TABLE OF CONTENTS
INTRO 00:00
PAKING LIST 00:25
ITINERARY BREAKDOWN 01:19
OUTRO: 10:14

Hi everyone! In one of my previous videos I mentioned (card to the NYE results video) that I was going to Iceland. In this video, I wanted to tell you about my trip: from packing essentials to chasing waterfalls, I've got it all covered. Grab your reusable water bottles and let’s dive into my packing list, itinerary, and some wild observations.

The weather forecast for end of December was from around +4 C to -10 C (40 to 14 F) so we brought:
* Beanies, gloves, warm coats, thermal underwear
* Sneakers, warm socks, winter boots, rain pants
* Camera, drone for capturing those stunning landscapes
* Swimsuits and towels for the hot springs
* Bluetooth charger, speaker, power banks
* Sunglasses for the days with sunshine (which we eventually forgot to pack)
* And reusable water bottles, of course, since the water in Iceland is safe to drink from the tap

Going to Iceland, I knew that Scandinavian countries are expensive (I’ve been to all of them), so we took food items like muesli, noodles, and chips with us, plus we heard that alcohol's a splurge, so we also brought Belgian beer and sparkling wine for the NYE. Turned out that the groceries and restaurants are pretty much as expensive as in the Netherlands, so we ate out and cooked when we felt like it.

ITINERARY BREAKDOWN
On the first day in Iceland, we rented a car in Reykjavík and went to our accommodation at Víðines Guesthouse. The day after we went on a silver ring: to Borgarfjordur, then, through Hvalfjordur tunnel, which is almost 6 km long, to the to Hraunfossar and Barnafoss.
In the afternoon, we went to the town of Borganes to look at the fjord across the bridge. With the polar day being around 4 hours, the country is just the constant sunrise and sunset. Iceland is the permanent golden hour.
We kicked the third day off by soaking in the Secret Lagoo, then made it all the way to Vatnajökull, which took us about 9 hours with stops. We saw the reindeer on the way. Polar night messes with your perception of time: you wake up, have breakfast and drive in the dark, and it’s all before 10 am. The key is trying to hold on to your regular routine and go to bed and wake up around the same time.
On day four we went to Jökulsárlón - the glacier lagoon, where I drank water from. It’s salty, because the water from the glacier mixes with the ocean. We’ve also seen many seals there, but I forgot to bring my tele lens with me, so I couldn’t take a closer look.
Then we went to the Diamond Beach, it’s called like that because there are pieces of ice from the glacier there. And then we went t to Reynisfjara Beach, which was on the top of my to see list for this trip.
Reynisfjara beach was all that I expected it to be and more. I only wish it was less known so that it would be less busy. In fact we liked it so much we came another day when it was still early. It was snowing heavily, but we went hiking near Svartifoss and Skógafoss waterfalls just a bit up Fimmvörðuháls trail. It was too dangerous to hike all the way, but I think it would be so great in the summer, the trail is about 25 km long, and there are so many waterfalls on the way, 27 to be exact, which is basically every km.
We stayed overnight at the South Iceland guest house, then went to Seljalandfoss and Gljúfrabúi, the latter I found in the itinerary by @kuanasue, and this is one of the most beautiful things I’ve ever seen in my life. I don’t have many pictures, because it was dark. It’s a waterfall inside a cave, a d the view is absolutely breathtaking. Then we made our way east toward Hella, where we celebrated the New Year’s Eve. There’s a tradition in Iceland to have a communal bonfire Áramótabrennur” which symbolises the burning away of the old year and the welcoming of the new. They also love fireworks, they were going off from 11.30 p.m. to 12.30 a.m.
We spent the night in the igloo, which is basically a fancy tent if I am being honest, because there are no facilities or insulation inside. It would be great if we could see the northern lights while sleeping there, but the whole trip we were unlucky and didn’t get to see any because of the snow, clouds and bright moon.
The next day we went on a Golden Circle round, saw Gulfoss and Geysir, then drove back to Keflavík through Þingvellir National Park.
We stayed overnight near the airport and on the last day returned the rental car and took an early flight home.

In a nutshell, Iceland is a dream. From the vibrant polar lights to the majestic Diamond Beach, it's a journey I'll cherish. Thanks for joining me on this Icelandic adventure! . If you enjoyed this video, don't forget to like, share, and subscribe for more sustainable travel adventures. subscribe for more sustainable travel, and let's make 2024 a year of eco-friendly explorations. Until next time, bless bless!