Jeffry and I embarked on a 10-day adventure in Iceland to explore Reykjavik and most of this stunning island. Our mission? To tick off some major items on our bucket lists: witnessing the Northern Lights, going on an ice cave tour, getting up close and personal with a glacier, and marveling at numerous waterfalls. But you know what's even cooler? We stumbled upon some unforgettable moments we never thought we'd get to experience in person. In this blog, I'm going to spill the beans on all these incredible adventures, complete with some awesome photos to take you along for the ride!

Joshua Jones stands on Reykjavik’s famous Rainbow Street.

Our Reykjavik Adventure

Our adventure to Iceland's largest city, Reykjavik, was a fantastic experience. With three nights in this charming city, we had plenty of time to explore its unique offerings. We had tons of fun in both shopping and simply strolling past the fascinating little storefronts and cafés that line Reykjavik's streets. There are definitely some fantastic bakeries in the downtown area with Jeffry’s favorite being Brauð & Co. Our visit included a must-see stop at the famous Hallgrimskirkja, which you can see at the end of the Rainbow Street, and we didn't miss the chance to go up to the observation deck, which treated us to a breathtaking view of the entire city despite the crazy gale force winds buffeting us. We also made time for several museums including Perlan, the Icelandic Phallological Museum, and the Einar Jonsson Museum which is Iceland’s first public museum and home to some stunning early 20th century sculpture that really captures Icelandic culture. After these three nights, I can confidently say that Reykjavik is a delightful little city with so much to offer!

*This map of Iceland to show you the route we traveled, also typically called the Golden Circle.*

Icelandic Road Trip Extravaganza

Jeffry and I decided to embark on a week-long road trip around Iceland, and to make the most of our journey, we rented an SUV for the adventure. While we did follow the popular Golden Circle route, we couldn't resist the allure of those intriguing off-the-beaten-path detours that led us to even more Icelandic wonders. Our road trip was a patchwork of stops at different hotels each night, and I've included a road trip route above so you can trace our journey. Iceland, despite being a relatively small island, presents a diverse array of breathtaking landscapes and climates; moss covered rock landscapes, black sand beaches, bubbling hot springs and geysers, barren snow-crusted mountains, and green pastures and farmland dotted with sheep. As we cruised along, you could literally see the lines where the weather shifted and morphed. Our path led us through some really snowy, icy, and slippery road conditions, but we were well-prepared with our trusty SUV equipped with winter tires, which handled the challenging conditions with ease. It was quite a relief, especially when we witnessed other vehicles struggling to stay on course or worse, getting stuck or slipping off the road.

Vatnajökull Glacier at Jökulsárlón Iceberg Lagoon

Glacier Tour: Up Close and Personal with Vatnajökull at Jökulsárlón Iceberg Lagoon

One of the most memorable days was on our second day out of Reykjavik where we booked some tours at the Vatnajökull glacier, located at the breathtaking Jökulsárlón iceberg lagoon. This glacier is the largest in all of Europe and takes up a huge swath of the southeast part of the country. This was a dream come true for us – the chance to see glaciers up close and personal. Our excursion took us on a zodiac boat ride alongside fellow explorers, providing us with an intimate view of these colossal icebergs. The sheer beauty and enormity of the glaciers left us in awe. But the icing on the cake was spotting a pod of seals, lounging on the icebergs as they enjoyed their peaceful naps. There was a baby in the group and we were able to get quite close to them in our boat as they yawned and gazed at us curiously and unthreatened.

Ice cave in Vatnajökull . This is on dark mode camera to shows the details of the interior of the ice cave during our tour.

Exploring an Authentic Ice Cave Adventure at Vatnajökull

Our second adventure at Vatnajökull was a trek overland on foot and then an ice cave tour. We knew we were in for an adventure, but we weren't quite prepared for the intense hiking it entailed. It took us around an hour to reach the ice cave, which was quite a contrast to my initial impression of an “easy” 20-minute walk with just a few steps over rocks. In reality, we had to navigate a challenging terrain filled with rocks, some of which were quite loose, leading to a few stumbles, including my own (thankfully, everyone was okay!).

