Getting to the Base Camp

We booked the tour from the Into the Glacier company web site. Booking in advance is strongly encouraged. The way it works is depending on the tour you get there is a specific address to which you have to drive to. We got their best seller tour and our meeting point was here. It is pretty remote and you go via some rough gravel roads. 4×4 vehicle is required.

They have a small base camp a mile or so next to the entrance into the Langjokull glacier. Once you arrive you leave your car and they dress you and drive you to the actual glacier entrance. You are transported in these giant trucks with tires which on a first glance seem severely deflated. That however is on purpose in order to have better traction against the ice.

Into the Glacier

Once there each group follows their tour guide into the glacier. Inside your first stop is an orientation room where you are given instructions. These cover how to explore the glacier and also how to put those special spikes for your boots so you have better traction against the ice. It is chilly inside. Even with the extra clothing, they give you it is somewhat cold. We were there with our three-year-old son at the time and he did not appreciate it very much. What makes it even more interesting is that there is water dripping from the ceilings constantly. Other than that it is an awesome experience. They do give you enough time to stop and take pictures etc.

You have to be careful if you are caring for high-end photo equipment. It goes without saying that if you are planning to take high-end photos inside you would need a flash. Tripods are allowed but it will be tricky to carry them inside. In some places, it is somewhat dark and not easy to see so be careful. During our tour, there were at least three people with high-end cameras and flashes but nobody other than us carried a tripod.

Tour Details

The entire duration of the tour is close to four hours. That includes the drive from the base camp and back. You walk for about an hour. There are various rooms that you either explore as a group or gather there for tour guide instructions and information. Some of the rooms are very nicely lit while others are practically underwater. Depending on the season some parts of the tunnels are not as well maintained as others.

There was no food or water on the trucks. Make sure you bring both with you. Water especially. Tour guides were very nice and all were locals living nearby. Pice-wise we thought the tour was worth the money. It is not every day that you walk under one of the biggest glaciers in the world. We definitely recommend it.

Links

• Into the Glacier Official Web Site
• Directions to the Klaki base camp

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Iceland was a dream for us. A dream which was in the form of a checkbox in a travel wish list for a very long time. Even now after we spend more than ten days there it feels like one. Maybe because it is one of those countries that once you been there you want to be back that much more. It is up to this day by far the most amazing travel experience we ever had. No other country felt as pure and virgin nature wise and as beautiful to us. It is like Hawaii and Alaska had a baby together and named it Iceland.

The Ring Road

To us the only way to truly experience a country is to drive/travel through it. Iceland has a perfect road going through most of its “treasures” called “The Ring Road”. Quite famous and popular among experienced and novice travelers alike. It is about 1,332 kilometers (828 mi) in length. We drove on it for the majority of the time we spend in Iceland. You can find tons of various itineraries online suggesting different attractions based on the number of days you want to drive on the Ring Road etc. We did our own since we traveled with our 3-year-old son and we loved everything about it.

Food, water, and supplies we got from the super-markets next to the airport and in the few cities we passed by. We stayed in a different hotel every night on our road trip. If you are not traveling with a small child camping is a big thing in Iceland. We were just not that brave back then, next time however most likely we would be 🙂

Needless to say, a 4×4 car would be preferred if you plan to go on the Ring Road and especially if you want to go on the gravel roads (which most insurances tell you not to). We rented a Kia SUV 4×4 and went everywhere we wanted to without any issues.

Things to See

The list of things to see in Iceland is enormous. It is not just the main attractions but everywhere you go you want to stop and enjoy the views and pause for a few moments. Experienced hikers would probably have an even larger list and I can not even imagine the beauty you would find at those known and unknown trails. Here are things we were able to see and experience:

Hallgrimskirkja church & Reykjavík (Iceland capital)

Our trip started and ended in Reykjavik and we spend about three days there. A beautiful and clean city with colorful streets and buildings. We walked around the city exploring the many cafes and restaurants there.
The main part of the city where the famous Hallgrimskirkja church is located was especially nice.

