Hæ Hæ from Iceland, girl! This means ‘hello’ and happy to have you back on here. Today it will be all about Iceland. This country was for way too long on my bucket list so I made this dream come true for me in my birthday week in April. April was an amazing month to travel solo to epic Iceland, because it offers a bit of everything – snow, sun, wind, rain and you could catch northern lights as it is still dark enough during the nights. Besides, temperatures are rising which is perfect to not get stuck in any winter surprises. Overall, Iceland impressed me with stunning nature, those fire and ice vibes for which it is famous for and the lovely people who share their country with so much wilderness.
Continue reading, I’ll show you everything that a girl needs to do in gorgeous Iceland! Regarding transportation, it’s the easiest way to rent a car for yourself and drive the route in your own pace. It’s super easy to drive, less traffic, and great scenery. Just avoid playing gas roulette and keep an eye out to never run out of gas. But that’s it, you are good to go!
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Story Contents
1. Walk through Reykjavík
The capital of Iceland provides so many beautiful sights that are walkable very easily. Traditional nordic houses, those cozy Scandic-like moments & hot drinks as always. I went to a fabulous breakfast spot called Sandholt where you get the most iconic dishes paired with incredible coffee variations. Such a perfect start into the day, babe! Afterwards go shopping, enjoy the view over the sea or do some sightseeing in the city.
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2. Enjoy hot tubs and thermal baths
This is the ultimate wellness spot for you: thermal baths. The Blue Lagoon features super warm thermal water and those minerals are so nourishing & healing for your body. You can head to the in-water mask bar to grab your mask of choice all with natural ingredients. Or get some great drinks from the in-water bar and have an in-water massage (this is the world’s first one!!). Besides, accommodations offer hot tubs or you can enjoy natural hot springs while being surrounded by beautiful nature.
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3. Visit Icelandic volcanos
I mean, Iceland ist the place to visit volcanos. And there is a special one called Fagradalsfjall. This one is not active at the moment as it already sleeps since December 2021. But, you can still feel the power it has, it is still covered in steam, the air smells like sulfur, and it feels so freshly gifted from inside Earth. It’s such a powerful experience to get that close to fresh lava and feeling that epic scenery.
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4. Indulge black sand beaches
Ok, Iceland has them all – those gorgeous black sand beaches. The most famous one is Reynisfjara black sand beach close to the city of Vík. It’s the place where you also find those majestic black rock formations along the beach. And it’s truly a magical experience to walk along a black sand beach. And to experience a beach which isn’t that dreamy, sunny, Caribbean-like, covered by palm trees, beach. I fully enjoyed watching the waves come and go and feeling the fresh breeze on my skin. So different, and still so breathtaking.
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5. Visit active geysers
Right after all those incredible nature spots, Iceland is famous for its geysers. This is when Earth wants to show you, ‘hey, I am alive – never forget that’. Especially the great geyser is something you should not miss, girl! The steam explosion catapults hot water up in the air and you never now when it will happen the very next time. Patience paired with excitement is key and a tolerance of getting wet is good to have.
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6. Get impressed by diamond beach
This is one of the most instagrammable spots in Iceland: diamond beach. Due to the closed-by glacier, diamond beach gets regularly given a huge new amount of glacier rocks that will be washed up on the beach. When the sun is out, those glacier pieces start to sparkle and look like massive diamonds on this black sand beach. Of course, this all makes it a stunning photo spot, babe!
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7. Hop onto a glacier
Besides the beaches, glaciers themselves are a must-see in Iceland. This is when ice comes into play. There are a lot of options for you – hiking across the glacier, visiting ice caves or taking a boat trip over the glacier lagoons are my most recommended activities. Watching those massive icy rocks in various colors, it’s when you don’t know if they are white, blue, beige, or transparent.
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8. Stay in iconic hotels
Sleeping in Iceland is a must! Waking up in beautiful nature rather than the hustle and bustle of mega cities is what Iceland is meant for. This is also what you get, girl! Further, Icelandic hotels are known for simplicity and cleanliness. There are more and more eclectic hotels opening up that will provide you with breathtaking scenery right in front of your hotel room. Here are a few that I can recommend from my own trip: Hotel Kría, Fosshotel Glacier Lagoon, Afternoon Cottages, Seljalandsfoss Horizons, Exeter Hotel Reykjavík.
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9. Experience waterfalls
OK, babe, Iceland’s waterfalls are truly breathtaking. I haven’t seen so many of them on one trip and I still can’t believe how impressive they all were. And it’s so different when visiting in winter (all white and icy) or in summer (all that lush greenery). Here are the best waterfalls in the South of Iceland: Skógafoss, Seljalandsfoss, Íráfoss, Gullfoss, Öxarárfoss. Seljalandsfoss is very special, as you can walk behind the waterfall.
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10. Have horse encounters
You’ll love them so much, girl! Iceland horses are just more than cute. You can spot them when driving along the south road while traveling Iceland solo. Their home are the wide grasslands. Randomly stopping by and petting horses just made my days! They are super friendly and curious and touching their teddy bear-like fur is just so healing.
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11. Catch the northern lights
This magical event might also be on your travel bucket list, babe! I was longing for seeing those lights for sooo long. Those magical green illuminations that vibrate through the sky and pop up here and there and then are gone to appear again at a later time. You can never be really sure where you will spot them, but with a bit of luck you will be able to chase them while visiting Iceland in winter season (the sky needs to be dark and clear for increased chances).
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12. Adore mossy lava fields
Especially, when all the snow from winter has melted, those mossy green lava fields at Eldhraun appear. You’ll feel like in an ancient movie, when you get there and walking over the lava rocks seems just so unreal. There is a dedicated walking path to join that is linked here.
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13. Visit the plane wreck
Another famous photo spot is the Solheimasandur plane wreck which is located right at a black sand beach. To get there you have to walk for about 40 minutes one way to reach it (or use a shuttle service in summer). Especially during sunrise this spot becomes just epic. Babe, you can walk inside and on top of the wreck to feel the surreality kicking in.
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14. Be between two continents
Iceland is located on two different continents (tectonic plates), did you know about this, girl? Both the Eurasian and the North American plates drift apart from each other continuously. At the continental shift you can even spend some time between the two and decide on which side you wanna go using the bridge between two continents.
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15. Have breathtaking views over the cliffs
Watching the ocean and the black sand beach from high above comes into play at the Dyrhólaey lighthouse. High above those breathtaking cliffs, you can enjoy incredible views over the south coast of Iceland. Around the lighthouse there is a little path to enjoy the scenery in about 360 degrees.
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Conclusion
I mean, are you so ready for Iceland as I am? Those incredible wilderness, the fire and ice vibes, all those stunning natural spectacles and so much more are waiting for you, girl! Can’t wait to see you planning your next solo trip to Iceland and seeing my tips paying off for you.
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Interested in more destination guides for solo female travellers? Be ready to travel solo to Singapore, Paris, Chicago or Greek Islands (click on the destination link to directly access the details).
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Which is your favorite thing you wanna experience in Iceland? Have you already been to Iceland? I would love to read through your comments and thoughts below or on social media, don’t hesitate to send me a DM @storiesoutofthesuitcase. Happy Traveling ♥
