In case anyone is wondering: It's expensive due to the fact it's an island in the middle of the northern ocean where it is freezing. It's expensive to fly or to pilot a boat this far out. Iceland also grows, produces, and sells its own stuff but even that can be expensive.
In Iceland people get a high salary and for them these prices are totally normal. When you have a job in Iceland its no problem for you to pay. But in all other countries the salaries are on a lower level - because of this Iceland seems to be expensive. But its not expensive to live there - it just expensive to be there as a tourist.
I'm half Icelandic and though your video was really accurate. Just make sure you venture outside of Reykjavik, out to places like Akureyri, Höfn, Ísafjordhur and Vík!
+woltersworld I'll second that... Reykjavik is cool... Iceland is Awesome!! Don't just go for the city.. it deserves better than that and if you give it chance... it won't disappoint you,, You'll have a blast!!
I have put a visit to Iceland and Greenland on my bucket list. It sounds beautiful and the people sound genuinely friendly but not in a false way Blessings and peace
I am one of the 5 thousand people that live in keflavík you know the place where the airport is so like this comment because the chances of you seeing a comment from keflavík are very slimm
I can't wait to go to Iceland! I haven't traveled since i was a kid... I'm going in late November for 6 days, and this will be my first solo travel, so hopefully everything goes good!
If you find yourself at a loss for food, let me know. I'm a shift manager at a restaurant about 30 minutes walk from downtown, when I'm not studying. I'd be happy to give you a free meal, just reply to this comment as to tell me when - as I'm not always working.
if you are a hicker or so that gose on glacier and stuff , the only tip i can give is, When the locals tell you the Bad weather is coming in and you should not go. Then Listen . The last Person that did not take that advise is Still missing, has been for 4-5 years now Some american that was missing for 3 weeks (in iceland) before his family called the cops , found his backpack that is it nothing else
+Gabriel Traveler glad I can help out Gabriel. Hope all is going well in Columbia (if you are still down there) sorry you got robbed by the way in bogota. that sucked. All the best buddy and keep up the fun videos!
woltersworld hey cool man, appreciate it. Yeah, all's well, everything sorted. I'm now in Peru, heading up into the Andes on a bus in a couple minutes. Stoked. Happy trails...
I will be leaving for Iceland tomorrow and I have been researching this country since December of last year. I am renting an AirBNB and grocery shopping to save money. I have booked 3 excursions in advance so that I have plenty of spending money. I look forward to the Game of Thrones tour and I plan on driving to a lot of the waterfalls instead of paying to travel to these places. Thanks for the information. Very Helpful!
when i see pictures and videos of or about Iceland, i get so proud of being Icelandic. If you are considering going to Iceland, you should totally do it!
+Ynja Mork I was on holiday in Iceland this week and came home to Scotland today. It was without doubt, the best holiday I've ever had. You're so lucky to live in such a wild, beautiful and welcoming country.
+Ynja Mork Your country is beautiful along with the people although I have not been there yet :( but planning on doing a self drive tour to see all of your countries beauty!
I was there last year, in May. Brrr! The smell of the water was a bit of a surprise, but it makes your skin and hair very soft. I loved the quality of the food. Totally worth the price. I'm from the San Francisco area, so I wasn't shocked. The people are super cool! Not pushovers, but if you can spend a bit of time with a native, you'll have a friend for life. Oh, they can get a bit annoyed. Due to government/business support, many feel like the tourists are taking over their country, especially Reykjavik. As a result, not everyone is glad we're there. Btw, I'm enjoying your vlogs.
The problem is that people renting apartments are pushed out, because the owners want to rent out to tourists. Housing costs are insane, making people homeless.
We had such a wonderful stay in Reykjavik that we are on the way back for more. Art, music, charm, breathtaking nature, swimming pools, spas, and truly lovely people.
I was there in August. 14 degrees celsius with a wind chill that made it feel like 4 degrees. I was told that in winter there isn’t much snow, it’s mostly sleet as it doesn’t get very cold. The glaciers is where you find the snow. And the sulfur smelling water if because they use geothermal heating for hot water. The newer hotels actually have filters that the water goes through so you don’t notice the stench. I loved every minute of my 2 trips there. I wish I had never had to leave.
Exactly!!!!! I’d go in October just for the cool weather. I live in northern Alberta, and it can snow here in July, but I would love to visit Iceland in October. We have midnight sun here in Alberta too, so I wouldn’t mind missing that in Iceland. We also have northern lights here, but they’re better in Iceland
I just spent three days in Iceland and totally fell in love. The people were absolutely amazing. The nature omg it's incredible. We ended up doing the Golden Circle one day and the Southern Iceland tour the next and the black sand beach, walking behind sejlandsfoss, and getting out to Vik was absolutely breathtaking. Didn't get enough time to head out to the blue lagoon this time, but I'm already planning a return trip.
hurtful and sad words..I am a humanitarian and love to live the lifeto the fullest and happens to be MUSLİM..so I AM SAD TO HEAR THOSE WORDS BUT OK I AM WHAT ı AM
I was in Iceland about a month ago, and it was cold and snowy most of the time; but I love every minute I spend there. I wouldn't mind moving to such beauty, life style and culture. I am in love with the country. I recommend anyone who wants to have a vacation that would not include hot sun and sandy beaches. This was an amazing trip specially after seeing the northen lights.
Hello Dean, I booked a few tours to check the Northern lights. I was very lucky to watch this glorious phenomenon. It was the high light of my trip. I booked my trip thru Groupon. I had the best time ever in Iceland, in fact I am planning to go back sometime next year.
+Dean Snyder, I have no idea, but at the airport lots of tourists were at the rental car kiosk. I know that all cars there are equiped with GPS systems. The problem I find confusing with this is, that you better get your spelling correctly, all the street names are very difficult to read and if you miss a character or add can take you to the wrong place. Here is a little story from the NYTimes on an American that became a celebrity in Iceland check it out. www.nytimes.com/2016/02/14/opinion/sunday/ignore-the-gps-that-ocean-is-not-a-road.html?_r=0
The reason why hot water smells of sulphur is because of its geothermal origins. :3 Cold water shouldn't have any hot water residue (they're from different sources), but there might be some hidden in the tap so I advise those who want their (delicious) drinking water, to run the tap for a few seconds to clear the (possible) residue out... and to get even colder water that way! :D
I have this tendency to throw away the first glass when I fill my glass with cold tap water. One day I wondered why, and then realized that the reason was to make sure that there was no geothermal water left in the faucet. This was simply something that I have always done without thinking why. By the way, I am Icelandic.
