Iceland holds a special place in my heart. It is the country that awakened my adventurous spirit and forever changed the way I travel. Before visiting this Nordic island nation, located just beneath the Arctic Circle, I thought “vacationing” meant going somewhere warm and tropical to rest and relax. I never envisioned myself on a trip that included treks to snow-capped mountains and volcanic valleys in the bitter cold. Never did I think that I’d enjoy a vacation that took me so far out of my element. But Iceland taught me that life and magic lie at the end of my comfort zone.
We booked flights to Iceland on a whim, after a few seemingly random coincidences:
All signs, emotional and financial, pointed to Iceland as our next vacation destination. The rest is history recounted here. For me, this blog post is a collection of treasured memories from one of my favorite trips of all time. For you, it is a travel guide that I hope will inspire Muslim travelers to go on daring adventures.
To keep things digestible, I’ve split this blog post into two parts. The first part (below), focuses on the planning process and includes everything we learned and did to prepare for our adventure in Iceland. Part two is centered on what we ate and saw once we got there. Basically, part one is what to know before you go, and part two is what to do after you arrive.
Iceland and Greenland were settled by Norwegian Vikings in the 9th and 10th centuries, making them relatively “young” countries by settlement standards. The Vikings purposefully misnamed Iceland and Greenland to confuse their enemies, hoping their adversaries would go to ice-covered Greenland instead of pursuing them to the more inhabitable and greener Iceland.
Iceland is a living geological masterpiece with exceptional natural beauty and extraordinarily varied scenery. Its landscape consists of rugged glaciers, thundering waterfalls, imposing mountains, thermal lagoons, rocky beaches, and intense volcanic activity set underneath vivid skies. It is a country of extremes; where hot bubbling earth lies next to fields of snow. This is why Iceland is called “The Land of Fire and Ice.”
The Land of Fire & Ice
The majesty of Iceland has an ineffable quality. Nothing can describe the sense of awe and wonder you feel at every vista. No country in this world has seemed so otherworldly to me as Iceland, which has made it the perfect backdrop for epic fantasy movies such as Interstellar, Batman, Thor, Star Wars, and even the hit TV saga, Game of Thrones.
My deep love for Iceland is rooted in its unparalleled landscape that provides a glimpse into how our planet was sculpted by the hand of God. From the volcanic craters to the ice caves, Iceland is an example of the artistry, power, and the might of Allah, Al-Badī, the Unprecedented Originator, the Incomparable Inventor.
Iceland is home to some of the greatest forces of nature, including volcanoes. Iceland has a lot of volcanoes. More than 130. In fact, the entire island is “alive” with volcanic activity and experiences an eruption every 4 years. These volcanic eruptions can send plumes of smoke and ash into the air grounding flights, spew lava onto the land affecting farmland, and cause evacuations of local residents. But the same volcanic mountains that scorch the surface also generate the geothermal energy that heats up Icelandic homes. About 85% of the total energy supply is derived from domestically produced renewable resources. Instead of burning a ton of harmful fossil fuels, Iceland harnesses geothermal energy and hydropower making it one of the most eco-friendly, nature-loving, tree-hugging countries in the world. Hooray!
A geothermal power plant located at the base of an active volcano
You’re probably not surprised to learn that tourism is Iceland’s biggest industry. In the early 2000s, Iceland popped up on everyone’s radar because the country’s banking system collapsed, a huge volcano erupted and no one could pronounce its name (Eyjafjallajökull), Icelandic budget airliner WOW Air launched, and a bunch of Hollywood hits were filmed there. Oh and mega Bollywood cinematic duo Shah Rukh Khan and Kajol reunited in a song, also filmed in Iceland, to once again give you unrealistic expectations of love and climate-appropriate dress code.
Only leave footprints and snow angels behind
Even though Icelanders embraced Christianity long ago, their culture continues to be heavily influenced by the Nordic religion of their Viking ancestors. Specifically, Norse mythology plays a big part in the festivals, traditions, and celebrations of the country. If you don’t know what Norse mythology is, it’s what brought us the stories of Thor and his bulging biceps magical hammer, Odin Allfather and his throne in Asgard, and the nine mystical realms. Yeah, I'm a little nerdy 🤓.
