2021 in Iceland (Ring Road tour)
On December 21, 2021, I took an Icelandair flight from Toronto (YYZ) to Keflavik Airport (KEF) in Iceland.
This made it my:
- 2nd time in Iceland
- Iceland was my 18th unique country in 2017
- 2nd time arriving in Iceland during the winter
Itinerary
- 3 days in Reykjavik to experience pre-Christmas days
- Reykjavik food tour (despite a "pandemic")
- Ate fermented skate (skate, not shark!)
- Iceland's busiest shopping day on December 23
- purchase a few vinyls from Reykjavik Record Store
- saw a parade and festivities
- stores opened until midnight
- Visited Hljómskalan (an open-air and free park) on Christmas Eve
- Ascended Hallgrimskirkja cathedral for the 2nd time
- Took a van tour around Highway 1 (Ring road) beginning on Christmas Day
- 2021-12-25
- Golden Circle
- re-visited Gullfoss (broad waterfall)
- re-visited Geysir (geyser)
- South Coast
- re-visited Reynisfjara (black sand beach)
- re-visited Skogafoss (tall waterfall)
- visited Seljalandsfoss (waterfall) for the first time
- Overnight at Kirkjubæjarklaustur!
- Golden Circle
- 2021-12-26
- Hvannadalshnukur (glacial mountains)
- Jökulsárlon (glacial river lagoon)
- Ice cave hike
- Overnight in Höfn
- 2021-12-27
- Lækjavik (cliffside roads)
- Djúpivogur (egg sculptures)
- Litlanesfoss ("hidden" waterfall)
- Overnight in Egilsstaðir
- 2021-12-28
- "Golden Gate Bridge of Iceland" (during a blizzard!)
- Skútustaðagigar (craters)
- Dimmuborgir (rock formations hike)
- Mývatn (mineral baths in the middle of a blizzard!)
- Overnight in Akureyri
- 2021-12-29
- Whale watching in Dalvik
- northernmost point for me to date
- Overnight in Bifröst
- Whale watching in Dalvik
- 2021-12-30
- Grábokagigar (large village-sized crater)
- Deildartunguhver (hot spring vents)
- Hraunfossar (lava waterfalls)
- Barnafoss (small "child-sized" waterfalls)
- Hôskuldargerði (hay house replica)
- Sturlureykir (Icelandic horse stables!)
- Esjan (mountain)
- Completion of Ring Road tour
- Overnight in Reykjavik (self-booked)
- 2021-12-25
- Spent the last two nights in Reykjavik for New Year's Eve
Reflection
The second time in Iceland felt as much of a novelty as the first time. I got to visit the northern and eastern parts that I did not visit in 2017 with its winter in full glory. The driver (who acted also as the tour guide) braved through some of the most windy and snowy conditions that Iceland could offer!
Surprisingly, not one on the tour got seriously injured with the places we visited! Some hikes involved steep hills and icy terrain with no hospital facilities for quite a distance!
I also got to experience Iceland during new year's eve for the second time in my life. Other than my own hometown, I had never experienced the new year anywhere twice ... not even New York City or Montreal!
(For my next time in Iceland, I would go in the summer to experience the midnight sun and its cooler, less humid summer weather!)