Today I want to share my travel itinerary for 2 days in Iceland with you. This Nordic country in Europe is famous for its otherworldly landscapes filled with everything from active volcanoes to hot springs. The capital, Reykjavik, is known for its nightlife scene, too.
2 Days in Iceland
My first trip to Iceland took place during the summer. The sun shone 24 hours a day, the sky was clear, and the weather was as warm as it gets in a country with the word “ice” in the name.
But Iceland is better known for its long nights than its endless days, and the country’s name is more readily associated with winter than summer.
I wanted to go back to compare the seasons, and I recently got my chance to spend 2 days in Iceland to do just that.
How to Get to Iceland
easyJet recently started flying from London Luton Airport to Keflavik International Airport, the main airport in Iceland.
To celebrate the new route, the airline invited a group of travel bloggers and journalists on a press trip to spend 2 days in Reykjavik and the surrounding area.
The trip started off with a bit of deja vu from my trip to Jordan with easyJet. The CEO walked down the aisle collecting empty cups as she greeted passengers and learned their reasons for traveling to Iceland.
Golden Circle in Iceland
When we landed at Keflavik airport, the sense of deja vu continued, but only in that I’d been there before.
As we piled into vans, our 2 days in Icleand began with a Golden Circle tour. I was excited to revisit the famous Gullfoss waterfall, the powerful Strokkur geyser, and the rugged chasms of Pingvellir. What would they be like at the end of winter?
As we drove through Iceland’s unique landscape, I was once again captivated by the country’s wild, primitive nature. Volcanic rock formations came alive with trolls and elves as our guide enchanted us with Icelandic legends.
In the distance, steam rose from vents in the earth as hot springs boiled all around. It didn’t surprise anyone when our guide told us that J. R. R. Tolkien had an Icelandic nanny when he was growing up. This was Middle-earth.
Gullfoss was raging when we arrived. The mighty waterfall seemed more powerful in the winter rain than it had under the bright sky of summer.
We walked over rocks until we were face-to-face with the mist and white water surging powerfully before us. It was as if the waterfall had changed its personality for the season.
The Strokkur geyser too acted differently than it had on my previous 2 days in Iceland. It still erupted faithfully every few minutes, but the spray didn’t consistently fall to one side or the other.
When we arrived at Pingvellir, the landscape also contrasted from how it had looked in June.
The biggest difference was that the ground around the place where the North American and Eurasian tectonic plates met was covered in snow.
Snowmobiling in Iceland
We took advantage of this with a bit of adventure travel during our 2 days in Iceland. That is to say, we went snowmobiling.
I’d never done it before, and I was a bit overwhelmed by the heaviness of the machine and the surprising amount of strength it took to control it.
However, by the end of our snowmobile tour I felt confident in my abilities and only wished there was more snow across which we could travel.
Blue Lagoon in Iceland
On the opposite end of the temperature spectrum, our 2 days in Iceland continued with a trip to one of the country’s most famous destinations: the Blue Lagoon.
The hot pools of impossibly aquamarine water were great places to spend a relaxing afternoon. We escaped the cold there, basking in the winter sun and letting the minerals and clay masks work Iceland’s otherworldly magic on our skin.
2 Days in Iceland: Reykjavik
When we weren’t exploring the Golden Circle or relaxing at the Blue Lagoon, we spent our 2 days in Iceland in Reykjavik.
The small capital was as captivating in the winter as it had been in the summer, and on my second visit I was able to see more of the city than I had on my first.
On a quick tour we learned about the country’s history and saw the archaeological remains of some of the first human settlements in the capital at the Reykjavik City Museum.
We also visited the Reykjavik Art Museum during our 2 days in Iceland. It was housed in a contemporary building with temporary exhibitions featuring the work of Icelandic artist Erro and Spanish artist Santiago Sierra.
Nearby was the famous Hofdi House where Ronald Reagan and Mikhail Gorbachev held the Reykjavik Summit meeting in 1986 to begin the end of the Cold War.
