If you’re a regular reader of my blog, then you probably already know that my husband and I recently visited Iceland in winter. We absolutely fell in love with the place! In fact, it was quite possibly one of our favourite countries we’ve ever visited. Why? Where do I start…
Experiencing Iceland in winter was so unique!
Being from sunny Queensland, where the weather is warm and sunny pretty much all year round, we made the brave decision to visit Iceland in winter. It was such a refreshing change to visit a country with a climate of polar opposites to where we live.
In a matter of 30-hours (yes, it took that long to get there), we went from 80% humidity and white sand beaches to rugged mountains, gigantic glaciers and lava fields blanketed in snow. Iceland in winter is a certainly a land of extremes. We experienced gale force winds, fierce passing storms, gently falling snow, rain showers, as well as beautiful, sunny, blue sky days.
Tip – The best way to see Iceland – rent a 4WD and go on a road trip!
Iceland is the perfect place for road tripping. In fact, I wouldn’t recommend doing it any other way. Iceland is absolutely riddled with natural wonders. Having your own vehicle will allow you to map out your own path. You’ll also have the freedom and stop whenever you see an amazing view or waterfall (hint- they’re everywhere!).
It’s really easy to drive on the roads and navigate your own way around Iceland, even in winter. We hired a Landrover Defender, which was perfect, as we were able to go off-road and see a lot more than most other tourists, who only had small cars.
Have you ever wanted to see the Northern Lights?
Seeing the Northern lights was definitely the highlight of visiting Iceland in winter. It’s a common misconception that you will be guaranteed a sighting. But the Northern Lights are pretty elusive. We stayed in Iceland for 10 nights in total and only saw them once! They were really faint and barely visible to the naked eye. It was totally worth it though. Lucky I had a DSLR camera and tripod to capture a long exposure shot.
We loved Iceland so much that we are thinking of visiting again, maybe in the summer next time.
Read More:
5 of the Best Luxury Hotels to Stay at When You Visit Iceland
Travel Video: Staying at the Silica Hotel in Iceland
20 Photos to Inspire You to Visit the Great Barrier Reef
We hope that our photos have inspired you to visit Iceland! If you have any questions about the destination please leave these in the comments below.
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