When I lived in Iceland in 2005/6, my new roommate had just gotten out of the shower when I arrived at our tiny apartment. So naturally, the whole place smelled like rotten eggs. Then I discovered when I took a shower (after a much-needed long sleep) that the smell came from the faucets. Where I come from, that's a really bad sign. So I drank bottled water for the first three days until someone explained that the hot and cold water come from completely different sources, and the bottled water I was drinking was just tap water.
I was in Reykjavík back in June. The weather back home in Scotland had been coming from the north at the time and I found Iceland was actually warmer and slightly less windy haha
Going to the blue lagoon is also very expensive. The food was outrageously expensive when I was there. Iceland has to be the most beautiful place I have ever been to. The views are absolutely outstanding!
I loved my holiday in Iceland. I hiked around volcanoes, across a glacier, saw the hot springs and geysir and photographed waterfalls that are amazing. I nearly forgot to mention the black beaches and icebergs. What a place - just a pity it is so expensive - even the flights.
Thanks so much! We're heading to Iceland at the end of July. You have been a resource for us for at least the last 5ish years. I love that you keep it simple and straightforward.
I went 5 times between 2012-2015. It was relatively affordable but then the Chinese discovered it and everything got more expensive. Haven't been back since Oct 2015
+The Star Alchemist Anime lover with Cats english is almost every icelanders second language so we are actually quite good at english. although old poeple are quite bad at it il give you that
Very true. Icelanders pronounce english words very well. But for some reason it seems that it's really hard for most to pronounce names or cities, towns, states, countries, and most of all names of individual people.
I'm surprised that in the Golden Circle section you just mentioned a "National Park" without saying what it's called (Thingvellir) and not saying what's amazing about it, namely a) it's where the North American and European continental plates meet, in a scary-looking jagged rift you can walk through, and b) it's where the open-air Viking parliament met in the medieval period.
Last summer my daughter and I just drove to the Blue Lagoon from Reyjavík late one afternoon and just walked right in (well, we did pay!). Didn't book and there was no queue! PS I love your videos but can you remember non-Americans don't understand Fahrenheit.
Would be so amazing if Americans just learned Celsius. It's so simple, as is the metric system. The world does not revolve around the USA contrary to the beliefs of some.
@@southfieldtrill9690 I literally could care less who hates it. That's simply because Americans are self-centred and expect the world to do things their way. Celsius and metric are incredibly simple. I'm American. Born and raised in NY. Lived abroad for 33 years. If I could learn to change my thinking so can you or anyone else claiming it's "too hard" or they "hate it". Bunch of sissy-ass crybabies.
This is so helpful!! I'm the Chief Concierge for a hotel in NYC and plan everyone else's vacation for New York for a living. When it comes to my own trip planning I get really into it and research for weeks beforehand. This has been extremely useful, thank you!
Iceland isn't actually called Iceland because it's cold or snowy. When Iceland was found they called it Iceland so it would sound scary so people wouldn't come. But the vikings just wanted to keep it to themselves.
Great video! Doing a solo trip to Iceland in April. Going for 1 week. Staying at a hostel for $26 per night. Paid $387 for my ticket, round trip. Got all my reservations set! Super excited to go!
I love Reykjavik in the winter. I was one week there, over x-mas, and the worst day was the first day, because it was thaw. The rest of the week it was pretty cold. Some years later i was on a cruise and we had a stop nearly one and a half day at Reykjavik. It was warm and the day was long. In the winter, at x-mas, you have light between 11:00 and 15:00 clock. Four hours light. Wonderfull.
+Amanikins Did you enjoy your visit? I am planning on going but currently debating between seeing my friends in Netherlands or going to Iceland for my 30th birthday.
My daughter and I are going to Iceland in early May, thanks for all the info - we will be there for a week and have a car booked so that we will be able to travel around the island. We have our accommodation booked! Afterwards we are heading to Scotland, England and Ireland. Can't wait! Þakka þér fyrir!
Just got back from our Iceland vacation a few days ago and your list is spot on (once again), woltersworld! ;) Love your videos. Thanks! P.S. One thing we hated - not necessarily about Reykjavik - was the lack of a good "Iceland" tour book. We used The Lonely Planet's book on Iceland and not even a day into our trip, we were thanking our lucky stars that we had a cell phone data plan to research on the go.
We were there in late June and early July and loved it. Stayed a few days out in the middle of nowhere, and a few in Reykjavík, got a car and drove it a lot, a lot well off the Ring Road, and were in awe the whole time.
January? And miss New Years Eve???!!!??? Reschedule at any cost!!! You will not regret the extra cost. The part you will hate about NYE in Reykjavik is every firework show you will ever see after that will be dull and boring. Imagine half a million Disneyland 4th of July's rolled into three or four hours of absolute pandemonium! The videos of it will seem unbelievable but in reality they don't hold a candle to being there.
Well, I mean, a lot of pronunciation depends on your audience. Pretty sure he’s speaking to Americans/Canadians, and that’s how they know/say the city. (If you asked for a “KWA-saw” in the US, you wouldn’t get served. Sure, “cra-SAWNT” isn’t how the French say it, but it’s how Americans do.)
Love Iceland!!! Been there twice in the last 6 months (one summer, one winter - like winter better). Some other tips: Rent a car - it's easy to get around though parking in downtown Reykjavik can be a challenge, You can get to supermarkets, others interesting towns, etc. and while you are at the supermarket (like Bonus), get skyr which is Icelandic yogurt. It's amazing and incredibly good for you. Also, visit the Harpa concert hall - see if they are having a performance while you are there and book it in advance (we saw an open rehearsal of the Icelandic Symphony Orchestra and it was great, and the hall is spectacular. Blue Lagoon is expensive but you gotta do it (like coming here to NYC and seeing the Statue of Liberty). Then, which is easy when you have a car, go to one of the local thermal spas. We went to one (don't remember it, but it was in a Reykjavik neighborhood. Costs $8 with great facilities and no tourists. The Icelandeers were there with their kids. It was a great afternoon.
Just returned from 11 days in Iceland. The entire island is honestly a tourist pit now, I hate to admit. We made an honest effort to avoid all the "hot spots" (didn't even go to the golden circle or the blue lagoon) and still it was shocking just the sheer number of us tourists were flocking around.
