My Iceland Bucket List

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For all my friends, or friends of friends or people that contact asking for my recommendations of things to do in Iceland  - I've put together an Iceland Bucket List to share with you. These are places, sites, restaurants, hotels that I recommend or, yup, still want to try. Click the names for links. I recommend self-driving so you have the freedom to come and go as you please but there are lots of wonderful tours on offer too. 

Near Keflavik (iceland international) Airport

  • Blue Lagoon - book tickets in advance, go for the option with marks, and drink at the swim-up bar

  • Gunnehver Geysir - near Blue Lagoon, amazing but smelly landscape

Reykjavik, iceland

  • Harpa - concert venues, worth looking at inside and out, a tour of building on offer

  • Hallgrimskirja - view from the top, service in English last Sunday of every month

  • Perlan - ice cave exhibition, view from the top - still to do (newly opened)

  • Seabarren / Sægreifinn - lobster soup

  • Íslenski barinn - Meat soup, shark, beer

  • Cafe Loki - rye bread ice cream

  • Laundromat - a great breakfast, I love the pancakes

  • Fish Market - for a special meal, try the epic taster menu

  • National Museum - still to do (shockingly)

  • Icelandic Phallological Museum - still to do

  • Reykjavík Art Museum, Hafnarhús - still to do (shockingly)

  • Settlement Exhibition - still to do (shockingly)

  • Reykjavík Art Museum - a great big space with some mad exhibitions

  • National Gallery of Iceland - still to do (shockingly)

  • Nauthólsvík Beach - hot pool, nice walks, cafe

  • Grotta Lighthouse - great for Northern Lights spotting, small hot pot, beach walks

the Golden Circle

  • Pingviller National Park - tectonic plates, amazing landscape

  • Geysir - erupting every few minutes, the cafe is good here (free soup refills)

  • Efstidalur - farm serving homemade ice cream, eat a steak in the restaurant overlooking the barn

  • Gulfoss Waterfall - powerful waterfall, wrap up as can get wet

  • Fontana - geothermal spa - still to do

  • Secret Lagoon / Gamla Laugin - fab hot pool, walk around the site after

  • Mika Restaurant - a lovely family-run place with lobster and handmade chocolates

  • Fridheimar Greenhouse - eat tomatoes soup amongst the plants in this greenhouse - still to do

  • Bruarfoss Waterfall - still to do

  • Kerid - Walk around the edge of a crater

Hveragerdi, iceland

  • Reykjadalur hot river - 1 hr hike, well worth it though to bathe in the hot river

the South Coast trail

  • Seljalandsfoss Waterfall - walk behind the waterfall

  • Gljúfrabúi - 2mins walk after Seljalandsfoss

  • Seljavallalaug Natural Pool - amazing pool, can be cold if it's been raining/snowing

  • Skogafoss Waterfall - huge waterfall, not worth the stairs to the top

  • Skogafoss Bistro - soup and a view

  • Sólheimajökull - Glacier, you can walk up to it but you'd need to join a tour to go on it, amazing experience

  • Plane wreck - a long walk, only do if you really want to

  • Reynisfara / Black Sand Beach - be careful of the waves

  • Dyrhólaey - dramatic coastal landscape

  • Vik - Service Station burgers to tide you over

  • Skaftafell - Glacier + Ice Cave tour

  • Jokulsarlon / Glacier Lagoon - stunning, enough said

  • Diamond Beach - just over the road from Jokulsarlon, epic for photography

Snaefellsnes Peninsula, iceland

  • Snæfellsjökull National Park - self-drive and see some amazing landscape

  • Djúpalón Beach - the beach where fishermen lifted stone weights to show their strength

  • Snæfellsjökull - glacier

  • Kirkjufell - most photographed mountain in Iceland but stunning

  • Norska Húsið - traditional houses, architecture

  • Súgandisey - orange lighthouse, lookout point

  • Helgafell - mountain

  • Malarrif - coastline and lighthouse

  • Saxhöll Crater - drive into a crater

  • Stykkishólmskirkja - futuristic church here

Accommodation in iceland

…and on my bucket list:

  • The West Fjords

  • Landmannalaugar

  • Fjaðrárgljúfur

  • Vestmannaeyjar (Westman Islands)

  • Akyreri

  • Myvatn Nature Baths

  • An Ice Cave

  • The Ring Road

what's on your iceland bucket list?

