Have The Perfect Reykjavacation | Iceland Travel Guide

Hey beauties, 

As you may all have gathered by now, I absolutely adored my trip to Iceland. It's 100% a place I see myself going back to, probably in the summer to do more of the North and East sides of the island. We had planned to visit the breathtaking Diamond Beach, but as often is the case in Winter, the roads along our route were closed off due to snowstorms and avalanches. 

Honestly though, we couldn't have wished for a more perfect holiday, and I really feel like we made the most of our time there, and saw everything there was to see in Reykjavik and the Western side of Iceland! To be honest there were things I now can't unsee, but we'll get onto that later... For now, stay tuned for my absolute must-dos in Iceland's capital.

1. Metallic Duvet Coat - Next

2. Contrast Chevron Jumper - Boohoo

3. Pink Quilted Suedette Bag - Boohoo

4. Striped Trousers - Bershka

Rekke Reykjavik - On day one of any trip I love to go for a little wander, just to get to grips with the area. You know, eye up any yummy-looking restaurants or bars (And obviously locate all the insta-worthy err, locations too!) So, you better be wearing an outfit you want lots of photos in! I opted for cosy cute - which is basically my aesthetic all the time right now - and wore this amazing Boohoo jumper which just screams 1970's Olympic ski team to me! I absolutely love the bold clashing colours and the chevron pattern. 

My bag of choice HAD to be this adorable pink quilted number, again from Boohoo. Aside from it being cute as hell, it's the perfect size to fit my camera and other essentials. I feel like a cross body bag is so essential when travelling cause they're just so accessible, especially in a place as photogenic as Iceland, cause you'll be taking your camera out about every 30 seconds to take a picture!

Just Cruising - Yes you absolutely can spend a few glorious days in Reykjavik and its surroundings without a car, but if you do want to do a little exploring (and not pay hundreds of pounds for a Golden Circle tour may I add), you can rent a car and see the sights on your own terms. Our hire cost us £120 for an entire week, and it was SO worth it. There's something so magical about driving along a road, and having your entire surroundings - including the road ahead of you - a magical glittering white. It honestly felt like we were on another planet at times. Although I'd strongly suggest checking your routes regularly before travelling (a lot of major roads become impassable or just plain closed during the Winter months.) 

I'm so glad we saw the sights of the Golden Circles by ourself, it meant we got to spend extra time at Gulfoss waterfall, which was so breathtaking, and have a proper little explore of Þingvellir National Park when there wasn't hordes of tourists there. I was honestly geeking out at the thought of standing in the trench between the Eurasian and North American tectonic plates too. SO COOL!

Take A Hike - One thing both Lucy and I were adamant about ahead of our Iceland trip was that somewhere along the way, we were going for a hike! Cause the weather was so stormy and unpredictable during our stay, we started researching for things to see and do within a couple of hours from Reykjavik. We stumbled upon a trip advisor review of this amazing sounding hot spring at Reykjadalur, which involved an hour drive from the town centre, a 30 minute hike through the mountains (yeh maybe in Summer when there's no snow and if you're a bloody gazelle...) and the bathe of your life in this geothermic river. 

We decided this would be our Lara Croft-style expedition, and it really was. There were gail-force winds, hailstones the size of my face, icy cliff edges, but it was all the more worth it when we arrived at the hot spring, stripped down to our skivvies and jumped in the welcoming volcanic waters. This was probably my favourite moment of our trip, and I'd so recommend it, just make sure you set off at around 9am from town, cause the hike is more like 90 minutes- 2 hours depending on weather and fitness levels, and you'll want to spend a bit of time at the spring too before all the backpackers start showing up! Bring a flask and some food for when you're up there too! You are welcome.

Get Your Kaffi Fix - One thing I LOVE about Iceland is that they don't allow franchises like Starbucks and Macdonalds in the country. Now don't get me wrong, your girl loves a Soy Caramel Macchiato from Starbucks however I'd much rather support and try out smaller chains and independents. Our favourite Caffination station was Tea & Kaffi, which is the cutest little chain in Iceland. There are some really cool locations too, one's on the third floor of a department store if you fancy coffee with a view! Their Chai Latte is also so delicous and the servers are always pretty hunky too! (And mega friendly. But mostly cute.)

King Dong? - "Sorry what?' I hear you all cry... Now I'm going to blame Lucy for this one, but whilst looking at things to do in Reykjavik's town centre we stumbled upon one of the most bizarrely specific museums I've ever seen. The Icelandic Phallological Museum is described as "a unique collection, the only one of its kind in the world!" I mean this is literally the only chance you're ever going to get at seeing a penis museum, and it is a willie interesting place. It cost about £5 to visit, and I feel like it's one of those Bucket List things you have to do while in Iceland. We definitely left feeling more informed, probably too informed, about all the various specimens, but we for sure had a giggle.

Have The Best Time! - Iceland is such a magical place, so you're sure to have an incredible time whatever you end up doing. Lucy and I stayed in an apartment, which is great cause we're both eternally hungry (hello 3am snack time) and drink tea by the gallon. We ate so much delicious food out though, which involved a lot of broth and even that is sent from the heavens. (And trust me, I've never been the type of person to get excited by soup. Head to a place called Supa, for a cheap and cheerful broth filled-lunch that'll have you saying "Please sir, can I have some more?"

Have you been to Iceland? What was your favourite thing you did or saw when you were there? Let me know in the comments and I'll add it to my list for next time! 

 Thanks for reading your Dose of Travel