Why Iceland is a Great Place for a Solo Tour
Iceland is a great place for a solo tour. Everyone speaks English (and Icelanders speak it so well that they can be both funny and cynical in their responses and observations). I lucked out on my journey because, although weather reports in the weeks preceding my trip forecasted constant rain and cold, every day that I was there was sunny and relatively warm. Iceland’s clean air, clean water, and sparkling Northern Lights were spread before me like a luminous gift for a solo tour. I can’t take credit for my weather luck, though. It was autumn, and the icy blasts had not yet begun to pummel the island.
Travel Lite: Just a Daypack and a Purse!
On my eternal quest to jettison luggage when I travel, I traveled to Iceland with a day pack and a purse. Did my daypack’s worth of clothes suffice for my five-day (NOT enough) trip to Iceland? Já! And I have to report that not only did I have everything I needed, I loved the ease of traveling without luggage.
Travel Lies: Ignore the Weather Reports
I can’t take all credit for traveling light, though: I’m sure that the weather contributed—it was sunny and relatively warm every day (and I ditched my rain pants because the zipper broke the first time I wore them—on a boat to see the Northern Lights). My waterproof hiking books lasted only a bit longer (I should have road tested them a LOT more than I did). I ended up painfully hobbling down the main drag, Laugavegur Street.
Icelanders: Keep Calm and Carry On
My flight to Iceland on Icelandair was calm and pleasant. I felt very comfortable as a solo tour-taker. When I arrived I took the Airport Direct bus (airportdirect.is) from Keflavik airport to my hotel, but there are many other companies and all are more or less the same cost, I believe. Reykjavik has a wonderful system of numbered bus stops, so any tour or transportation is made easy when you tell a company to pick you up or drop you off at Bus Stop #10 or another numbered stop. Any online map of Reykjavik will have the numbered bus stops.
Hotel Phoenix: Quirky Solo Tour Digs
I stayed at the Hotel Phoenix (Laugavegur 140), a small and kind of quirky place (and very very quiet) on the main drag of Reykjavik. The hotel was a bit removed from the action—it was on the opposite end of the street from the Old City, government buildings, the pond, and many restaurants and shops. That seemed fine at first (except when I realized that I wanted to go to a restaurant on the other side of town and was too lazy—and hobbling—to walk for 20 minutes).
The hotel has chandeliers, oriental carpets, and some plastic flowers. It is run by two very low key and kind men. The large breakfast is lovely……bread, cheese, meat, skyr (Icelandic yogurt), orange juice, and tea or coffee. I made sure that I stayed at a place with breakfast, since food is so expensive in Iceland, and I needed something to last me most of the day.
Iceland: Day Trips on a Solo Tour
There are many tour companies that offer day trips or longer trips; most list similar ones. I did mine with Arctic Adventures (adventures.is), and they were good—but of course your tour depends on the personality of the driver/tour guide.
I took two all-day trips with them, one was the Golden Circle and Secret Lagoon (thermal pools in Iceland, whether the expensive and tourist-filled Blue Lagoon or others, are not to be missed), and the other was South Shore Adventure (you can choose to hike on a glacier—or not. All the people I talked to who went on the hike felt that it was worth it). While many of the travelers on the tours were couples or small groups, there were a number of solo tour folks as well. I met some lovely people from different countries, most notably my fellow thermal bathers in Fludir.
Arctic Adventures has many more tours, some more challenging and active and therefore with fewer tourists around.
Place Names That You Will Never Learn to Pronounce
Please note that if you are like me, you will never be able to pronounce the names of the places you will see.
Just for your information, the Golden Circle tour included the Gullfoss Waterfall, Geysir Geothermal Area, and Þingvellir (Thingvellir) National Park, and Secret Lagoon in Fludir, and the South Shore tour included Sólheimajökull Glacier, Reynisfjara Black Sand Beach, Reynisdrangar Basalt Sea Stacks, Skógafoss Waterfall, Seljalandsfoss Waterfall, and Vík in Mýrdalur.
Buses, Cars, and Feet: Exploring Iceland on a Solo Tour
I have mixed feelings about riding on a bus all day to see the sights, but it would have been difficult to reach some places unless I had a car. One solo tour female traveler I met who rented a car and slept in it seemed to be none the worse for wear, but I didn’t want to do it on my own. I did meet very pleasant folks on the tours from all over the world, but the crowds got to me at times (yes, I’m a tourist too and am certainly adding to the 2.5 million tourists who visit Iceland each year, with only 350k people living there).