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What to do in Iceland: Secret Pools

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SECRET POOLS IN ICELAND

A trip to Iceland, the land of fire and ice, wouldn't be complete without a few hot pool visits and Iceland has some of the most incredible, natural geothermal pools. Trust me, there’s a lot more to it than the Blue Lagoon so today I'm sharing 4 of my favorite pools, and 6 that are still on my wish list. 

Hot springs are scattered around Iceland, some not accessible and others on private farmland but some are welcome to the public and you really should make a visit. I love relaxing in a hot pool, taking in the geothermal waters of a local spa, or rewarding myself with a soak in a hot river after a hike, and Iceland sure offers you these treats. My favorite pool is still Seljavallaug because the water here is algae and so so good for your skin. The dreamy and very romantic Blue Lagoon, a world know spa, will always have a place in my heart as it's where my Viking took me on our first date but I do find the water very drying on my skin. The Secret Lagoon is a great find if a little touristy but the water is always hot and fabulous. And finally, the hot river at Reykjadalur is a pretty damn unique experience and one everyone should do if they can. 

1. BLUE LAGOON

It’s the most obvious one so let’s start here. The Blue Lagoon is everything you have imagined it will be. It’s a truly relaxing experience and can be a very romantic one too. Located near Keflavik International Airport, it’s an ideal stop on your way to or from the airport. Recently extended in size with a new swim-up bar and in-water massage area, the Blue Lagoon is a great welcome to Iceland. The distinctive blue hue of the water comes from that sulphur, so it’s a good idea to remove copper or silver jewellery before bathing as it can cause discolouring. Swim around in the calming blue silica waters, try out the waterfall, steams rooms, cave, and algae or silica masks. Enjoy a refreshing drink at the swim-up bar whilst your mask works its magic. With a rather large price tag and appearing on almost everyone’s bucket list, keep in mind that there are other options. 

2. REYKJADALUR

Located an hour’s hike from the town of Hveragerði (45min drive from Reykjavik) is a hot river that welcomes you after a pretty stunning hike. The landscape is beautiful and changes from bubbling brown mud to green moss, steam billowing from the ground and rising from the algae-filled waterfalls. Reykjadalur, meaning steaming valley, is the first of our completely natural (and free) recommendations. Once you arrive at the section popular for bathing, you’ll notice there no changing huts. Strip down to your swimming costume and brave the few steps into the water. Access has been made easy by a manmade boardwalk with steps into the river. There are some screens to shelter behind and change but this is a pretty wild experience, especially if the weather is wild too, though it's an unforgettable one. Walk or paddle upstream for hotter water, lie by the small damns and take in the views. 

3. GAMLA LAUGIN / SECRET LAGOON

This pool is a great introductory pool with easy access, changing facilities, and a shower. The Secret Lagoon is a unique natural hot spring, the oldest swimming pool in Iceland, built-in 1891. It’s a large pool that was once used by local women to wash clothes in and was the local swimming pool where children learnt to swim until 1947. The water holds at 38-40 Celsius (100-104 Fahrenheit) all year round. Here you can swim and float around using the noodles provided to find the hottest part of the lagoon. Once you are warm enough, take a short walk around the lagoon to see the beautiful landscape, original changing hut, natural geysers heating the lagoon and the nearby greenhouse. There is a cafe here for a hot chocolate or snack afterward too.

4. SELJAVALLAUG

Seljavallalaug is an algae pool located in a very dramatic setting at the base of the famous Eyjafjallajökull volcano. It’s relatively easy to find but is quickly changing from a local, secret pool to one being visited by tourists. On the south coast and just a short drive from Seljalansfoss waterfall is Seljavallalaug. Park at the car park by the guesthouses and make your way up through the valley following the river path. It’s a short 15-20min walk on rocky terrain, crossing one waterfall, but is relatively easy and kids will manage. The pool is manmade and built into the rock face. There is a small but basic changing hut where you can change and leave your belongings. The pool is naturally heated but can be a little cooler if it has recently rained or snowed. The tap feeding the pool is located at the top of the pool, where everyone gathers but hot water also trickles down the rock face. This is an algae pool so can feel a little odd but is amazing for the skin. Lie back and enjoy the landscape, imagine the activity of the mighty Eyjafjallajökull and the history of this pool. 

