Iceland

The Do's & Dont's of Iceland

Iceland has more tattoos per capita than any other country on the planet. And more books too. You can drive around the entire island in less than 13 hours. You can spend $40 on a lunch that isn't that great. You can also spend $80 and off-road 4 wheel up and down mountains and though ravines right outside Reykjavik. Buy the $180 flight through WOW Airlines and check out this frozen little island.

Here is a simple “Do” and “Don’t” List that you should follow while still being able to create your own adventure.

Do: Go to Iceland. You need to see this place. It is part small town, part European city, part island paradise (using paradise lightly). You fly over Snow capped Greenland mountains that no human has ever stepped foot on and Arctic waters that only whales and the last two polar bears on the earth have swam in. It is cheap country to fly to from most major cities, an expensive place to find any good food to eat, but definitely an island that needs to be seen in person.

Don’t: Wait to go. Because it is the "hot" place for millennials to get the gram pic (follow me: @jasonisjaws), flights are cheap and direct. It is the right time. It is cheapest it will ever be to fly there. Also, April is the perfect time to go. The weather is in the 30s-40s (F) and the summer tourists aren't out of school yet.
Do: Rent a car. I made a roadtrip out of my adventure. I did not want to book buses to see all the nature sights. I got to see everything I wanted to on my own schedule. It was therapeutic driving through foreign lands on almost abandon highways not having to take other people's pictures at every stop. The impromptu natural hot springs, hidden waterfalls, and random hikes would not have been possible without my own set of wheels.
Don’t: Only take tour buses. It is nice to share stories and see Iceland through other country's tourist (or in my case, other people living in California- so many Californians) but you have to leave them behind to see Iceland the right way. The tour buses are full of Americans that will pack all of the nature sights for 40 minutes, take pictures of each other, and move on without really getting to experience the sights. Renting a car is a little expensive but so worth it (honestly, it is probably cheaper than booking a tour a day).

Do: Stay at hostels outside of Reykjavik. The small fishing towns on the coasts are a sight to be seen. Spending a night away from the crowds on Laugavegur Street under a darker sky is cathartic. You get to know people who have probably spent their entire lives on the island

and have no plans of leaving. Added bonus: You may get to see the northern lights sans the tour bus of people with huge tripods and expensive cameras.

Don’t: Spend too much time in Reykjavik. There is a lot to see and learn from the capital city, but that’s not why you go to Iceland. Take a day or a day and a half to walk around the city, get some drinks, tour the amazing graffiti, and then get out! There are so many things that will drop your jaw and freeze a permanent smile on your face. A city is a city is a city.

Do: Visit the Lauarvatn Fontana: This is a small little geothermal spa set right on the shore of a lake a little under an hour outside of Reykjavik. Not only is it less crowded, less expensive, and less gimmicky than the Blue Lagoon (which you still gotta visit), it sits on a freezing lake and has a deck for you to castrate yourself in freezing water in between dips in the various heated pools. It is exhilarating to drop into the lake every once in a while. It is also good for blood flow and your heart. Grab a beer, sit in the heated pool, and then wake yourself up every once in a while with a dip in the lake.
Don’t: Spend all day at The Blue Lagoon. People, this place is great. But a few hours here is enough. Get out! Go see Iceland. I recommend doing the earliest spot (8am) available and then leaving around 10:30 when it gets crowded.

Do: Stop and pull over in a small town, farm, or interesting mountain. You will pass places that do not have names in a guidebook, horses on a farm at the foot of a snow covered mountain, small little two house towns on the shore of a black sand beach, and maybe an elf here or there (they believe in elves).
Don’t: Think you are wasting time by taking it slow. Spend an hour at a waterfall. Spend half a day at a waterfall. Everyone experiences the same thing differently. But take your time. You aren’t missing out on anything if you are fully aware of your current situation and happy.

Do: Bring an action camera that is waterproof and durable. Don’t risk breaking your Iphone (I spent a few hours in a mall getting my phone fixed) or getting half quality shots through a waterproof Iphone case. There are cheap GoPro like cameras that take amazing video (I used the Contour Roam 3 go check out the Iceland video). You will want to capture everything you see, I promise.
Don’t: Be glued to your phone/camera the entire time. Take the pictures, get the sick video, and then put away your equipment and be there. Really be there. Yeah, you need the Instagram post (#blessed) but you also need to experience it for yourself. You are there. Your pictures are just added bonuses and ways to "flex" on your friends (#TBT #TakeMeBack).
Do: Bring waterproof pants and a waterproof jacket to go over your hiking clothes. Waterfalls are wet because water is wet. You don’t want to be 200 feet away getting a good panoramic picture the whole time. Get in there. You can walk as close as you want to the majority of the waterfalls in Iceland (even under one in Selandjafoss). Don’t let a pair of jeans and a water resistant coat keep you from really experiencing the force of nature.
Don’t: Wear jeans on your waterfall hikes. I feel like this one is a no brainer, but you always see people wearing jeans and a little jacket with an umbrella… Not a good look, bruh. They will get soaked, freezing, and stop you from getting up close and personal with the waterfalls.

Do: Go on an ATV Safari Quad tour! Literally right outside of Reykjavik in the mountains. A guide takes you up and down pretty steep mountains and through rivers. You get some of the best views of the city and then turn around and get the best views of the endless mountains covered in snow. It legitimately will take your breath away in the best way possible. I'm an adrenaline junkie, so this was right up my alley.
Don’t: Treat Iceland like any other place you have visited. Do not waste time trying to find really exquisite restaurants. You can do the museums in a day in the city. Get out of the buildings and man made attractions.

Do: Eat shark, whale, reindeer, and puffin. Listen, sharks are my favorite animal- I made sure I wasn't eating anything that was even closed to being endangered (they serve Hakarl shark- it's not on the list). Being an adrenaline junkie transfers to the dinner table. I tried everything and it was extremely underwhelming. You need to try it for yourself, but do it early and do it fast because it will not be a highlight of your trip.
Don’t: Don't trip. you can look up the animals they eat and make sure you aren't going against your moral compass. Better yet, you can skip it if you want.

Your trip will not differ too much from many others, but you still need to plan it out and go out on solo adventures to get the most out of it. And just because "everyone is doing it" doesn't mean that you shouldn't. There is a reason it has been the freezing cold hot place to travel to these past 2 years.

Let me know if you want recommendations on hostels, packing lists, excursions, car rental suggestions, equipment to bring, or anything else.