All Things Iceland

I have another fantastic interview to share with you this month. This time around it’s with Haraldur Thorleifsson or “Halli”, as he likes to be called. Halli was born and raised in Iceland and has achieved some incredible things, such as building a successful design company and selling it to Twitter.

In 2022, he was named Person of the Year in Iceland, was awarded the Order of the Falcon (the highest honor one can receive in the country), and he has lived in many cool places around the world. You can learn more about his accolades on his personal website.

While I find all those things to be interesting, what intrigued me the most is the work that Halli is doing to provide ramp access across Iceland for those who are in wheelchairs, have a stroller, or just find that a ramp is easier for them to walk up than stairs. The project is called Ramp Up Iceland or Römpum Upp Ísland.

For updates about the project in English, click here.

During the interview, Halli and I talk about all of this and the fact that he has muscular dystrophy. The CDC describes muscular dystrophy as,

Please note that this interview was conducted in Halli’s apartment in February 2023 so the sound quality will be different than what you hear right now. Also, this interview was recorded before Halli and Elon Musk had a huge argument on Twitter. During the back and forth, Elon embarrassed himself and eventually had to apologize to Halli.

If you use Twitter, I highly recommend following Halli there. He is very active on that channel and shares quite a bit.

This is the third and last episode I am publishing for what I dubbed “Greenland Week” on the podcast. As mentioned in previous episodes, Greenland and Iceland have some interesting things in common. Also, Iceland is only one of two places in the world where you can fly directly to Greenland, which gives you a unique opportunity to explore both places.

During this interview with the lovely and multi-talented Jospeha, we talk about what it was like for her growing up in Greenland, as well as her experience living in Iceland and Denmark.

Josepha is a fantastic photographer, mask dancer, and knowledgeable guide. In fact, she has guided all over Greenland and provides some insight on what to see and do in the country.

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Before arriving in Greenland on February of 2023, I had no idea that I would be interviewing Aka Hansen. I was fortunate to meet her while she was doing a photo shoot with a mutual friend in a location where I happen to also be creating content. When I heard about the activism work that she does in Greenland, I instantly knew that I wanted to interview her on the podcast. Her warm energy, beautiful traditional tattoos, and passion for her work helped me to gain insight into Greenlandic society.

During our more than one-hour-long chat, she shares how detrimental Danish colonization has been on Greenlandic society. Along with others, she is working to reclaim the Inuit culture in Greenland that had been banned and/or heavily discouraged for 300 hundred years.

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I have a special series of episodes that I’ll be sharing this week about Greenland! In fact, I am calling it Greenland week because, inclusive of this episode, I have two other episodes that I’ll post. You might be wondering why I am sharing about Greenland when I normally talk about Iceland and the answer is simple. Both countries have amazing nature, and you can get directly to Greenland from Iceland in a short period of time.

So, if you have ever wanted to visit Greenland or you are intrigued about the idea of going there, you are in for a treat this week. I visited Nuuk, Greenland, which is the capital of the country, in mid-February of this year and had an amazing time. I visited East Greenland, specifically Kulusuk, Tasiilaq, and the interior of the country back in 2018 for 9-days.

That was an incredible experience that made me curious about Nuuk because East Greenland is like stepping back in time. I consider it a time capsule that gives you a glimpse into a much simpler way of living. Plus, the towns are quite small. For example, around 200 people live in Kulusuk. On the other hand, Nuuk is a modern city that kind of made me feel like I was back in Iceland.

The way I have set this episode up is that I will share some insight about Iceland vs Greenland. Not in a competitive way but more so about each destination and their unique aspects. You’ll find that they have some things in common. After that, I will share my experience in Nuuk and the things I was so fortunate to do. This can give you an idea of things to enjoy if you decide to travel there.

The two other episodes about Greenland are interviews I did with two awesome women. One is Aká, a Greenlandic activist working to reclaim the cultural in Greenland after the country had been colonized by the Danish for hundreds of years. She is also a strong advocate of Greenland becoming an independent country. Currently, it is considered a district of Denmark.

The other interview is with Josepha, she is a Greenlander that grew up in Nuuk, and has lived in Denmark and Iceland. She’s multi-talented and has guided all over Greenland. She shares her insight about fun things to do there, mask dancing (a tradition) that Greenlandic people have been reincorporating back into their culture, and more.

Before jumping into differences & similarities of Iceland and Greenland, I would like to thank the sponsors of this episode, which are Visit Greenland and Visit Nuuk.