This pool is cleaned by volunteers annually and you can make a donation by the entrance to the changing hut. Please enjoy but respectful of the pool and its landscape, leave no trace. 

still on my bucket list:

MÝVATN

The Blue Lagoon of the North, though a lot smaller, Myvatn was developed in 2004. Located on the sloped of Dalfjall, the baths have a beautiful backdrop of ochre-coloured hills. Dalfjall is home to Iceland’s first geothermal power station. The milky blue colour of the water comes from 25 metres below you. The perfect place to enjoy a long hot soak in the 38-40 ̊C water or a seat in a sauna after hiking and travelling. There’s a cafe here too.

Landmannalaugar

Set in some of the most stunning and dramatic scenery Iceland has to offer, this geothermal bath is located in Landmannalaugar, the highlands of Iceland. The landscape changes with the movement of the sun, a truly unique place surrounded by over 500-year-old lava fields and mountains of yellow, blue, white and more. Enjoy the pool, the water here is 36-40°C all year round. Stay in one of the local cabins or camp and hike the many treks. You will need to join and tour or self drive a 4WD here, though access in the winter can be very challenging. 

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Northern Lights Iceland (Aurora Borealis) A Complete Guide 2023

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The first time I went on a Northern Lights, aka Aurora Borealis, hunt we found nothing, in fact, it took me three visits to Iceland before we spotted them. One night, at home in the apartment, Ingimar had popped into the bedroom and was pulling down the blind. He hadn't turned on the light so spotted the Aurora and called me from the bedroom. He covered my eyes and took me out onto the balcony. Stretching across the entire sky was a bright green line in the sky, between the stars and shining so magically. It's hard to describe what they're like to see. They don't seem real, almost like something from a Disney movie but when you see them really dancing and changing colour then that's when the real magic comes!!

watch the vlog

If you've never seen them before, try to imagine the sky with a huge green rainbow stretching from horizon to horizon. It's like something out of the Polar Express movie, but real. I am lucky enough to have seen them quite a few times now. Last November the forecast was to be very high and so the city organized to turn off all the lights and asked homes to join in. This reduced light pollution in the city so the Aurora could be seen much more clearly. Often the Aurora can look like an odd cloud, a long greenish cloud but if you drive outside the city, away from artificial lights, then you really see it glow. 

You have to be careful though as the Northern Lights can be a little distracting. We hear of tourists driving the south coast and driving off-road accidentally as they looked up to see the Aurora Borealis. I can totally understand how this happens as I often saw them whilst driving to or from roller derby practice but please, pull aside and safely watch them. They are amazing but not worth risking your life for!!

So, armed with loads of pictures and video clips to remember them by, I am going to share some tips and tricks on how to see the Northern Lights in Iceland. 

Northern Lights

What Are The Northern Lights (Aurora Borealis)?

The Northern Lights in Iceland, sometimes referred to as Aurora Borealis, is a magical display of light in the sky that can only be seen in wintertime (September - April, when it's dark). It's scientific and a little technical but basically they are caused by the sun. The sun is a huge ball of hydrogen and other gases which fuse away in space. The sun has storms called solar storms. 

Imagine the sun like a huge ball of plasma. All the plasma swirling around within the sun makes a huge magnetic field that's under a lot of pressure. Sometimes the lines of force within these magnetic fields meet and leave the sun’s surface as hot gases and charged particles, and enter the earth’s atmosphere (solar flare). Once these flares reach Earth (solar winds) they can be extremely dangerous but our planet produces a magnetic field to help protect us (earth magnetosphere).

Earth’s magnetic field has two weak spots, the North and South Poles, which means a small amount of the sun’s charged particles can reach Earth’s atmosphere. These solar winds collide with the oxygen and nitrogen atoms of Earth's atmosphere, this enhances their energy. The atoms release this newfound energy in the form of particles of light (photons) and this light is known as the Aurora or Northern Lights. 

The colours of light you see depend on the different types of gas particles being released and colliding with the charged particles entering the earth’s hemisphere, i.e. Oxygen = green, Nitrogen = blue, red. Here in Iceland we mostly see a green light but it's possible to see blue or purple at the edge of the green. Last September was an amazing display where we saw a hint of pink, purple and red - it was as magical as it sounds.

Aurora Borealis

  • The Japanese believe that a child conceived under the dancing rays would be fortunate in life

  • Vikings believed that the Aurora was a bridge of fire to the sky, forged by the Gods

  • Scandinavian folklore describes them as the spirits of unmarried women

  • The Inuit thought they were the souls of the dead

When Is Best To See The Northern Lights?

