As I tried to sleep on the five-hour overnight flight from Boston to Reykjavik, Iceland, I wondered how different my experience would be visiting this magical place the second time around.  The first time I visited was in March of 2010…a few months before the Eyjafjallajokull eruption.  In the nine years since then, Iceland has experienced a consistent tourist boom, driving up prices, but also showcasing more of what the country has to offer.

Upon arrival, I could tell that the airport has grown considerably, but everything operated pretty smoothly.  I found the shuttle, was taken to the Reykjavik bus terminal, got into another smaller van and was dropped off at a bus stop about two blocks away from my hotel.

With sunrise around 10:00am and sunset around 4:00pm, I had permission to be a bit lazy at this time of year.  Most of the shops opened up closer to sunrise, so my mornings consisted of eating breakfast at the hotel and then spending time planning the day.

The influx of tourists aided in the locals adding tons of gift shops.  There were trinket shops every few feet, which was exhausting (because I make a habit of going into each one looking for unique gifts!) but I’m glad the selection of products was enthralling.

During the visit, I picked up sweaters, Christmas ornaments, a selection of flavored salts, local chocolate, and artwork.  Be prepared to spend though…one traditional wool sweater can set you back about $200 USD!  It wasn’t easy to find, but I went with a mixed knit sweater which felt a bit softer to the touch and saved a little money.

A walk to Hallgrimskirkja was a must and a trip to nearby Cafe Loki for lunch was a given.  I loved this place on my first visit and it is still the same gem it was…just busier.  Try their delicious coffee with skyr cake, or maybe their rye bread ice cream (sounds crazy, but it’s really good!)

A half-day trip to the Blue Lagoon was obviously on the list, but with the influx of tourists…I thought that perhaps I should have ventured to one of the less famous hot springs, which would have provided me with a more unique experience.  Don’t get me wrong, the Blue Lagoon is still amazing, but experiences are always more interesting if you feel like one of the few outsiders.  The Blue Lagoon is very expensive and filled with ALL tourists…just keep that in mind.

The highlight of this trip was a two-day excursion to the South Coast!  I’d considered renting a car, but this tour had everything I wanted in one bundle.  I booked with “I Heart Reykjavik” and I know others on our 2-day Arctic Adventures spent a little more, so I think booking ahead online, early, was in our favor.

The first day was a whirlwind of sites.  After going to a grocery store to get snacks, we made our first stop to see Seljalandsfoss, an awesome waterfall that you can walk behind.  It was pretty icy in late November, so I didn’t go behind the falls, but it was beautiful just the same.

Next, we stopped on the road to see where Eyjafjallajokull, the famous volcano, erupted.

Then it was on to Skogafoss, another nice waterfall that always has a rainbow in the mist when the sun is out.

Reynisfjara was our stop for lunch.  There was a nice, warm cafe and those that wanted to keep exploring could walk out t the black sand beach, basalt columns and view “The Hammer of Thor” rock formation jutting into the ocean.

Along the journey, we were also able to see glimpses of animals here and there.  We saw wild horses, sheep, and reindeer on this section of the trip.  We continued on to the village of Vik to use the restrooms in the little shopping center and get more snacks and groceries for the next day’s lunch.  Then it was time to head to the hotel.  We arrived around 6:30pm.  We received our room assignments, settled in and met for dinner as a group at 7:45pm.  (I highly recommend the Arctic Char, a smaller, thinner version of salmon.)  Our group waited until 10:00pm or so and then we bundled up and went out the back door of our building to watch for the Northern Lights.  Luckily there was activity occurring, but to our surprise, we were not taken to a totally pitch-black area to view the lights.  We just had to stay near the back of the hotel, in view of a few houses with their porch lights on and with ambient light from our building.  So although we saw the Northern Lights, they looked faded and subdued to the naked eye.  They were best seen by taking long-exposure photos.  Either way, once your eyes adjusted to the dark, the lights (even a little faded) were mesmerizing to watch.

The next morning we enjoyed a buffet breakfast (included in our package) and then set off to the Jokulsarlon Ice Lagoon.  We were able to take some beautiful pictures just before sunrise before we needed to load up in a Super Jeep to travel to the glacier.

We had a very bumpy 20-minute ride (lots of fun!) and then we had to put on our hard hats and ice cleats to walk another 20 minutes to get near the ice cave opening.

The ice cave was amazing.  We walked around the opening very easily, enjoying the way the light made the ice look in different areas.  Then we tunneled deep into the cave, almost on hands and knees at certain points.  Our guide explained that these natural caves develop often and the ice we were touching on the inside is the oldest, estimated at 3,000 years old!

After a brief walk on the outside of the glacier to experience a real ice walk, we headed back to the lagoon parking area and ate lunch.  Then we crossed the road and only traveled a few minutes to “Diamond Beach,” which was also awesome.  Chunks of the glacier wash up on this beach.  the ice was so clear and the sky was so clear and sunny, it made the ice appear to be glowing.  Simply beautiful.  With a group of seals playing in the water nearby, it was a perfect moment.

It was mostly a straight shot back to Reykjavik, with another stop to use the restroom facilities in Vik.  We made it back to our respective hotels at a decent time that evening and had so many memories to process from our excursion.

Iceland did not disappoint.  This time around I stayed for a longer period of time and went at the correct time of year to see the Northern Lights.  I also lucked out and had 7 straight days of perfect weather with no wind and bright sunshine.  There are still things I wished I could have experienced (I didn’t get to eat reindeer or shark, or walk to the local lighthouse – supposedly amazing for Northern Light watching for locals) but I’m so happy I was able to experience all that I did on this trip.  The seafood delicacies were amazing, the people are friendly, the handicrafts are very unique and the natural wonders are out of this world.