I took a solo trip to Iceland for a week and have now sadly recently returned home. This trip was soul-feeding, and in reminiscing on the fond memories, I will share how I navigated the trip without a car, on a budget, and solo.
The best time to go to Iceland
I went in early February. This time was decided based on a combination of the fact that the chance of seeing the Northern Lights is higher compared to summer, as well as the flight tickets costing me £27 return from London. Wowtickets.com offer cheap flights to Iceland.
One thing about Iceland is that it’s unpredictable, and this fact extends to the weather. You can never really know what to expect, and the locals know there is no point in checking the weather forecast more than a couple days in advance. Nevertheless, a good rule of thumb to abide by is to expect cold. Even in summer, temperatures can be as low as 5℃, but they can also reach 25℃. See, unpredictable. On average though, Iceland’s weather in summer is between 10 to 15℃. The warmer months (May-September) are ideal for seeing Iceland’s greenery. The days are longer too; sometimes it never fully gets dark. The sun hovers just below the horizon, so there are a few hours of twilight every night rather than absolute darkness.
The cold months are cold alright. When I was there, it was between -10 to -15℃. The best time to see the Northern Lights is during the winter, between September and April when the nights are dark and long. The sun rose at 10:30am and set at 5:30pm whilst I was there (I’d never been in a place where it’s still totally dark at 9am before).
Image by Greta Konovalova
What to pack for Iceland
Waterproof clothes are a must. The country is full of waterfalls, hot springs, and it rains often, although it didn’t rain when I was there. If you go in winter, pack some thermal layers; you’ll thank yourself. I wore ski trousers, a winter jacket, layered up, and I was cosy the whole time; didn’t feel the cold. Bring a hat and some gloves. I was fine with the hood of my jacket and fingerless gloves. But I went horseriding at some point and would’ve appreciated a pair of non-fingerless gloves.
Shoes are also super important. I got a new pair of hiking boots for the occasion because I didn’t have any before. Trainers and other shoes won’t stand a chance; you’ll get them wet and dirty. You want the freedom of being able to walk and move without worrying about damaging your shoes. Waterproof boots are a good idea for extra protection against snow and other wet areas.
Other than that, bring a portable charger. You’ll most likely be away for long periods at a time, especially if you go on tours. There was a time my phone battery was low, and I had to stay in a cafe for a bit to charge it; this is unnecessary hassle and access to sockets isn’t always guaranteed. A thermal flask is also a good idea. The tap water in Iceland is completely fine, and bringing tea on your long days out is nice.
Is Iceland a good place for solo travel?
Definitely. Firstly, Iceland is a safe country. The crime rate is one of the lowest in the world. I met a few people who said the entire country hears about a crime if it gets committed, ensuring it’s a rare occurrence. Trust people at your own risk of course, but in travelling solo, I spent some time with people I met. Icelandic people in general are very friendly, and this extends to people from all walks of life.
I found it very easy to chat with an array of people in Iceland. I stayed at a hostel, so that definitely helped. I spent quite a bit of time in the communal areas doing work on my laptop and ended up forming several friendships in the process; a few of which are still maintained, and we plan on seeing each other again soon. I also met people by other funny means. It just happened naturally. Iceland is the place I’ve met the most people so far. This alone makes me want to start planning my return.
How to approach planning a trip to Iceland
Iceland has an abundance of natural sites and things to see, so depending on how long you’re there for and how tight your budget is, you may have to establish some priorities. Pick your must-see sights first and plan from there. In my case, I wasn’t terribly picky, but I definitely wanted to see Reynisfjara Black Sand Beach, waterfalls, and crazy natural landscapes in general. Just by physically being in Iceland you will see beautiful things regardless. For example, I stayed in Reykjavik, and the Esjan mountain range was decorating the space free of charge.
The best way to see sites beyond your immediate surroundings is by going on organised tours. This is especially true if you’re without a car because Iceland is so big you have to travel a bit. You can book these by searching online for something specific, or you can see what’s popular among other visitors. I booked three tours for the week (although one got cancelled; more on that later). The companies I booked these tours with were GetYourGuide and Guide To Iceland, but there are plenty of similar ones.
Prior to the trip, I felt quite a bit of pressure to plan everything perfectly so I could make the most of my time there. But the tours are very well organised to provide as rich of a taste as possible. Although two tours don’t sound like a lot, they really were, and I left Iceland feeling more than satisfied.
