#TRIPS TO ICELAND SERIES#

Your own four wheels allow you to be in control of your time and schedule, and depending on how many people are in your group, renting a car might even work out cheaper than other forms of transportation. However, if you intend to go beyond seeing Iceland's main attractions and wish to venture off to its more remote, spectacular areas, you should plan to stay longer.Although many of the day trips mentioned below can be done by public transport, consider renting a car for the day to give yourself more flexibility and independence. It's also worth mentioning that Iceland makes for a very convenient stopover when traveling from North America to the British Isles or Continental Europe, and many travelers frequently pair three or four days in Reykjavik with stays in cities like London, Amsterdam, Copenhagen, Stockholm, and Oslo. Top natural sights to visit in Iceland include the Blue Lagoon, Thingvellir National Park, the Golden Falls (Gullfoss), the Westfjords, Vatnajokull National Park and Snaefellsjokull National Park. So whether you intend to relax in its naturally-heated pools, see the Northern Lights, ski, fish, golf, whale watch, ride horseback, mountain climb or snowboard вЂ“ you won't run out of things to do in Iceland! Iceland's stark, dazzling beauty is surprising warm and inviting, largely because of its geothermal activity and the Gulf Stream.

#TRIPS TO ICELAND SERIES#

Its best attraction is undoubtedly its magical scenery, which has starred in many a feature film and television show (including the popular series Game of Thrones). Its extraordinarily glittering landscapes are often described as forming part of 'the land of fire and ice,' and once you see its magnificent glaciers, lava fields, spectacular fjords, mountains, black sandy beaches, powerful geysers, immense waterfalls and dramatic rifts, you'll understand why. Most Icelanders reside along the country's coastal areas. This means that Iceland, whose closest neighbor (Greenland) lies almost 200 miles away, is one of the least densely populated countries in the world. It is roughly the same size in area as the state of Virginia вЂ“ but with 1/25 of its population. Located where the North Atlantic Ocean meets the Arctic Ocean and where the North American and Eurasian tectonic plates intersect, isolated Iceland lies just south of the Arctic Circle. The fascinating Nordic nation of Iceland is nothing if not remote.

And after you've finished sightseeing, consider enjoying the hot springs, geothermal pools and saunas, all of which вЂ“ along with swimming вЂ“ are hugely popular with the locals. (And because they have historically been so isolated, there is even a dating app in Iceland to prevent you from dating anyone closely-related!)Д¬ultural sights to consider visiting in Iceland (there are many excellent ones) include the Reykjavik Art Museum, the Skogar Folk Museum and Thingvellir National Park. The vast majority of Icelanders are Lutheran, and in general they have quite a sense of community.

When visiting Iceland, you'll also find that many locals also speak Danish and English. For example, most male last names contain the father's first name paired with 'son,' while most female last names contain the father's first name paired with 'dottir.' As a result, in one family вЂ“ let's imagine an Icelandic family of four (mom, dad, boy, girl) вЂ“ each member would have a different last name. Its language, Icelandic, descended from Old Norse and has some pretty interesting features. That being said, don't be fooled into thinking they're identical Iceland's Scandinavian background evolved into something downright unique.ДЄmong Nordic countries, Iceland is renowned for its contributions to (and preservation of) Norse literature and mythology its medieval sagas, some of which document the Viking discoveries of Greenland and 2Vinland, are particularly famed. As its origins are Scandinavian (from the original Viking settlers), in many ways Iceland's culture still resembles those of other European, Nordic countries like Sweden, Norway, Denmark and Finland. Without a doubt, Iceland's geographic isolation has impacted its (very interesting!) culture, society and language.

Trips to iceland