The building was opened specially for our visit, and we were able to sit in the same seats the heads of state used during their important encounter. Even the flags on the table were original.
We also took a tour of the Harpa concert hall in Reykjavik during our 2 days in Iceland. It’s a popular venue for all kinds of music.
The contemporary building was a collaboration between Danish architecture firm Henning Larsen, Icelandic architecture firm Batteriio, and Danish-Icelandic artist Olafur Eliasson.
Reception with the President of Iceland
Further afield, we went to a special reception to meet the president of Iceland. It was my first time meeting a head of state, and I was impressed by how open and friendly the greeting was.
There were no metal detectors and no security checks at the residence. There was only a reception room and an abundance of Icelandic pancakes.
The Icelandic president himself was the consummate politician, answering even the toughest questions deftly. His welcome was warm and his pancakes were tasty.
Reception with the British Ambassador to Iceland
In another brush with the political realm, we attended a reception at the British ambassador’s residence during our 2 days in Iceland. He too offered us a friendly welcome and introduced us to people in the Icelandic tourism industry.
Reception with Sigrun Hjalmtysdottir
The ambassador and president weren’t the only ones who welcomed us into their homes, either. According to our guide, people in Iceland are known for their hospitality.
On the first of our 2 days in Iceland we stopped by the house of one of the country’s most famous singers. Sigrun Hjalmtysdottir hosted us for champagne and cake to celebrate our trip.
2 Days in Iceland: Restaurants
But we didn’t just eat and drink in people’s homes during our 2 days in Iceland. We were also lucky enough to enjoy some of the country’s top restaurants.
On our first afternoon, we had lunch at Lindin Bistro, a well-known restaurant on the Golden Circle that puts an emphasis on local ingredients. There we had reindeer pate, wild smoked trout, and chocolate mousse with watermelon.
That night we took a ferry to an island off the coast of Reykjavik for a special dinner at Videy House, the first building constructed of stone in Iceland.
There we were entertained by a local comedian named Ari Eldjarn as well as a singer named Sigriour Thorlacius.
As they performed for us, we ate everything from lobster soup with marinated langoustines to mountain lamb on a “butterfly” base and Icelandic skyr panna cotta.
On the next of our 2 days in Iceland we had lunch at the restaurant at Harpa. The space was bright and open, and the food consisted of everything from seafood soup to fresh local fish.
On our last evening in Iceland we dined at a trendy local hostel with a popular restaurant and bar.
Kex served large plates of smoked salmon with mais salsa, salted fish brandata, coq au vin, and chocolate mousse with stout beer.
2 Days in Iceland: Hotels
After the meal we drifted off to sleep in Hotel Borg by Keahotels, our accommodation during the trip. The rooms were comfortable and I slept well every night, not least the second one.
Spending 2 days in Iceland in winter certainly kept us just as busy as visiting in summer. I was pleasantly exhausted by the time we left the hotel and the country.
2 Days in Iceland
Thankfully I was able to sleep on the flight from Keflavik to Luton. As I dozed, I had dreams of trolls and geysers, folk singers and blue lagoons.
Iceland was just as enchanting on my second visit as it had been on my first, and I left secure in the knowledge the country was as good a place to visit in the cooler months as in the warmer ones.
Now I just have to travel there in the spring and fall to see how they compare. Not that I need an excuse to return the enchanting, ever-changing land of Middle-earth.
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Such an interesting locale! I am dying to go back to Iceland!
You should go back if you get a chance, Oneika! It is different every time.
The place was majestic and very magnificent. I find it interesting and the way you had presented it was so impressive and you had a very awesome experience there at Iceland.
Thanks Nikko!
Loved your article Julie. Delighted to share the trip with you and those photos brought it all back. Interesting to hear how a winter trip compared with your summer trip. It is definitely a very quirky place!
Thanks Zoë! It was great sharing the trip with you, too!