Instagramming Iceland

gulfoss in iceland

Iceland was magical. With only a few days in the country, I was limited in time but what I did see completely bowled me over. Autumn turned the landscape into a carpet of ochres and reds and patches of mossy green; the weather was so unpredictable that I kept having to remind myself I was in the same country from one minute to the next. Driving the Golden Circle (to Gullfoss, Thingvellir and Geysir) in a day brought some unexpected weather karma too – buckets of sideways sleet and rain would accompany the drive from one place to another, with the sun bursting through the moment the car stopped and it was time to get out.

The long weekend was a perfect marriage of otherworldly scenery and good vodka; days were spent in the car outside Reykjavik or roaming the capital’s streets and nights out bar-hopping with the locals, who know how to party. I’ll be posting on where to find cheap food in town as it’s quite an expensive city, but for now I will leave you with some of the photos from my trip.

Reykjavík & the Golden Circle Drive

Photos from Iceland: Gullfoss and the Golden Circle Drive
Gullfoss, misty and beautiful.

Photos from Iceland: Gullfoss and the Golden Circle Drive
A break in the clouds on the Golden Circle drive.

Photos from Iceland: Thingvellir
Me capturing the scene in Thingvellir.

Reykjavik advertisement
Reykjavik advertisement begs its own question.

Cod miso soup at Sushibarinn
Cod miso soup at Sushibarinn.

Reykjavik harbor, Iceland
Reykjavik harbour

Photos from Iceland: Reykjavik
Hallgrimskirkja church in Reykjavik.

Cod and curry sauce in Reykjavik, Iceland
Cod and curry sauce with grilled potatoes in Reykjavik.

Thingvellir, Iceland
Thingvellir, Iceland: tectonic shifts, continental drifts & gorgeous scenery.

Another from Thingvellir, Iceland
Another from Thingvellir.

Autumn in Iceland
Autumn in Iceland

One of many rainbows on the Iceland Golden Circle
One of many rainbows on the drive.

Beautiful drive around the Golden Circle in Iceland
Beautiful drive. My face hurt from smiling so much.

Shooting geyser photos in the mist.
Shooting geyser photos in the mist.

Lamb from Fishmarket, in Rekyjavik
Lamb from Fishmarket, in Rekyjavik

A geysir in Geysir, Iceland
A geysir in Geysir, Iceland.

A sliver of sun in the clouds, Iceland
A sliver of sun in the clouds.

Reflected houses on a street mirror in Reykjavik
Reflected houses on a street mirror in Reykjavik

Vanilla Skyr: breakfast of champions.

Vanilla Skyr in Iceland

Reyka Vodka in Iceland: dinner of champions. (Not a wise move.)

Reyka Vodka in Iceland

And, the goodbye from Icelandair….

Icelandair free stopover in Reykjavik

44 thoughts on “Instagramming Iceland”

  1. Ohhhh, Iceland is gorgeous. I went in the depths of winter, so didn’t get to see as much as I wanted, but I’d go back in a heartbeat. Plus, in winter Gullfoss is almost entirely frozen and it’s spectacular.

    And the meal I had at the Fishmarket is one of the best things I’ve ever eaten – so glad you got to eat there!

    1. Certain things are quite expensive – you can find cheaper food but a ‘cheap’ bowl of soup was approx. 9-10$, whereas you can find much more reasonable options in a city like NY or Madrid. The more expensive restaurants will run you a similar cost to New York’s mid-to-high range places. The groceries have some products that are quite cheap – Skyr, some local cheeses, etc. but imported fruit and vegetables are priced high. Housing was generally reasonable (also, about NYC prices) but for people coming from Asia it’ll be a lot of sticker shock. The gas prices very high, though renting a car was also not too expensive. It definitely adds up!

  2. Looks like you had a spectacular visit to Iceland! Can’t wait to read more about it! I’m especially looking forward to your food recommendations since we’re headed back to Iceland in December. I want to see if you have some new spots for us to try!

  3. Its way too beautiful…and you have captured it nicely…
    Iceland is on top of my bucket list (destination)…Someday soon…

  4. Of all the dream trips in the world, Jodi, this is my dreamiest one. Thank you for reminding me what it is I wanderlust over…

    And congratulations again on the book, lovely one. I am so inspired by you, cannot wait to hold your book in my hands, and cannot wait to give you an in-person hug one of these days! Until then, only love from Boston.

  5. I loved the wide open spaces in Iceland. They were just begging to be photographed.

    These are beautiful shots, Jodi. I’m glad you enjoyed your trip.

  6. Beautiful photos of Iceland – such a diverse landscape! Also love the quirkiness you’ve captured in the small details of Iceland – on labels, signs and reflections :-)

  7. Really enjoyed these photos. I’ve been to Iceland in November and late spring, but never in the earlier autumn that you captured. The colors are beautiful.

  8. “My face hurt from smiling so much.”

    you just described my own experience in Iceland perfectly. I traveled there around Christmas time though, so everything was frozen. So SO gorgeous. I can’t wait to go back!

    – Maria Alexandra

  9. Every time I see pictures of Iceland, I sit down and ask myself why I haven’t been there. This is a must in 2013! Great pictures! They made me home sick for a place I haven’t even been.

  10. Lisa Thornburgh JD

    Hi Jodi,

    Your blog is keeping my sanity intact. I would love to spend the next three years traveling abroad (no funds) but am planning to volunteer my way around…..then its off to train as a solicitor in the UK…..my stint as an American lawyer is not to be. It is wonderful to hear others with legal educations who are following their hearts! Any suggestions on travelling with limited funds via volunteering, teaching is greatly appreciated. Cheers!

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  12. Pingback: Five Ways to Make the Most of a Layover in Reykjavik, Iceland | The Looptail, The Travel Blog Powered By G Adventures

  13. The country looks lovely..The landscapes are amazing!
    Beautiful photos, thanks for sharing ;)

    I always wanted to visit Iceland, but it looks pretty expensive ;(

  14. Great pictures! We will be visiting Reykjavik in October. Can you recommend a hotel and a car rental agency?

  15. Nice shots, we had a great time driving the Golden Circle too.
    If you or anyone else is going back to Reykjavik and as you’re a foodie I can highly recommend the Grillmarkadurinn restaurant. We were drunk from food from the amount of food we stuffed, but every course of their tasting menu was great, brilliant local ingredients and flavours.
    Didn’t think the hot dogs from Beztu Pylsur were that great, but that’s probably because of the hype. Icelandic pizzas with cream cheese are great though.

  16. I am really not sure how I ended up here, but: wow, your pictures are breathtaking!
    My trip there was so spontaneous I ended up having to sleep in our small rental Polo for lack of alternatives… and even then, Iceland is the first place I thought “I have to come back here” the moment we were leaving…

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