I’m going to the Arctic for 12 days in early July: Svalbard (formerly called “Spitzbergen”) Jan Mayen, and Iceland. This is a cruise, and it’s on my own dime as I guess I’m getting to old to be asked to lecture for Hurtigruten (this is a Quark trip). I fly from Chicago to Helsinki, from where we fly the next day to the world’s northernmost town having more than a thousand people, Longyearbyen in Svalbard, an archipelago owned by Norway. Here are some unique aspects of the town from Wikipedia (bolding is mine):
Due to its remoteness, Longyearbyen has laws that are found in few, if any, other places in the world. Notable examples of such laws include a ban on cats, a restriction on the amount of alcohol an individual can purchase each month, and a requirement that any individuals venturing outside carry a rifle for protection against polar bears. While it is popularly claimed that it is illegal to die in Longyearbyen, the wording of this claim is misleading. While it is not actually illegal to die in the town, there are no options for burial of bodies there (ashes can be buried with permission from the government) and residents considered terminally ill are typically required to move to the mainland. The decision to disallow burials came in 1950, when it was discovered that the bodies of residents who had died as a result of the 1918 flu pandemic had not begun to decompose. Today, scientists are concerned that these corpses, preserved by permafrost may still harbor live strains of the virus responsible for killing between 1% and 6% of the world’s population during the early 20th century.
No cats!!!!
At any rate, then we go cruising, looking at the scenery at Jan Mayen and hoping to see polar bears, whales, and other Arctic marine life. After ten days or so we land in Reykjavík, the capital of Iceland. I believe most of my fellow passengers will be flying home the day after we dock there, but, given that I’m unlikely to make it back to Iceland before I croak, I wanted to stay a few extra days to see a country that’s supposed to be spectacular.
If you have been to Iceland, I’d appreciate any tips you have for me. I was planning on staying four or five extra days because I can’t linger indefinitely. Is that long enough? What things are good to see? Any recommendtions for food or lodging (I don’t like fish)? Please put advice in the comments. Thanks!
Here’s Longyearbyen (pop. 2,295) with the caption, “These are all the buildings of this kind (“spisshusene”) left standing after the avalanche disaster in 2015.”
Longyearbyen and the location of Svalbard. Greenland and iceland are visible to the west and southwest:
Location of Jan Mayen. Some info from Wikipedia:
Jan Mayen Island has one exploitable natural resource, gravel, from a site located at Trongskaret. Other than this, economic activity is limited to providing services for employees of Norway’s radio communications and meteorological stations located on the island. Jan Mayen has one unpaved airstrip, Jan Mayensfield, which is about 1,585 m (5,200 ft) long. The 124.1 km (77.1 mi) coast has no ports or harbors, only offshore anchorages.
. . . . The only inhabitants on the island are personnel working for the Norwegian Armed Forces and the Norwegian Meteorological Institute. Eighteen people spend the winter on the island, but the population may roughly double (35) during the summer, when heavy maintenance is performed. Personnel serve either six months or one year and are exchanged twice a year in April and October.
This will be great… I mean … so cool!
🧊😁
I took a ride on Icelandic horses as I’d been told they were small and sturdy and easy-going. That did not turn out to be true for me! But it was interesting to see the lava fields.
Driving in Iceland was tricky because I couldn’t decipher the highway signs, but we did it anyway because we wanted to drop in on a geothermal plant and see how things worked.
Summer days are really long!
Eat an Icelandic hot dog!
Yes REALLY Long…like 24 hrs! Sun not particularly high…looks like 30degrees or so for month of july. Be interesting to see if/how a couple of weeks of midnight sun impacts your occasional sleep issues.
If you’re up for a hike, the Fimm Trail near Vik is a must-do for the incredible series of waterfalls. If it’s still there, the brewpub in Vik serves a mean chicken sandwich which was as an incredible recovery meal post-trek.
“Iceland?” Sounds sorta like “Greenland” to the current administration, so be really careful traveling and have all your papers with you at all times, to make sure you can get back into the United States. (As of last week, this would have been a silly joke. Not anymore.)
Jerry is an American citizen. The only paperwork he needs to get into the U.S. is his passport, which, obviously, he must not lose. Just as for anyone entering Canada, customs can search him and his phone. Being aware of this ahead of time avoids difficulties from falsely entitled stroppiness. Are you aware of any stories of arbitrary unfairness to returning U.S. citizens that would make your warning not a joke, Sue?
