Even though we move our house and constantly travel, we still like to take vacations just like brick & mortar homeowners. Recently we spent 12 days in Iceland with five good friends. We started and ended the trip in Reykjavik, the vibrant capital of Iceland & its largest city.

 We flew from Denver to Keflavík International Airport on Icelandair. It was about a 7-hour flight overnight, with us arriving in Iceland about 6am Iceland time. Our friends flew from Baltimore and arrived about 30 minutes after us, meeting up in baggage claim. We had all tried to get some sleep on the flights, so we were ready to go upon arrival.

 Thanks to Steve, we knew our first destination would be Sky Lagoon. (we opted on Sky versus Blue Lagoon, the more well known one, due to its closures off and on from the active volcano) While doing research for the trip, Steve had seen many recommendations of booking a visit to one of the lagoons upon arrival as a way to relax and kick off a great trip, especially since you are unable to get into the hotel until afternoon.  The lagoon has a small café and spacious locker rooms. Once in your swimsuit, you make your way to the lagoon, walking down steps into warm water heated by geothermal energy. The water is clear and refreshing, surrounded by rocks, a waterfall, and an infinity edge looking over the ocean. There’s even a bar in the lagoon. In addition, for an extra fee, you can enjoy the 7-step ritual which includes cold plunge, sauna, body scrub, stream, and more. Definitely a worthwhile experience.

 After checking into our hotel, Hilton Reykjavik Nordica, we did some exploring of Reykjavik. We visited Hallgrímskirkja, the largest church in Iceland. You can go inside and take pictures. The architecture is stunning and the interior beautiful, with a large pipe organ and minimalist decor. You can for a fee take an elevator to the top of the tower with views of the city.  We opted not to. While out and about we bought a hot dog from a small food stand. It was as delicious as we had heard.

 We only spent one night in Reykjavik at the beginning before heading out on the golden circle and ring road. Upon returning to Reykjavik after driving around the island, we stayed 2 nights at Canopy by Hilton Reykjavik City Centre. This hotel was more centrally located and better for walking to explore the city. It is just a block off Laugavegur, which is the main street full of shops and restaurants. A few blocks down the main street is rainbow street. A beautiful colorful rainbow is painted right down the center of this road. With a slight slope to the street, when you stand at the bottom the rainbow appears to go up to the door of Hallgrímskirkja. It actually stops a few blocks before you get to the square and church. A short 10-minute walk was the girls’ favorite of Reykjavik, the Icelandic Phallological Museum. Not sure why, but none of the guys accompanied us to the museum.

Four of us from the group took a helicopter ride over the Rekjanes peninsula. We really wanted to see the lava bubbling from the active volcano, but unfortunately it stopped the day before our tour. Still, it was amazing to see breathtaking views of rugged coastlines, volcanic landscapes, and geothermal areas. From above, you can see the path of various lava flows over the years and the contrast between the barren lava fields and the vibrant blue of the Atlantic Ocean.

 Steve and I had an extra day in Reykjavik due to not being able to get a good flight back to Denver the same day the rest went to Baltimore. We used our extra day to go to the Perlan, a natural history museum. It houses lots of interesting information regarding Iceland including a planetarium show about the northern lights, displays about glaciers, a volcano show, and an ice cave. Definitely worth the few hours spent exploring.

 While Reykjavik is a wonderful city with lots to see and do, and worth a visit, the real beauty of Iceland is out in the vast countryside. We took the opportunity to spend 8 days outside of Reykjavik. Leaving the city gives you the opportunity to see waterfalls, glaciers, and geothermal areas up close.