As we are in the midst of a solar maximum, which means that there would be stronger auroras on display, it would be a great idea to plan for a trip to Iceland. Iceland is known for its stunning nature, on top of being right below the aurora circle. Therefore, a week-long holiday around Iceland would be a treat for nature buffs.
However, Iceland is also known for its harsh weather. Not only is Iceland right below the Arctic Circle, it is also right smack in the middle of the North Atlantic Ocean. The nearest large bodies of landmass are Greenland and Norway, which are between 300km and 800km away. With such an expanse of body of water surrounding Iceland, one can imagine how strong the polar winds would be as it makes landfall in Iceland!
Therefore, visiting Iceland is unlike the usual holidays to mainstream destinations like London and Hong Kong. Making special preparation is a must. Having been to Iceland for a week during late winter and experiencing the various lodgings during my round Iceland tour, here is my list of preparation tips that I believe would make for a more enjoyable experience in Iceland.
Buy a local sim card
Be it through online or at the airport, buy a local sim card (a European one also seemed to work). Why? The transportation app would not work on phones with foreign sim cards. That meant I was unable to purchase bus tickets conveniently via the app and had to prepare cash. What a bummer!
Drive, or Plan for longer journey times
If you’re like us who were just in Reykjavik to recuperate from a long flight, you would only be spending time in the city centre, which wouldn’t warrant renting a car. Unfortunately though, Reykjavik’s buses were unreliable.
There was a bus stop outside of our hotel, with several lines running through it (and leading to downtown). When we reached the bus stop, both the display and Google Map showed the next bus would arrive in 3 minutes. And the bus never appeared until we had been out in the bitter cold for 20 minutes.
One way around this would be to stay right in the city centre, which cost significantly higher than Hilton Reykjavik Nordica in the city fringes. Another way would be to plan for longer commute times.
Train for lots of walking, hiking and climbing up hillsides.
This could not have been less important. In Reykjavik, its city centre is small enough to explore the sights on foot. Out in the countryside, there is more to walk. Famous sights like Gullfoss are at least 100m from the carpark. Others like the lava pillars park Dimmuborgir were expansive. And at times, we had to conquer dormant volcanoes like Grábrók in order to catch panoramic views of the surrounding landscape.
Therefore, do try to start taking long walks at least one month prior to visiting Iceland. Climb some slopes and stairs. That would really help.
Buy Iceland-appropriate shoes
Not only would you be walking non-stop, you would be doing that on rugged landscapes. In March comes the rainy season. As the temperature rises above freezing, the combination of rain and melting snow makes for slippery trips. Do buy shoes that are anti-slip and water resistant. They would also come in handy when out on the glaciers.
However, as our trip consisted of both nature and urban sightseeing, such footwear isn’t required all the time. A compromise would be to buy crampons – a.k.a shoe spikes – that could be fitted onto your shoes when required. A hiking stick would also be good, especially those who are prone to slips and falls.
Pack Wind and Water Resistant Clothing for Winter
If you are visiting during the winter, which most aurora chasers do, then thick winter’s clothing would be sufficient. In fact, you would want to be prepared for the outdoor adventures like whale watching, where you would be out in open waters exposed to the cold. Do remember that European airlines have a weight limit (usually 23 kg) for check in luggage, and not all airlines offer up to 2 pieces of check in luggage per passenger. Therefore, shopping for heat tech would help in alleviating the suitcase weight woes.
Most of the winter clothing that we can find in Singapore are also water and wind resistant. That said, it is important to ensure you bring one when you are visiting Iceland during the rainy season. And do plan to wear layers, since you wouldn’t be out in the open all the time.
Prepare a larnyard for phones
Iceland’s wind is wild. There would be plenty of walking and climbing. More importantly, the weather was so cold that my fingers became numb after a few minutes out trying to take the photo-of-the-century. Therefore, a lanyard would prevent the tragedy of dropping your phone over the cliff or into the waters while you reel over with amazement.
A lanyard would be great for the hotel room’s key too. Yes, most Icelandic hotels still use conventional keys, which they usually only offer one per room.
Buy a remote switch for your phone cameras
Also related to handphones, buy a remote switch for taking photos on your phones. I had anticipated Iceland to be cold, so I bought gloves that were handphones friendly. They allowed me to use the touch screen without taking off my gloves, which was something we wouldn’t want to do when the wind is howling.
But trust me, it was still very challenging to control the phone with gloves on. I even tried to take photos with both hands. I mean, one hand to hold the phone and the other to touch the screen, it couldn’t have been simpler. But NO~~ The gloves were always swiping some other buttons and turning on some unintended controls. Almost everyone around me was taking photos with their gloves off.
A remote control (or one that comes with a selfie stick) would be useful. The buttons are usually tactile, so it would be easier to snap photos with our gloves on. One hand to hold the phone, and the other to press a button elsewhere. Better.
Pack essential toiletries as some accommodations may have limited amenities
After a long day out exploring Iceland’s natural sights, we only wanted to rest in the hotel. Unfortunately, the lodgings are usually scant on providing comfort amenities like dental kits, bedroom slippers and toiletries.
Generally, Iceland’s hotels don’t provide shampoo, hair conditioner, slippers, in-room safe, ironing equipment and bathrobes – amenities that we are familiar with when staying at Asian hotels. Thankfully, we expected that and set aside a quarter of a suitcase to bring those comfort amenities over.
