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. 😊

I was able to document our travels on film and I’m so obsessed with how they turned out! Like, I’m pretty sure I started crying when I got them back. This place is just so freaking beautiful.

Where to Travel in Iceland:

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 didn’t 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 you’re 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 you’ll find all the touristy shops, and restaurants.

Major things to see while exploring Iceland:

The Blue Lagoon is a tourist trap, but it’s neat to experience! It’s only a few minutes from the airport so it’s 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 Skógafoss are right next to each other and such easy walks to get to. Seljalandsfoss is the waterfall you can walk behind. It’s 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. It’s all flat, but still just over 2 miles. They have a shuttle that will drive you but it’s a pretty penny. We ended up walking to it, but then catching the shuttle back. It’s definitely cool to see though if you’re a history buff like us.

The BEST eats while traveling Iceland:

The food here is so fresh! It’s 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 Krōst, and Íslenski Barinn in Reykjavik, which translates to “Iceland Bar” (the fish and chips here were bangin’). 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 weren’t fans lol. But I’m glad we gave them a shot. They’re 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 – Osushi! It’s a train sushi restaurant. It’s 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.

Places we stayed during our anniversary celebration in Iceland:

We split up our stay and rented Airbnb’s 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 – this was such a convenient location! We could walk everywhere.

Vik Airbnb – perfect stay in Vik, close to pretty much everything – restaurants and sights.

Sandgerði Airbnb – this was convenient for our last night because it’s only 10 minutes from the airport.

What we would do during out next Iceland Vacation:

I’m 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.

Why you should absolutely visit Iceland:

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 aren’t any language barriers. While everyone speaks Icelandic, 98% of residents speak fluent English as well.

It’s not overcrowded. Their population for their entire country is roughly 340,000!

THE SCENERY. Nothing can beat it, nothing.

The Weather:

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, it’s a little colder and rainy during July. Be sure to pack warmer clothing and rain gear!

The sun doesn’t fully set during the summer in Iceland, giving you 24 hours of sunlight. The “midnight sun” 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.

Some cool + helpful little tidbits:

1. Vik translates to “bay” in Icelandic, which is why you see it in a lot of the town names.
2. Don’t expect to eat before 10am or after 8pm. We made this mistake a few times during our stay and went hungry once or twice. They’re a leisurely country and enjoy slow living.
3. Drinking bottled water is not a thing in Iceland. They prefer tap water instead. It’s 100% safe and some of the best you’ll ever have. Just be careful with their hot water while showering. Sometimes it smells like sulfur from them using geothermal energy to heat their water. How freaking cool?
4. You’ll need a 4×4 vehicle to access the f-roads. Rental car companies require this! We didn’t do any off roading this visit, but next time we plan too!
5. Be advised gas is EXPENSIVE. We paid almost $8 a gallon in USD. 😮 You also need to make sure that you have a debit card. Gas stations will not accept any other form of payment. (They’re required).
6. The pretty purple flowers that you’ll see everywhere are called Lupines and they’re invasive.

Recap:

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!

And after all that, I just know you’re dying to get married here.. 😍

Picture this – 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 you’re 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. It’s intimate and so, so special. An experience you’ll 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, I’d 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 – reach out here!