Vicky Recently we were able to get an extremely cheap trip to Iceland. Iceland has always been on my bucket list. And as I have so many things going on with my health at the moment, I knew I wanted to take the trip now, rather than later. I want to experience these things with Tilly before I no longer can. But with only a short trip, it was my mission to fit in as much as I could. And I think we did really well! There wasn’t much sleep involved in the trip. Only 5 or 6 hours a night, but you can nap on bus tours if you need to. Here is the way we spent 3 days in Reykjavik.
Arriving By Plane For 3 Days In Reykjavik
The flight was at 6 am, and we arrived at 8.20 am. This flight was great because it meant we had a whole day ahead of us. And we got through passport control before we knew it. There is a duty-free shop in the airport where many people buy their alcohol before actually entering Iceland. We checked prices at LGW and KEF, and we found the duty-free shop in Iceland to be cheaper. Which surprised me!
KEF airport is 45 minutes from Reykjavik, so you need to book a transfer. There are many different ways to do this. If you are a group of 3 or 4, it is better to book a taxi or private transfer in advance. If you are just 2 people, it is cheaper to book the FlyBus, like we did. The FlyBus runs to the times of flights, so there is always one at the airport. They are punctual and comfortable to ride. I pre-booked our seats with Get Your Guide. It was easy to do and they offer free cancellation if you change your mind. You can also hire a car, which gives you the freedom to travel the whole of Iceland.
Day One In Reykjavik
We went straight to the hotel to drop off our luggage, and our room was ready by 11 am. So we were able to check in and drop our bags off and have a breather for a moment. We stayed at Centre Hotel Midgardour which is a short walk from the main shopping street, Rainbow Street and Hallgrimskirkja church. It was also a small walk to the harbour, where you can find a beautiful skyline and the Sun Voyager Sculpture.
We hadn’t booked anything for the first day, because planes get cancelled and delayed. I didn’t want to lose out on any trips if I couldn’t get there in time. But you can always book trips when you are there. We jumped on a hop-on hop-off bus. This way you can see all that Reykjavik has to offer, and you just get off at the places you want to see. If you are not familiar with the area, do the whole loop once and then on the second loop, get off and explore at the stops you want to.
Hallgrimskirkja Church is open to everyone and there is a lift to take you to the top of the church. You get a great view of Reykjavik from up there. Opposite the church is Loki Cafe, where they serve traditional Icelandic food and drinks. As you walk down from the church, it takes you to the top of Rainbow Street.
There are plenty of places to eat and drink in Reykjavik for people with different budgets. You can get a hotdog from a supermarket for a few ISK. Or you can opt for a high-end meal somewhere.
You can finish off the day with a trip to the Magic Ice Bar in Reykjavik. You can find it at Laugarvegur 4-6, along the main shopping street. There are sculptures to look at and you can even sit on an ice throne like the Ice Queen. I booked my tickets through Get Your Guide, which cost £36.00 for one adult and one child.
If you are still up for an adventure, you can book the Northern Lights tour. We didn’t book it for the first night as we were tired and it had been a long day. But booking it on the first night makes more sense, if you don’t see them, you can go back the next night for free.
Day Two Of Your 3 Days In Reykjavik
Take a trip to Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon and Diamond Beach. This is a 14-hour trip and it starts at 7 am. It is worth paying extra money to get picked up at your hotel. Diamond Beach is a black sand beach that has icebergs that have floated down from the Glacier Lagoon. In the sun, it looks like there are diamonds on the beach. You can even see some blue ice, which you might never have seen before. We also had additional stops to see the lava fields and also to have photos taken in front of the mountains. The guide was full of knowledge and kept us entertained along the trip.
Although it is a 5-hour coach trip to get to Glacier Lagoon, you do stop along the way for toilet stops. and you also stop to see different things. You stop at the following places.
- Hvolsvöllur to see the waterfall
- Seljalandsfoss for the waterfall
- Jökulsárlón for the Glacier Lagoon
- Vatnajökull for Diamond Beach
- Vik for something to eat and a short photo stop
The trip isn’t cheap, but if you are heading to Iceland, then you do need to take this awesome trip. It costs around £260 for an adult and a child but varies in price with special offers.
Day Three
If you are only here for a short time, then this could be the last of your 3 days in Reykjavik. So if you want to see more of Iceland, you could book The Golden Circle Tour With Secret Lagoon. When you go somewhere for such a short time, it is so hard to fit everything in. Going to the Sky Lagoon or Blue Lagoon is so out of the way, so this trip to the Secret Lagoon was a happy alternative. The trip is about 10 or 11 hours long, depending on how much you get to do and if everyone gets back to the coach on time.
You get to see so many different things on this tour and even manage to walk between 2 continents, where the American and European Tectonic plates are pulling apart. The tour includes visits to these spots.
- Secret Lagoon where you get time to swim in the natural hot water lagoon
- Kerid Crater, a volcano that collapsed inside itself
- Thingvellir National Park To walk between two continents
- Geysir
- Gullfoss Waterfall
We also got time to meet some Icelandic horses and stop for a cake in an Icelandic cake from a bakery. The tour finished by 6.30 pm, so it left the evening free to head into town and also squeeze in one last hurrah with a Northern Lights tour.
How We Booked Our 3 Days In Reykjavik
We booked our 3 days in Reykjavik through Easy Jet Holidays. We bought the trip in the sale after Christmas. You can build your trip, by choosing your hotel and then also by upgrading rooms. The price included flights, hotel and luggage. You will need checked luggage to pack all of your thermals and snacks from home.
To see more about travelling with kids, pop over here to read some ideas.
