Iceland: Reykjavik and Fosshotel Glacier Lagoon
Iceland is so amazing. There's a direct flight from Denver on IcelandAir - so you can really hit up a good portion of the country in a 4 or 5 day timeframe because it doesn't take a ton of time to hop over there. I went for my birthday with 3 awesome friends - we rented a car, mapped it out ahead of time so we knew where we were going to hang out and what we were capable of doing realistically. It's a pretty major road trip so get ready to manage navigating systems, music, snacks, gas and bathroom stops - you know, all the mandatory elements of a successful road trip!
Eating and Shopping in Reykjavik
Reykjavik has some of the most wonderful food! The first night we were there we enjoyed a fabulous meet at Grillmarkaðurinn - I highly recommend this place! Everything that everyone had was fantastic - and the decor and overall vibe of this place is so cool. All of the material is inspired by Iceland - gorgeous wood, stone, moss, dim lights - the environment is incredibly unique. I had this delightful purple cocktail w/ flowers in it - (egg whites are one of my favorite ingredients for a cocktail because they make it so foamy!) and the lamb - both of which were very memorable - full of taste, unique and fresh.
Reykjavik had some of the cutest little shops to wander in and out of just up the street from Grillmarkaðurinn. All along Laugavegur you'll find all sorts of goodies from jewelry made from with lava stones to 66 degrees North which is a really cool outdoor clothing store that was originally designed for Iceland fisherman. I scored an adorable pair of house slippers lined with wool and then I splurged on two face masks from the Blue Lagoon gift shop that's on this street (there's also a Blue Lagoon gift shop in the airport if you want to wait until you're headed home).
The silica and algea mud masks are amazing!! A sample of each is included with your entry into the Blue Lagoon (which, in all honesty, was a bit of a tourist trap cluster - it was super crowded and pouring rain/windy while we were there so there was lots of confusion around robes and flip flops) so while you're soaking you can sip on some bubbles from one of the bars and treat your skin to a little luxury! Again - they're pricey - but they last a really long time and I can definitely see a difference in my skin if I forget to apply them once a week. They help brighten things up and keep my pores clear! Plus they always remind me of our Iceland adventure - which I love.
Ice Caves, Fosshotel Glacier Lagoon and Gullfoss
A five hour drive from Reykjavik is Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon - which is an absolute must-do if you're planning a trip to Iceland. Black sand beach, glacier's calving, sunrise/sunsets over the ocean, mossy landscapes - it's beautiful! At the glacier lagoon is a meeting spot for all sorts of adventures - the one that we choose was the ice cave, which was AMAZING! You take these huge rover trucks over this crazy terrain to get to the entrance to the ice cave. They give you clamps and helmets and within a few minutes you're INSIDE the glacier! It was one of the coolest things ever!
After that long drive and adventuring around the glacier for the day we were ready for a warm meal and glass of wine. We had booked the Fosshotel Glacier Lagoon because of the proximity to Jökulsárlón - and it turned out to be the coolest hotel ever! It's literally in the middle of nowhere so the staff actually live on site. Because it's in the middle of nowhere there's no light pollution there so it's easy to see the Northern Lights right from the parking lot (unfortunately it was cloudy the whole time we were there so we didn't see them - but that just means we have to go back!).
The restaurant at the Fosshotel is great - and then there's a cool lounge area with a bar where everyone ends up gathering because there's literally no where else to go in the area. So it was easy to make friends with other people who were staying there because it was a pretty unique situation to find ourselves all hanging out in the middle of Iceland like that. There's a waterfall on the property and it's close to the ocean which I loved.
The next morning we woke up and drove to Gullfoss - which is an amazing waterfall that reminded me of Niagara Falls times four! It's huge! You can stand on this ledge over the falls to get an amazing view of how big they really are - they're joined from nearly every angle it seemed like. The drive up there was really beautiful - I loved seeing all the little houses and farms with their Scandavian designs. It's so inspiring how minimal it all is - no McMansions, no estates - just modest living at its finest. It's a good reminder that it doesn't take a lot to enjoy life.
These are just a few short, recommendations for Iceland - there is so much to explore there! I can't wait to go back and visit - Deplar Farm is definitely on my bucket list! It seems like you really can't go wrong with any adventure you choose and seeing the Northern Lights would be phenomenal.