...that sounded dirge. I should add that we still ABSOLUTELY loved Iceland, and it's sights are parallel to none! I do not regret going. I only want to make sure people understand just how crowded with tourists the place really is. Because it is!
What time.of year did you go? I went in 2017 and we went i think the may 18th till the 29th. It was JUST before the season opened up so it was much less crowded(plus 6 or so years ago helped im sure)
Oh god no...not New England. In Iceland, the temps are 25-65 all year, whereas New England delights you with a temperature range from 10-90, disregarding extremes. Of course it's always windy when it's cold, and never windy when it's hot and muggy. :)
Never been to Iceland (or Greenland) so I'm not claiming any expertise; but- Reykjavik, Iceland and Nuuk, Greenland are on the same latitude, and have you SEEN Nuuk? I mean, nothing GROWS there! Reykjavik on the other hand looks like my Irish hometown, green but dull, and for sure, not shirtsleeve weather but to be fair, not exactly polar either so I can see why the cold might come as a bit of a surprise to people - but that said: 'ICEland',' you know, it's in the name for kerissakes! Actually (I'll put my hands up here, I'm just a UA-cam Tourist) but to my mind, although I would say Iceland is the more beautiful country compared to Greenland, as far as their capitals go, while Nuuk, being a barren, rocky peninsula built over with council estates (i.e. apartment blocks) mightn't seem too promising on paper - you've got that 'it's in the name' thing again, maybe they should have stuck to Godthaab(!)- but yeah, for my money, Nuuk, desolate as it is, is the more beautiful. Reykjavik is the one that looks more dreary, kind of has that 'wet Tuesday' thing going on... (Sorry!) ps- Didn't get why the shot of the graffiti; 'look, there is crime in Iceland?' 'Look, the crime in Iceland, such as it is, is pretty low-level stuff'? 'Reykjavik is arty'? 'People do 'jerk stuff' in Iceland, but it's the tourists to blame?' It's no big deal, but I WAS confused.
I visited last year, and the video still holds true. I think a tourist can enjoy quite a bit in Iceland with 4 days time. I hated that we couldn't catch the northern lights during my week there. Food was very good and familiar to Americans, although pricey as noted. Also, I got in trouble for taking a call in the changing room at the Blue Lagoon. It was a tourist noob thing to do, but when the wife calls from America...
As an Icelander that have been living in other country now for 5 years, i realy smell the water when i come for visit, so yes i do understand what he is speaking about with the water. Before i never did notice that smell, but after beeing away for some years, omg that rotten egg smell, still love to take a shower and have endless of it :)
Philip how can you say cleaner water?? We have THE cleanest drinking water you can get!!!! not been treated by cemicals like most of other countries have to do all we do is have sand filters that are natural!! not a single town have water cleaners!!
Wher can you smell that?? I have lived in other countrys too and never smell this, there are only the oldest houses in reykjavík, hafnafjörður, kópavogur and garðabær that do not have a heat exchanger ( varmaskiftir ) and get hot water straight from the ground and not heated cold water that ALL houses built after 1990 have have!!!
Or you can just show up right at the opening time for blue lagoon.. We were silly and prepared our breakfast in the parking lot and all the tour buses got ahead of us,. But we still definitely got a spot... Bring A TOWEL ! It's like 20 euros extra if you need to get one with the basic entrance fee :o
I did not know that you have to book a spot in the Blue Lagoon! Thanks for the heads-up! We will only stop by Reykjavik for a couple of days on our way to Alaska, so we could easily have missed this. Cheers from Sweden!
I just came back from Iceland. I was there 9 days. I stayed in guesthouse in Reykjavik. People really were nice. I had a rental car, so I went also outside Reykjavik. To Blue Lagoon I didn't book advance and I still got in. It was probably my best trip. I'll definitely go again.
The Blue Lagoon is the most overrated, insignificant thing to do in Iceland. Can easily avoid it and not waste a day in a giant hot tub and see some amazing, natural beautiful things to see there.
+shelleyinthecity I agree with you I have lived in Iceland all my life and not even once went to The Blue Lagoon. But I have traveled all over Iceland and there are many beautiful places here. You can go to Þingvallar and see where our ancestors used to have meetings and you can see one of the largest water in Iceland. You can also go to Jökulsárslón where you can see big ice bergs floating around in a river. There are way too many places to talk about but these are in my favorites places in Iceland.
hittingtax26 There is a parallell spa beside The Blue Lagoon. Where they treat people with skin deseases. Cos the water and the mud is full of natural minerals.
Jennifer R it was absolutely wonderful. Very beautiful place despite it being Dark since I went during December. The locals there are very friendly and the city is absolutely clean-spotless. Another thing I noticed is it’s probably safer than anyplace possible in the US where I am from. I could walk up and down Reykjavík at any hour without having to worry about having any wits up. I loved it so much I’m going to go back again this coming summer so I can experience it without the cold. I have my Instagram loaded up with a bunch of pictures too and no matter what I photographed everything came out beautiful. I have my Instagram attached to my UA-cam channel about you can drop a follow if you want to check it out. However You should definitely go! If you are pretty out going, you will have an amazing time! -Joe
How much time do you recomend a person to stay in the city and be able to visit all the tourist places? 2 weeks are fine or you would say more than 2 weeks? What time does the sun come out in the morning? Love your videos! Sorry for my english. I´m from Brazil.
+Mari Perez On the longest day of the year in Iceland which is June 21. The sun sets at 00:04 and rises again at 02:55. So you basically have 21 hours of daylight.
+IceBlueBeard Thank you for the information. It must be really weird if one is trying to sleep and don´t have a blackout cortain hahahahah. The hotels in town must have those type of courtains, right? :)
Figure out the excursions you'd like to go on and check the dates and the schedules for the locations, if you plan on doing the tours. I stayed at Kex hostel. One of my roommates bought her tour before she arrived. My other roomie and myself bought the tickets at the hostel. We all did the same tour with different companies. The one who paid in advance, paid about $10.00 more. So, check the prices as well. Everyone uses blackout curtains.