A special shout out to Josepha, who coordinated this whole trip for me. I highly recommend following her on Instagram, where she is child_of_the_arctic

Iceland

Greenland

Iceland

Greenland

Greenland & Iceland

Iceland

Greenland

For the most part, you don’t have to worry that much about insects in Iceland. Recently, we have had some issues with small biting flies in the country during summer and you will for sure need a fly net in the Mývatn in north Iceland but that is pretty much it.

Greenland, on the other hand, is known for its arctic mosquitos that show up in abundance during June and July. A mosquito net is a must and strong repellent.

In Greenland, the currency is the Danish Krone, while in Iceland, the currency is the Icelandic Kronur

Greenland

Iceland

I feel so fortunate to have experienced Nuuk last month. After visiting, I just knew that I would like to come back, preferably during the summer. One fascinating thing to point out is that you can only directly fly to Greenland from Denmark or Iceland. Being based in Iceland meant that I am and others who live here or visit, can hop on a plane and be in Greenland within a few hours. Literally, it takes about 3 hours to get to Nuuk from Keflavik international airport.

Originally, I was supposed to arrive in Nuuk on Saturday, February 11th and leave on the 18th. However, there was a terrible windstorm in Iceland that resulted in all flights being cancelled. My flight was then rescheduled for Monday, February 13th but there was also a small storm that led to delays and rescheduled flights. I ended up arriving in Nuuk at 5:00 PM on Valentine’s Day. Due to my schedule back in Iceland, I had to keep the departure day of the 18th on a flight that left at 9:00 in the morning.

That left me with 3 days to pack in as much activity as I could, and I definitely did that!

The plane had about 37 seats, so definitely not a large aircraft. I thought it was so cool to see the snow-covered mountains, and glacier from the window of the plane. When I left Iceland, there was no snow on the ground, so it was a stark difference to arrive in Nuuk, where there was a thick layer of snow everywhere.

When you get off the plane, you walk from the aircraft to the terminal building. It was -15 degrees Fahrenheit, so I could feel the cold right away but it was refreshing. Plus, I was totally prepared. Because this is such a small airport, and there weren’t many people on the plane, it was funny to see my luggage come out on what I think is the smallest luggage conveyor belt I’ve ever encountered.

I stayed at the Hotel Aurora, a lovely hotel in Nuuk that leans into the theme of the northern lights. During the day, the building has the color of the aurora visible (blue, green and purple). The room included a nice sized bathroom, a queen-sized bed, and a loft area with another big bed. That space could work well for four adults or a family. They have complimentary breakfast every day as well. I informed them that I was plant-based and they told me it was more than fine for me to store some food in their fridge, if I wanted to.

After arriving to my hotel at about 6 PM, I changed my clothes and ran out to meet Josepha and her family for dinner at Killut. To be fair, I did eat before I went over there because they didn’t have any plant-based items on the menu for their Valentine’s Day dinner, but I still enjoyed the company.

The next day, I decided to have breakfast at Pascucci, a restaurant in Nuuk City Center, which is a mall in the downtown Nuuk area. I had the vegan falafel salad and it was so good! I liked the vegan food there so much that I ended up going there a few times during my stay.

I also shopped in the food markets and was pleasantly surprised to see a variety of fruits, vegetables, nuts, and so on like in Iceland. I wasn’t lacking that much for choice and I instantly felt very comfortable because I knew there were things I could eat. Now, I didn’t have a place to cook things, so I ate a lot of raw veggies, salads, nuts, and other food that I brought with me. I had packed protein shakes, and meals from Huel, a vegan food company that makes meals that only need to soak in hot water for 5 minutes before eating.

I know it doesn’t sound it but the food is actually tasty. Because I had been to Greenland before, I knew that it wasn’t the most vegan-friendly place, meaning restaurants don’t have that many vegan options. However, I did just fine with what I brought and when I ate out.

Along with doing the interviews that I spoke about earlier in this episode, I also did some other fun activities.

I had a lovely time at the hot tub and spa run by Inuk Hostel, which is owned by Inuk Travel. They have a hot tub and sauna with an incredible view. I enjoyed soaking in there for part of my afternoon. After the soak, I ate at their café, which also has gorgeous views of the water and snow-covered mountains in the distance. Following that experience, I was fortunate to get a driving tour of Nuuk by Magnus, one of the employees at Visit Greenland. He provided some insight on how much Nuuk has changed over the last 30 years.

