Finding Warmth in the Icelandic Winter

Reykjavik from atop Hallgrimskirja, its tallest structure

I landed at Keflavik International Airport at 7am on the day after Thanksgiving. Leaving the impeccably modern terminal, I was greeted by pitch darkness and a blustering, horizontal rain. As I followed a British family out into the gale, our shuttle bus driver shouted over his shoulder, “welcome to lovely Iceland!”

Iceland in November may not figure into most people’s bucket lists. During the endless daylight of summer, this spacious but sparsely populated country has always been a popular destination for adventurous nature lovers and photographers. In recent peak seasons, crowds of coach bus tourists have also been descending, iPhones at the ready.

However, when most people hear "winter in Iceland," they imagine scenes straight out of the Iditarod and they book a trip to St. Thomas instead. You would be putting it mildly to say Iceland is often misunderstood or simply forgotten about; you may find in a search for maps of Europe that it's not even included.

Due to Iceland’s invisibility, the question “how do you like Iceland?” has taken on inside-joke status, as natives deploy it to put foreigners on the spot. But the sentiment is sincere – Icelanders are fiercely proud of their culture and they want you to be, too.

They also have quite the objective right to be proud. By every possible measure used to gauge the success of nations, Iceland is one of the happiest, safest, greenest, and most peaceful countries to ever exist. But what does it offer the traveler, and why should you not fear the darkness of late autumn to make your trip?

Expect a lot of sights like this

Well, as the bartender at 73 - a restaurant in Reykjavik - said to me when I let slip that I planned to come back in the summer and drive around "the whole country":

"How many weeks will you set aside for this?"

She wasn't kidding.

In essence, Iceland offers you the ability to drive for hours, pull off the road, walk into an expansive field surrounded by mountains and glaciers, and wonder if you’re the first person to ever stand in that exact spot.

Want to go snorkeling between two continental plates? You can do it here.

Want to drive a modified jeep across a glacier, camp out under a crystal clear night sky and watch the aurora borealis dance, or take photographs of scenery so unspoiled that it feels downright alien? Check.

An #Instagram #Selfie at Gulfoss

How about swim in a geothermal hot spring or heated pool under the midnight sun, or, conversely, experience a 4-hour day where the sun appears just long enough to cast the soft light of morning onto the snowcapped peaks surrounding Reykjavik, before slipping away?

You get the point – the extremes of nature are Iceland’s main selling point, and it’s impossible to overstate how naturally beautiful this place is around every corner, along every road, from the edges of Reykjavik to far-flung fjords and lava fields. Pick a direction and forge your path – it’s impossible to go wrong.

The main reason you shouldn't fear an off-season trip is because the country offers so many activities unique to the time of year – you have no hope of seeing the northern lights when the sun is up at 11pm, for instance. Prices are also much lower in the off-season, sometimes shockingly low if you book well enough in advance. If you're seeking the best compromise between daylight, weather (winter is wet), and price, you might look to late September-early November or March-April.

Even if you’re not really the outdoorsy type, you’d be wasting a trip to not spend at least one day driving the Golden Circle route (or taking a tour – but I prefer driving). This popular tourist trek takes you to three of Iceland’s most notable sights, all accessible in a day-trip from Reykjavik: Thingvellir (Þingvellir) national park, a field of geysers at Haukadalur that erupt like clockwork, and the waterfall at Gullfoss.

Thingvellir National Park

The major roads all over the country are well-maintained and easy for an attentive and cautious driver to navigate in any standard vehicle, but they are usually two lanes and rather twisty at times. Thankfully, there are many places you can pull over and safely take photos. Most roads to the deep (and uninhabited) interior of the country are closed in the off-season and require a 4-wheel drive to navigate even when they’re open, but driving the major highways around the country will be enough for most – the diversity of scenery will impress, and you won’t be outside your comfort and safety zone.

This being my first trip, my home base was in Reykjavik. There is enough to do in Reykjavik to demand its own article, from world-class dining, cute shopping, striking architecture, and museums that range from the historical to the…err, unique! Try the Icelandic Phallological Museum for an educational display of 200 types of mammalian penises! I bought a wooden penis bottle-opener from the (I assume, very lucrative) gift shop.

With quality and geographical isolation comes relatively high prices for commodities – food and drink is expensive year-round, especially alcohol, so be prepared for a little sticker shock. Even fast food tends to be as pricey as a casual sit-down chain back home. Iceland uses its own version of the krona - one krona is roughly equal to an American penny, so the mental conversion math is simple  - 700 krona is about seven dollars. Visa and Mastercard are widely accepted, but don’t even bother bringing your Discover or American Express. Carry some cash.

As I settled into the rental car and prepared to drive the 45 minutes to my hotel in Reykjavik, drenched and frazzled, I wondered if maybe I'd made a terrible mistake. Ultimately, I was proven wrong, just as I knew I would be. If you buck the trend and make an off-season Icelandic escape part of your travel plans, you're sure to discover the magic for yourself.