+OnTheGoWithCarson yeah i am from iceland, that thing sucks, before they didnt have this booking nonsense, now its ridiculos, and so much more exspensive, but TBH its a really nice oppertunity to see, Hope you have a wonderful time in Iceland, and remember if you get lost you can ask almost anyone and they will most defenitly stop to help you :)
How to pronounce Reykjavík Rake-like the tool.. ya.. like in see'ya.. and week.. Rake-ya-week.. Its 2 words in one.. Reykja-vík.. So Rakeya-week should sound pretty accurate..
Rake-ya-Veek.... Icelanders always mix up their v and w sounds. It's VEEK not WEEK! :) Technically you should be rolling the initial r sound as well but that is hard for many. Kristian above has got it right. Also the town Vík is pronounced the same way- VEEK not VICK like so many visitors are pronouncing it.
Its hard to know difference between letters you dont have in your alphabet..We dont have a W in the icelandic alphabet.. Just the V and we use it for all the V sounds.. the "eek" part in week is identical to the original vík though ;)
The one thing about Reykjavik I hate is: I'm not there.
DerTikimann me too
I feel your pain.
You can have my apartment. Fuck this place!
Do you live here? I do, so don't question it...
DerTikimann i in Iceland is cool
In case anyone is wondering: It's expensive due to the fact it's an island in the middle of the northern ocean where it is freezing. It's expensive to fly or to pilot a boat this far out. Iceland also grows, produces, and sells its own stuff but even that can be expensive.
The ocean it’s on, is called the arctic ocean
In Iceland people get a high salary and for them these prices are totally normal. When you have a job in Iceland its no problem for you to pay. But in all other countries the salaries are on a lower level - because of this Iceland seems to be expensive. But its not expensive to live there - it just expensive to be there as a tourist.
I'm half Icelandic and though your video was really accurate. Just make sure you venture outside of Reykjavik, out to places like Akureyri, Höfn, Ísafjordhur and Vík!
I agree. We spent two weeks driving around the country :)
+woltersworld I'll second that... Reykjavik is cool... Iceland is Awesome!! Don't just go for the city.. it deserves better than that and if you give it chance... it won't disappoint you,, You'll have a blast!!
+woltersworld that is too little time
+George Morris i go to isafjordur (my birthplace) every single year
+George Morris i'm icelandic and i live in Akureyri. It's AWESOME!!!
I live in Reykjavik and I am so happy to hear that you all like Iceland so much 🥰
I have put a visit to Iceland and Greenland on my bucket list. It sounds beautiful and the people sound genuinely friendly but not in a false way
Blessings and peace
I’m travelling there this August. Pretty hyped to experience it.
Luckily I’m a Canadian so terribly cold weather has never been a problem for me.
I am one of the 5 thousand people that live in keflavík you know the place where the airport is so like this comment because the chances of you seeing a comment from keflavík are very slimm
I also play agar.io
Eg er fra Reykjavík breiðholt
Hverjar eru líkurnar að sjá selfyssing miklu minni en keflavíking að því ég er selfyssingur
+LPS sweetheart haha já ég er nú frá Seltjarnarnesi hvejar eru líkurnar með það
eg er að læraum .að
I can't wait to go to Iceland! I haven't traveled since i was a kid... I'm going in late November for 6 days, and this will be my first solo travel, so hopefully everything goes good!
I'm going in January. It will be first trip abroad (since P.R. doesn't count). I hope you have fun!
hope you like enjoy your stay :) we've got shitty weather in november so bring a good down filled Parka.
If you find yourself at a loss for food, let me know. I'm a shift manager at a restaurant about 30 minutes walk from downtown, when I'm not studying. I'd be happy to give you a free meal, just reply to this comment as to tell me when - as I'm not always working.
if you are a hicker or so that gose on glacier and stuff , the only tip i can give is, When the locals tell you the Bad weather is coming in and you should not go. Then Listen . The last Person that did not take that advise is Still missing, has been for 4-5 years now
Some american that was missing for 3 weeks (in iceland) before his family called the cops , found his backpack that is it nothing else
Hi. Planning to go at the end of march. Keep you posted!!
Right on, practical info. Good to know about booking for the blue lagoon!
+Gabriel Traveler glad I can help out Gabriel. Hope all is going well in Columbia (if you are still down there) sorry you got robbed by the way in bogota. that sucked. All the best buddy and keep up the fun videos!
woltersworld
hey cool man, appreciate it. Yeah, all's well, everything sorted. I'm now in Peru, heading up into the Andes on a bus in a couple minutes. Stoked. Happy trails...
I will be leaving for Iceland tomorrow and I have been researching this country since December of last year. I am renting an AirBNB and grocery shopping to save money. I have booked 3 excursions in advance so that I have plenty of spending money. I look forward to the Game of Thrones tour and I plan on driving to a lot of the waterfalls instead of paying to travel to these places. Thanks for the information. Very Helpful!
cool. have a great trip!
ok too late to warn you . But it is a very expensive country
how was your trip?
Krissmundur is not that expensive
how was ur trip lia?
when i see pictures and videos of or about Iceland, i get so proud of being Icelandic. If you are considering going to Iceland, you should totally do it!
+Ynja Mork totally should go. It's a great place with great people
+Ynja Mork I was on holiday in Iceland this week and came home to Scotland today. It was without doubt, the best holiday I've ever had. You're so lucky to live in such a wild, beautiful and welcoming country.
+Gregor Scott i am happy to hear that you enjoyed the beauty of Iceland!
+Ynja Mork Your country is beautiful along with the people although I have not been there yet
:( but planning on doing a self drive tour to see all of your countries beauty!
+Ynja Mork I'm planning my trip to Iceland,. Going between october / november is a good season? I don't mind the cold weather
I was there last year, in May. Brrr! The smell of the water was a bit of a surprise, but it makes your skin and hair very soft.
I loved the quality of the food. Totally worth the price. I'm from the San Francisco area, so I wasn't shocked.
The people are super cool! Not pushovers, but if you can spend a bit of time with a native, you'll have a friend for life. Oh, they can get a bit annoyed. Due to government/business support, many feel like the tourists are taking over their country, especially Reykjavik. As a result, not everyone is glad we're there.
Btw, I'm enjoying your vlogs.
The problem is that people renting apartments are pushed out, because the owners want to rent out to tourists. Housing costs are insane, making people homeless.
We had such a wonderful stay in Reykjavik that we are on the way back for more. Art, music, charm, breathtaking nature, swimming pools, spas, and truly lovely people.