There is a lot of construction going on there and it’s amazing to see the colorful building sitting on the hillsides. In contrast to that, you also have many new developments. I was surprised to see the number of high-rise buildings. On the evening of my first full day, I interviewed Aká and then went back to Hotel Aurora to prepare for the next day because I was going on a boat trip!

I have to note that I could have easily walked around Nuuk to many of the locations I wanted to go, but there were a decent amount of times that I took taxis becasue it was cold and I was tired. On average, I paid about $9 to $12 per taxi ride. I didn’t think it was that bad. Food, on the other hand, was way more expensive. There are also public buses, which are more affordable. Just know that you have to pay cash to ride.

For instance, my falafel salad was about $26 I was very full after eating it but it’s a decent amount to pay. Except for what they catch in the sea, all other food in Greenland is imported. I found it really cool to see Icelandic produce being sold in Greenlandic food markets. The price of veggies was expensive too. I easily paid $2.87 for a cucumber! Way less expensive in Iceland.

My second full day started out with a boat tour to Qoornoq island with Nuuk Water Taxi. This island was a fishing settlement for many years until the inhabitants were made to leave the island because workers were needed in Nuuk. The settlement was abandoned for many years before the houses were turned into summer homes.

Well, there were some people living on the island but it was mostly orphans that had been sent away for not behaving well. This is at least what the tour guide told us. It had snowed heavily some days before we arrived, so walking around the island was an adventure.

Thankfully, I had on very good winter boots and thick wool socks. They kept my feet warm and dry as we trudged through the sometimes almost knee-deep snow. Our location was the abandoned fish processing building. It is eerily beautiful and  there is even a swing inside it that I enjoyed swinging on. After touring the island and getting back on the boat, we stopped by a gorgeous frozen waterfall before heading back to Nuuk.

We didn’t see any whales this time but we did see an incredible eagle. This was my first time getting a good view of an eagle. It was perched on a mountain and at first glance you could easily mistake it for a person because of its size.

Random share – It has happened that small dogs, like chihuahuas, have been snatched up by eagles in Nuuk. Their owners sometimes put jackets on them that have spikes to try and protect their small furry friends from becoming an eagle’s next meal.

I arrived back to Nuuk in late afternoon, and decided to get some food at Pascucci and then head back to the hotel. I ended up having dinner at Josepha’s.

My last full day in Nuuk started with my interview of Jospeha. She has a young child, so we had to find time during the day when her child was at day care to chat. After that, I headed to the art museum and the National Museum to learn more about Greenlandic culture. Both museums are awesome and have incredible archives. I highly recommend both.

One highlight from the art museum for me was seeing the cravings done in the walrus skull and tusks. It was so intricate and beautiful. At the National Museum of Greenland, I especially loved seeing the national outfits on display and the Inuit mummies!

Yes, there are Inuit mummies on display that look so surreal. I could have stayed in the National Museum for hours but I had other activities to do, like filming outside, and grabbing some cool souvenirs for my family at Anori Art.

One surprise part of my day that made this whole trip even more magical was meeting a Greenlandic Shaman. Her name is Rakel. She explained a bit about her journey to embrace her Shamanic roots, which had been silenced for many years due to colonization. Here is a clip of her talking about her experience.

After that, we went on a drum journey together. In short, a drum journey is when she plays her drum in a rhythmic way that puts the listener in a trance and you have visions. It was fascinating, to say the least, and an experience I will never forget for the rest of my life. Please note, thee were no drugs involved. If going on a drum journey is of interest to you, check out her Instagram and website.

The very last thing I did was meet with my friend Ella. She also grew up in Nuuk. She lived in Iceland for some time and we became friends while working at the same company in Reykjavik. It was a lovely way to finish the evening.

 Thank you again to Visit Greenland and Visit Nuuk for sponsoring this adventure and podcast episode.

All the cities have old Danish names that was used before, and the Danish name for Nuuk is Godthåb (the good hope, which is why when you fly to Nuuk the code for the city is GOH).

Grænland

Inuit – plural

Inuk – singular

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Learn all about what to expect when traveling in Iceland during February. Road conditions, what to wear/pack, what makes it worth it to visit during that month, some tips on driving in that time, top activities, and events that happen annually during that month. While this month is like January, there are some interesting differences.

February can be intense. It’s normal to have severe storms, which mean storm warnings, road closures, snow, rain, and possibly dangerous driving conditions.

