My Amazing Trip to Iceland: September 2023

I had the most incredible trip to Iceland in September 2023, and I can’t wait to share my experiences!

Pre-Travel Packing

Before my trip, I spent quite a bit of time researching what to bring for early September in Iceland. The key takeaway: layers and waterproof items are essential. In hindsight, I wish I had packed my ski jacket instead of my cute puffer jacket.

Here’s what I packed:

Warm jacket (should have opted for my waterproof ski jacket)
Raincoat (again, a ski jacket would have been better)
Thin waterproof pants (absolutely the best item I packed)
Snow gloves
Waterproof hiking boots
Warm hat
Lots of layers
My scuba mask and dive computer (even though I rented gear—something I usually avoid—I still prefer my own mask and dive computer)
Reusable water bottle
Small backpack
Leave-in conditioner
Chapstick
Hand lotion
Sunscreen

For more detailed packing advice, check out Arctic Adventures’ fantastic blog post on what to bring for each month—I highly recommend it!

The Flight and Bus Transfer

We flew Icelandair from BWI to KEF, and I absolutely recommend this airline! Icelandair is clean, efficient, and all-around a great choice. Just a heads up: if you fly Icelandair, make sure to arrive at the airport early. The check-in counters for all four of our Icelandair flights didn’t open until what felt like just before the flight time, leading to long lines.

Customs and security in Iceland were efficient and easy to navigate. After that, we hopped on the Flybus to our hotel. We did have to transfer from the main Flybus to a smaller van at a hub, which took us very close to our hotel.

Tip: Book your Flybus ticket in advance!

Be warned—taxis can be quite expensive in Iceland. A one-way ride from the airport to your hotel could set you back as much as $200!

What I love about Icelandair is their stopover program. We booked our round-trip flights from BWI to Glasgow with a 5-day stopover in Iceland, and it was totally worth it. I’ll definitely do it again!

Book your Flybus ticket in advance!

The Hotel

We stayed at Grandi by Center Hotels in Reykjavik. The location is unbeatable. SO close to all the great restaurants, shopping, and the Northern Lights Museum. We did have some issues with check-in, but overall the hotel was great. Breakfast was a great mix of regular breakfast items and Icelandic breakfast items. You must try skyr (Icelandic yogurt).

I enjoyed walking around the area surrounding the hotel and stopping in lots of cute shops. I’m a huge fan of the Icelandic wool hand knitted sweaters and the cute felt Icelandic elves.

A cute and colorful street just outside the hotel

Arctic Adventures

I booked all of my adventures through Arctic Adventures and I AM SO GLAD I DID! First and foremost, communicating with the team was SO easy. I truly appreciated working with Byron and Mattia. They both made the planning process so easy, just can’t say enough good things! Despite bad weather on the first day, they really came through with a fun day of activities.

I booked the:

Golden Circle Tour
Glacier Hike
South Iceland Day Tour
Silfra 2 Tank Scuba
Northern Lights Tour

Non-diving Activities

Sky Lagoon

Sky Lagoon is my FAVORITE! I highly recommend the Sky Pass so you can partake in the 7 step ritual (and step inside the most gorgeous sauna with the best view). The changing areas were immaculately kept, the views and infinity edge were so cool, and the bar had excellent choices. I could have stayed in the Sky Lagoon all day! Getting there is easy from Reykjavik, a quick taxi ride and you are there.

I really enjoyed the sunset from the infinity edge with a glass of champagne.

You have to book ahead of time!

Blue Lagoon

There is not enough hair conditioner in the world to repair my hair after lounging in the Blue Lagoon. The Blue Lagoon is considerably larger and more crowded than the Sky Lagoon. I’m glad I went, but I wouldn’t go again.

The face masks were nice and I enjoyed the bar BUT the lagoon waters dried my hair out and it took weeks to re-condition my hair. If you decide to go, literally dunk your head in a jar of conditioner before setting out.

Geysir

The Geysir center had a super cute gift shop with cardigans, sweaters, and cute felt Icelandic elves (my favorite of the Iceland lore). The actual Geysir area was cool and there were a few good shows!

Waterfalls

I am a HUGE fan of all the waterfalls. We went to SO many waterfalls during the Southern Iceland and Golden Circle Tours. Simply amazing, can’t say enough good things. If you can go see a waterfall in Iceland - do it.

The Horses

The.Friendliest. Creatures.On.The.Planet. I could have stayed and hung out with the cute horses all day. They also have a pretty neat story about how they trot and basically it looks like their bodies are not moving. Definitely worth a google, Icelandic horses are amazing.

Glacier Hike

I really enjoyed the glacier hike part of the trip. We got to put on crampons and hike on a glacier! How cool is that? The tour guide was incredible and we had so much fun! The photos and videos I took just don’t do it justice.

a glacier in Iceland — SÓLHEIMAJÖKULL GLACIER

The Northern Lights

WE SAW THE NORTHERN LIGHTS! We got lucky and saw the lights. Absolutely breathtaking. We had to go to several spots, the guide was meticulously tracking the solar activity to ensure we had the best opportunity to see the lights. His hard work paid off! We saw the lights around 0100 though and it was COLD. Make sure you bring layers!

Silfra Fissure Scuba Diving

The whole reason I really wanted to visit Iceland was to scuba dive in the iconic Silfra Fissure. What makes this dive spot so amazing is that you are 1) diving in Glacier water (so it is crystal clear) and 2) you can touch the North American and European continental plates.

Arctic Adventures has this dive site down to a science. They had a heating van for in-between dives, the best drysuits/gloves/hoods/gear, warm hot chocolate, and amazing dive guides. I was lucky enough to have a professional photo taken by a world class scuba photographer (literally, one of the most famous and talented in the world), Byron Conroy! I feel so fortunate to have this memory captured so well!

Me diving between the North American and European Continental Plates in Silfra

Helpful Iceland Travel Tips:

Bring layers and waterproof options
BOOK AHEAD OF TIME
Be flexible
Enjoy the sweet pastries! Deig Workshop in Reykjavik is the best place for donuts.
Be ready to walk around!
Have a great time :)
Be mindful of costs. Iceland is a bit on the expensive side.