Bring a Toiletries Bag
On a similar note, but more relatable to the lodgings, horizontal space is rather limited, especially in the bathrooms of Iceland’s countryside. Almost none of the lodgings had space for us to place our personal toiletries during showers. Unless you are OK with placing your belongings on the bathroom floor (ewww!), this could be quite a headache.
One solution would be to prepare a toiletries bag. Or like what Singaporean guys do during army days, have a “toiletries basket”. Either way, a container where we can hang our toiletries would be good. However, this isn’t fail safe, as not every bathroom has shower curtain railings or shower stalls for one to hang their stuff. If there’s anything Icelandic lodgings need to improve, it’s the addition of horizontal shelving in their bathrooms!
Bring your own hangers
Similar to the lack of horizontal space, there was also a lack of hangers for clothing. This is especially a headache during winter when everyone has layers to pile on. If you’re lucky like we did in Hótel Borgarnes, the room would come with 2 chairs to drape the coats and dry them after a rainy day.
Most lodgings only provided “open wardrobes” – or rather, just a clothes rack. And most of them didn’t provide enough clothes hangers, if they provided one at all. Luckily, I anticipated that and brought my own clothes hangers. I even brought a portable hanger – the kind that we can hook onto doors or shower stall partitions – which could let us hang our clothes hangers.
Bring warm clothing for sleep
Simple reason. Heaters are either too hot or not working. An overzealous heater would make the room stuffy, so we always ended up opening the window for ventilation. Inevitably, we also let the winter air in. Therefore, always prepare a set of warm clothing for pyjamas.
Bring swimwear and book a trip to the hot pools
During my trip, we went to Vok Baths out in northern Iceland. The beautiful place was nestled in the mountains by the lake, and boy was I glad that I made the decision to book for the additional itinerary! It was definitely a highlight of the Iceland trip, soaking in the hot pools and taking in the scenic views of the snow capped mountains.
Unlike in Japan, the place still required folks to wear swimsuits when out in the water, so there’s no need to be shy about going to that place. Therefore, this is a must-do!
Bring cooking utensils
This might seem to be an overkill. In fact, I thought so too, as I packed the portable cooking pot and instant noodles into my suitcase. However, I had heard enough stories about the Nordic countries and wanted to err on the cautious side.
As I had mentioned in my travelogues, Iceland’s food was so-so. The tipping point was the cost of the food. Tromsø’s food was equally expensive, but they were good, so I was willing to fork out the money for the meals in Norway. But this wasn’t so in Iceland.
The restaurants we visited in the day served typical fast food like fried chicken nuggets, sandwiches, hotdogs, but at higher prices etc. A serving of a few fish nuggets and super salty fries cost USD23! Most of the lodgings were located in places where it would be impossible for us to go out and look for food on our own. And the lodgings charged exorbitant prices for their inhouse meals.
It was then I was grateful for my Plan B. We finished all the instant noodles that we brought. The portable pot that we brought really came in handy!
Buy Good Travel Insurance
I thought I had done my due diligence to buy travel insurance that would cover flight disruptions like delays and cancellations. As luck would have it, our flights via Austrian Airlines were cancelled and we almost couldn’t make our way back home.
To make matters worse, I found out from the fine prints that I wasn’t eligible for claims. Why? Because the plan, despite being a mid-tier one, didn’t include disruptions due to strike. After speaking to my friends and colleagues, I concluded that it doesn’t mean the plans that are more expensive would cover flight disruptions due to industrial action. Instead, you have to scrutinise the fine prints and find a company that does cover that.
And considering that European and American airlines are notorious for flight delays due to industrial actions, it is really important to make such preparations!
Parting Words
Travelling to Iceland is a big deal for us city folks from the other side of the globe. Additionally, a tour around Iceland would take us to far flung places – places with no Uniqlo, no Watson’s and no 7-11 for us to do last minute shopping for everything that we had forgotten. Other than ensuring that we bring enough to maintain our usual lifestyles, we should also be on the lookout for hidden gems that would brighten up our trip.
Here’s a recap of the tips for anyone who’s intending to visit Iceland to look out, to make for an exciting and memorable trip:
While in Reykjavik…
- Buy a local sim card
- Drive, or plan for longer journey times
While out on tours in Iceland’s countryside…
- Train for lots of walking, hiking and climbing up hillsides.
- Buy Iceland-appropriate shoes
- Pack wind and water resistant clothing for winter
- Prepare a larnyard for phones
- Buy a remote switch for your phone cameras
- Pack essential toiletries as some accommodations may have limited amenities
- Bring a toiletries bag
- Bring your own hangers
- Bring warm clothing for sleep
- Bring swimwear and book a trip to the hot pools
- Bring cooking utensils
- Buy good travel insurance
This post is part of a series where I document my trip to Iceland chasing auroras. I had taken an 18-hour flight on Singapore Airlines’ Business Class to reach Iceland via Copenhagen. Then I spent a day at Reykjavik to recover from the long and tedious journey, while staying at Hilton Reykjavik Nordica. Thereafter, I embarked on a 7 day tour around Iceland catching sights of its Arctic natural wonders.
All photos and videos were taken using Google Pixel 7 Pro, and edited with Google Photos and Snapseed