While the average temperature range for this month is from -1°C (30°F) and highs of 4°C (39°F), I can attest that we had a decent amount days last month where we had over 5°C and even up to 10°C. We went from extremely icy conditions, and a crazy windstorm that shut down KEF airport to it feeling like summerish temperatures. We are still experiencing those temperatures right now but it looks like we’ll be dipping back to below freezing soon.

This month is amazing because the darkest period is finally over. Even though the beginning of the month means only 7 hours and 6 minutes of daylight, it is a huge jump from the beginning of January, which has only 4 hours and 23 minutes. By mid-February, we have 8 hours and 43 minutes of daylight. At the end of the month, it’s a whopping 10 hours and 2 minutes.

Most rental car companies put studded tires on their vehicles. They come in handy whether you are driving in the city or in the countryside.

My go-to car rental company is Go Car Rental Iceland and Go Campers for a camper van.

I use their cars and campers when I travel around Iceland, and I’ve partnered with them for over 4 years now. The main reasons? Their customer service is amazing, and they have a wide range of vehicles to choose from.

They’ve also given me a link so you can save 7% on your rental, plus get a couple of really useful extras.

With Go Car Rental, you’ll save 7% and get free 4G WiFi with your rental.

With Go Campers, you’ll save 7% and get a free sleeping bag included.

You can head to gorentals.is/allthingsiceland
for the discounts.

Once you enter your travel dates, the 7% discount is automatically applied.

For Go Car:
When you get to the extras section, select 4G WiFi. You’ll see the price stays the same, even though it has been added.

For Go Campers:
Choose a sleeping bag under the “Sleeping” section, and same thing, the total price won’t increase.

And just so you know, using my link gives me a small commission at no extra cost to you. It’s one of the ways you’re supporting All Things Iceland and the content I create. Thank you in advance for that.

In my opinion, what you wear in Iceland can make or break your trip. No one wants to be cold and wet. I did an episode called “Iceland Packing List for Winter”

The name of the winter prep game in Iceland is layers. There is a base layer, which can either be wool or a synthetic material, like polyester. The next is the mid-layer, which provides insulation and it can fleece, wool (like a traditional Icelandic lopapeysa), or a synthetic material.

Last, but certainly not least, is the outer layer. It provides protection.

Winter boots with a sole that has good grip and micro spikes to add on to the bottom of your boots are a must! It’s incredibly icy in the capital area and all around the country during winter.

Windproof & waterproof gloves, thick socks, a hat, and scarf will come in handy.

On the other end of the clothes spectrum that is a must to bring is your swimwear. Dipping into a luxuriously warm hot tub when it’s chilly outside is one of the best feelings. Yes, the path to get there from the dressing room can be an invigorating experience but it’s totally worth it

Road conditions will vary depending on where you are in Iceland. I’ve traveled to the West, South, and North during this time of the year and I’ve encountered mostly icy roads but there were also times when the roads were dry. The ring road, which circles around the country is paved, so you don’t have to worry about rough roads if you plan to go to many of the popular attractions. There will be a gravel road here or there.

The most important thing is there are nail tires on the rental cars here, so you will have that added bit of traction when driving. It makes a huge difference, especially on country roads. Driving during winter can be challenging if you are not used to wintery conditions. Even if you are, the wind gusts can shake the car a bit while you’re on the road. I always suggest that people drive at speed that they feel comfortable. It might be a little less than the speed limit bit at least you will get there safely.

According to an article in RUV, an Icelandic news website:

A grumpy walrus surprised Breiðdalsvík, East Iceland, this morning, settling on a floating pier around 9 AM. Ignoring frozen herring from the harbor guard, the three-meter-long animal with 30 cm tusks made its presence known. Reporter Rúnar Snær Reynisson captured the scene as curious onlookers took photos. When approached too closely—or bothered by a drone—the walrus rose, bellowed, and exhaled a foul plume of steam.

Febrúar – February

I have some news to share that may or may not impact travelers to Iceland.  I’ve been holding off on talking about the current labor strikes because they have yet to have a big impact on the everyday lives of most people living in Reykjavik or people visiting. However, that might change in the coming days or week if the strike continues and a work ban happens.

While there are a lot of drama that I could go into about what is happening behind the scenes, I decided to give an abridged yet still informative synopsis about what is happening.

Efling, one of the largest labor unions in Iceland, has been fighting for higher wages for their members. Due to inflation, the cost of food and other items have gone way up and current minimum wage salaries are not cutting it as a livable wage.

