someone who has visited Iceland and come back glowing. Iceland’s magic isn’t just in its spectacular volcanic heartbeat and its vibrant culture—the country has promoted an intentional agenda to make spontaneous travel affordable, easy to arrange, and welcoming. In fact, Travel & Leisure has ranked Reykjavik as one of the most friendly cities in the world.

Depending on your goals, Iceland can be a place to relax in hot springs or a forum for high adventure. Summer offers the promise of mountain hikes to restless volcanoes, visits to powerful waterfalls, and wilderness of the deep interior. Winter is prime season for the dazzling dance of the northern lights, blazing emerald-green against black night sky. The shoulder seasons can give you a little bit of both, with the addition of fun outings like whale watching, ATV tours, and cave exploration.

Here’s everything you need to know to have an amazing weekend getaway in Iceland, no matter when you go.

Getting There

Led by the luxurious yet reasonably priced efforts of Icelandair, flights to Iceland from America are about 5-7 hours—on par with domestic air travel. Several major cities offer direct flights on Icelandair including Boston, Denver, New York City, Washington DC, Seattle, and Orlando. As of 2017, Delta Airlines also offers direct flights from Minneapolis and New York City. All you need is a passport, a few days off, a modest budget, and an adventurous spirit.

Keep an eye on Icelandair’s website as they often feature special travel packages year-round. Normal prices for a three day escape, including airfare and lodging, average around $1,300 per person. A few times every year, there are killer deals that can get you all you need for under $1,000 a person.

As for that last “essential” after transportation and lodging—food—Reykjavik delivers in a big way. The variety of cuisine ranges from Brazilian to Asian with an expected (and delicious) infusion of European flare. For those who have some serious culinary courage, the native dish of svið is a delicacy to locals and a dare to foreigners. It’s “sheep’s head cut in half, singed to remove the fur, and boiled with the brain removed” and according to Icelanders, a highly anticipated treat. We won’t judge you for sticking with more traditional meals, though.

How to Pack

Since you are just going for three days, the goal is fitting everything into a carry-on. Layering is key, no matter the season (summer temperatures can range from 50-70 degrees F), and waterproof everything is a good idea if you are visiting waterfalls. Bring a sturdy pair of hiking boots if you are setting out on foot, and don’t forget a hat and gloves.

For the winter, light but warm down layers will mash into your carry-on no problem, and wear your warmest waterproof and windproof coat. It is easy to forget a swimsuit, especially if you are going in the winter, but you’ll definitely want to visit the hot springs and will need it. Toss in a pair of sunglasses, and you’re ready for the weekend!

Winter Visits

The northern boundaries of Iceland toe the southern rim of the Arctic Circle, positioning it just outside of Arctic territory. The upshot is that winter nights are dark, but not prohibitively cold. Nearly all winter tours begin and end in Reykjavik, where the nightlife, culture, and dining could be enough to hold your attention for the entire three days.

The roiling, geothermal pulse under the skin of the land makes hot springs an obvious attraction, and most famous is the Blue Lagoon. The milky, steamy waters of the Blue Lagoon are very popular with visitors, but it’s not a tourist trap—the experience is well worth the visit. Luckily, there are shuttles that run year round out to the hot springs. For a more intimate experience, Sundhöllin is a smaller, local favorite right in Reykjavik and one of the oldest hot spring pools in the country.

Speaking of intimate experiences, if cuddling up to your sweetie in a (literal) bubble of comfort is on your list, Iceland’s famous bubble hotels are romantic and charming, in a quirky and transparent kind of way. Buubble is one of several lodging companies where you can bunk down in a heated dome and watch the glorious northern lights paint the sky. Watching the pale green light illuminate the sparkling snow from the warmth of your own private sanctuary is a brag-worthy novelty.

When the sun rises, the adventurous can set out on a winter whale watching tour. Elding Tours is one of the best for cold weather spotting of whales, seals, and dolphins. It should be understood that you need to bundle up as if you were spending a night on the side of Mount Everest. Wrap up your day with the exquisite cuisine of your choosing (TripAdvisor has a great selection here) and make time for a few of Reykjavik’s museums.