The Northern Lights season here in Iceland typically runs from the 1st of September, through winter, until around the 15th of April. This is when the local Northern Lights tours run. 

The sky has to be dark to see them so coming to Iceland in the summer months will make viewing the Northern Lights impossible. However the winter months bring a lot of wintery weather and with snow and rain, there are clouds. We have a saying here in Iceland “if you don’t like the weather, wait 5 minutes” because if it’s snowing in the morning then it might be clear and frosty at night, so no clouds. The weather is a little unpredictable - recently we have had a warm snap with above freezing temperatures when we usually get -5’c. With this warmer weather, sometimes there is a lot of cloud coverage at night but the day is clear. 

It's best to wait until around 10 pm and, if you are able to stay up until the wee small hours, 1-2 am (don't worry, you can request an Aurora Northern Lights wake-up call from your hotel). Personally, I've spotted them the most in November, September, and March but I think that’s mostly because I was out and about. It sounds weird and we kind of take them for granted now but I often don’t even look up at the sky to check if they're there unless someones visiting us. 

Northern Lights Iceland

Are The northern lights guaranteed?

The simple answer is NO. 

To see the Northern Lights you need 3 things:

  1. Darkness - you won’t see them in the long, light summer nights

  2. Clear Skies - if there’s a lot of cloud coverage, you won’t see the lights

  3. Aurora Activity - they simply aren’t always dancing

A good mix of the above three things, plus a little luck, and you will have a very memorable night viewing the Northern Lights. Always check the Official Aurora Forecast before you head out Aurora Forecast to see what the next few days look like. This site rates how likely and how intense the lights will be Europe Aurora Forecast. There’s a fun video on this page SpaceWeather Enthusiast if you scroll near the bottom, it shows the Aurora Forecast and you can see the time the lights will be over Iceland. For a longer forecast, you can check 27 Day Flux Forecast which gives a 27-day outlook. 

Where To Best See Them In Iceland?

The Northern Lights, Aurora Borealis can be seen typically within the Arctic Circle. The South Pole also has a show of lights called the Aurora Australis. But for this post, let's focus on Iceland and Aurora Borealis.

You don’t need to go far out of the city to be in with a chance to see the dancing Aurora. If the sky is clear of clouds then head down to Grotto and wait patiently. If you have a car, drive out of the city and away from the light pollution to areas like Grotta, Mosfellsbaer, Seltjarnarnes, Perlan, where you can easily park. 

Further a field, head to:

  • Thingvellir National Park

  • Seljavallalaug

  • Vík

  • Eldborgahraun

  • Djúpavík

  • Westfjords, Eastfjords

  • Ásbyrgi Canyon

  • Hvammsfjordur

  • Jokulsarlon

  • Hvitserkur

  • Siglufjordur

  • Reynisvatn

  • Öskjuhlid

  • Kopavogur

  • Kirkjufell

What Are The Advantages Of Booking An aurora Tour?

The main advantage is that your tour guide knows the forecast and has access to much more information than we do so if they go out, there's a good chance of spotting the Northern Lights. This means that if the forecast isn't looking good by 6 pm, they send out a message and your tour is cancelled for the night and you'll have another chance the following night (at no extra cost). This will happen every night until you see them. They provide transport and know the roads so can take you to the right spots. Some tours also include entrance to the Aurora Reykjavik Museum in the old harbor. The museum has loads of information about mythology and science, photographs, a time-lapse video shown on widescreen of the Northern Lights from all over Iceland. 

Aurora Iceland

What Should I Wear?

It’s no fun standing around, freezing your butt off. So wrap up warm and wear some good hiking or snow boots. You might be heading out of the city and away from the shelter. It is Iceland and it is cold, the wind here is real!! So wrap up ready for it and be patient. Remember the layer rule: 

Base layer + Top layer + Outer layer = happy camper

And for those photographers out there, consider your poor wee fingers before exposing them to the freezing cold. Keep an eye on the weather in Iceland. It's also a good idea to bring your camera (obviously), a tripod for those long exposure shots, hand warmers, and a flask of yummy hot chocolate!!

How Does The Northern Lights Forecast Work?

Northern Lights Forecast

It's a little misleading as the green as the same colour as the lights in the sky but on this map: 

Green = Cloud

White = Clear sky

Head for the white areas, away from light pollution. The rule is, if you can see the stars then you have a good chance for the Northern Lights. Here's a video I made explaining how it works:

How Do You Photograph The Northern Lights?