Many members in this union are on the lower end of the pay scale. They work in hotels, drive trucks, staff in hospitals, police officers and so on. Well, Efling and the Confederation of Icelandic Enterprises (SA) have not been able to strike a deal when it comes to companies agreeing to pay their employees more. To demonstrate their stance on demanding more pay, over 40% of Efling members voted for some kind of strike.

Of the 21,000+  members in Efling about 2,000 are currently on strike. In response to the the strikes, about 94.73% of the companies that are members of  the Confederation of Icelandic Enterprises have voted in favor of a work ban or lock out.

This work ban means that all of the members of Efling, regardless if they are actively taking part in the strikes, will be barred from working and will not be paid while the work ban is in effect. Originally, the work ban was scheduled for March 2nd but it has now been postponed until March 6th.

The truck drivers on strike are not delivering fuel to gas stations and there is concern that stations in Reykjavik, the Reykjanes Peninsula (where the airport is located), South Iceland, West Iceland, and the Westfjords will run out of fuel. Other individuals that are on strike clean hotels in the Reykjavik capital area. If you are planning to stay at the following hotels, you might experience a disruption in service or a cancellation of your accommodations:

If you find that your hotel accommodations have been cancelled and you can not rebook your accommodations somewhere else, there is an emergency number you can call. It is open for 12 hours a day (8 AM – 8 PM GMT. The number is +354-891-7765.

One major thing to consider is if the work ban goes into effect on March 6th, then tourism and other industries in the country might grind to a halt. The Confederation of Icelandic Enterprises has stated that emergency workers like the police, hospital workers, rescue team members and so on when not take part in the work ban. That is one reassurance for all of anyone concerned about getting any type of care during all of this. There is also no current concern about stores running out of food or anything like that.

Here is a list of websites for the largest fuel stations in the country. They are showing which stations of theirs have fuel and which have run out. Not all of the sites are in English. The word opið means the station is open and lokað means it is closed.

According to the Icelandic tourism board, the FlyBus that transports people to and from the airport will continue to run. Also, the public bus, Stræto, in Reykjavík will continue to run on schedule too for the time being.

You might be wondering what the Icelandic government has to say about all of this. Well, I did too and here is the consenus at the moment. According to an article published today, February 28th, the Icelandic Parliament does not believe they should step in. They believe that the state appointed mediator Ástráður Haraldsson will handle it and find an agreeable solution for both parties. However, if the dispute escalates to a place where public safety is threatened, the government will step in and make a decision. I guess we just have to wait and see what happens.

verkfall = strike

I sincerely hope all of this comes to leads to a better situation for the workers and that your travel plans are not impacted.

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Þakka þér kærlega fyrir að hlusta og sjáumst fljótlega!

While there are not many ´tourist traps´ in Iceland, there are certainly things worth avoiding or at least knowing what you are getting into so you can make an informed decision. The five tourist traps in Iceland that I‘m sharing in this episode are the most common ones you will enocunter.

Blueharpplayer from the United States

 Thank you Blueharpplayer for that review. If you are enjoying the show, feel free to leave a review. It helps others to get an understanding of what they can expect to hear and you might get a shoutout in one of the episodes.

One of the worst tourist traps, in my mind, are fake Icelandic sweaters. Some shops have been selling sweaters with similar patterns to a lopapeysa (the official name of an Icelandic sweater) but they are made in China and are not made with Icelandic wool. In 2020, the term „lopapeysa“ was protected by Parliament because so many shops were selling fake ones.

My advice is to always look at the label of the Icelandic sweater in question to see where it is made. If it doesn’t say, then ask the shop assistant. Stores, like the Icelandic Handknitting association, have knitters around the country that they employ to make their sweaters.  Their sweaters have the name of the knitter on them, which I think is pretty cool. They have two brick-and-mortar stores in Reykjavik where you can go and try on a variety of sweaters.

A great place to buy Icelandic sweaters online is The Iceland Store.

I will have links to both shops in the show notes of this episode at allthingsiceland.com/Iceland-tourist-traps.

Another thing to know is that a fake Icelandic sweater will likely be much less expensive than a real one. It’s normal for an Icelandic lopapeysa to cost $200 or more. The high-quality material, craftsmanship, and the fact that they can last many years, even decades, makes it worth it to me.