'Hate' the weather? I'm going to Iceland FOR the weather, the snow, the ice. Who goes to Iceland expecting a heatwave
Antarcticans
I was there in August. 14 degrees celsius with a wind chill that made it feel like 4 degrees. I was told that in winter there isn’t much snow, it’s mostly sleet as it doesn’t get very cold. The glaciers is where you find the snow. And the sulfur smelling water if because they use geothermal heating for hot water. The newer hotels actually have filters that the water goes through so you don’t notice the stench. I loved every minute of my 2 trips there. I wish I had never had to leave.
Me too!! I hate hot weather.
Exactly!!!!! I’d go in October just for the cool weather. I live in northern Alberta, and it can snow here in July, but I would love to visit Iceland in October. We have midnight sun here in Alberta too, so I wouldn’t mind missing that in Iceland. We also have northern lights here, but they’re better in Iceland
Pff i live in iceland and its suck
I just spent three days in Iceland and totally fell in love. The people were absolutely amazing. The nature omg it's incredible. We ended up doing the Golden Circle one day and the Southern Iceland tour the next and the black sand beach, walking behind sejlandsfoss, and getting out to Vik was absolutely breathtaking. Didn't get enough time to head out to the blue lagoon this time, but I'm already planning a return trip.
I consider Iceland one of the safest countries in the world.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_airports_in_Iceland
no we dont...
CDEbFGAbB they dont all fly to other countries
Click on the three dots to the right of your comment and you'll be given an option to edit or delete it.
Wilmer, Iceland has very strict immigration laws. Unlike our idiot politicians in the EU.
hurtful and sad words..I am a humanitarian and love to live the lifeto the fullest and happens to be MUSLİM..so I AM SAD TO HEAR THOSE WORDS BUT OK I AM WHAT ı AM
I was in Iceland about a month ago, and it was cold and snowy most of the time; but I love every minute I spend there. I wouldn't mind moving to such beauty, life style and culture. I am in love with the country. I recommend anyone who wants to have a vacation that would not include hot sun and sandy beaches. This was an amazing trip specially after seeing the northen lights.
How did you stay there or did you tour? If tour did you do the self drive tour?
Hello Dean, I booked a few tours to check the Northern lights. I was very lucky to watch this glorious phenomenon. It was the high light of my trip. I booked my trip thru Groupon. I had the best time ever in Iceland, in fact I am planning to go back sometime next year.
+Elkin Diosa Do you know anything about self drive tour?
+Elkin Diosa Sounds awesome also bet the country is beautiful!
+Dean Snyder, I have no idea, but at the airport lots of tourists were at the rental car kiosk. I know that all cars there are equiped with GPS systems. The problem I find confusing with this is, that you better get your spelling correctly, all the street names are very difficult to read and if you miss a character or add can take you to the wrong place. Here is a little story from the NYTimes on an American that became a celebrity in Iceland check it out. www.nytimes.com/2016/02/14/opinion/sunday/ignore-the-gps-that-ocean-is-not-a-road.html?_r=0
The reason why hot water smells of sulphur is because of its geothermal origins. :3 Cold water shouldn't have any hot water residue (they're from different sources), but there might be some hidden in the tap so I advise those who want their (delicious) drinking water, to run the tap for a few seconds to clear the (possible) residue out... and to get even colder water that way! :D
I have this tendency to throw away the first glass when I fill my glass with cold tap water. One day I wondered why, and then realized that the reason was to make sure that there was no geothermal water left in the faucet. This was simply something that I have always done without thinking why.
By the way, I am Icelandic.
When I lived in Iceland in 2005/6, my new roommate had just gotten out of the shower when I arrived at our tiny apartment. So naturally, the whole place smelled like rotten eggs. Then I discovered when I took a shower (after a much-needed long sleep) that the smell came from the faucets. Where I come from, that's a really bad sign. So I drank bottled water for the first three days until someone explained that the hot and cold water come from completely different sources, and the bottled water I was drinking was just tap water.
I was in Reykjavík back in June. The weather back home in Scotland had been coming from the north at the time and I found Iceland was actually warmer and slightly less windy haha
Going to the blue lagoon is also very expensive. The food was outrageously expensive when I was there. Iceland has to be the most beautiful place I have ever been to. The views are absolutely outstanding!
Speaking of wind, thanks so much for investing in a better microphone so we can hear you during the windy days.
My Dad was stationed in Keflavik(we stayed there for 5 years)! 40 degrees fahrenheit in summertime is normal for Iceland! What a beautiful place!
Thank you for visiting and presenting us!
This was the best vacation my wife and I ever had I love Iceland
I loved my holiday in Iceland. I hiked around volcanoes, across a glacier, saw the hot springs and geysir and photographed waterfalls that are amazing. I nearly forgot to mention the black beaches and icebergs. What a place - just a pity it is so expensive - even the flights.
100 percent accurate. Can relate to everything as I visited in ‘22. Superb video❤
One of things we found out that we didn’t like about Reykjavík was that there are NO public restrooms.
There used to be where the Punk Museum is now. That was for ladies and one across the street for Gentlemen - don´t know what happened to that.
Thanks so much! We're heading to Iceland at the end of July.
You have been a resource for us for at least the last 5ish years. I love that you keep it simple and straightforward.
So expensive! I'm in Iceland now and I can't believe the prices.
Don't be so spoiled you decided to come here
I went 5 times between 2012-2015. It was relatively affordable but then the Chinese discovered it and everything got more expensive. Haven't been back since Oct 2015
Do the prices fluctuate depending on when you go?
rivierarocket good
@@rivierarocket How could the Chinese influence the price of things in another country?
Great review! Thank you!! Thanks for the tip about the Blue Lagoon.
Thank you for your fantastic videos and for all the very useful info! Ciao from Rome, Italy
I love how non icelandic poeple say our names and words
+Úlfur Hrafn Because icelandic words are so hard to pronounce, also we do not have accents on the keyboards.
+Ash Maxwell yes i know that thats why its funny. hearing them say our names is hard for them due to it being so Hard to say
I feel the same way about Icelanders pronouncing English words.
+The Star Alchemist Anime lover with Cats english is almost every icelanders second language so we are actually quite good at english. although old poeple are quite bad at it il give you that
Very true. Icelanders pronounce english words very well. But for some reason it seems that it's really hard for most to pronounce names or cities, towns, states, countries, and most of all names of individual people.
Looking forward visiting very soon!