The National Museum of Iceland is a detailed, immersive showcase of the island’s deep culture and history, with all the displays and plaques written in English (along with other languages). Reykjavík 871±2 is a museum built on the oldest known settlement in the city, uncovered in 2001 and dating back to 871 A.D. (plus or minus a year or two, thus the name). The museum is built into the actual longhouse from olden times. And finally, there’s the world famous, giggle-worthy (but quite informative) Iceland Phallological Museum. The museum “contains a collection of more than two hundred penises and penile parts belonging to almost all the land and sea mammals that can be found in Iceland”, which is the kind of thing Europeans find scientifically interesting and causes most Americans to blush and avoid eye contact when they pay for their tickets.

As a final note, nearly all visitors are inspired take a trip up to Hallgrímskirkja church to gaze upon the streets of Reykjavik out to the inky, dark, Atlantic Ocean. The towering edifice stands at the top of a tall hill in the center of the city. The architecture of the slanting shoulders in white-gray stone is a visual marvel, as is the sturdy statue of Leifur Eiriksson that guards the grounds. A small donation is required to go to the top of the 244-foot tower.

Summer Visits

Summer visits open up the truth breadth of Iceland’s varied terrain, as traveling to far reaches of the country are much easier in warmer temperatures. All the great options for a quick winter visit are available (including the bubble hotels), but there’s also the open road that leads to distant towns, natural hot springs, waterfalls, mountains, and much more. Three days will be just enough time to take in some of the best experiences in Iceland—and to inspire a return visit at a later date.

Visit Iceland has an excellent round-up of the various regions around the country, and two in particular are worth checking out: Westfjords and Reykjanes. The Westfjords stand as the gateway to Hornstrandir National Reserve, where some of Iceland’s most beautiful natural wilderness takes shape in the form of steep fjords blanketed with bright green grass and snow-lined couloirs. It’s a great place to set up a three-day base camp if your goal is to hike, ski, and explore the mountains.

Reykjanes is a geothermal peninsula that is a 40-minute drive from Reykjavik. It is home to the aforementioned Blue Lagoon and many other thermal pools and creeks. Icelanders think of Reykjanes as Reykjavik’s outdoorsy little brother. There are plenty of restaurants, museums, and lodging but the proximity to adventure in the form of lava field hikes, volcanoes treks, caves, and waterfalls is much closer than the big city.

One of the best ways to see the countryside is to rent a car and hit the road, and one of the best roadside attractions is Gulfoss Waterfall. Gulfoss is sort of like a miniature Niagara Falls (Gulfoss’ tallest drop is 105 feet while Niagara is 187 feet). There is no fee to visit and there are several enjoyable hiking trails that weave around the rim of the falls. If waterfalls are your thing, you could make a weekend of seeking out a collection of Iceland’s best.

One of the more spectacular ways to spend one of your days in Iceland in the summer is hiking a volcano. Hekla Volcano in southern Iceland is accessible as a day trip from Reykjavik (about a 5 -6 hour outing), assuming the temperamental mountain isn’t in the process of erupting. Or, step it up a notch and book a tour that visits both the outside and the inside of a volcano. Thrihnjukagigur Crater doesn’t require any technical expertise and guides tourists on a caving adventure to examine the inner workings of a once-volatile lava pocket.

Finally, since you’re only in Iceland a short time, covering some ground may be high on your agenda. Jeep Tours can maximize the amount of sites you can access in a short time, including snow fields, less-known waterfalls, and several steaming, geothermal hikes. And if there’s a summer equivalent to heli-skiing, it just might be Icelandic heli-mountain biking. Mountain biking in Iceland is getting more popular every year as more and more trails get developed, ranging from carefree, casual routes through open meadows, to gnarly, skin-shredding, technical terrain on—and in—volcanoes.

So there you have it. In three days, travelers can pack in enough adventure to unleash their inner viking or simply immerse themselves in one of the world’s most accommodating and unique countries. And if you can muster up the stomach to order and actually eat svið, consider yourself a “járn maga”, or an “iron stomach”. On second thought, maybe skip eating anything that looks back at you and focus your bragging rights on the incredible natural beauty.

Originally written by RootsRated for Craghoppers.

Featured image provided by Mitchel