Reykjavík

Last year we decided to plan a trip a little different to where we'd usually go - Iceland. It was definitely unlike anywhere I've ever been before. Typically when I go away it's to somewhere relatively warm so even packing my suitcase was an odd experience. Swapping sunglasses and dresses for waterproofs and woolly hats!

DAY 01

Reykjavík was quite wonderful; when we arrived the snow was lining the streets and it was truly picturesque. Just like I'd imagined. When we arrived at our hotel (The Grand Hotel Reykjavik) it was around 1pm, I hadn't eaten all day and I was starving so we decided to walk into the town. It was around a 30 minute walk from the hotel to the city centre which we didn't mind. I quite enjoyed playing in the snow and taking in the beautiful scenery - it was the pure ice pavement which was the issue!

When we got to the town we walked up to the Hallgrimskirkja Church which can be seen from miles away. It's definitely an impressive building but I found it a little too.. concrete! After we'd explored for a while we soon decided to grab some food. And where did we eat? None other than the Hard Rock Cafe (I know, not very traditional). I've started to collect the cocktail glasses around different cities and couldn't miss out! 

DAY 02

Day 2 was... interesting. We were heading on the Golden Circle tour which we were quite excited about. However, the weather was horrendous. The winds were 80mph - the sort where you can feel the coach struggling and you can barely stand up in because it's so strong. And the rain - when I say rain, I mean the sort of rain that falls horizontally that you can't avoid. We actually didn't even finish the tour because the weather was that bad. We visited the Geisyr and Gullfoss Waterfalls - both of which were breathtaking - but then headed back to the hotel. 

Day 03

Most of day 3 was spent at the Blue Lagoon (full post here) which is definitely a must if you're heading to Reykjavik! It's unlike anything I've ever experienced; it's probably the calmest pool I've ever been in and such a relaxing, surreal experience!

After we'd been to the Blue Lagoon we headed back into Reykjavik town centre. We found so many new places that we'd missed on days 1 and 2 and could've walked around all night. However, we also headed to hunt for the Northern Lights. Unfortunately we didn't see them but the experience was still great - there were so many stars in the sky and we even saw a shooting star!

CLAUDIA'S TOP TIPS: 

1. Choose carefully when you visit! I would definitely recommend visiting when there are longer daylight hours (we had around 5 hours a day) and when the weather may be slightly better! 

2. Money, Money, Money! It's true what they say about it being expensive. I'd advise to take cash if you can - most places charge for using cards so you'll save a little extra using cash.

3. Don't go JUST to see the Northern Lights. They're not always visible so if this is your sole reason for going you may come back disappointed. I'd definitely recommend taking trip to try and see them whilst out there but don't go just for them!

4. Take some snacks and a water bottle with you. As it is quite pricey out there it's great to have some snacks in your bag for when you want a little something. Also the tap water is safe to drink so it's a good idea to fill a bottle before you go out.

5. EXPLORE! I definitely feel like we didn't have enough time to properly explore Reykjavik which is a shame because it's such a beautiful place