Had a wonderful time on the island! We had a terrific guide & everyone was so helpful & kind!
I'm surprised that in the Golden Circle section you just mentioned a "National Park" without saying what it's called (Thingvellir) and not saying what's amazing about it, namely a) it's where the North American and European continental plates meet, in a scary-looking jagged rift you can walk through, and b) it's where the open-air Viking parliament met in the medieval period.
Love your enthusiasm and the many pros and cons described in detail.
Last summer my daughter and I just drove to the Blue Lagoon from Reyjavík late one afternoon and just walked right in (well, we did pay!). Didn't book and there was no queue! PS I love your videos but can you remember non-Americans don't understand Fahrenheit.
65 DEG. F = 18 DEG C, 45 DEG F = 5 DEG C.
Would be so amazing if Americans just learned Celsius. It's so simple, as is the metric system. The world does not revolve around the USA contrary to the beliefs of some.
@@mkj2006 The U.S. tried it in the 1970's and everyone hated it didn't even last a month🤣🤣
@@southfieldtrill9690 I literally could care less who hates it. That's simply because Americans are self-centred and expect the world to do things their way. Celsius and metric are incredibly simple. I'm American. Born and raised in NY. Lived abroad for 33 years. If I could learn to change my thinking so can you or anyone else claiming it's "too hard" or they "hate it". Bunch of sissy-ass crybabies.
This is so helpful!! I'm the Chief Concierge for a hotel in NYC and plan everyone else's vacation for New York for a living. When it comes to my own trip planning I get really into it and research for weeks beforehand. This has been extremely useful, thank you!
Iceland isn't actually called Iceland because it's cold or snowy. When Iceland was found they called it Iceland so it would sound scary so people wouldn't come. But the vikings just wanted to keep it to themselves.
Elisa Katrin but it is still a wee bit nippy.
it should swap names with Greenland imo.
Disproved myth. The truth is one of the first settlers saw a fjörd covered in ice.
Hvaða bullsjitt er þetta
@@doma7956 thats more like it
Thanks!
Thank you!
Great video! Doing a solo trip to Iceland in April. Going for 1 week. Staying at a hostel for $26 per night. Paid $387 for my ticket, round trip. Got all my reservations set! Super excited to go!
Great price! I am going at the end of May. Unfortunately my hostel days are well over.
I love Reykjavik in the winter. I was one week there, over x-mas, and the worst day was the first day, because it was thaw. The rest of the week it was pretty cold.
Some years later i was on a cruise and we had a stop nearly one and a half day at Reykjavik. It was warm and the day was long. In the winter, at x-mas, you have light between 11:00 and 15:00 clock.
Four hours light. Wonderfull.
I get a free trip upon high school graduation, paid for by my grandparents. So I've decided not to waste it, I'm going to Iceland in August.
And how was it?
The drive to the Golden Circle during the winter snowy season was absolutely magical.
Oh and the Chuck Norris burger restaurant..🤤
Great tips! im going tomorrow and i needed this!
+Amanikins let me know how it is! I'm going Dec 24th.
ill vlog about it! :D
i'll subscribe now. have fun! I can't wait for your videos and my trip. give me a shout out lol
+Amanikins Did you enjoy your visit? I am planning on going but currently debating between seeing my friends in Netherlands or going to Iceland for my 30th birthday.
i really enjoyed myself :D
My daughter and I are going to Iceland in early May, thanks for all the info - we will be there for a week and have a car booked so that we will be able to travel around the island. We have our accommodation booked! Afterwards we are heading to Scotland, England and Ireland. Can't wait! Þakka þér fyrir!
Just got back from our Iceland vacation a few days ago and your list is spot on (once again), woltersworld! ;) Love your videos. Thanks!
P.S. One thing we hated - not necessarily about Reykjavik - was the lack of a good "Iceland" tour book. We used The Lonely Planet's book on Iceland and not even a day into our trip, we were thanking our lucky stars that we had a cell phone data plan to research on the go.
We were there in late June and early July and loved it. Stayed a few days out in the middle of nowhere, and a few in Reykjavík, got a car and drove it a lot, a lot well off the Ring Road, and were in awe the whole time.
Thanks dude, much appreciated from Scotland :)
Thank you for the video. I'm going to Reykjavik and other cities in a few months. Looks like a beautiful city.
Just booked my trip to Iceland for January!
awesome!!! you will love it!
Just so you know, it's most probably going to be night most the time
And freezing. XD
I'm going in January too!
January? And miss New Years Eve???!!!??? Reschedule at any cost!!! You will not regret the extra cost. The part you will hate about NYE in Reykjavik is every firework show you will ever see after that will be dull and boring. Imagine half a million Disneyland 4th of July's rolled into three or four hours of absolute pandemonium! The videos of it will seem unbelievable but in reality they don't hold a candle to being there.
Loved seeing the northern lights in mild temperatures. That should be added ☺
When were you there?
Visited Reykjavik in March and I loved everything about it.
Especially the weather!
I lived near Keflavic in the late 80s. Thanks for the video, shows how much has commercialized, and somethings are exactly the same.
I'll help you pronounce properly: RAKE-YA-VEEK, not Wreck-ya-vik
Ray-ka-veek... close enough?
Wreck ya vik ahahha i laugh my ass Off rip
Well, I mean, a lot of pronunciation depends on your audience. Pretty sure he’s speaking to Americans/Canadians, and that’s how they know/say the city. (If you asked for a “KWA-saw” in the US, you wouldn’t get served. Sure, “cra-SAWNT” isn’t how the French say it, but it’s how Americans do.)
If I show up in Iceland in full Viking attire will they welcome me as one of their own?
indeed
Only if you arrive in a Viking Long Boat. :)
We will greet you like as you are a true Viking!
yes i will welcome your one of us
just don't behave like the Vikings of a thousand years ago on foreign shores. The laws have changed since then ; ))
Many thanks for all these informations !
Best place I've ever visited
I ve read a ton about Iceland since 2001. I lovevthat cou try. Wolter gives very good advice.
Iceland has better weather than Chicago during the winter.
It actually isn´t nearly as cold as people think.
Love Iceland!!! Been there twice in the last 6 months (one summer, one winter - like winter better). Some other tips: Rent a car - it's easy to get around though parking in downtown Reykjavik can be a challenge, You can get to supermarkets, others interesting towns, etc. and while you are at the supermarket (like Bonus), get skyr which is Icelandic yogurt. It's amazing and incredibly good for you.