Where foreigners have been getting into trouble is in trying to enter the United States from countries they aren’t citizens of (or, as always, being suspected of carrying contraband.) Canadians denied entry to the U.S. at the border with Canada because of an expired work visa then flying to Mexico and trying to enter from there, that sort of thing. Or foreigners trying to re-enter the U.S. after being denied entry to Canada. These cases are getting heavy media play in Canada but none involve American citizens.
I’m not surprised Canada is interested in that kind of thing. Shifty international intrigue and passport games.
Worth noting that MOST countries (incl’d USA and Australia) require – under threat of big fines sometimes – that dual nationals use their “local” passport to enter the country.
Eg. I always use my Australian one on the rare occasions I visit my kangaroo motherland and at all other times I’m American, especially returning to the US.
It makes sense – from a gvt perspective any other system would mess up their record keeping and think citizens might be foreigners.
cheers,
D.A.
NYC
That’s an interesting one, David.
I’m a dual national (NZ and US), and for a while I had active passports for both countries. Traveling from the US to NZ, I followed the US rule about using my US passport on entering and leaving the US; got to Auckland, showed my NZ passport (could have used the US one, since at that time NZ was a visa-on-entry country for US citizens). So far, so good. But going back to the US, I produced my US passport to simplify boarding procedures. Was politely asked by a NZ immigration officer to use the same passport both directions, as it complicated things (not sure what things) to have the same person enter and leave the country on two different passports.
NZ passport has long ago expired, so it’s the US passport both ways now.
Yes Derek. Dual nationality has its airport complexities and they’re worth researching if one is that lucky to avoid trouble.
Dual is a cool place to be in our modern world.
D.A.
NYC
Didn’t say it would be deliberate or even likely… but when the current President and his bevy of eager-to-please flying monkeys are creating chaos, things can happen.
I’ve been to Iceland a couple of times. There’s a small cat cafe in Reykjevik (in general, Icelanders seem to like cats!) Don’t eat the fermented shark. DO visit a bakery called Braud & Co (it’s near the big church and you can’t miss it due to the front, which is covered in nice graffiti). Their cinnamon rolls (kanil) are insanely good. (All of the bread is good.) You can book a bus tour around the Golden Circle. Reynisfjara Black Sand Beach, with its basalt columns, is beautiful. Thingvellir National Park is also pretty cool; you can see where the European and North American tectonic plates are moving apart. There are lots of beautiful waterfalls (Gulfoss is spectacular) and glaciers.
I don’t know if its still operating but some years ago I did the “inside the volcano” tour where you get lowered some 400 feet through a small opening into a huge void that was once a magma chamber. That was very impressive. The tour leaves from Reykjavík.
The area around Vik is very scenic, and the so-called Golden Circle has some neat stuff too – small geysers, big waterfalls, and massive cracks in mother earth.
The Sundhnukagigar volcano system is still active. Perhaps there is the possibility of a guided tour from a safe distance? That would definitely appeal to me.
https://guidetoiceland.is/travel-iceland/drive/sundhnukagigar-craters
I visited Iceland many years ago as a 3 day stopover on the way to Sweden. I found there, at a visitor’s center, a whole lot of tours to choose from that included all the highlights of the area. I remember taking an 8 hour bus tour that toured the Golden Circle where we stopped at an old volcano, a geyser, massive waterfalls at Gullfoss, walked between the tectonic plates of Europe and North America. Another tour I opted for was a boat tour that promised Puffin and other bird watching. I think we a few Puffins but it was still fun. And another tour included horse back riding on Icelandic ponies and visiting the Blue Lagoon. Unfortunately, I dunked my head in the Blue Lagoon, which stripped by wonderful red hair color and left my hair like straw for a week! There are lots of public saunas and swimming pools that are geothermally heated and I remember sitting in an outdoor sauna in the pouring rain. It was divine (it was June and still quite cool).
Comment by Greg Mayer
The ban on cats may be to protect nesting birds. It might also be to benefit cats, who would have a tough time if they were outside over night.
GCM
I’ve been to Iceland twice and would like to make a return visit. It is a fantastic place and it is too bad you only have a couple of days to explore it. Reykjavik is a lovely city that is very walkable. There are good museums where you can see plenty of old Viking stuff. If you are lucky you will get to see some volcanic activity since the recent eruptions are quite close to Reykjavik and the international airport in Keflavik (about 45 minutes from the city).