Of course, the best souvenirs are your own photographs, and what trip to Iceland to see the Aurora Borealis wouldn’t be complete without a picture to prove it. This is a hard one though, and takes patience but don’t worry, you don’t need to be a photographer to capture the Aurora. Your smartphone might not cut it. But it will be helpful if you download the Aurora Forecast & Alerts app.

DSLR You don’t need expensive equipment to capture your shot of the Northern Lights, if you have a DSLR camera then great. Set the camera to manual and play around with your ISO, aperture, and exposure settings. 

Tripod Though not essential, it is a good idea to use something to keep your camera still as you will be taking long exposure shots to capture the lights. Long exposure: 20 seconds

Aperture In your manual settings, go to aperture and set it as wide as your lens allows, i.e. f2/8, f1/4. This will allow the max amount of light to hit the camera sensor in the fastest time, allowing a lot of light in quickly. This means your ISO can be set lower to avoid a ‘noisy image (less grain).

pixelz_Aperture-Chart_900x550px.jpg

ISO This is the level of sensitivity your camera has to the available light. In your manual settings, go to ISO and set it between 400 and 1000. A high ISO can give a grainy image. Try this out and play around with the settings until you’re happy. Mid-range ISO: 800 (depends on light pollution).

The other amazing thing about photography is that your camera will pick up more than your naked eye can. Try looking at the sky and then look through the camera, you will see the lights stronger and brighter through the camera lens. If you aren’t lucky enough to see the Northern Lights then here is a video I made of the Aurora Borealis dancing last year.

portrait with Northern Lights

How Can I Avoid Disappointment?

I get so many questions from people saying they have dreamt of seeing the Northern Lights their entire life, how can they see them. Well, the truth is that the Aurora Borealis is a natural phenomenon and so you just can’t predict them when planning a trip to Iceland. The best time to plan your trip is obviously in the winter months as the Northern Lights season runs from 1st September, through winter, until 15th April, typically but don't be too disappointed if you don't see them. It took me three visits here before I saw them. The best thing to do is plan your holiday in Iceland, see all the beauty of this country from waterfalls and glaciers to lava and moss. Then, if you get to see the Aurora dancing in the sky it’ll be the icing on the frozen cake. 

this post was originally written in 2020 and has been updated

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Reykjavik City Guide - What To Do In Reykjavik, Iceland 2023

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Welcome to Reykjavik, the capital city of Iceland, and home to 122,141 (2015) people. This colourful little nordic city is the most northern capital in the world and has been my home for a couple of years now.

Back in February 2016, I followed my heart and relocated to Reykjavik to join my Viking, Ingimar (now husband). A new city, and a new adventure - so I decided to keep a weekly video diary in the form of vlogs on my YouTube channel.

Over the last years, I’ve made Reykjavik my home and consider myself very lucky to be surrounded by such dramatic and picturesque landscapes, living under the northern lights and escaping for day trips to chase waterfalls, be amazed by the dreamy moss-covered lava fields, glacier, and other magical sights.

READ: Northern Lights in Reykjavik

I’m guessing you're lucky enough to be planning a visit or adding to Bucket List research, so let’s get into my Reykjavik City Guide.

DIY Walking Tour

There are a few free walking tours in Reykjavik or you can go off and do your own.

Start at the Sun Voyager and walk along the coast to Harpa, then head towards the Parliament and its public square. If you're hungry, on the way you can try the local Bæjarins Beztu Pylsur for yummy hot dogs, or a bowl of lobster soup at nearby Sægreifinn on the harbor, or for more of a family-friendly spot then head to the recently reopened The Laundromat Cafe (free coffee refills & kids play area in the basement). The pond is lined with cute Icelandic houses and on the opposite side, you will see the very Scandinavian-looking church of Fríkirkjan í Reykjavík and the modern City Hall which had a huge topographical map of Iceland in it - worth a look. From here you can either wander around the downtown area and check out some bars and shops, or head up towards Hallgrimskirkja.

READ: I also run an Air BnB Experience walking tour

From here, cross Fríkirkjuvegur and walk up the side street (taking in the street art). Walking around you might spot some little statues and superheroes on the street signs too. Keep going until you arrive at the magnificent Hallgrímskirkja church, inspired by flowing lava and buildings such as the Chrysler Building in New York City. Here you can buy a ticket to gain access to the top of the spire by lift for views across the city, alternatively, drive up to the city water towers at Perlan for a free view from their cafe - their exhibition is great, especially the Aurora Planetarium.