Also, visit the Harpa concert hall - see if they are having a performance while you are there and book it in advance (we saw an open rehearsal of the Icelandic Symphony Orchestra and it was great, and the hall is spectacular.
Blue Lagoon is expensive but you gotta do it (like coming here to NYC and seeing the Statue of Liberty). Then, which is easy when you have a car, go to one of the local thermal spas. We went to one (don't remember it, but it was in a Reykjavik neighborhood. Costs $8 with great facilities and no tourists. The Icelandeers were there with their kids. It was a great afternoon.
Just returned from 11 days in Iceland. The entire island is honestly a tourist pit now, I hate to admit. We made an honest effort to avoid all the "hot spots" (didn't even go to the golden circle or the blue lagoon) and still it was shocking just the sheer number of us tourists were flocking around.
...that sounded dirge. I should add that we still ABSOLUTELY loved Iceland, and it's sights are parallel to none! I do not regret going. I only want to make sure people understand just how crowded with tourists the place really is. Because it is!
What time.of year did you go? I went in 2017 and we went i think the may 18th till the 29th. It was JUST before the season opened up so it was much less crowded(plus 6 or so years ago helped im sure)
i love iceland
Went there last December.. It was one of the most beautiful country I have ever been..
welcome to youtube...where people come to get information and quibble about precise native pronunciation
I had the pleasure to meet some Icelandic tourists in Montréal Canada , they were wonderful people, I really enjoyed talking to them .
Great video. The weather sounds just like the UKs with unpredictable rain/temperature drops and endless wind...
New England also
Oh god no...not New England. In Iceland, the temps are 25-65 all year, whereas New England delights you with a temperature range from 10-90, disregarding extremes. Of course it's always windy when it's cold, and never windy when it's hot and muggy. :)
Never been to Iceland (or Greenland) so I'm not claiming any expertise; but- Reykjavik, Iceland and Nuuk, Greenland are on the same latitude, and have you SEEN Nuuk? I mean, nothing GROWS there! Reykjavik on the other hand looks like my Irish hometown, green but dull, and for sure, not shirtsleeve weather but to be fair, not exactly polar either so I can see why the cold might come as a bit of a surprise to people - but that said: 'ICEland',' you know, it's in the name for kerissakes! Actually (I'll put my hands up here, I'm just a UA-cam Tourist) but to my mind, although I would say Iceland is the more beautiful country compared to Greenland, as far as their capitals go, while Nuuk, being a barren, rocky peninsula built over with council estates (i.e. apartment blocks) mightn't seem too promising on paper - you've got that 'it's in the name' thing again, maybe they should have stuck to Godthaab(!)- but yeah, for my money, Nuuk, desolate as it is, is the more beautiful. Reykjavik is the one that looks more dreary, kind of has that 'wet Tuesday' thing going on... (Sorry!)
ps- Didn't get why the shot of the graffiti; 'look, there is crime in Iceland?' 'Look, the crime in Iceland, such as it is, is pretty low-level stuff'? 'Reykjavik is arty'? 'People do 'jerk stuff' in Iceland, but it's the tourists to blame?' It's no big deal, but I WAS confused.
I visited last year, and the video still holds true. I think a tourist can enjoy quite a bit in Iceland with 4 days time. I hated that we couldn't catch the northern lights during my week there. Food was very good and familiar to Americans, although pricey as noted.
Also, I got in trouble for taking a call in the changing room at the Blue Lagoon. It was a tourist noob thing to do, but when the wife calls from America...
Amazing job man! Its one of the places i wanna go for sure!
Thank you for your great information. I watched most of your videos and you are great!
I didn't notice any water smell at all. Water here is great. Bring hiking shoes also. Your sneakers won't cut it for climbing rocks.
As an Icelander that have been living in other country now for 5 years, i realy smell the water when i come for visit, so yes i do understand what he is speaking about with the water. Before i never did notice that smell, but after beeing away for some years, omg that rotten egg smell, still love to take a shower and have endless of it :)
Philip how can you say cleaner water?? We have THE cleanest drinking water you can get!!!! not been treated by cemicals like most of other countries have to do all we do is have sand filters that are natural!! not a single town have water cleaners!!
Wher can you smell that?? I have lived in other countrys too and never smell this, there are only the oldest houses in reykjavík, hafnafjörður, kópavogur and garðabær that do not have a heat exchanger ( varmaskiftir ) and get hot water straight from the ground and not heated cold water that ALL houses built after 1990 have have!!!
My friends are stranded there in quarantine, so am sending this to them. 👍
Or you can just show up right at the opening time for blue lagoon.. We were silly and prepared our breakfast in the parking lot and all the tour buses got ahead of us,. But we still definitely got a spot... Bring A TOWEL ! It's like 20 euros extra if you need to get one with the basic entrance fee :o
+Tara Lynn or show up at the end of the day too. that works as well.
Really great feedback! I just got back from Iceland and found your advice spot on.
The things you said you hate are things I can definitely live with. I still want to move to Iceland.
Well it might be hard to get a residence permit.
Me too
Alyxia Ann i am so happy i live there i am always with nice people and always in Reykjavik
Where are you from? I'd like to live in Iceland, too. But I'm afraid I'm not European; I'm from South America.
It's hard to get a residence permit if you don't know anybody on the inside.
I did not know that you have to book a spot in the Blue Lagoon!
Thanks for the heads-up!
We will only stop by Reykjavik for a couple of days on our way to Alaska, so we could easily have missed this.
Cheers from Sweden!
Reykjavík is pronounced raykjahveek
+Ýda Thanks. I never know how to say it. Now, I do. :)
+Megan DePerro /reic^havik/ for the International Phonetic Alphabet :)
this is what i told my teacher but she "being a know it all" said its rai-kah-vich
no its reykjavík am from iceland
Holy Crap. Icelandic is is freakin' hard.
I just can't believe how different it is there since 1981-83!
All those trees!
that smelly water is more cleaner than in america, we don't add chlorine ore other chemical in it so that's more natural.
hate hate hate hate hate
I’m in California, my area we have our own well water straight from the underground lol
That hot water is magical, my skin never looked so good
I’ll be visiting Iceland in July 2023 so this is a great video. I didn’t know about The Blue Lagoon. I’ll order it today! Thanks for posting this!
