Iceland at a Glance

Languages:

English, Icelandic
You’ll have no trouble getting away with English here—they probably speak it better than we do. 

Currency

Icelandic Króna (ISK)

There was almost no need to carry cash in this country–we maybe used it a single time. Everywhere takes credit card, even outside of Reykjavik.

International Airports:

  1. Keflavik International Airport (KEF)
  2. Akureyri Airport (AEY)
  3. Egilsstaðir Airport (EGS)

Airlines With Good Deals:

  1. Icelandair
  2. Wow Air

Some of these airlines give the option to layover for 3-5 days en route to another destination.

Best Rental Car Companies

  1. Lava Auto Rental Car

Roadside assistance means something very different to the Icelanders. We were told at one point to try and find our own tow first. Check about your car’s assistance plan.

Grocery Stores

  1. Netto—Our favorite. Great fresh food options with a better selection than other discount stores like Bonus and Kronan, with prices that aren’t that much higher.
  2. Kronan—A “budget” grocery store. Not as good as Netto, better than Bonus.
  3. Bonus—A “budget” grocery store that was pretty disappointing in terms of fresh food and fish/meat selection. It’s an OK option if you’re stuck, but it’s not great.

Shopping for your own food is a much much much cheaper option than eating out. Anecdote: we bought salmon at the store, cooked it, and it was one of the best meals of our trip.

Not-to-Miss Local Food, Beer, Drink

Icelandic food and drink are expensive—think $30-40 for an entrée, $20 for a bowl of soup, $15 for a glass of wine, $12 for a pint.

Water

Drinking tap water in this country is perfectly fine. Bring your reusable water bottle and request tap water at restaurants.

Food:

Contrary to times in the past, Iceland now grows some of its produce locally in hot houses thanks to the natural geothermal heat. Try to eat local.  STAY AWAY FROM PUFFIN AND WHALE. Both are endangered and their numbers are plummeting as Iceland unfortunately still participates in whaling and puffin hunting. It’s not a sustainable option, so don’t do it. Look for restaurants with the green logo that lets you know they don’t support whaling. We made the mistake of visiting restaurants serving whale and puffing a few times during our trip to our surprise and displeasure. Check out this site so you know where you can eat without guilt:
As for the renowned fermented shark—it tastes like ammonia. It’s an experience…

  • Lamb
  • Fish stew
  • Langoustine
  • Skyr in all forms—cake, yogurt, ice cream
  • Hot dogs—the national dish of Iceland, get them from a cart in Reykjavik

Local Beer

  • Einstök
  • Stedji
  • Bryggjan
  • The Brothers Brewery
  • Jon Riki
  • KEX
  • Egils
  • Viking Gold

*Check out this page for craft beer options in Reykjavik

Local Liquor

  • Brennivin—better than how people will describe it to you
  • Bjork (Birch) liquor
  • Reyka Vodka
  • Fjallagrasa Moss Schnapps
  • Opal

*Check out this page for best happy hour options in Reykjavik

Not-to-miss Icelandic Activities

  • Hiking—Iceland has incredible scenery and this is the most budget friendly activity in the country!
  • Whale watching—While Iceland still participates in whaling, many companies have come to understand the tragedy of killing some of the planet’s most magnificent creatures and embraced a significantly more sustainable and pleasant pastime. Recommended:
  • Horseback riding—Spend an hour or two on Icelandic horses who rock some seriously awesome boy-band hair while learning the special gait: the tolt. Recommended:
  • Hot springs—While the Blue Lagoon is the quintessential always-talked-about experience, there are hot springs in every town. Grab a glass of wine or beer and soak under the 9pm sun at the end of a long day. Recommended:
  • Glacier Exploring—Glaciers are amazing geological phenomena meant to be explored. Choose to either partake in a glacial walk or glacial climb for a truly awe-inspiring experience. Allow guides to take you out for part of the day to learn about the ecology of glaciers. Step it up a notch by ice-climbing with an ice pick and crampons. Recommended:
  • Dog Sledding—If you want to go on true sleds, you have to go in the some time before June 1. After this date, your only option is to have dogs pull a sled what looks like a cart on wheels (not nearly the same experience). After extensively researching our options for our summer trip, we gave up. But in the process we did stumble across what looks like the best option for sledding in the winter with this family owned dog sled company and farm, where the dogs are part of the family. Recommended: