Iceland in Winter

From the overlook at Thingvellir

Dates of trip: 21 Dec – 28 Dec 2022
Number of travelers: Just me
Type of travel: Six day tour around the country

Akureyri

The gods of old reside in Iceland.  Beyond the refined Nordic aesthetic, a wildness claims the land.  From the volcanic soil to the glaciers to the sharp peaks above the fjords, the wind carries a spirit that touches the soul.  

Gullfoss

The first thing I learned about Iceland was that the weather rules.  My arriving flight was delayed a day due to the weather and everything after followed suit.  The buffers I had built into my trip saved my tour around the country.  However, I did not get the time in Reykjavik that I had wanted.

I traveled with only a carry-on and a personal item.  The backpack I used is described in this blog post. 

Where the ocean and mountains meet

While I was waiting in the airport for about 12 hours as my flight kept being pushed further and further back, I envied the rolling luggage.  Those moved with ease throughout the airport without any strain on the back.  My backpack and its daypack had to be lugged everywhere.  The bathroom proved exceptionally difficult as I hung the packs and my coat on the provided hooks so that nothing touched the floor.  On the planes, my backpack fit nicely in the overhead bins while the daypack stuffed itself with my coat on top under the seat.  When I got off the plane in Keflavik and headed out to the bus, I no longer envied that rolling luggage.  Travelers struggled as they wheeled their boxes through the slush and snow and over the ice.

Midday sun in Reykjavik

Iceland uses earthmovers to remove snow from the roads and walkways.  Volcanic dust/rock is thrown on top for traction the way we used to use cinders.  However, that doesn’t mean there isn’t a layer of packed snow and perhaps ice on either the road or sidewalk.  This makes it extremely easy to fall while site seeing or shopping.

A blizzard on Christmas

To me, the country did not feel all that cold.  Expect temperatures below freezing at all times.  Depending on where we were and the time of day, temperatures ranged from about 30F for highs and in the teens for lows.  However, the wind bit hard.  Many of my tour mates, especially those from warmer places, did not prepare for the cold well.  I watched plenty of tourists from all over buy warmer hats, scarves, gloves, et cetera, in the shops for themselves. Being from western Pennsylvania helped me not feel the cold at times.  But even after a windy day, I did not return to the bus shivering like the others.  I wore proper layers consisting of wool, fleece, and windproof items.

Rugged white and black landscape

Every day had so much to see in the limited daylight.  The sun rose at 11:30 and set at 3:30.  With the sun never getting any higher in the sky than roughly 30 degrees from the horizon, daylight is more of a perpetual twilight.  The sky began to lighten somewhere around 10:00.  Darkness set in roughly at 4:30.  However, the snow helped brighten the landscape.  After a couple of days, I got used to the daylight to darkness ratio.

A view from inside an ice cave

I enjoyed everything we were able to do on our tour.  The waterfalls are spectacular.  Walking through the ice caves was incredible.  Driving through the fjords was breathtaking.  The weather canceled horseback riding and whale watching.  When the road to our next destination closed, we got stranded in a small finishing village in the fjords.  I ran around in the knee deep snow like a child, taking pictures.  The country is beautiful.  I fell in love with Iceland as it awakened my wild spirit.  I look forward to my return.