From Great Geysir to the Northern Lights – Iceland’s striking landscapes and quirky capital Reykjavík have it all
WITHIN 24 hours I’d experienced an earthquake, seen a celeb from Game Of Thrones and eaten the best hot dog of my life.
Iceland does not do things by halves — and the Land of Fire and Ice delivered such an incredible break.
I was checking out Icelandair’s latest holiday packages.
These include hotels, flights and day tours so you can make the most of a quick break.
A must-do trip for Iceland first-timers is the Golden Circle tour, taking in some astonishing natural highlights.
Looping 300km from the capital Reykjavik into the southern uplands, this road trip takes you in the Geysir geothermal area, Gullfoss waterfall and Thingvellir National Park.
Geysir, the original hot-water spout after which all other geysers are named, is not so active these days but the nearby Strokkur hot spring reliably shoots water 40 metres into the air every five to ten minutes.
For more water thrills, the spectacular double cascade of the Gullfoss waterfall is hard to beat.
Keep your wits about you while admiring the rainbow created as water thunders into a rocky ravine — I was nearly blown off the side!
Rounding off the tour’s trio of sights is Thingvellir National Park, a Unesco World Heritage site and the only place in the world where you can stand between two tectonic plates, in this case the North American and Eurasian.
COVID: You’ll need to show a negative lateral flow or PCR test taken within 72 hours of arrival. Quarantine-free travel for those fully vaccinated or who have previously recovered from Covid.
But if you do the tour early enough on your trip, you can rebook it for free to have a second go at the unpredictable natural light show.
I was cheered up by eating “Iceland’s best hot dog’” at the tiny Bæjarins Beztu food stall, one of the cheapest eats in Reykjavik.
For just £2.55 you get a generous lamb, beef and pork sausage that sits atop crispy onions in a warm, soft bun, slathered with ketchup, sweet brown mustard and a remoulade sauce made of mayo, capers, mustard and herbs.
Iceland is notoriously expensive when it comes to food and drink but the Appy Hour app I downloaded on my phone was great for searching out the best pubs and bars for an affordable pint.
Refreshed, I return to the new Grandi by Center Hotels — a stylish pad with trendy mid-century interiors in the centre of the city’s booming creative quarter.
There, in the lobby, I spot Hafþór Júlíus Björnsson, who played the Mountain in Game Of Thrones.
It is testament to my room’s super-comfy bed that I manage to sleep through a 4.2-magnitude earthquake while taking a power nap.
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I may have missed out on the Northern Lights and the earthquake but Iceland’s striking landscapes and quirky capital left their mark.
Days later, I am still riding on a Blue Lagoon high.