If you want to get out to the country you can rent a car or take a tour bus and visit Thingvellir National Park.
I’d avoid the Blue Lagoon. It is close to the eruptions and often closes when eruptions threaten it. Big tourist attraction.
Do try the Icelandic hot dogs. They are unlike any hot dog you’ve ever had. Get one “with everything”.
Everyone speaks English. Things are expensive. But it is well worth the visit.
Make it a two week stop and see the rest of the country! 😉
Rent a car and take a day trip to drive around the Snæfellsnes peninsula. One of my most magical travel memories.
there is the entrance to the subterranean journey in Jules Vernes novel “Journey to the center of the earth”.
I have been to Iceland several years ago. We were outside of the main tourist season, so a lot of things were still closed, but you won’t have this problem with that timing. You can expect a lot of tourist in July. If you are into waterfalls, there are a ton of them, some quite beautiful, some with historical stories, at least one is a recognizable Hollywood movie scene.
I’ve never been to Iceland but am on a Hurtigruten cruise traveling from Chile to Costa Rica. I realize that’s not what you asked for, but if you want to know what the ship I’m on, the Ronald Amundsen, is like I can answer your questions.
I was on the Amundsen lecturing on four separate trips to Antarctica, so I know it well. Have fun!
Will do and have fun planning your trip to Iceland!
Beerenberg on Jan Mayen is the northernmost active volcano in the world, so if you’ve ever seen Mount Erebus you’ll now have the matching set!
Worth considering is the classic “drive round the entire island on the coastal road”, which takes about 10 days.
For 4 or 5 days you could just stay around the Reykjavik area (Gullfoss waterfall; Thingvellir; Geysir area; possibly volcanoes if they’re active; etc).
But I’d recommend driving North for a couple of days (to and round the Snæfellsnes peninsular, maybe up to the Western Fjords) and then back.
If you do go to the Western Fjords I would recommend Látrabjarg. It’s a huge cliff which is 14km long and covered with puffins and other sea birds. We were fascinated by all of the birds, about 9 pm we realized we hadn’t had dinner yet. (You’re going in early July? That’s when we went. The sun doesn’t set until about midnight at that time of year.)
Rent a car and base out of Reykjavik (we used Blue rental – cars and everything there are expensive). Go to Thingvellir (about an hour west) – where the earliest Icelandic governance occurred but – more importantly for a science geek – you get to walk the edge where the North American and European plates meet!
You can go south just a bit toward Grindavik (closed) and Blue Lagoon (skip that place!) and see if you can view the volcano. https://en.vedur.is says there is another upwelling so maybe another fissure (We walked up to the volcano eruption in 2022 – life experience) Keep abreast as well at https://iceland.nordicvisitor.com/iceland-volcano-eruption-fagradalsfjall/ There are ways to work around the closed road so poke around, but keep safe. There are some nut jobs who show up for those eruptions.
Do not miss the Penis museum in Reykjavik – very good anatomical review of species’ penises BUT they have a plaster cast of Jimi Hendrix’s penis!
Tomato soup-themed restaurant in a tomato aquaculture facility about 1.5 hours west of Reykjavik – Friðheimar restaurant. You’ll need to book ahead. Stop at Selfoss on the way – Bjork’s hometown with cute gift shops. Look for roadside craft woolen goods shops along the highway – such amazing sweaters.
Take a day and go to the Snæfellsnes Peninsula – about 2 hours north of Reykjavik and takes a full day but the southern road on the peninsula has so many neat sights on it – stunning basaltic columns, ocean views, etc.
You could book a place in Vik and drive the ring road over for an overnight – passing an amazing array of waterfalls. Stop at Skogafoss – amazing waterfall – but then climb the very long stairs to the right, up to an easy trail that meanders past more than a dozen waterfalls of amazing beauty and NO TOURISTS!
Then go back for two weeks and hit the rest of the island to the East and south. Have fun!
The cast of Hendrix’s penis likely comes from a couple of groupies called the Plaster Casters who traveled around in the late 60s and early 70s making plaster casts of the erect dongs of rock and roll idols. I don’t know how many they made, but it was a lot. We live in a strange, strange world.