A potential culprit of selling fake Icelandic are a type of store nicknamed „Puffin shops“. These shops sell a lot of knick knacks that are massed produced in China. Sometimes they are little statues, t-shirts with random sayings on them, plastic Viking helmets and so on. There are a decent number of these shops on Laugavegur, Iceland‘s famous shopping street.

Of course, it is totally up to you to buy these things but if you are looking for unique souvenirs made in Iceland, you can buy a lopapeysa or visit kirsuberjatréð. It‘s a shop that sells handcrafted jewelry, apparel, and home décor made my local designers. That is just one of many other stores that are available for buying locally designed/made items. I am a collecting a longer list for a future episode. Make sure you are subscribed to the podcast on whatever platform you listen to this on, so you don’t miss out when that episode is published.

If you‘re fairly new to the podcast, you might not know that alcohol and beer in the country are sold almost exclusively by the icelandic government in stores called Vínbúðins. What I mean by them being exclusive is that there are no other liquor stores that can sell you a six pack of beer or a bottle of wine. While you can buy alcohol from restaurants and bars with liqour licenses, oh and breweries now can sell their beer directly to customers, you must go to a Vínbúðin if you want a variety of alcohol to choose from. The only exception to this are the duty free shops but that’s a totally different situation.

I’m mentioning all of this because you might find yourself in an Icelandic food shop and you see what looks like beer. This could lead you to get excited and to buy the beer without first looking at the alcohol content. Well, that beer might be 2.5% alcohol or less. It’s what is called “near beer” because it tastes like beer but is essentially non-alcoholic. I’ve heard a few people tell me that they fell for this. To be fair, the stores ae not trying to trick you but it is incredible how easy it is to assume that you are buying beer.

Alcohol in Iceland is heavily taxed. One way to lessen the cost is to buy it at duty free and utilize the happy hours here, or a bring a bottle or two of your own, especially hard liquor. The higher the alcohol content here, the more it is taxed. Of course, you can always go to the state-owned stores (vínbúðin) if you want or need something.

The tap water in Iceland is simply exquisite. Honestly, it has made drinking water in every other country difficult because it is so delicious. Well, Greenland also has amazing water. What the two of those have in common is that they have glaciers and their water is coming from those huge chunks of ice that cover the parts of each country.

While I understand that some people drink bottled water at home, it is completely unnecessary to do that in Iceland. Buying bottled water here is for sure a tourist trap. I recommend bringing a resuable bottle and filling it up via the tap and running streams out in the countryside.

The last tourist trap is not a trap as much as it is easy to assume that the cost of it is way less than what it is. That is taking a taxi from the airport. According to the exchange rate today, it is $126 to take a taxi from the airport to downtown Reykjavík. It’s a 45 minute drive. For some, that is not an issue but for many, that is considered way too high. There is currently no Uber, Lyft or car ride sharing program here, so that is not an alternative.

Besides taking your rental car, the other option is the Flybus, which is about $26 from the airport to the bus terminal BSÍ. There is free wifi on the bus, which I find to be a nice add-on. If you choose a different drop-off location in the city near your accommodations, the price goes up to $33. The stops are often hotels or bus stops nearby your place. A much less expensive option to a taxi if there are only two of you.

One helpful thing to point out is that you have a group of 4 adults, it is still 18.000 for the ride but if you split it then it is 4.500 ISK a person or $31. That is less than the drop off near your location per person by Flybus. Something to consider when doing the math but the bus.

In December 2014, the Icelandic parliament enacted the Product Names Protection Act, which allows for the protection of product names based on origin, territory, or traditional uniqueness. Such laws, often manifested as Designation of Origin, are widespread in Europe, where they are often applied to artisanal products such as French cheese and Spanish ham. The first product name to receive such protection in Iceland was “Icelandic lamb,” which was protected in 2019.

Túristagildra – tourist trap

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To share more about each month in Iceland, I’m adding an informational series to the podcast. After each month of this year, I will provide insight about what you can expect in the month. Things like the weather, road conditions, what to wear/pack, what makes it worth it to visit during that month, some tips on driving in that time, top activities, and events that happen annually during that month.

While the temperature can range from -10˚C to + 5˚C (14˚F to 41˚F), the average temperature, specifically in Reykjavík, in January in from -1˚C to just above freezing at +1˚C (30.2˚F to 33.8˚F).

As you venture out to the countryside, the temperatures are often cooler, especially as you head north. We’ve had an unusually cold winter. To my surprise, there were some places that went as low as -22˚C (-7.6˚F).

