Most of the time our trips revolve around escape rooms. Believe it or not we still try to squeeze out time to explore what else these beautiful locations have to offer. Weather you want to plan an escape room tour or a just a vacation, we hope the information is resourceful. This is our first ETR travel guide and we like to take you to no other than the remarkable country of Iceland.
Our journey started in the second largest city in Iceland - Akureyri
- Population: 18,295 (2019)
- Currency: Icelandic króna . Credit cards are widely used.
- Language: Icelandic. English widely used.
- Most common transportation: Taxi (BSO), City Buses (Free), Ferries, Car rental
Because we arrived from a cruise, we only had 6 hours at this destination. With the generous offer from our friend Kristiina (local escape room owner - Escape Akureyri), we were able to visit these regional favorites:
- Sushi Corner – This place is walking distance from the cruise port and right in the middle of town center. Who doesn’t love ALL YOU CAN EAT SUSHI and it’s on a turning table? – The fish were really fresh especially the salmon! They also have a section where you can purchase sushi to go but the price is similar to the all you can eat so it might be worth it to just eat there.
- SS Pylsur – A popular stand for Icelandic hot dogs. There are many different flavors you can chose from ranging from around $2USD - $5USD. We just chose the basic one as we had just finished ALL YOU CAN EAT SUSHI. The flavor was a quite different than the US hot dogs as they are made mostly from Icelandic lamb with a bit of pork and beef.
- Kaffi Ku – If you have a car, you should visit this location. The coffee was amazing, and the most exciting part is that this café is located on cow farm. We’ve never seen happier cows! They even have a massage machine. The entire farm is automated from poop scooper to feeding. The cows also know when it’s time to get milked by the machines and they will voluntarily go when it’s their time.
- Christmas House – I wish I can be in Iceland every Christmas as they have 12 Days of Christmas celebration and you get 12 gifts! If you love Christmas as much as I do, this is a must visit destination. The two floor Christmas house was filled with so many different types of Christmas decorations and the saltwater taffy selection is out of this world! Before you leave, don’t forget to stop at the souvenir shop for lots of organic, homemade surprises.
If you do intend to stay in Akureyri for a few day, here are some must dos in and near the area:
- Skiing at Hlíðarfjall
- Lake Mývatn & Grjótagjá cave & Hot Springs - A must visit if you are a Game of Throne fan as this is where Jon Snow and Ygritte in “Kissed by Fire”, the fifth episode in the Season 3.
- Horseback Riding
- Whale Watching (Best months: April – October with peak season between June – August)
- Northern Lights (Best months: mid-April – mid August)
Our second stop was at the capital city of Iceland, Reykjavik
- Population: 128,793 (2019)
- Currency: Icelandic Icelandic króna. Credit cards are widely used.
- Language: Icelandic. English widely used.
- Most common transportation: Buses (strætó) & Taxi. Bus tickets can be paid with cash, ticket, day-pass, bus-card, or the app.
It takes about 30-40-minute walk from the cruise terminal to city center, but buses were quite easy to catch from the port as well. You will have to walk outside of the port area to catch the bus. We had about a day and a half at Reykjavík and here were the things we were able to do other than visiting Reykjavík Escape:
- Harpa Theater – Concert hall and conference center. It’s free to enter. The geometric shaped glass panels create beautiful colors and it’s a great photo spot. There’s also free Wi-Fi inside the hall.
- Hlemmur Mathöll (Food Hall) – Awesome choices of different cuisines and plenty of seating area. We had some amazing fusion meat selection at Kröst and after that a latte at Micro Roast Te & Kaffi is a must!
- Laugavegur – This is Reykjavík’s main street which is full of boutiques, restaurants and bars. You should be able to walk through the entire length in about 20-30 minutes.
- Blue Lagoon – Don’t know how else to describe it other than “Heave on Earth”. This was an incredible experience. There are different packages you can purchase which can include transportation if you don’t have a car. Reservation is strongly advised in advance as it can be very full. You are only able to enter during the time slot you’ve purchased. Check out their website and see which package suits you. Our package included complimentary “silicon mask” and a drink.
If you do intend to stay in Reykjavík for a few day, here are some must dos in and near the area:
- Northern Lights (Best months: mid-April – mid August)
- Try local delicacies: boil sheep’s head, fermented shark, etc.…
- Reykjavík’s swimming pools
- Tjörnin
I hope this guide and our YouTube video was useful to helping you plan your next Iceland trip. Don't hesitate to reach out if you have questions! Subscribe to our channel for more exciting content to come!
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