A very pleasant tour was a “free” (contribute what you like) walking tour in Reykjavik (CityWalk.is); mine was led by Tomas, an absolutely charming and smart history student at the university. I spent one full day exploring Reykjavik, with the walking tour in the morning and an easy walk to the Hallgrimskirkja church (great views from the top) and Einar Jonsson sculpture garden (free, but museum is not) after lunch.
Exploring Reykjavik by Bus on a Solo Tour
I also walked to an outpost for the Reykjavik Film Festival, held yearly. Most of the films took place in town, but the program I attended (an interview with American actor John Hawkes) was at the University of Iceland. I managed to figure out how to take public transport back (pretty easy; they accept correct Icelandic change or a ticket—you can buy bus tickets at some but not all of the tourist offices in town…was told that the office near the center would have them but the line there was too long).
The Pinnacle: Iceland’s Northern Lights
I missed a concert I was planning to hear at the Harpa performing arts center, but my Northern Lights journey took precedence. Definitely visit Harpa, though. They have tours and a pleasant coffee (good desserts) and gift shop.
You can book trips ahead of time, as I did, or when you get there—-there are so many tour companies. I changed the night of my boat trip to see the northern lights because the evening I originally booked was cloudy.
The Elding Whale Watch (Elding.is) boat office was fine about my changing to a night when it was clearer, and it was a transcendent and unforgettable experience. Anyone in your hotel or tourist office can tell you when the clearest nights will be—although the presence of the lights is never guaranteed. Elding also has a web site where one can see the photos they took on a specific night, probably better than my iPhone photos. Elding staff were especially helpful and they have many tours that sound great.
That said, there are no guarantees for seeing the Northern Lights. The subject of whether or not it will be a clear night, whether or not there is the possibility of seeing the lights, and when is the best time to see them is discussed by Icelanders the way in which the British discuss rain. So, if you see them you are fortunate, but if you don’t there are many many other and wondrous sights to see in Iceland. Thank the travel gods for seeing them.
Iceland’s Hot Dogs: Affordable and Beloved
Yes, I did try the hot dogs at Baejarins Beztu Pylsur, perhaps the most popular spot (many Icelanders recommend it). It’s a little hut near the Old Town, down the block from the red post office building, and there you can sit outside, chowing down on a dog with everything (mustard, onions, a mayo-like dressing, etc.) or nothing. I liked the dogs and was told by our charming walking guide that they used to be made of lamb and now have a bit of beef and pork added.
Sorry: No Sheep Heads on my Solo Tour
I really did not eat at any expensive restaurants. My go-to restaurant for three nights (!!!!) was Mai Tai Bistro on Laugavegur, a Thai restaurant near my hotel because 1) I was exhausted from day trips and was too tired to venture further, 2) it was comfortable on a solo tour, 3) it was comparatively cheap, and 4) the chicken pad thai was steaming hot and perfect with a Tsingtao. I also felt comfortable there as a solo tour person. So I didn’t eat and can’t report about the famous fish and lamb, sheep head’s, or other delicacies….sorry.
Crime in Iceland: Only in Murder Mysteries
I have read a lot of books by Arnaldur Indriðason, who writes dark Icelandic murder mysteries, and so was surprised to hear guides talking about how safe it is to travel solo in Iceland. One assured me that Indriðason’s works are purely fiction.
The only time I felt uncomfortable in Reykjavik was waiting at 4:30 am for the bus pickup for the airport and several drunk or drugged solo young guys stumbled into us. We just moved aside. Met lots of solo women travelers and everyone said that they felt very comfortable.
The city is very walkable and pleasant, with wonderful sculptures everywhere you look. Tour people and hotel/restaurant staff are helpful but not obsequious, and they often exhibit a dry sense of humor that illuminates their facility in English.
Iceland Welcome: We Love Tourists
Every Icelander I met was very proud of the country, as they should be—gorgeous views, fascinating island creatures (puffins, birds, whales), commitment to environmental and self-sustaining practices, common sense approaches to living on an island that they say has always been isolated and has developed on its own in a unique way.
Nature has provided challenges—a history of volcanoes erupting, earthquakes rumbling, glaciers disappearing, weather challenging and constantly changing—but there is so much beauty here that it is easy to understand why they love the place. Icelanders exhibit a desire to share the wonders of their country with the many people who visit. I asked several people about how they felt about the presence of so many tourists, and every one I spoke to said, “We love tourists. We want to show them our country.”
This is a wonderful, helpful piece. Thank you!!