I live there and it is really funny when you say the names 😂
I just came back from Iceland. I was there 9 days. I stayed in guesthouse in Reykjavik. People really were nice.
I had a rental car, so I went also outside Reykjavik. To Blue Lagoon I didn't book advance and I still got in.
It was probably my best trip. I'll definitely go again.
I hope you enjoyed it. 👍
The Blue Lagoon is the most overrated, insignificant thing to do in Iceland.
Can easily avoid it and not waste a day in a giant hot tub and see some amazing, natural beautiful things to see there.
+shelleyinthecity I agree with you I have lived in Iceland all my life and not even once went to The Blue Lagoon. But I have traveled all over Iceland and there are many beautiful places here. You can go to Þingvallar and see where our ancestors used to have meetings and you can see one of the largest water in Iceland. You can also go to Jökulsárslón where you can see big ice bergs floating around in a river. There are way too many places to talk about but these are in my favorites places in Iceland.
Same ásdís
+Ásdís Sara please suggest more places that cud be explored! you seem to know many more good places :)
Amanpreet Kaur There is also a town called Húsavík where you can go whale watching.
+Ásdís Sara What about in the winter? A friend and I are thinking of spending New Year's there
Really helpful video thanks! 😃
What are some of the health benefits of visiting the blue lagoon?
Skin health, basically. It can even help with psoriasis and similar conditions. Definitely did a lot for my acne when I was a kid.
hittingtax26 There is a parallell spa beside The Blue Lagoon. Where they treat people with skin deseases. Cos the water and the mud is full of natural minerals.
I’m going next week. It’s my first solo trip so I’m definitely excited!
JnRgaragejams how was your trip? I’m planning on going solo next Sept and am curious how it is for a solo traveler.
Jennifer R it was absolutely wonderful. Very beautiful place despite it being Dark since I went during December. The locals there are very friendly and the city is absolutely clean-spotless. Another thing I noticed is it’s probably safer than anyplace possible in the US where I am from. I could walk up and down Reykjavík at any hour without having to worry about having any wits up. I loved it so much I’m going to go back again this coming summer so I can experience it without the cold. I have my Instagram loaded up with a bunch of pictures too and no matter what I photographed everything came out beautiful. I have my Instagram attached to my UA-cam channel about you can drop a follow if you want to check it out. However You should definitely go! If you are pretty out going, you will have an amazing time! -Joe
Iceland is very secure, free from crime and law enforcement agencies doesn't carry firearms
Crimes are more commone than you think it's peasfull around the country but not as much in the capital area but still really a good place too live
Lonely planet,🌍, can Icelanders keep maintaining its laudable profile on top of apex.
It looks so beautiful! Have fun!
I actually live in Iceland♥♥
Margrét Nótt stefans would u show me around if i go there? 🤔
Same
Going to Iceland this week, your videos are great and informative! Thanks for sharing!
fun fact the tap water is the same quality as bottle water
That is really helpful.Will purcharce my blue lagoon tickets one week before leaving.Thanks
just got back last week. The Sercret Lagoon is alot better in my opinion and not man made. It was only 6500kr for two of us. £20 each inc towels.
lmfao phallic museum...? As if I needed another reason to visit Iceland.
For the win ;)
+jazsueloify My friend went to see it last year.
doesnt look very inviting to me .. *urgs*
Do you have to be a "member" to get in? LOL
@@chrismurray203 You just pay the entrance fee, then you're in.
Great tips! We just got back from Iceland last week and it was amazing!! We were very lucky and had sunshine and no rain the entire time
always thought about stopping here on the way to Europe. Its cheaper than to amsterdam or england.
Cool video! Thanks for all the info!
Unbelievably expensive. Plan on not eating more than sandwiches and water.
Car rentals and hotels/ guest houses...exorbitant.
NYC rates.
It's not that expensive honestly it's so stereotypical.
yeah, it is not so expensive. 10 days in guesthouse in iceland cost that same as one month in 5 star hotel with al inclusive in turkey. lol
Going on a trip with school in October! Can't wait
How much time do you recomend a person to stay in the city and be able to visit all the tourist places? 2 weeks are fine or you would say more than 2 weeks? What time does the sun come out in the morning? Love your videos!
Sorry for my english. I´m from Brazil.
+Mari Perez On the longest day of the year in Iceland which is June 21. The sun sets at 00:04 and rises again at 02:55. So you basically have 21 hours of daylight.
+IceBlueBeard Thank you for the information. It must be really weird if one is trying to sleep and don´t have a blackout cortain hahahahah.
The hotels in town must have those type of courtains, right?
:)
We spent two weeks driving the entire island so for Reykjavik I would say two or three days gives you enough time
Figure out the excursions you'd like to go on and check the dates and the schedules for the locations, if you plan on doing the tours. I stayed at Kex hostel. One of my roommates bought her tour before she arrived. My other roomie and myself bought the tickets at the hostel. We all did the same tour with different companies. The one who paid in advance, paid about $10.00 more. So, check the prices as well.
Everyone uses blackout curtains.
Love how you explain things about your travels🙋🏽♀️👍🏼🙏🏻👏🏽
I had no idea about booking ahead for the Blue Lagoon. Thanks for the tip! That penis museum.. omgsh haha
+OnTheGoWithCarson That museum lends itself to SO many inappropriate, BAD jokes . . . :-P
+OnTheGoWithCarson yeah i am from iceland, that thing sucks, before they didnt have this booking nonsense, now its ridiculos, and so much more exspensive, but TBH its a really nice oppertunity to see, Hope you have a wonderful time in Iceland, and remember if you get lost you can ask almost anyone and they will most defenitly stop to help you :)
Bless bless. Nice closing. I know how common that is. 👍
How to pronounce Reykjavík
Rake-like the tool.. ya.. like in see'ya.. and week.. Rake-ya-week.. Its 2 words in one.. Reykja-vík.. So Rakeya-week should sound pretty accurate..
Rake-ya-Veek.... Icelanders always mix up their v and w sounds. It's VEEK not WEEK! :) Technically you should be rolling the initial r sound as well but that is hard for many. Kristian above has got it right. Also the town Vík is pronounced the same way- VEEK not VICK like so many visitors are pronouncing it.
Its hard to know difference between letters you dont have in your alphabet..We dont have a W in the icelandic alphabet.. Just the V and we use it for all the V sounds.. the "eek" part in week is identical to the original vík though ;)