Funnily enough, as much as I felt planning was crucial in a country like this, I ended up planning most things as I went along. The rest was fine as long as I had flights and accommodation booked before the trip, at the very least. I wanted to maintain a balance between structure and freedom – I especially recommend this approach to solo travellers. It meant I was more informed on what I wanted to see because I’d already spent some time in the area. Prices for tours didn’t change whether I’d bought it a month in advance or two days before. Of course, a last-minute approach isn’t always recommended, especially because availability may be limited. But embrace your free spirit; things are more fun this way.
What I got up to
As mentioned before, I stayed in Reykjavik. I was working remotely during the trip, so there were a few days I needed to have my laptop close by and refrain from venturing too far. I spent these days in the city centre visiting places like Hallgrimskirkja church, various galleries and museums, and strolling around in general. Hallgrimskirkja is a must, and make sure to climb to the top to see the panoramic view of Reykjavik; it’s pretty spectacular. Reykjavik is a very lovely city. You probably only need one to two days to explore it to a good level. It’s very easy to navigate, too; by the end of day one, I didn’t need Google Maps anymore. I also walked everywhere; I took a bus once the entire week. My accommodation was about a 30-minute walk from the centre, but the walk was too beautiful to pass up; it was one of the trip’s highlights.
One of the tours I did was a day trip to the South of Iceland. It was beautiful from start to finish. We saw two of Iceland’s most notorious waterfalls, Skógafoss and Seljalandsfoss. We visited the glacier Sólheimajökull – by far my favourite sight; I’ve never seen anything like this before, it was incredible. We later made a lunch stop at the town of Vik, before heading to Reynisfjara Black Sand Beach. The tour was hosted by a lovely lady named Anna, who educated us along the way, from the impact of WW2 on Iceland to the workings of volcanic landscapes.
Image by Greta Konovalova
The Blue Lagoon is of course another notorious attraction. I booked a visit in combination with a volcano tour. However, things didn’t end up going to plan. A nearby volcano erupted, which resulted in the roads being blocked. This is another example of how unpredictable Iceland can be and that you have to be ok with plans changing. There are always alternatives, too; in this case, visiting the Sky Lagoon in Reykjavik is a similar and cheaper experience.
My last tour was a horseback riding experience with Icelandic horses. This is a great tour to do. Icelandic horses are unique to Icelandic; they’re slightly smaller than regular horses and super lovely. Horseriding tours can be had in many different locations across Iceland, so you can really customise it to align with what landscapes you want to see.
Please respect Iceland!
Travelling is one of the best things of life, and everyone deserves to see incredible things. However, I simply cannot talk about Iceland without saying that being a responsible visitor is absolutely paramount. The landscape is very delicate, and Iceland has seen a huge influx of visitors and new residents in the last couple decades. Perhaps nowhere else highlights the importance of protecting nature like Iceland. It could take years for the slowly growing landscape to recover if a car is driven off-road. Furthermore, the effects of climate change are felt severely in the north; an increase in rainfall has put landslides at risk and endangered the Atlantic puffin.
I hope everyone knows not to litter, but respecting the landscape extends to abiding by set guidelines. Avoid venturing too far off the beaten path. This includes adhering to rules and signage put in place to prevent permanent damage resulting from walking off designated hiking paths and trampling on moss, for example. Organised tours reduce carbon footprints since everyone is in one vehicle, and the guides take you to places suitable for exploring. Another way to maintain the cleanliness of the landscape is to always wash off before going into any geothermal pools. These pools don’t use chemicals to stay clean, so avoid contaminating the natural spring waters with oils, soaps, and sunscreen.
It’s also important to make wise food choices. Not all food served is environmentally friendly. Foods like puffin and whale meat, which are advertised to tourists as exotic local delicacies, are a result of native Icelanders making the most of their limited resources. However, less than 2% of Icelanders nowadays regularly eat whale meat, and the country is working to stop commercial whale hunts completely. The majority of whale meat is actually consumed by tourists. This is not a sustainable food option, especially the puffin, which is currently listed as endangered. Avoid at all costs.
Lastly, support local businesses. These places tend to put their heart and souls into what they do, and they deserve to benefit from your visit rather than solely big corporations. Even better if you go to sustainable shops and local markets or find a family-run accommodation that engages in eco-friendly practices such as planting trees. In addition, if you don’t feel like dragging your winter gear back to your home country, consider giving it to a secondhand shop; this will cut down on waste, and many shops donate their profits to worthy causes.