The ice cave itself was incredibly dark, with very little natural light. To see more of its interior, we resorted to using the dark mode on my iPhone to capture the faint light filtering in through the ice ceiling. Yet, the darkness only added to the allure of the experience. What struck us most was the authenticity of the ice cave – there were no artificial adjustments to make it easier for visitors to navigate. This was a real cave experience, complete with the challenges of walking on uneven, icy rocks, small water streams to cross, negotiating different heights (we definitely bumped our heads a few times!), and feeling the textures of ice all around us. The cave extended about 600 feet deep from the entrance, and it was a remarkably serene and unique experience for us!

The group of Icelandic sheep ran by us at Stuðlagil Canyon.

Icelandic Sheep: A Surprise in Every Flock

Who would have thought that I'd encounter even more sheep in Iceland than during my trip to Ireland last March? They seem to be almost everywhere in Iceland! Icelandic sheep, in particular, stand out from other breeds due to their straight wool and they come in many different color variations. On windy days, it's quite a sight to watch the wind playfully tousling their hair, resembling beautiful models with their tresses swaying in the breeze.

We had a rare and delightful moment when we witnessed a group of Icelandic sheep racing past us right in front of Stuðlagil Canyon, with a stunning waterfall as the backdrop. It was just the two of us, and we managed to capture a video of these lively sheep, which you can check out above. And guess what? There was even a black sheep in the mix! The whole experience was truly amusing and unexpected.

Joshua Jones & Jeffry Kahle at Studlafoss Waterfall, Iceland.

Waterfalls Galore: Chasing Icelandic Cascades

Our Icelandic journey was an epic quest to witness some of the world's most stunning waterfalls. With it said that there are as many as 10,000 waterfalls in Iceland, it's no wonder we were constantly in awe. During our 10-day adventure, we encountered waterfalls of all sizes, from the delicate and narrow to the grand and powerful, and it made us fully embrace the notion that Iceland boasts such an astonishing number of these natural wonders and an abundance of pure natural water from these glacial and mountain runoffs.

While our schedule was tight and we couldn't visit every waterfall on our wish list, we did manage to explore some of the most famous ones. These included Studlafoss (pictured above), Seljalandsfoss, Skogafoss, Dettifoss, Migandifoss, and Hraunfossar. It's interesting to note that all these waterfall names end in "foss," which naturally means waterfall in Icelandic.

Studlafoss especially left a lasting impression on us due to its unique appearance – it was mostly frozen with some water still running and running over a cliff face of black basalt rock creating a mesmerizing scene that felt straight out of a movie. Hraunfossar, on the other hand, completely blew us away with its long wall lava rock and dozens of little waterfalls tumbling straight out of the rock. The sheer volume of water in Iceland is astonishing, and it seems like it never runs out. Witnessing these cascades was an experience that will stay with us forever.

***Sumac Lebanese restaurant in Reykjavik, Iceland.***

Exploring Iceland's Culinary Delights

As dedicated foodies, Jeffry and I always make it a point to explore the culinary landscape of the places we visit. Our tradition is to try out at least one Michelin-starred restaurant in each country we travel to, and Iceland was no exception. We were more than impressed with our experience in Iceland's food scene, finding that nearly every restaurant we dined in offered exceptional food of high quality.

One of the highlights was dining at one of Iceland's only two Michelin-starred restaurants, Dill. In a span of just three hours, we savored a remarkable 18-course dining experience that featured food both incredibly delicious and creatively presented that celebrated the abundance of local Icelandic products and restrained culinary style. For the first time we were able to try monkfish, goose, and cured reindeer. We even had a dessert that incorporated boiled blue potato chunks with caramel sauce!