READ: Perlan - Wonders of Iceland Exhibition

Finally walk down the main street of Skólavörðustígur which joins the main shopping street of Laugavegur before you'll arrive back near Harpa.

EDIT: Summer 2019 Perlan is no longer free to access the viewing deck but the cafe on the floor above is nice and the view is free

local swimming pools with hot tubs

The pools in Iceland are fabulous and the main reason I survive living here in winter. Make sure to end a busy day by chilling out with the locals in a “hot pot” at a local swimming pool. The biggest and most popular one is Laugardalslaug, by the national football stadium. Make sure to wander around and try out all of the different hot pools here, including a saltwater pool right at the end. And yes, you do have to shower off before entering the pool or the ‘changing room police’ will get you!!

Adult 18+ 1000 ISK / Kids 160 ISK (under 6 & Senior Citizens free)

Laugardalslaug | a local pool with a huge indoor lanes pool, outdoor pool, kids flume, and a variety of hot pools - including a saltwater pool. Make sure to walk around and try out all the different round pools as they offer different temperatures. Steam room too.

Vesturbæjarlaug | a good outdoor pool and a big hot tub where locals meet to chat, and where I've previously spotted Bjork - twice.

Sundhöllin | a downtown pool with both indoor and outdoor pools, and a hot tub. Cool building and very handy if only spending a short time in Reykjavik.

Árbæjarlaug | a great pool (yes, it’s my fave) mainly because you can swim from the indoor pool to the outdoor and then get straight into a hot tub. There’s a kids pool inside and out, the slide and lanes pool is outdoor. Steam room too.

Breiðholts | a very local pool offering an outdoor lanes pool, kids pool, slides, and hot tubs.

Laugardalslaug Swimming Pool

Sundlaugavegur 30, 105 Reykjavik

Look for bus number 12 and 14 (stop near Laugardalslaug)

Mondays - Thursdays: 6:30am - 10pm
Fridays: 6:30am - 10pm
Weekend: 8am - 10pm

READ: Local pools in Reykjavik, Iceland

laugardalslaug

Grótta lighthouse and hot pool

Ever fancied a stroll along a black sand beach? Watch the sun set with your feet in a natural hot tub? Get all bundled up watching the northern lights with the reward of a hot chocolate after?! Head to Grótta, an easy 10 minute drive along the coast from Reykjavik's Harbour and take in the view across to Esjan.

If it's sunny, why not grab an ice cream from Valdi in Grandi on your way there.

Botanical Gardens - Free admission

I’m adding the Botanical Gardens in because I love them, we are often walking here as a family and the cafe here is just beautiful and offers some delicious treats.

If the weather allows, you can spend a morning wandering the paths of the botanical gardens and heading towards the allotment where you'll find a fantastic Café Flora (open May 1st - September 30th and open at weekends in December, closed Dec 24th, 25th, 26th, 31st, Jan 1st) where you can sip a coffee and nibble on a homemade treat in the beautiful greenhouse cafe.

Botanical Gardens - Free admission

Laugardalur, 104 Reykjavík

Summer (May 1st - September 30th) 10am - 10pm
Winter (October 1st - April 30th) 10am - 3pm

Café-Flóra.jpg

Viðey Island

A short ferry ride (1,500ISK) from Reykjavik harbor is the island of Viðey (summer ferries leave daily from Skarfabakki, Harpa, and Aegisgarour pier and in winter ferry from Skarfabakki weekends only). The island was where the 'father of Reykjavík' Skuli Magnusson constructed his home and a church in the 12thC and has archaeological remains from the early 10th C.

On this island is the Imagine Peace Tower, a beam of light that shines high into the night sky from a wishing well bearing the words "imagine peace" in 24 languages. Designed by Yoko Ono, widow of John Lennon, it is lite annually between his birthday and his death: 9th Oct - 8th Dec.

this post was originally written in 2017 and has been updated

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Sonia Nicolson

British Architect & former University Lecturer turned Entrepreneur. I help students of Interior Design, Interior Architecture, Architecture, and ModelMaking successfully Design & Build their Careers and Side Hustles.

British, Moving to Iceland

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Relocating to Reykjavík

On a cold and dreary evening here in the UK, I share some exciting news with you...I'm off on another adventure!! 