On top of the possible weather temperatures, there are wind and/or snowstorms that happen during this time of year. Every winter is not the same but there does seem to be an expectation of more storms in January.

Of course, the wind chill makes the temperatures I spoke about earlier more biting. Depending on what you are used to regarding winter, these numbers might sound intense. Yes, it’s a bit intense but I still think this time of year is an amazing time to visit.

Please keep in mind that no matter the time of year that you visit Iceland, it’s imperative that you try to be flexible with your schedule. I know that sounds challenging when you have a limited number of days but the storms here can be dangerous. This can force you to change the direction you plan to go in or even keep you staying put for a day or two.

A little later in this episode, I talk about what makes it a fun month to visit and I share what I recommend wearing during January in Iceland so you can keep warm and dry.

At the beginning of January, we start off with a whopping 4 hours and 23 minutes of day light in Reykjavík. By January 16th, we have 5 hours and 29 minutes, and by the 31st we have jumped up to 6 hours and 29 minutes.

Armed with this knowledge, you will be able to make informed decisions when it comes to planning your trip in the country. Shorter days make it harder to see many of the natural wonders around the country but knowing that beforehand will help you manage expectations and the ability to work in other activities that can be done when the sun goes down.

In my opinion, what you wear in Iceland can make or break your trip. No one wants to be cold and wet. Well, ok most people don’t want to be cold and wet. Side note, I’m really interested in learning the Wim Hof method, so I might end being one of those people that willingly jumps into cold tubs. If you haven’t heard of Wim Hof aka “The Ice Man”, I highly recommend looking him up.

Ok, back to what you should pack and wear in Iceland. I did an episode called “Iceland Packing List for Winter”

Before I jump in, I am very excited to share that the sponsor of this episode is Cintamani, an Icelandic outdoor clothing brand that provides high quality clothes for all types of adventures.

I have been a fan of theirs for quite some time because their clothes are amazing. I have a decent amount of items from them that have provided amazing protection against Iceland‘s harsh weather conditions. Because I am so familiar with the brand and the quality they provide, I am happy that I can offer my listeners a discount of 15% off your online purchases with them when you use the code „Jewells“.

If you shop in person, they have a lovely outlet in the Hafnarfjörður area that is on the way from the airport to Reykjavík. Along with new clothing for the season, they have clothes from a previous season in the back being sold at a discount. It’s worth checking out.

The name of the winter prep game in Iceland is layers. There is a base layer, which can either be wool or a synthetic material, like polyester. The next is the mid-layer, which provides insulation and it can fleece, wool (like a traditional Icelandic lopapeysa), or a synthetic material.

Last, but certainly not least, is the outer layer. It provides protection. A parka that has down or a material like PrimaLoft, a synthetic material found in some of my coats from Cintamani. It’s incredibly warm and light! An outer layer with wind and rain protection is a must as well.

Winter boots with a sole that has good grip and micro spikes to add on to the bottom of your boots are a must! It’s incredibly icy in the capital area and all around the country during winter.

Windproof & waterproof gloves, thick socks, a hat, and scarf will come in handy.

On the other end of the clothes spectrum that is a must to bring is your swimwear. Dipping into a luxuriously warm hot tub when it’s chilly outside is one of the best feelings. Yes, the path to get there from the dressing room can be an invigorating experience but it’s totally worth it.

Road conditions will vary depending on where you are in Iceland. I’ve traveled to the West, South, and North during this time of the year and I’ve encountered mostly icy roads but there were also times when the roads were dry.

The ring road, which circles around the country is paved, so you don’t have to worry about rough roads if you plan to go to many of the popular attractions. There will be a gravel road here or there.

The most important thing is there are nail tires on the rental cars here, so you will have that added bit of traction when driving. It makes a huge difference, especially on country roads. Driving during winter can be challenging if you are not used to wintery conditions.

Even if you are, the wind gusts can shake the car a bit while you’re on the road. I always suggest that people drive at speed that they feel comfortable. It might be a little less than the speed limit bit at least you will get there safely.

Before jumping into the random fact of the episode, I would like to thank Cintamani, the sponsor of this episode. Use my code “Jewells” on their website to save 15%  on their high quality outdoor clothes.

According to an article in Iceland Mag in 2015

January – Janúar

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You can make your trip to Iceland even more enjoyable with these 11 apps downloaded on your smartphone. I use many of these apps on a weekly basis but one of them is dependent on the season, so just be mindful of that.