Cynthia Plaster Caster (died in 2022) tried to cast one of Hendrix’s guitarists but he could not keep an erection, so Jimi stepped in!
https://www.theguardian.com/music/2022/apr/25/cynthia-plaster-caster-the-artist-whose-rock-star-penis-sculptures-asked-big-questions-about-manhood
Post pictures…lots of pictures.
You can book small-bus (large-van, really) tours on-line ahead of time from pickup points at various places in downtown Reykjavik to visit the popular attractions mentioned above. There are two main tour routes that each take most of a day that cover most of the natural features other commenters have mentioned within a couple of hours east of Reykjavik. These tours involve much more driving than walking. Sights aren’t that close together and lunch stops out in the boonies are dire. One highlight was our bus stopping on the highway to let a large herd of feral ponies cross. Blue Lagoon is over-rated so we didn’t bother. I think it is closed by volcanic eruption at the moment.
We were there on a stopover after a holiday in Europe about seven years ago. Three days was plenty. Two full days if you don’t count the arrival and departure days would have been enough. If you were going to do something ambitious like a long trek on foot or rent a Jeep to drive into the lava fields in the uninhabited back country — for some trips your party needs two vehicles so one can go for rescue — you would need longer of course, and a lot of money. But the perpetually gray weather wears out its welcome.
It is almost always overcast and drizzling, with rain for variety. Take serious rainwear wherever you go. There are no trees except in towns where people have replanted and tended them. All accessible parts of the island were deforested by the Vikings to make pasture and for charcoal for the smelting of bog iron. They will never grow back because the climate while warmed by the Gulf Stream is never very warm or sunny. The landscape is therefore mostly bleak with green fuzz in spots but the waterfalls and geothermal features are interesting. Don’t bother booking a tour to see the Northern Lights. They give you a rain check if it’s overcast but it nearly always is, so your chance of using it is close to nil.
Everything is eye-wateringly expensive except electricity which of course tourists don’t explicitly pay for but it’s something of a local joke. A guide will talk about the aluminum-smelting industry which thrives because electricity is cheap. Someone from the back of the bus will shout, “At least something is!” Even the guide laughs. Some of the costs are because Iceland has to import almost everything and some is because the kronor was speculated to high value during the currency crisis in 2008. Even when the resulting building boom collapsed, the kronor stayed high, so it takes a lot of dollars to buy enough kronor to pay your hotel bill. Liquor is highly taxed even by Canadian standards, especially in restaurants, whose food is also very expensive. Lots of variety, though. You won’t have to eat shark or sheep eyeballs. Reykjavik was becoming something of a Nordic millennial foodie hub, my son told me. Tipping is said not to be customary. (Can’t remember if restaurants add a surcharge as in Europe to make you pay their waitstaff.)
Everyone speaks barely accented English almost as a first language but with not quite the same grasp of idiom. They say “fuck” a lot in ordinary conversation even to customers and strangers as if they don’t realize it has a shock value to native cultural English speakers. Not that I mind. I just find shibboleths interesting.
Please check out any of these remote islands and assess them for strategic value. They may be useful additions to our nation. We can’t take only Greenland as it would be hard to make a flag with 51 stars. Now, another 5 states might work out, so we’ll need Canada, Greenland, maybe a couple South Pacific islands and whatever you can find. Actually, add one more to the list as I would really like to give Texas back to Mexico.
What about those Shetland Islands, Steve? They’re just twiddling their thumbs up there, doing not much. I say we add them. AND… they’re a short helicopter ride to Trump’s golf course in Scotland.
Think bigger, Steve!
D.A.
NYC
ps Don’t even start me on those Orkney Islands. What juicy morsels they are!
Good enough. In that case, let’s grab the Lofoten Islands, too. They are beautiful and I probably have relatives there. My great-grandfather abandoned his family there, came to America and started a whole new family in Michigan. Had five daughters. All of them crazy. I thought about tracking down my distant cousins once, but his last name was Olson.
We can rename those cute ponies AMERICAN PONIES!
Tip from the locals: if you get lost in the woods, stand up.
Iceland once had great forests. Then the locals cut them down. The climate and soil were so severe, that the forests did not regrow. The only forests on Iceland (as I remember them) were man-made.
I have actually been to Iceland. I can recommend the ultimate tourist attraction, Blau Luga (the Blue Lagoon). Of course, you should visit Geysir. I highly recommend the waterfalls (Gulfoss, Glymur, etc.) of Iceland. Several are near Reykjavík. Another person recommended Thingvellir. Good call. You can actually jump from Europe to N. America in Thingvellir.
Lots of good advice here. I have been to Iceland twice, first time in 1979 and then again a few years later. My personal favourite is probably not going to fit into Jerry’s schedule, but I mention it for the benefit of others: Landmannalaugar. It’s a hot spring in the interior, about 30 km east of the volcano Hekla. (Apple Maps knows about it; I haven’t checked other online maps.)
Hiking around the area is very interesting, some places have steam emerging from the ground, it smells like sulphur, and you see yellow sulphur deposits here and there. And the hot spring is lovely. Remember to bring a bathing suit. Best of all, none of the usual tourists! Back in the day, you had to join an organized tour, they drive you there in a bus, you stay overnight in a sort of hostel nearby (big common sleeping room, bunk beds, so bring a sleeping bag!). Almost all the people on the trip were local, just a few of us from other countries.
The road there passes through some rivers – and I mean through, not over! Maybe half a meter deep. Don’t even think of trying to get there in a regular car! Maybe in a four wheel drive, but I would consult the locals before attempting it.
Took the family to Iceland 8 years ago. Greate waterfalls https://explorewithalec.com/iceland-waterfalls/ and hot springs (Blue Lagoon). There can be some hiking involved. Also, we visited a movie set for “Game of Thrones” which was interesting. We took a van around the entire island for a week. Keep abreast of volcano activity, this can be an issue. Note: Also be prepared to pay 2X for fast food compared to the U.S., cost of living is high.
Long time reader, first time commenter.
I’ve been to Iceland twice, in August 2024 and February 2023, and have fallen in love with the place. So much so that I’m now essentially an evangelist.
I’m leaving this initial comment to say that I’m going to put together a quick writeup of the trips, both of which had my brother and I renting a car and exploring rather than doing structured group tours.
Last August we were lucky enough to see one of the volcanic eruptions to cap off our trip.
So for now I’ll just say that if you’re comfortable driving then absolutely do a rental car instead of a group tour bus.
I’ll be back with a summary of what we explored!
My most recent trip was last August. My brother and I took our parents for just under a week. Our self-planned itinerary had us drive to the eastern side of the island, and then flying back to the capital to see some of the western region to close things out.
We flew into KEF and immediately set out driving east along the south of the island. That first day’s drive was a long one, over six hours. But we had a bunch of sightseeing stops along the way, so we had lots of breaks. We spent the first night just outside of Höfn.
The next day we drove to our next hotel in the Eastfjords, just over two hours. But I will say it may have been the most breathtaking and scenic two hours of my life. It’s a zig-zagging drive along the coast. Fjords, mountains, sheer cliffs, just beautiful.
The next day was a short 45 minute drive inland to Egilsstaðir, where we hiked Hengifoss and spent that night.
The next morning we flew out of Egilsstaðir Airport, only 45 minutes back to Reykjavik. Once there we took a quick detour to see the erupting volcano which had started the morning after we arrived while we were across the island. We then drove about two hours north to the “Western Region” where we spent that night.
The next day we headed back south. We did our one hot springs outing at a place called Laugarvatn Fontana, about an hour east of Reykjavik, and then spent our last night in Selfoss.
The drive along the southern region and then the Eastfjords was by far my favorite. At times the landscape is otherworldly. The Western Region north of the capital wasn’t as striking, and could almost be described as boring, but only in comparison to the south and east.
I’m planning on taking the parents again, likely this year, to see the rest of the country. It’d be a drive to the east along the northern half, some time in the Highland and then a domestic flight back.
Landing at the airport is a completely supernatural experience in itself – you feel like you’re witnessing a moon landing. (In fact, the scree fields were used to test lunar rover vehicles.)
A wonderful, mysterious island.
Book tip: “Under the Glacier”, written by Nobel Prize winner Halldor Laxness. A somewhat crazy book that also brings you closer to the island and its inhabitants.
i wish you a marvellous time!
My family and I vacationed in Iceland many decades ago (So no useful travel tips for today). It was my favorite vacation, with Iceland being like another planet.
Oh excellent! I’m looking forward to the boss taking us WEITs on another trip. I enjoy them very much. I don’t travel these days so I love the well described travels of people I “know”.
And I’ve always wanted to go to those icey northern isles!
D.A.
NYC
There are a lot of guided tours, and they are well worth it. The landscapes are beautiful.