I've travelled for many reasons before - for adventure, for education, for career, and have had some great opportunities through my current job as a senior lecturer. And this time, I'm following my heart and moving to Reykjavik in Iceland.

A leap of faith…following my heart

My boyfriend, Ingimar (who is Icelandic), and I have thought about this for months, we've discussed it - often overthought it - but it all came down to one thing, we want to be together, living and sharing a life together. Long-distance relationships are challenging. Seeing each other in 2D on a screen can be hard at times but it also forces you to talk a lot more and discover so much about the other person. When you finally meet again, in 3D, every minute is so precious. 

So, as much as I joke about how I will be spending my days bathing in hot springs and conquering glaciers, I will be focussing on my own creativity again and have lots of ideas up my thermal sleeve. But for now, there is a super long To-Do list to start checking off before I leave my job at University and fly home to Edinburgh for a magical Christmas with family and friends.


Week one

British, Living in Iceland

The sun is finally up and it's still snowing outside, thank goodness for my lumie lamp. I have a nice warm cup of tea and I'm ready to tell you more about my very exciting relocation news. 

watch the vlog

Welcome to week one in Reykjavik

I arrived a week ago and was met at the airport by my fiancé plus a red rose - what a romantic. It was a complete blizzard outside so we made a run for the car park, it's been white outside ever since. First impressions...well, it feels a little like Christmas pretty much every day with the dark mornings, snowing landscape, and twinkling fairy lights BUT PLEASE ICELAND, put down some grit - I think (and hope) I will have amazing core strength by Spring. 

The next day we had a slow morning catching up and making pancakes. I had signed up to deliver a lecture the following day so had to finish preparing that. I felt quite at home with Ingimar pottering around whilst I worked away on my laptop. The next day he dropped me off at the venue and we met the team. I gave a lecture on 'Preparing a portfolio for Art College' and then met with some students to answer their questions. It was my first day of work in Iceland and it was going well - that feels like a month ago now. 

Moving and living abroad

Back to the move. Having relocated a few times now, to Japan and India, I should be an expert on this but of course, I stressed, I over-worried, I left things to the last minute, there were hiccups and letdowns, but I got here and it's all worked out just fine. 

I couldn't have done it without my mum and my fiancé, so a massive thank you goes to them. My mum flew down to Bournemouth to help me pack up the flat, get my boxes shipped, and say my final goodbyes before I flew home for Christmas. My fiancé, Ingimar, has been so supportive from the start. He knew when to help and when I needed time. He bugged me on some things and got me organized on others. He didn't worry too much when he was excited and I was, well, just plain stressed. 

It's only been a week and I'm already 3 boxes down...7 to go, but I have a good feeling about this. I've spent the week relaxing, napping, adjusting, and doing some interior planning. I have lots of ideas and have been working on education-related blog posts, my upcoming e-courses, and also recording some footage for a video diary I am now editing so will try to post it over the weekend (let's see). Yes, it's daunting to move again, and to a cold, dark country where I can't speak the language but that's just a challenge, right?...filled with potential, yeah!? Ha. But seriously, I feel very happy and lucky to be here in Reykjavik, with Ingimar, and having the time to get settled in, together.

So here we go. Surrounded by packing boxes and ideas lists…welcome to Chapter Iceland. 

READ MORE BLOG POSTS

Blog | for Creative Female Entrepreneurs
An Instagram Guide To Reykjavik
Reykjavík City Guide
5 Things To Do In Iceland
Moving To Reykjavik, Iceland
Konudagur / Women’s Day in Iceland
Made In Iceland, new prints & postcards
Global Narratives Connect Our World - Podcast Interview on life in Iceland
The Panorama Glass Lodge, Iceland
Iceland: Geothermal Road Trip
A Night In The aurora Bubble Hotel, Iceland
My Iceland Bucket List
SECRET POOLS IN ICELAND
Northern Lights Iceland (Aurora Borealis) A Complete Guide 2023
Reykjavik City Guide - What To Do In Reykjavik, Iceland 2023
British, Moving to Iceland
Seljavallalaug, The Hidden Pool In South Iceland
Jökulsárlón, The Glacier Lagoon In Iceland
A Drive Through Snæfellsnes Peninsula In West Iceland
Solheimajokull Glacier Hiking + Ice Climbing in Iceland
Iceland: The Academic Work Trip