Iceland Travel Tips: What’s the Weather Like?

Iceland might be cold, but it’s a great place! Because of the cold, there are many sights we’ve never seen before, which is definitely a favorite among photography enthusiasts. However, there are also suitable places for travel.

Visa

If you choose to apply for a visa at the Icelandic Embassy in Beijing, you need to prepare according to the official website of the Icelandic Embassy. If you apply through the Danish Embassy, you need to prepare according to the official website of the Danish Embassy. This is very important! You must apply for a visa early in the peak season. Because I went to many places this year and also got a multi-entry visa, I had to wait until the visa expired before applying. So I didn’t apply until 20 days before the trip and didn’t get it until 5 days before I left. I kept calling and emailing the visa office during that time and was told that one of the visa officers was on vacation and there was only one person reviewing applications, and they wouldn’t let me rush the process. So everyone needs to learn from my experience! Apply for your visa 3 months in advance during peak season.

Rent a Car

It’s hard to say which website is cheaper. You can check through the guide to island platform. Each company has different discounts. It’s cheaper to book early, the longer the time, the more discounts. I suggest a four-wheel drive car, and it’s definitely not wrong to have full insurance. You don’t need to rent a GPS, Google Maps is enough. We were a group of 5, we rented a new Forester, the trunk could fit 4 26-inch suitcases, one 20-inch suitcase, and some photography equipment. There were gravel particles that got into the tire, making a strange sound. We fixed the car once, but the Icelandic people said this was a very small and very common problem. The best way to find a repair shop is to ask the convenience store at the gas station. People at the convenience store usually have small cards with repair shop information. You can communicate by phone, Icelandic people are pretty good at English, so don’t worry. Car washes are self-service, charged by time. You can use your Visa card to pay for gas, and you can estimate the amount of gas your vehicle needs.

Tour Booking

We booked a glacier hike in China, the price varies depending on the level, there are booking websites on the guide to island, you can rent shoes, clothes and pants are also available for rent, each piece costs around 10 euros, if you prepare yourself, you need waterproof jackets and pants. The boat tour on the Jokulsarlon glacier lagoon needs to queue in the peak season, you need to watch the time, there are also some volcano hikes, horseback riding experiences, whale watching, etc., and some information will be available at the local hotels.

Accommodation

I personally think there are more options on booking than on Airbnb. In summer, popular places like the Myvatn Nature Baths, Hofn, and Vik need to be booked 3 months or even longer in advance. The earlier you book, the lower the price. Many accommodations use password boxes, so you don’t need the landlord to check in. So it’s okay if you’re late.

Icelandic Weather

Don’t ask me again if you saw the aurora borealis in summer. Although the aurora borealis was unusually early this year, we still missed it. Normally, the aurora borealis appears after autumn. We had good weather for the few days we were there, it was about 20 degrees Celsius at noon and a bit hot. It was cold when it was windy and rainy or at night, so I still wore thermal pants, undershirts, sweaters, windbreakers, leather jackets, thick coats, hats are necessary, gloves and scarves are optional.

Items to Bring

Thermos, vacuum flask, it’s really useful to have hot water, make instant noodles, etc. Car stereo, sunscreen, common medications, basic thermal clothing, towels, toiletries, etc., windbreaker (any waterproof and warm one), waterproof pants (essential), raincoat (we brought it but didn’t use it… but it was useful for taking pictures of waterfalls up close), sneakers (preferably waterproof), hiking boots (essential for glacier climbing), hat, sunglasses (I didn’t bring sunglasses, and all the pictures I took at windy spots were with squinted eyes… almost all the scenic spots were windy… my eyelashes couldn’t hold up! Your Majesty, I can’t open my eyes!), scarf (I didn’t bring one… I should have, it can cover your face when it’s windy, and it can make your face look smaller…), swimsuit (essential for the Blue Lagoon), sunscreen.

Icelandic Food

If you love lamb, don’t miss it. The lobster is really delicious, you must eat it with abandon. As for hot dogs, because the hot dog sausages have a lamb flavor, they are also unique. I really like the yogurt, I drink it every day, and you must try the ice cream. You must eat the local fish dishes in the harbor town, the fish soup has a sweet taste and is very delicious.

Other

Credit card (Unipay is generally available there, but not all stores accept it); small snacks, like chocolate biscuits, because the prices in Iceland are ridiculously high… 70 yuan for 12 eggs… a packet of biscuits for 20 yuan… a bottle of mineral water for 15 yuan…

Equipment

Fujifilm XT-10 with 18-55mm F2.8-4 lens, IPhone 7, Go-pro 4 Silver. If you want to take slow shutter speed photos of waterfalls, etc., you need to bring a neutral density filter and a tripod. If you don’t have a neutral density filter, you’ll be like me, all the slow shutter speed photos taken during the day are just white, and without a wide-angle lens, I had to use a small, battered zoom lens…