Status: Away Iceland

Look past the name, and you’ll find Iceland charms from coast to coast with unforgettable natural sights and sounds to experience. 

Our friend Sarah B., from the Air Canada Vacations team, recently visited Iceland with her father—but don’t worry, the cold never bothered them anyway.

Getting around

How long did you stay for? We stayed for 8 nights, but we wish we spent more time there. It’d be nice to have more time in each city to look around. We packed our itinerary, so it felt a bit rushed.

How did you get around while you were there? We rented a car in Reykjavik when we landed and took the car around the whole island on Route 1, which locals call the Ring Road. 

Did you notice any interesting forms of transportation? People mostly drove around. I noticed van life is super popular here among tourists, as it’s cheaper and more flexible than hotels. There’s tons of free camping sites around the island. I need a warm bed though, so we stuck to a car.

I did see hitchhikers a few times though. Since there’s only one road around the island, you will eventually catch someone going the same direction as you.

Eats and treats

What was the most interesting food you ate? We had a traditional fish stew with Icelandic cod in Reykjavik which is a delicious comfort food that you can find in most typical Icelandic restaurants. 

Any restaurants or dishes you’d like to recommend? Friðheimar was delicious, they have a greenhouse which lets them grow their own produce all year round. They even have their own bees for honey! You do have to book quite in advance because it fills up super quickly. We tried a week before our trip, but couldn’t get a table, so we had to wait two hours.
 
We also went to an Italian restaurant called Raðagerði which was surprisingly good given we were in Iceland. 

What to see, do and notice

Any activities you’d recommend doing? Hikes and waterfalls. Do go chasing waterfalls in Iceland. Seljalandsfoss and Gljufrabui are both really close together and not far from Skógafoss. There’s also the Reynisfjara Black Sand Beach which is spectacular. They actually filmed an episode of Game of Thrones here. Funny enough, the main reason I actually wanted to go to Iceland was to visit the Fjaðrárgljúfur Canyon, which has been my iPad’s home screen image for years now.

Anything you wish you’d done? I wish I spent more time in the Vík region, as it’s beautiful. We rented an electric car, but the area was too hilly for us to make with our battery. I really wanted to see Husavík, which is a cute little fishing village by the coast with its own Eurovision Museum which we were hoping to see.

Did you notice any interesting local wildlife? Yes! We saw puffins everywhere. They’re much smaller birds than I thought they’d be. I have a puffin plushie and I think it’s bigger than the real animal. We also saw horses around the island, as well as tons of sheep. The only traffic we experienced the whole trip was sheep blocking the road. They have road signs warning you of the sheep, because they just roam free. When the grazing season ends, the shepherds just bring them back.

How does the street style compare to back home? People are very outdoorsy here, which makes sense given the climate. We saw a lot of windbreakers and hiking boots. There were a lot of locals wearing these wool sweaters called lopapeysa, or lopi, with cute patterns on them.

Final thoughts

Is there anything you wish you knew about Iceland before you went? I do a ton of research before I visit anywhere, but I was surprised by how expensive it was. The weather can also change on a dime, so you need to be prepared for anything. I even had rain pants, because when it rains in Iceland, it pours. Iceland in general is extremely expensive because it’s an island and everything needs to be flown in or shipped, so make sure you budget for it. 

Is there anything you wish you packed before your trip? I wish I brought a sleep mask. During the summer, the sun sets extremely late. Between May and August, the sun never sets at all, so unless you have blackout curtains, you’re not going to be sleeping in a dark room.

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Note: This interview was conducted on October 25, 2024. Information and details may have since changed.