We stopped in Iceland for three nights and two days in early September on our way from London to Washington State. Iceland Air had a good price for their flights if we took advantage of their “hub city (Keflavik) multi-night stopover deal”. We spent the first day wandering around the capital city Reykjavik, enjoying their city landmarks and the second day we took an 11 hour tour of the south coast of the island. It was the furthest north on the planet that either one of us had ever been. It was also the most expensive place we have visited so far in our travels. The Icelandic language is a doozy but fortunately everybody speaks English.
Iceland is an island nation located in the North Atlantic Ocean between the main parts of Europe and Greenland. The main island sits just south of the Arctic Circle, though the small northern island of Grímsey crosses right through it. People consider Iceland part of Europe for political, cultural, and historical reasons.Iceland has a population of approximately 395,000 people, making it one of the most sparsely populated countries in Europe. They are characterized by high income equality, a strong Nordic welfare model, and top-tier rankings on the Human Development Index (HDI). Their economy is driven by fishing & marine products, tourism, and manufacturing & energy. They are not a member of the European Union (EU) but they are part of the Schengen Area.Our flight from London to Keflavik was at night after dark – so we were thrilled to be able to see the Northern Lights from the window of our airplane at 38,000 feet as we approached Iceland. The northern lights, or aurora borealis, are a natural light display in the night sky caused by charged particles from the sun colliding with gases in Earth’s upper atmosphereAt the Keflavik International airport, you can see this display, which serves as a nostalgic nod to the airport’s origins. The KEF airport site was originally built by the U.S. military during World War II and operated for decades as a joint U.S. military base and civilian airport. Back in the 1950s through the 1980s, civilian travelers literally had to pass through military security checkpoints to board flights because commercial operations ran straight through a secure military zone. The car is a 1959 Dodge Custom Royal Lancer (and sometimes mistaken for a Chevy or older Dodge).For our first day in Iceland we walked around the beautiful capital city of Reykjavik, where we were staying. The skyline is dominated by this world famous Protestant Lutheran Church, Hallgrímskirkja. At 75 metres (244 ft) tall, it is the largest church in Iceland and second tallest building in the country. Known for its distinctively curved spire and side wings, it has been described as having become an important symbol for Iceland’s national identity since its completion in 1986.The inside of Hallgrímskirkja church is grand and elegant in its simplicity. The minimalist interior houses a massive pipe organ with 5,275 pipes. Construction of the church began in 1945 and finished in 1986.We took an elevator up the tower of the Hallgrímskirkja church for a 360-degree panoramic view of Reykjavík’s colorful rooftops, the nearby coastline, and surrounding mountains. We accidentally timed it where we were there at noon, and had to cover our ears for several minutes while the tower bell range all of its noon chimes.This is an original landscape painting we saw in an art gallery in Reykjavik. It was mesmerizing.
This rainbow-painted street in Reykjavik is called Skólavörðustígur Rainbow Street, which leads directly up to the iconic Hallgrímskirkja Church. It was created as a symbol of diversity, inclusion, and support for the LGBTQ+ community during Reykjavik Pride. Iceland has some of the strongest and most progressive LGBTQ+ protection laws in the world.By total coincidence we happened to be in Reykjavik on the opening day of the annual legislative session of Iceland’s parliament, the Althingi. This statue is prominently displayed in one of the town squares behind the Parliament. We were very amused by it.Authentic Irish Pubs can be found everywhere in the world and Reykjavik is no exception. This one was right around the corner from our AirBnB.The city of Reykjavik was a small town up until WWII when the Allied forces poured money and resources into it to protect it from being usurped by the Axis forces. As such, 75% of the current city was built after WWII started. So when I took this photo I was mindful that this is probably a newer door made to look like an old world door. Nonetheless, it is beautiful.On our second day in Iceland we joined an 11 hour tour to the south part of the island, so that we could take in some of the natural beauty that Iceland is famous for. Our first stop was Skógafoss, a massive and iconic waterfall located on the Skógá River in southern Iceland, dropping an impressive 197 feet (60 meters) with an 82-foot (25-meter) width. Check out how small the people look in this picture compared to the waterfall.This photo was taken about 200 meters downstream from the Skógafoss Waterfall, showcasing some of the natural landscape beauty that we saw all across the southern coast of the island. The weather was on-again-off-again rainy all day, adding to the mystical feel of the landscape.
Our next stop was Sólheimajökull Glacier. It is an outlet glacier in southern Iceland, between the volcanoes Katla and Eyjafjallajökull. Part of the larger Mýrdalsjökull glacier, Sólheimajökull is a prominent and popular tourist location owing to its size and relative ease of access. For us it was only about a ten minute walk from the car park.If you zoom in the previous photo and look to the left side of the Sólheimajökull Glacier, you can see some brave souls in their kayaks getting close to the glacier and some of the large chunks that have already broken off of it. The glacier is melting rapidly around 60 metres (200 ft) per year owing to warmer annual temperatures due to climate change. It is possible that many of the country’s glaciers will become extinct within the next centuryThis is the iconic Vík í Mýrdal Church (Víkurkirkja) perched high on a hill overlooking the southern coastal village of Vík, Iceland where we stopped for lunch on our tour. The views from its parking lot are dramatic.This is one of the many views from the parking lot of the Vik church in the previous photo. “Game of Thrones” fans will recognize the rocky pillars rising out of the sea as part of the scenary in Eastwatch-by-the-Sea, the easternmost fortress of the Night’s Watch where the Wall meets the ocean. In the real world the pillars are simply called Reynisdrangar Sea Stacks. According to local Icelandic legend, these pillars were once trolls who were caught out in the open and turned to stone when the dawn sun rose.After we had lunch in the town of Vik we stopped at this famous black sand beach called Reynisfjara. It is part of the Katla UNESCO Global Geopark on privately owned land. Hálsanefshellir Cave with its basalt columns is located at the eastern end of the beach,The beach itself at Reynisfjarais made up of smooth rocks and pebbles, which is different than the black sand beaches of Hawaii that we are used to.Our last stop on the tour was Seljalandsfoss, another waterfall – but this one you can walk behind.This lone tree is a solitary spruce tree growing on the Jóruklettur rock in the middle of the Ölfusá River near the town of Selfoss in southern Iceland. The photo was taken from the moving bus as crossed the river. We learned that it was named Iceland’s Tree of the Year 2025 by the Icelandic Forestry Association. The landscape of southern Iceland does not have many trees so this one is an enigma both for its scarcity and its location.
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