I recently went on a solo trip to Iceland for spring break and it was one of the most amazing experiences of my entire life. I went solo, but it would also be crazy fun to go with a group of friends. It was the most gorgeous place I’ve ever been to and I’m pretty sure it’s where all of the desktop screensaver pictures are taken. So, I’ve listed out my reasons for why Iceland needs to be your next adventure.
The Safety
I know the first thing you want to hear is probably not about the safety of the country because that’s no fun, but Iceland is consistently ranked as one of the safest places to travel for solo females, and I could definitely tell. Obviously, it is a foreign country so you should always be aware, but I never felt unsafe being a female or being by myself, even when I was walking back through the city alone at night. I never was scared that I was going to be pickpocketed and I was never hit on by random men walking down the street. It definitely made it easier to enjoy myself and take in everything around me.
The City
I stayed at Downtown Hostel in the city center of Reykjavik and I definitely recommend staying in the city center when you go. The hostels are completely safe and there are so many fun things to see and do that are all within walking distance. In fact, I walked almost all of the streets in downtown Reykjavik the first day that I was there. The city center is right near the harbor and you can walk out onto the harbor and see a gorgeous view of Mt. Esja across the bay. There are restaurants everywhere, and while some are pricey there are hot dog and food stands everywhere. I felt like I had seen the entire city after walking around for a full day, but I did go back and visit my favorite spots on the last day before I had to go to the airport.
The Countryside
I went on an incredible full day tour that took us to waterfalls, glaciers, volcanoes, and the black sand beaches. Yes, a getting on a tour bus with a bunch of retired couples seemed cheesy and I was worried that I would be annoyed the whole time (I hate tourists). It was a wonderful tour though and I highly recommend using a tour company to see the rest of the country. There are very few places to stay in Southern Iceland and unless you can rent a car and go yourself, taking a tour was a great option. The tour guides and so friendly and let us spend a lot of time at each of the places that we stopped and loved sharing anything and everything about their country. There are so many different tours that they can take you on, like the one I did in Southern Iceland, the Golden Circle, the Blue Lagoon and the Northern Lights. Do your research ahead and make sure that you book in advance because the tours fill up fast!
The People
Everyone in Iceland is incredibly friendly and helpful. Everyone is required to learn English in elementary school, so they know enough to at least hold a decent conversation with you. Pro tip: they speak Icelandic to everyone that looks like they are Icelandic (I have blonde hair and blue eyes so this happened to me a lot). If you say you speak English or even just respond in English, they will continue the conversation in English. Icelandic people love their country and are more than willing to tell you about it, take a picture of you in front of a landmark or even show you around for the day. Apparently it’s really hard to take pictures of the Northern Lights so our tour guide took pictures for us and posted them to Facebook the next morning.
The Food
Be warned that the food, like most of the country, is somewhat expensive. Expect your sandwiches and drinks to cost at least a few more dollars than they do hear. I got a six inch spicy italian at Subway for 7000 ISK (about $7) but sitting down to get a burger was about $22. It depends on where you go and what you order. There are also several cheaper options, like the famous hot dog stands around the city. Each hot dog is about $4 loaded in toppings and they are delicious! I may or may not have had hot dogs for half of my meals during my trip.
The Amazing Things to See and Do
Between walking around the city and taking tours out to the countryside, there are so many things to do and they make them so easy to do them. In the four full days that I was in Iceland, I saw two glaciers, a volcano, a black sand beach, two waterfalls, the Northern lights twice and just about everything there is to see in Reykjavik. Make the most of your time there because even though you’ll be tired from jet lag, there is nothing like seeing the Northern Lights in person to keep you awake at 2am. Below are a bunch of pictures that I took to prove how amazing it is.
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