Last Updated on January 6, 2025 by Steph
If you are planning a trip to Iceland, you’ve come to the right place. You can see our full Ring Road itinerary that covers all the stops, but I’m currently diving further into each section of the country to provide more tips and photos. Our very first stop was the incredible Reykjanes Peninsula which is the perfect introduction to the land of fire and ice.
Reykjanes Peninsula – An Introduction to Iceland
Many of the flights from the United States to Iceland land early in the morning, including ours, so we landed and were ready to explore. Knowing that we would be tired, we didn’t plan too much for the first day. The airport is located on the Reykjanes Peninsula about 45 minutes from downtown Reykjavik. Many people head right to the city, but I highly recommend spending your first morning exploring the peninsula near the airport. Grab a cup of coffee after getting through customs and then enjoy some of the fresh air to help you transition.
Bridge Between Continents
We had morning reservations for the Blue Lagoon for the minute they opened, but we had a few hours to kill before then, so we took off to find the Bridge between America & Europe. It’s a nice place to get out and walk around a little to take in the scenery. It’s like you have landed on a different planet, and it’s amazing. Black sand, steam coming out of the ground, and crazy rock formations. Plus, it was the coolest way to cross step foot on another continent off my 30 before 30 list.
We got to see Icelandic horses almost right away when we landed. They are every bit as amazing as I had read about. The town of Grindavik was on our route as well, but with recent volcano activity, check to see what roads and areas are open.
The Famous Blue Lagoon
The Blue Lagoon was a MUST for us on our trip. It’s a big tourist attraction, but there’s good reason. We got some advice to go right when they open and I’m glad we did. We showed up about 20 minutes before the lagoon opened, but they let us come inside and check it all out before 10:00.
The Lagoon got pretty busy after the first 30 minutes or so because a tour bus showed up, but the first half hour was quiet and amazing. Even with more people, we enjoyed ourselves, but the lines for the swim up bar got quite long. Don’t worry, I had already capitalized on my free drink.
They have everything from green smoothies to strawberry champagne. There is a deli with some snacks and a nice restaurant. You could end up spending half a day there if you take advantage of everything. We skipped the restaurant because we weren’t super hungry at the time of our pre-booked reservation, but the menu looked great.
We took advantage of the views and the sunshine and put the mud on our faces to see if we had discovered the fountain of youth (we didn’t.) We absolutely loved the whole experience.
Advice for the Blue Lagoon:
1. Put so much conditioner in your hair and don’t get your head wet.
2. Bring a GoPro or a waterproof camera.
3. Take advantage of everything they have to offer – mud masks, algae masks,
4. Go first thing in the morning – preferably when you get to Iceland. It’s the best welcome.
After the Lagoon, we were headed to Reykjavik to get checked in to our hotel and explore a little more. I wish we would have had a little more time to explore the Reykjanes Peninsula. It’s so convenient from the airport, but we had so much to see that week, so we’ll have to return.
Here is our route for this leg of our trip:
Do you love all the tourist stops or do you try to avoid them? Do you have a favorite in the world?
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