Icelanders are usually friendly and courteous, but they do do some things differently. In this section, I’m going to share a few local customs and facts about the population to make your day-to-day interactions in Iceland easier and reduce surprises:
You must shower before jumping into a pool or hot spring in Iceland
Everyone scattered because no one wants Saad’s cooties LOL just kidding
Iceland only has two seasons: summer and winter. The summer months of June, July, and August are characterized by long days with nearly 24 hours of daylight and temperatures ranging between 50°F - 55°F (10°C - 13°C). Winter begins in October and lasts until April, with temperatures hovering around 32°F (0°C). The winter months, particularly December, are characterized by long nights with almost 24 hours of darkness/twilight. To put this into perspective, the sun will rise around 11 am in December and set by 3 or 4 pm so you’ll have a maximum of 5 hours of light. Comparatively in June, the sun will rise at 3 am and set after 11 pm for only 3 hours.
What 10:30 pm in Iceland looks like during the month of May
The best things I packed for our Iceland trip was this blanket scarf and knitted leg-warmers
The best time to visit Iceland varies based on what you’re looking to do because different activities are available in the summer vs. winter. On a high level, the endless summer days are ideal for experiencing the Midnight Sun, hiking to volcanoes and waterfalls, and general sightseeing. The dark winter nights are the only time you can see the legendary Northern Lights and explore the ice caves. Things like the Golden Circle tours, Blue Lagoon, and other hot natural baths are open year-round, although they will be more expensive and crowded during the summer.
Here are more pros and cons of visiting Iceland in each season:
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Snowmobiling conditions are best at the beginning and end of winter
Since Iceland is an island nation, there are only two ways to get there: by plane or by a 55-hour ferry from Denmark.
Let’s start with the more conventional option, which is to fly in. Iceland has two main airports, Keflavík International Airport (KEF) located in the south and Akureyri International Airport (AEY) located in the north. Most travelers who fly to Iceland will land at Keflavík because it is the country’s main transportation hub and the headquarters of Icelandair. Compared to other airports, Keflavík is on the nicer and modern side of the spectrum, providing travelers with free WiFi, family rooms, phone charging stations, clean bathrooms, showers, and good food and refreshment options.
If you prefer slow travel and want to take a truly unique journey to Iceland, Smyril Line operates a year-round ferry from Denmark to Iceland, called the M/S Norröna. The Norröna is a blend of freight ship, passenger ferry, and cruise ship. Although it lacks the fancy trimmings characteristic of luxury ocean liners, it still has decent cabins, restaurants, and amenities. Passengers can even load their cars and campervans onto it. What the Norröna lacks in bougieness fanciness, it makes up for in super scenic views. On your (approximately 2 day) voyage aboard the Norröna, you’ll pass by mountain peaks dusted with snow, waterfalls running down green hills, exotic birds, migrating whales, artsy towns, and stop in the spectacular Faroe Islands along the way.
On the Norröna, you'll pass by green mountains and fjords
After you’ve figured out how you’re going to get to Iceland, the next step is to choose your lodging. Your days in Iceland will be spent outside doing adventurous things, so some people may think, “Who cares what my hotel looks like, I’ll barely be there. Let’s go with the cheapest option.” But trust me friend, you’ll want to retreat to a nice hotel at night where you can comfortably rest your achy feet. The quality, service, and location of your hotel matter because outside of the cities, Iceland is mostly untouched, uninhabited land with small towns and villages spread across the country. Saad and I opted to make Reykjavík, the largest city, our home base so we could be walking distance to the highly rated restaurants, marina, and stores.
We stayed at the Black Pearl, a 5-star apartment hotel (not Jack Sparrow’s pirate ship). Instead of rooms, an apartment hotel consists of fully furnished suites that include a kitchen, bedroom, living area, and bathroom. These suites are serviced like a hotel, meaning they are cleaned everyday, you can order room service, get your laundry done, speak to a concierge, etc. The Black Pearl suites are impeccably designed, spacious, and were the coziest haven to come back to after long days exploring the Icelandic hinterlands. Best of all, the Black Pearl is located steps from the city center and has free garage parking for your rental car. I’d highly recommend this hotel, especially if you’re traveling with a family in tow.
Exterior of the Black Pearl and the bedroom in our suite
Kitchen and living area
Other hotels I’d recommend in Reykjavík are:
As you can tell, Saad and I (read: just me) did a lot of research and planning before we headed to Iceland. Iceland isn’t a regular country; it’s a cool country (see what I did there?) full of natural wonders. If you don’t plan out your trip in advance, you may end up landing in the dead of winter, get shunned for not following proper public etiquette, pick a hotel in the middle of nowhere, or worse, find yourself stuck because of a volcanic eruption.
By now, you should be well equipped to plan the details of your trip and hopefully, like we were, ready for an unforgettable adventure. In part II of my Iceland blog post, I’ll take you through the southern part of the island highlighting what to eat and do when you get there. It’s going to be epic, like the moment this picture was taken 😎.