On the culinary side, fresh seafood and lamb that is unlike any that we have tried elsewhere. Try these:
Apotek Restaurant in downtown Reykjavík (outstanding!)
Reykjavík Kitchen (ditto)
Skál! (in a food hall of sorts, but great food)
Reykjavík Röst cafe by the Old Harbour
Was in Iceland for a week, but it was more than 20 years ago. Gullfoss was amazing, almost didn’t look or sound real.
The food was fantastic. Can’t remember the name of the restaurant in “downtown” Reykjavik, but I had pasta with lobster in chicken broth and it was out of this world.
If I went to Iceland I would visit Bobby Fischer’s grave. Apparently it is in Laugardælir Church, located in the small settlement of Laugardælir near Selfoss, which seems not far from Reykjavik.
My wife and I spent 2 weeks in Iceland in 2014. While we were there, one of our cats, Benny, escaped from his pension and was on the run for 7.5 weeks before our vet found him holing up in a Leroy Merlin store. But I digress…
Iceland is more for geologists than biologists. I myself was amazed by the colors of the landscape. You can stay in or near Vik and spend at least a day driving up to the gorgeously colored landscape of Landmannalaugur. As already recommended, a trip to Þingvellir where you can look out over the rift between the American and European tectonic plates. Also, Myvatn (midge lake) in the north is a good center for excursions and for seeing many volcanic phenomena.
Yes, the waterfalls someone else has talked about are beautiful and worth seeing.
Most places, even many gas stations. sell lamb stew (really lamb soup), which is quite good and not expensive. Everything else you eat is
We took a “Funky Walking Tour” in Reykjavik, which was fabulous. Lots of silly facts, back alley detours and Leif Erikson genealogy (he is basically everyone’s great-great x6 or 10)
The land is alive and moving in Iceland, it is a magical place. Stay in Rejkjavik but take day trips from there if you only have a few days. Stay longer if you can.
If short on time, bypass the Blue Lagoon although it was nice after a flight.
Forget the geysers, there are better ones at Yellowstone.
My favorite one-of-a-kind experience was descending on a window-washer type suspended platform into the magma chamber of an exctinct volcano. The colors are fabulous, everything is other-worldly. https://insidethevolcano.com/the-tour Highly recommended.
Take a day trip to the Snæfellsnes Peninsula-we went in a jeep with a guide. There are so many day trip options available that are easy to find and book, all is very streamlined.
Gullfoss falls was a memorable stop on the Golden Circle.
I also took a day trip flight to Heimaey (one of the Westmann Islands) to see the aftermath and learn about the fascinating eruption of the volcano there in 1973. Very quick flight there and back out of a small airport in Reykjavik. The lava flow was going to block the main port of the island but the US Army was called and they saved the day!– with equipment to blast enormous amounts of water at the flow. There is also a museum there and a tour of how the island geography was changed.
I would say that the best place for a short stay in Iceland is Reykjavik but use it as a hub to get out of the city everyday–not that there is anything wrong with the city, it is very nice, but the uniqueness of Iceland is not there. The magic is in the country, among the rocks and mountains and water.
I am planning to go back again. I learned so much. Have fun!
Travel man had an episode on Iceland, good to check out options. Friends have visited and came up with the term Obscenery to describe the landscape, so beautiful it’s obscene.
I have visited a couple of times and agree with most of the comments cited about things to do. However, no one mentioned a peculiar museum in Reykjavik (https://www.phallus.is/) which might be interesting.
I’ve never been to Iceland but I have a favourite story about it. When Bobby Fischer challenged Boris Spassky for the World Chess Championship in Reykjavik, July-August 1972, he was wandering along the street with his second one day and commented: “Reykjavik’s a nice city. We should come back some time in the summer.”
I’ve visited Iceland three times, first in the 1970s and most recently a couple of years ago. Do visit Thingvellir which is the site if their first parliament, but also as others have said allows a walk along a shallow canyon between the two tectonic plates that meet in Iceland. I work out that the width of the canyon between the walls must have got wider by a foot or two between my first and last visits. The area of geysers is not all that far beyond it, and in fact in a day you can do a loop which also includes the falls at Gullfoss. It’s fairly easy to find your way if you drive, but there are many bus tours available as well.
In Lonyearbyen do visit the duty-free shop, which must have about the best stock of alcoholic drinks in the world. Never mind the prices, look at the huge range.
