Iceland - The Blue Lagoon and Golden Circle

Before going to Iceland, I already knew that this country is best explored on a road trip. I can't quite drive confidently yet, let alone driving on the icy roads during winter.

I booked the 4D3N tour package from Grey Line Excursions for the both of us. We stayed one additional night in the hotel (so technically it’s 4D4N) because we arrived at Reykjavik in the evening. The fees also includes the Northern Light tour, but we didn’t manage to go due to the weather conditions. The tour package includes all the transport to and from the hotel, attractions and airport. YAYYY it was all in one, so less planning on my part.

To those who already knew it from my Instagram, this is Padab Jr.. I wonder how he's doing now.

Day 1: The Blue Lagoon

The Blue Lagoon is a very popular tourist destination, you find out why when you google up the pictures. With geothermal water that’s blue, milky and warm, It’s an amazing place to chill out, relax, unwind, especially in winter. Our standard ticket includes the admission fee and use of a towel, and it is also the cheapest option among the 4 types of tickets.

When you’re there

• You’ll be given a bracelet/ wristband that tracks your expenses and to lock your lockers.

• You’ll have to shower first before you enter the Blue Lagoon, it’s the same procedure as you’ll do before you go down to any swimming pool

• Wander around the Blue Lagoon, it’s a huge area with bridges and small waterfalls.

• Slap on some white silica mud mask on your face, it’s free!

• Sweat it out in the steam room and sauna room.

• You can enjoy massages and spas at a cost.

Food and drinks

• Bring a bottle of water to remain hydrated. You can just leave it somewhere indoor.

• There is a Lagoon Bar within the pool – you can enjoy some drinks without having to leave the water, just pay with your bracelet.

• The Lava Restaurant is an expensive option where you can dine at, but I went for the cheaper alternative, the Blue Café, which sells sandwiches, snacks and drinks.

Washing up

• There are conditioners in the showers, you’ll find out why – your hair actually gets really tough and tangled up in the geothermal water.

Souvenirs

• They cost A BOMB. REALLY.

• Even the free silica mud (that you can get in the pool for free) costs a BOMB.

• There are other skin care products, check out the prices in the website. I’m not kidding!

We basically spent 4-5 hours soaking in the waters, running in and out of the sauna. It was really cold! There were many online reviews that said about 3 hours is enough, but if you're with a group of friends, that's when the fun kicks in.

Taken by Lippy with her GoPro

Day 2: Golden Circle Classic Tour

This tour is about 6-8 hours long. Some the highlights are:

1) Almannagjá gorge

The gorge is at Þingvellir and Thingvellir, also where the tectonic plates of America and Europe meets. The gap has been widening each year.

The landscape at Thingvellir

You can walk along the path, but I remember watching a video which shows a diver diving between the tectonic plates and the view underwater is breathtaking.

2) The Gullfoss waterfall

The Gullfoss waterfall

3) Geysir

The hot water will erupt every 8 minutes to a great height!

The geysir might look calm, but it's boiling underneath

(Image from Wikipedia) to show you how high it can get

4) The Icelandic Horse Park

This the final stop of the tour. You’ll need to pay to watch the Horse show, but you can just hang out at the café and souvenir shop. The icelandic horses are different from other farm horses.

Icelandic horses are smaller

Day 3: Reykjavik City Sightseeing tour

It’s a short 2.5 hours tour around the city, you’ll see where the president stays, a famous church, a huge water tank with a visitor centre perched on top of a hill, and many more.

You can spend the rest of the day wondering around the town.

It's my first time seeing snow, so.... a snow angel is a must, haha.

Day 4:

Actually we couldn't do anything at all because our flight was at noon :(

Well, some other things to know:

• Try the Icelandic hotdog buns. They are available at those small stores along the streets. Everything in Iceland is very expensive, but hot dog buns are considered the cheapest, at about $3.50-$5 SGD each. I love it because there's shallots inside. :)

• Get groceries or snacks from the supermarket called Bonus, it has a logo of a pig.

• Another recommended tour Whale Watching, especially if you are going during summer.

• Many other things to do if you have time, there are many majestic waterfalls and volcanoes.

• You can also take up a Game of Thrones tour if you’re a big fan.

Iceland is really beautiful and I wished I had stayed longer to venture into volcanoes (I loved volcanoes since young but I hate it when it erupts because it endangers lives) and the Skógafoss waterfall. How cool is it to be able to take a helicopter and hover over a volcanic crater? There are so much more to explore beyond Reykjavik. I didn't catch the northern lights too because it started snowing when I was there. So... I guess this calls for another trip back to Iceland? ;)