The Blue Lagoon, Grindavík

Not sure how much of an introduction is needed here really. The iconic Blue Lagoon is as world-famous and it is as amazing as everyone says it is. A very unique experience and extremely relaxing. It was packed however so those of you who think it would be just you (like in most advertising materials) … think again. Regardless it is an absolute must-see/experience.

Other Geothermal Spas

Just like Blue Lagoon, there are plenty others similar geothermal spas spread around the populated areas. We went to every chance we had.

Langjokull, Iceland’s second largest glacier

We started our trip with a crazy tour into the Langjokull glacier. They basically carefully dug an entire tunnel under the glacier and via these enormous trucks, you get to it. Then you get to explore it inside for about two hours. The experience is amazing. Click on the link above to learn more.

Jökulsárlón / Glacier Lagoon

Another unbelievable place. Also, world-famous and surprisingly not as packed as we though it would be. My heart still hurts thinking about how our drone crashed the day before we got to the Glacier Lagoon!

There are various boat tours that we now wish we did in the Glacier Lagoon. Do yourself a favor and book one of them before you head that way. You would not be sorry you did!

Goðafoss Waterfall 

Another world-famous attraction in Iceland. Not sure how to adequately describe it so I would let the photos bellow do the “talking” (although they hardly do any justice). You can see more in the video in the post header.
There was a large parking lot as well as a restaurant and a gift shop. The place was quite busy but if you are there in the late afternoon it gets better. We loved this place so much that we came back again to see it the next day.

Dettifoss Waterfall

In Vatnajökull National Park in Northeast Iceland, you find another amazing waterfall. Dettifoss was by far the largest waterfall we witnessed and the most impressive in terms of size and amount of water that was running through.

Skógafoss Waterfall

Situated on the Skógá River in the south of Iceland at the cliffs of the former coastline lies the Skógafoss waterfall. Definitely worth stopping by and admiring the view.

Gullfoss Waterfall

Gullfoss is located in the canyon of the Hvítá river in southwest Iceland. We were surprised by somewhat of bad weather while visiting this awesome waterfall and the fact that was so extremely wet around the viewpoint made it very difficult to take good pictures.

Kirkjufell Mountain, Grundarfjördur

Mt. Kirkjufell is another landmark made famous by various movies and shows (Game of Thrones among them).

The Arctic Henge, Raufarhöfn

Located in one of Iceland’s most remote northern villages, the Arctic Henge is a colossal monument inspired by the mythical world of the Eddic poem Völuspá. Getting to it was a dangerous experience for us. There was not anything even remotely resembling life around us during the 3+ hours we drove. Everything around us looked like it was left for dead for centuries. You start to visualize yourself traveling on the road and looking from a bird’s view and thinking “Where are we going!?”. But in the end was worth it. How many people can say that they crossed the Arctic Circle and were inside the Arctic Henge? 🙂

Kerið, Golden Circle

A volcanic crater lake located in the Grímsnes area in south Iceland. One of the attractions along the famous Golden Circle route.

Geysir Hot Springs, Golden Circle

Another must-see if you are on the Golden Circle route. Quite fascinating and popular. There is plenty of parking and various restaurants and places to rest.

Reynisdrangar & Reynisfjara Black Beach

Reynisdrangar are basalt sea stacks situated under the mountain Reynisfjall near the village Vík í Mýrdal, southern Iceland which is framed by a black sand beach that was ranked in 1991 as one of the ten most beautiful non-tropical beaches in the world.

The Mossy Lava Fields

Moss is a common plant in Iceland. It grows abundantly and in many places, it would not be an attraction. Here however it covers entire lava fields and it looks out of this world. One of the most spectacular moss blankets is located on the southern coast of Iceland, over the Eldraun Lava Field.

Lóndrangar Pillars

We really did not plan to visit Lóndrangar but it was a stop right on the Ring Road and we noticed cars and busses stopping. Se we did as well 🙂

Turf Houses

Among the road you can see few of these. Quite fascinating.

Icelandic Sheep

Wild horses and Icelandic sheep were among the few living beings we met during our trip.

Links

Here are some useful links to have in mind when planning your trip:

1. Iceland Official Web Site
2. Hotels in Iceland

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