One final thought: you said you were unlikely to get back to Iceland before you croak. I don’t see that. It’s only a 6-hour non-stop flight to Reykjavik. If you enjoy your stopover on the way home, nothing’s to stop you from making a specific trip. We found our stop-over clashed with get-home-itis after two weeks away on a vigorous bicycling trip in the Alps and probably would have enjoyed a longer stay with more ambitious travel out of Vik if we had gone there for the purpose. It’s expensive, though!
For something truly unique, see Þríhnúkagígur volcano, and “descend into the only accessible lava chamber on planet Earth.” Not inexpensive, but unforgettable. https://insidethevolcano.com/
PS – I see someone else also made the same suggestion, which I heartily second.
Both the Blue Lagoon and the fermented shark seem to be love-it-or-hate-it subjects. We didn’t bother with the BL, but we went to the fermented shark museum in Bjarnarhöfn where you can see how they make it and also taste it (like blue cheese with an ammonia aftertaste, but not bad). And we also went to the Phallalological (?) Museum in Reykjavik.
Make sure you have suitable warm clothing 🙂 When the air is -15C breathing hurts…
Visit the The Icelandic Phallological Museum, it’s unique, and eye watering 🙂
The Hallgrimskirkja church is impressive, even though it is modern concrete not stone.
Go to the Perlan, Natural History museum [https://perlan.is/]
Try and get on on of the trips out to see the geysers, and the Langjökull glacier, and the Gulfoss waterfall.
Apart from that, most of the country is empty, with landscape and nature that tries to kill you…. beautiful but deadly….\
Oh and there’s a new volcanic eruption just started on the 1st, so there will probably be trips to see that by the time you get there… that’s got to be a bucket list tick off…
If you go to Geysir, don’t miss the Gullfoss waterfall nearby. If I was returning, I’d head for the columnar basalt first.
And if you’re a Costco member, I happened to learn by accident that there’s one in Reykjavik.
Chess museum in Iceland. Ban on cats: idyllic! I spend my days cleaning cat poop from my back yard in New Zealand–in NZ, people do not believe in litter boxes, so cats roam around in neighbors’ yards ….
I spent almost one month in Iceland in 1971 between finishing university and commencing a legal traineeship. At that time tourism was not advanced . I hitch hiked all round the West, North and to some extent the South of the Island. The Ring Road had not been completed, there remained a gap of some 30 miles where Vatnajokull swept down to the Ocean.
A car is essential, preferably 4 wheel drive. In my opinion the most splendid natural part of the Island is the area around Akureyri / Lake Myvatn / Husavik. It’s approximately 270 miles from Reykjavik. I understand the Ring Road is now tarred so driving is no problem. The Lake is beautiful with strange basalt structures looming out from its waters like so many castles and towers. The area around Hverir is covered with boiling sulphurous mud pits, geysers and hot springs, some at 35 – 40 Fahrenheit, splendid for swimming. I think car access is easy now but if not there appear to be many coach tours from Akureyri. When I was there I was extremely fortunate. A German friend whom I met on the journey and I happened to fall into conversation with a couple of Russian professors who were studying volcanoes . They had an amphibious 4 wheel drive truck which could almost literally go anywhere. They kindly took us all over the area and into the amazing interior. ( I must say however that their activities suggested an interest in more than volcanology. Their driver was a powerfully built Georgian and we never passed any building that looked like a factory without stopping to take photographs!
Lastly, I understand that Lake Myvatn has the largest number of duck varieties in the entire World. Enjoy!!
Hello Jerry.
I am an Icelander, and I guess, a biological cousin of yours, as you were a graduate student with Richard Lewontin along with Einar Árnason and I was a student of his. I’m working in bioinformatics again after a long stint away from biology in IT and sysadmin. We even met once, at a Pop Group conference in London back in 1987.
The advice above is mostly pretty accurate although I find the comments about Reykjavik being “eye-wateringly expensive” rather weird as I find New York City “eye wateringly expensive”. I guess it depends on what you buy and do.
The Golden Circle (Þingvellir, Gullfoss, Geysir) is popular for good reason and I’d say the various cave trips are good value.
I went to Iceland on a four day weekend a few years back and it was very expensive (I’m from the UK), but we were on holiday, we budgeted accordingly and we had a great time not complaining about the prices.
I’ve never really understood people who spend hundreds or thousands of pounds on flights and accommodation just to get miserable because they have to pay a couple of pounds more than normal on a beer.