How to Spend 24 Hours in North Iceland

Iceland has been known to capture the imagination of many people and yet, nobody can explain why it does so. Maybe it is due to the beautiful landscapes or the fun activities that can be done there or it could be a mixture of both. But whatever the reason may be, every year, more and more people are coming to this northern island just to get away from all the noise and stress of the big city. They just want some peace and quiet during the long weekend that they are having. Iceland is not that far away from. If a person is traveling from the East coast of the USA, they can just ride a five-hour flight and land in Iceland in the same day of departure. It is even shorter from London – a person can reach Iceland within 3 hours of departure. This whole trip has been made easy with the help of Iceland Air. While booking for their flights to Iceland, guest can also make the addition of trips and tours to their flight ticket and pay for a whole package. So, as it can be seen, Iceland is quite an interesting location, especially for the people who want to make a quick weekend getaway.

So, let’s say you have one whole day in your hand and you want to explore Iceland. Well, the first thing that you should do is head up to the northern region of Iceland and spend your day there because the northern region is perhaps the most beautiful and interesting region in Iceland. When you reach Iceland, rent a cottage in the Kjarnaskógur woods in Iceland. This place is simply pleasant to be in. This is actually Iceland’s most traversed forest. Here, there is a 2KM long athletic course, tracks for walking, picnic tables, campsite and a children’s park nearby which the adults can also find to be quite enjoyable. The cottages here are something out of a dream – there is a big porch, soft beds, pure ice water flowing from the taps, spectacular views, barbeques, hot tubs and clean fresh highland air.

Husavik

After you have rested in to the cottage, head up to the small town of Húsavík which is on the north coast of Iceland. The main source of income for the town is done by tourism and fishing and the town is heaven for nature lovers. Unfortunately, since you are short on time, you can’t actually experience the beauty of the town to the fullest extent. What you can do is head the timber-framed restaurant called Café Skuld and order some delicious fish soup, coffee and muffins. Trust me, you won’t be disappointed by their taste.

Asbyrgi Canyon

Then,the head to the horseshoe shaped depression part of the Jökulsárgljúfur National Park called Ásbyrgi canyon. It is around 3.5KM in length and 1.1KM wide. The steep side of the canyon is formed by 100mts. High cliffs. It is breathtakingly beautiful and tranquil. You can walk through a woodland of willow and birch trees and come across the small lake of Botnstjorn where you will find ducks swimming across.

Dettifoss Waterfall

The final stop of your trip should be the waterfall, located in Vatnajökull National Park called the Dettifoss. It is considered to be one of the most powerful waterfalls in Europe. An interesting fact about this waterfall is that it was featured in the Hollywood science fiction movie Prometheus, which was released in 2012. It can be seen at the beginning of the movie as the landscape on a primeval Earth-like planet. Here’s the thing – when you reach there, you might feel a bit disappointed as it might be a bit too foggy and you might feel that you may not be able to experience this waterfall in all of its glory. From the place where you start, it is around a five minute walk to the waterfall. If it is foggy when you visit, you will experience that it is quite magical to walk the rocky regions in the fog. It is a whole new experience as you jump from one wet rock to another and you can get to hear the sound of water that is coming down 45mts. from the Jökulsárgljúfur canyon. When you stand next to the waterfall, you will actually experience the fact that nature is truly powerful, even if you can’t see the actual waterfall due to the fog.

In the Evening

After all this is done, if you are up for it, then take an evening tour to the northern locales and experience the beauty of the Northern Lights and the northern tour that might accompany it. But, if the weather does not allow you to see the Northern Lights, then, during your return journey back from the Dettifoss waterfall, have an evening tour of the Reykjavik region. Trust me, it is well worth your time and energy. If you are lucky enough, then you might also get to see the Midnight Sun in Iceland during your two-day trip.

After experiencing the true beauty of Iceland, you might feel sad that your weekend and trip has come to an end and you have to return back to the loud and noisy city and your stressful work. You just want to stay back in Iceland and forget all about your responsibilities that you have in your city life. Well, don’t worry about it. Due to Iceland being in close proximity of the US and London, you can always choose to come back to Iceland when you have a long weekend or when you want to take a vacation and if you plan your vacation period to Iceland correctly, then you might be able to enjoy cool and endless summer days and do summertime activities, in the night, in Iceland due to the Midnight Sun that can be seen during the period of May to August. There are a lot more things to do in Iceland, which are exciting and fun in their own unique ways. It does not matter what you choose to do in Iceland. It is a guarantee that you will enjoy, your choice. Iceland is truly a place of beauty and tranquility.