Reykjavik, Iceland - February 2015 (by Luke, August 2025)

Gill and I took the girls to Reykjavik, Iceland in the half term of February 2015 for a minibreak. We had all wanted to visit Iceland for ages so we grabbed the chance and went for it.

We nearly missed plane due to not leaving early enough, that’s the first and last time that has happened! Luckily the flight was slightly delayed due to fog (which also made our journey to the airport slow) so that saved us!

We flew easyJet from Luton as it was our nearest airport for the direct flight. It was an easy and quick flight with the obligatory bumps through the jet stream.

We arrived at Keflavík International Airport, grabbed our luggage and were collected for our private transfer by a person holding a board with our names. This was the first time we’d had that all together as a family, and the girls were very excited! The journey to Reykjavik from the airport was quick and simple enough. We all enjoyed the views of the barren (but snow free) landscape, as well as the occasional plumes of steam from the hot springs.

Once we had checked in to the hotel we changed into cold weather clothes and went out to explore Iceland’s capital city. First we walked to the ‘Sólfarið’ (‘sun voyager’) – this sculpture resembles a Viking long boat and is on the waterfront.

Next we visited the cathedral, Hallgrimskirkja, and climbed its 76 metre tower for aerial views of Reykjavik. I don’t quite know how Gill managed to convince me to but we also went inside the cathedral. I'm glad we did – it was pretty special.

We stopped for food at Café Loki, so close to Hallgrimskirkja that it would have been in the shadow of the cathedral on a sunny day. I vividly remember eating all sorts of traditional Icelandic dishes including jellied sheep brain. Amy tried some of these with me but 2015 was a bit before we took pics of food so I have no proof of any of this!

Reykjavik was snow free as we walked back to the hotel. We had a little while before our evening trip out to attempt to see the northern lights so got showered and ready. While doing so the snow started…and carried on all night! This was exciting for us but not great for the prospect of seeing the northern lights. Our driver tried all sorts of locations to find a break in the clouds but it was not to be. We were out until really late to give it the best chance and we were all shattered by the time we got back to the hotel.

Absolutely no chance of seeing the aurora in this!!

Day 2 - The Blue Lagoon, just outside Reykjavik, Iceland

Day two began with a late breakfast before being collected for a trip to the Blue Lagoon. Our journey took us back down Highway 41 towards the airport and really showed the amount of snow that had fallen.

The Blue Lagoon is incredible – it’s billed as ‘Iceland’s wonder of the world’ and it really justifies that title. It is the world’s largest manmade geothermal mineral bath and is known for its healing qualities. The water is a 70/30 mix of seawater and freshwater that combines 2,000m below the surface and then is brought to the surface by geothermal extraction wells. In 1995 a clinic for the treatment of chronic skincare conditions was opened on the site to make the most of the silica, algae and salt rich waters. The water actually starts its journey at 240°c and is around 38°c by the time it reaches the surface.

It seems that the Blue Lagoon has changed quite a lot in the 10 years since our visit. There is even a Michelin Star restaurant onsite now! The lagoon has been in the news quite a lot recently due to nearby volcanic eruptions threatening it, and forcing it to close every so often.

We thoroughly enjoyed our time there, it was great fun. One of the most entertaining/silly things that we did was to compete to see who could hold limbs out of the lovely warm water for the longest. The ‘feels like’ temperature when we visited was a rather chilly -18°c so as you can imagine, we didn’t last for long. Both girls had ice crystals in their hair at a few points due to the moisture in the air from condensation. The condensation formed fog like clouds over the lagoon which looked other worldly, and so dramatic as it cleared in the breeze.

We spent the rest of our time exploring more of the Blue Lagoon before heading back to the city. We didn’t have any plans this evening so walked into Reykjavik and decided on a steakhouse to eat dinner at. The girls had steak (Amy) and ribs (Chanae) and Gill and I had the special menu – puffin and whale. We both really liked puffin, it tasted like a mix between smoked salmon and ham – absolutely delicious. I liked the whale steak but Gill wasn’t keen, it was a liver like texture so it was always going to be borderline!

Day 3 - The Golden Circle

We were picked up early on day 3 for an organised ‘Golden Circle’ tour. First stop was a greenhouse where the resourceful Icelandic farmers use geothermal heat to grow tomatoes. It was really strange to be inside a warm greenhouse surrounded by healthy tomatoes when outside was covered in snow.

Next stop was the Strokkur geyser. Strokkur translates to ‘the churn’, and seeing the water being churned around and then sent up into the air made the name seem fitting. It’s a very active geyser, erupting around every 10 minutes and sending water around 20m up. The white snow surrounded by white steam made taking pictures of it quite hard but it was really impressive to see the power of nature.

After a break for lunch we continued to Gullfoss waterfall to see more of what nature can do. It was all very white at Gullfoss with the foaming water and snow, despite the name translating to the ‘golden falls’. Gullfoss is fed by the Langjökull glacier which runs down the Hvítá river to this iconic two tier waterfall. There must have been a lot of meltwater spray in the air as it was noticeably cooler at Gulfoss than it was at any of the other sites we visited.

Our final stop was Thingvellir National Park. This amazing place is where the continental plates of Europe and North America are pulling apart from each other. It is possible to snorkel or scuba dive in the Silfra fissure. I’d love to do this. Being in the crystal clear water would be an incredible way of seeing the gap left as the tectonic plates slowly separate and form the mid-Atlantic rift. We walked down some of the Almannagjá gorge – literally walking in the gap between continents! I’d love to revisit Thingvellir, maybe in spring or summer, and really take in this unique location. When we visited the snow was covering everything and it was harder to get an idea of the spectacular surroundings.

Our coach to us back to Reykjavik and we ate dinner at the most awesome pizza restaurant before heading back to the hotel to pack for the flight home the next day.

This trip was a great introduction to a small part of Iceland but I feel like it barely scratched the surface. I’d love to go back for longer and explore more!

As is often the case, we were unsure what to expect in a new country so we booked a fully organised tour where we chose what we wanted to do in advance. While this worked perfectly I really don't think it is necessary. Reykjavik is so well set up for tourists that there is no reason that you cant save yourself some money and organise your own tours through Viator. Everyone spoke perfect English and was happy to help. It really would not be intimidating at all to do a DIY trip.

Gill has recently completed an Iceland Travel Specialist training course as part of her development as an Independent Travel Agent. She'll be happy to use her knowledge to help design and book your perfect trip - please get in touch to start planning your visit to this incredible island.