My husband and I recently went on a our anniversary celebration in Iceland. We have celebrated 8-wonderful years together and made this anniversary BIG! We loved traveling Iceland together so much that I wanted to dedicate my first blog post to this trip. In case you wanted to plan a visit of your own (or you know, maybe elope there?) I am sharing all the juicy details of our travels, complete with helpful links. đ
I was able to document our travels on film and Iâm so obsessed with how they turned out! Like, Iâm pretty sure I started crying when I got them back. This place is just so freaking beautiful.
During our anniversary celebration in Iceland we stayed in Reykjavik, Vik, and Sangerdi. The country is small, and you can get from one side to the other in an 8 or so hour drive. We stayed on the southeastern side. Next time, I want to explore the country in more depth! There’s so much I wanted to see, but we just didnât have the time.
There is a penis museum in downtown Reykjavik called The Icelandic Phallological Museum that we just happened to stumble upon while walking. If youâre into that type of thing, I recommend it! It was very fun and interesting. They serve penis shaped waffles, and cocktails. Which I think is so clever and hilarious.
Downtown Reykjavik is quite cute! This is where youâll find all the touristy shops, and restaurants.
The Blue Lagoon is a tourist trap, but itâs neat to experience! Itâs only a few minutes from the airport so itâs a good thing to do as soon as you land. This is what we did, and it was so nice after the flight. Make sure you secure your tickets in advance.
Vik is where you want to go for all the waterfalls, green mountains, and the black sand beach. Kvernufoss (you have to pay for parking here) and SkĂłgafoss are right next to each other and such easy walks to get to. Seljalandsfoss is the waterfall you can walk behind. Itâs way busier than the others, but worth the stop! Make sure you have some good rain gear if you plan to explore the waterfalls.
The crashed DC plane is a hike. It took us 45 minutes to walk one way. Itâs all flat, but still just over 2 miles. They have a shuttle that will drive you but itâs a pretty penny. We ended up walking to it, but then catching the shuttle back. Itâs definitely cool to see though if youâre a history buff like us.
The food here is so fresh! Itâs not much different from American food, but it tastes better. We are huge foodies and ate nonstop.
Some of our favorite places that we ate at were KrĆst, and Ăslenski Barinn in Reykjavik, which translates to âIceland Barâ (the fish and chips here were banginâ). My husband tried horse here, which he loved. They also had puffin on their menu!
Sandholt in downtown Reykjavik is a must! We ordered the traditional shakshuka with sausage and a cappuccino and they were probably the best things we had on the trip. They make their own bread here as well and it was divine.
We tried The infamous hotdogs in downtown Reykjavik as well. Unfortunately, we werenât fans lol. But Iâm glad we gave them a shot. Theyâre located in the town square at a cute little hot dog stand that dates back to 1937.
If you enjoy sushi, hit this place up â Osushi! Itâs a train sushi restaurant. Itâs really more about the experience than the food, but we had a lot of fun here.
Restaurant Suður-Vik has skyr cheesecake that we were obsessed with. We stopped at The Soup Company that had amazing red hot lava soup bread bowls. YUMMY.
We split up our stay and rented Airbnbâs during our anniversary celebration in Iceland. These are the ones we booked, but next time I would love to stay on the black sand beach in Vik, or even rent a camper van to see the entire island.
Reykjavik Airbnb â this was such a convenient location! We could walk everywhere.
Vik Airbnb â perfect stay in Vik, close to pretty much everything â restaurants and sights.
Sandgerði Airbnb â this was convenient for our last night because itâs only 10 minutes from the airport.
Iâm planning a longer stay next time! 3 days was just not enough, though we packed a lot into it. Ideally, I would want at least a week if not longer. I want to visit the highlands, Thingvellir National Park, and the glacier lagoon in Höfn.
Iceland is the safest country in the world (seriously, google it.) I never once felt uncomfortable or unsafe walking around. Everyone is so friendly. There arenât any language barriers. While everyone speaks Icelandic, 98% of residents speak fluent English as well.
Itâs not overcrowded. Their population for their entire country is roughly 340,000!
THE SCENERY. Nothing can beat it, nothing.
We got extremely lucky with the weather during our anniversary celebration in Iceland. While we visited, it was sunny and in the mid-sixties the whole time. Usually, itâs a little colder and rainy during July. Be sure to pack warmer clothing and rain gear!
The sun doesnât fully set during the summer in Iceland, giving you 24 hours of sunlight. The âmidnight sunâ gives you lots of time to explore, which is what made us able to pack so much into such a short timeframe. We would be out until 10 or 11pm. If you plan on visiting, I suggest packing an eye mask to make it easier to sleep.
All in all, this was truly an incredible vacation for my husband and I. Our anniversary celebration in Iceland is one that we will forever remember and I will always cherish these moments together. I look forward to our next big vacation celebration together which will hopefully be Scotland in 2025!
Picture this â You and the love of your life plan a destination elopement together and are getting ready in your cute little Airbnb in Vik, Iceland. You get ready together while they help you into your dress, and youâre tying their tie. It feels like a surreal moment together. While your sharing these precious memorable moments I am right there documenting every sweet detail like a fly on the wall!
You decide to exchange vows in front of an epic waterfall. The mist is splattering your cheeks, you cannot even feel the tear stream down your face. Itâs intimate and so, so special. An experience youâll never forget. Afterwards, the two of you wander your way to the black sand beach for the most iconic elopement photos together!
If eloping is your vibe and you think this would be a good fit for you, Iâd love to chat about it! Hiring someone that has visited before and knows the area is an invaluable resource and something I would love to be a part of!
Let me take your pictures bestie â reach out here!