As we wrapped up our stay in Reykjavik, we discovered an unexpected gem, Sumac, a Lebanese restaurant that turned out to be the best Lebanese cuisine we've ever experienced. And it was right there in Iceland! On another occasion, after our glacier tour at Vatnajökull, we had a simple lunch from the food trucks there and we couldn't resist trying their lobster rolls. To our delight, they were incredibly delicious, and I've been obsessed with them ever since. What's even more remarkable is that it only set us back $30 USD for two lobster rolls! Trust me, that was a budget-friendly rarity in Iceland, where everything typically comes with a higher price tag.

Meeting Icelandic Horses: A Heartwarming Encounter

Throughout our journey on the road, Jeffry and I were treated to countless sightings of Icelandic horses. Unfortunately, the limited space for pulling off the N1, main road in Iceland, made it challenging for us to stop and capture their beauty in photos. It wasn't until the next to last day in Iceland that we finally found a spot to park and observe them up close.

As we stepped out of our SUV, these Icelandic horses noticed us and began to approach. Their friendly and welcoming nature allowed us to pet them and give them some scritches, which they really enjoyed and kept wanting more of. These horses are not only incredibly beautiful but also sweet-natured. This encounter with Icelandic horses stands out as one of the most cherished moments of our Iceland trip.

Chasing the Elusive Northern Lights in Iceland

Witnessing the Northern Lights was right at the top of our Iceland bucket list. The first three nights in Iceland were disappointingly cloudy, obscuring any view of the lights. However, on the fourth night, the skies cleared just enough for us to venture outside shortly before midnight in hopes of catching a glimpse of this natural spectacle.

At first, we weren't quite sure what to look for, and our initial attempts were met with confusion. Fortunately, a kind lady approached us, armed with an app on her iPhone that pinpointed the exact location of the Northern Lights where others were reporting sightings. She not only shared this invaluable information but also offered to drive us to the ideal spot for viewing.

Arriving at the suggested location, we came across others also in search of the Aurora and we strained our eyes in the darkness, attempting to spot the Northern Lights with our naked eyes. However, it quickly became apparent that we weren't the only ones struggling; those around us faced a similar challenge. It was one of those nights when the lights weren’t strong enough to be seen to the naked eye, but required a long camera exposure to capture.

Though initially disappointed by our inability to witness the lights firsthand, this is a pretty common occurrence. We left with a newfound appreciation for the unpredictable nature of this natural wonder and a determination to catch them with our own eyes, without relying on a camera, during our next encounter.

In conclusion, Iceland proved to be an adventure that pushed us out of our comfort zones, gifted us with once-in-a-lifetime experiences, led us to encounter rare moments, and offered profound lessons about both the natural wonders of the country and our own resilience.

Iceland's weather was a force to be reckoned with. From the moment we stepped off the plane, we were met with strong, relentless winds that seemed determined to test our mettle. In Reykjavik, our first day witnessed winds so fierce that they nearly lifted us off our feet as we made our way to Hallgrimskirkja. For several days during our stay, we had to contend with these powerful gusts. Some days brought us the tranquility of calm weather, while others treated us to snowfall and freezing rain.

As we prepared to leave Iceland, a final meteorological surprise awaited us: hurricane-strength winds reaching 60 mph that led to the cancellation of numerous flights. Anxious about the possibility of our own flight being affected, we braced ourselves for the worst. Fortunately, our flight remained on schedule. However, the experience of boarding the plane was an adventure in itself. We had to use a bus to reach our aircraft, and the strong wind nearly tore my glasses from my face. I clung to them as we climbed the stairs, and to our amazement, the gusts dislodged the glasses of a few other passengers! Once on board and waiting for takeoff, our plane was jostled by the fierce winds, causing some anxiety. But to our immense relief, the departure was smooth and without incident. It was a memorable and somewhat nerve-wracking conclusion to our unforgettable journey in Iceland.

Iceland's unpredictable weather and awe-inspiring landscapes combined to create an adventure we'll forever cherish and a story we'll always love to share.

Oct 22 Sights, Bites, and Icelandic Delights: My Trip to the North