Iceland
This was one of our families’ favorite European trips - and it all started with a stopover in Iceland on the way. It did require an extended time to go and to plan, but it was worth it to see so many amazing cities and have our kids be amazed at the difference in cultures. Iceland is a great place to stop from the USA to Europe for a few days and acclimate to the time change and see a stunning country. After visiting Iceland, we flew on to see London, Paris and Amsterdam. However, you can fly from Iceland to numerous European cities.
Travel Itinerary
Day One
Day Two
Day Two
Travel Day: we flew overnight direct via Icelandair into Keflavikairport (KEF).
10:00 a.m. – Arrived, picked up our rental car and we drove straight to the Blue Lagoon. If I had one piece of advice when traveling to Iceland, it would be to go here straight from the airport if your arrival time works when it is open. This is a relaxing place filled with healing waters, a subterranean spa and a place to detox and unwind. It is an artificial lake supplied by water from a geothermal power station. Drawn up under high pressure, the water is heated to the perfect temperature by volcanic activity. It offers a swim up bar, free face masks and other add ons of your choice. It was a great start to our vacation!
3:00 p.m.: checked in at the Kvosin Downtown hotel. This was the perfect spot for our family of 6. Two bedrooms a mini kitchen and right downtown walking distance to everything! There is a vintage inspired bar in lobby which is perfect to grab a cocktail and appetizers.
5:00 p.m. – We ate an early dinner at Bastards brew and pub which is right near the famous Rainbow Street (great for pictures!).
Day Two
Day Two
Day Two
9:30 a.m. – We stopped by Braud & Co Fresh for their famous cinnamon rolls. Worth a stop!
10:00 a.m. – We departed for our drive on the Golden Circle Adventure. This takes about 6-8 hours so you need to plan an entire day.
11:00 a.m. - Þingvellir (Thingvellir) National Park (45-minute drive). Here we visited Pingvallavatn lake, langjokull glacier and oxararfoss waterfall
12:00 p.m. – we stopped at Efstidalur for ice cream and snacks. Notice below the cows in background for the milk!
1:30 p.m. – We drove to the Great Geyser and Gulfoss Waterfall.
2:30 p.m. – We stopped at Friðheimar which is an amazing dining experience. Everything on the menu is made from tomatoes. The tomato soup was out of this world! While you wait for your meal, you can walk around the greenhouse to see how they grow their varieties of tomatoes. We even tried tomato ice cream while there! The ambiance on the patio is reminiscent of relaxing on an outdoor patio in Napa. It was perfection!
4:00 p.m. – we stopped at Krio Crater Lake before heading back to our hotel
6:00 p.m. – we ate dinner at Snaps Bistro in downtown which has a French bistro style ambience and French inspired food menu. It was delicious.
We fly to London the next morning to continue our European journey; so back to the hotel after dinner to pack up and get some rest.