You’ll find them especially handy if you plan to rent a car and drive around the country on your own. If you are planning to do that then the sponsor of this episode will come in handy.

Go Car Rental Iceland is a local Icelandic car rental company that has great customer service, a large variety of cars and very competitive prices. Use my code Iceland10 to save 10% off the entire cost of your rental car.

I personally use them for when I go on adventures, and I’m so glad to hear that many of my listeners and subscribers are also having a great experience with them. I mentioned in a previous episode that one of my listeners switched to Go Car Rental Iceland from one of the internationally known rental car companies here and she saved $400! That was for a rental during the summer when prices can sometimes double due to demand.

While these are not in order of importance, the first one is one of the most important sites/apps for you to know.

SafeTravel.is has an app where you can get updates on weather alerts, submit a travel plan (this lets authorities know where you planned to visit if you get lost or don’t have connection in a place but need help. When I checked out the app today, it even had a warning for Reynisfjara beach because of high and dangerous waves that are expected, and an avalanche warning in some parts of the country.

They have a color code system for roads that range from green, which means a road is easily passable to red, which means closed. The colors can be seen on a map. When you choose what area, you plan to travel in, the roads corresponding to that place pop up with appropriate colors. What’s great about this is that you can check safe travel out before leaving to see if the conditions of any of the roads you plan to travel on.

Google Maps works well in Iceland because it’s an easy place to navigate. If you don’t plan to have internet connection during your stay, meaning not renting a WIFI hotspot or using your existing phone service provider’s international internet plan, then you can download the whole map of Iceland on Google Maps onto your phone. Personally, I like to have internet connection because I use more than just Google Maps when on the road, but to each their own.

The weather in Iceland is always something you have to take into consideration when traveling. Yes, I have mentioned storms and potential weather alerts BUT those are not happening most of the time.

However, it’s almost guaranteed that you will encounter rain, windy conditions, snow (based on the season and where you are in the summer. The highlands can still have snow in the height of summer), icy and/or slippery roads or sidewalks. Vedur, which means weather, is information from the National Weather Service in Iceland.  While I do have the app, I’m not the biggest fan of it because it can be a little finnicky. The actual website is better, but it’s still not that user friendly.

Sometimes it will say that it can’t find a certain location even though it is well known. You might be wondering why I’m even mentioning if since I/m not a fan of it. Well, I do want to let you know about it but my preferred app is from the Norwegian Meteorological Institute and it’s called yr.no. It’s been fairly accurate when I have used it, which is often. You are more than welcome to either app or both. I have also heard that the app Windy is good, but I have yet to use it.

The emergency number in Iceland is 112.

“The 112 Iceland app makes it possible to contact 112 without calling. Clear simple app menu assists users in explaining what is happening and send a text message to an emergency operator. As soon as the app contacts the emergency operator your location is sent to the emergency center, along with the personal information stored in the app and a description of what is going on. This makes it possible to respond even more quickly to your call.

The app is based on a design for hearing impaired persons who use sign language, in Icelandic called “döff people” but has shown itself to be useful for anyone who might have difficulty calling for help or in describing the situation in a call.”

If you happen to find yourself in a situation where you need emergency services and have internet services, but you can’t speak or a call is not going through, you can use the app to get help.

A trip in Iceland would not be complete without hearing music from local music artists. I teamed up with Go Car Rental to create an epic playlist of various Icelandic artists for you to listen to while you travel. Of course, you can also listen to these artists where you live but I think you’ll see that the music gives a different feel to the landscape as you drive along.

We put together a playlist that can be found on Spotify. It’s called “Epic Iceland Road Trip with All Things Iceland & GO”

You’ll find a mix of famous international Icelandic artists, ones that are famous in the country, as well as some up-and-coming people.

As I have mentioned in other episodes, like “Expensive Mistakes to Avoid in Iceland”, buying alcohol in Iceland is expensive. I highly recommend picking up alcohol in duty free, if you plan to drink, but you are limited to the amount you can buy at one time. To lessen the cost of drinking in bars and nightclubs, there is an app called Barhopp that showcases the happy hours going on in Reykjavík. It even showcases some events, like Djs playing at certain venues and dance parties.

I found this app after I noticed that the Appy Hour app, which many people used previously, was no longer being updated. It is nice to see that a new app has popped up to fill the gap because there are many happy hours happening around town throughout the week. You can try delicious cocktails and locally brewed beers at different locations. It might even be fun to make your own bar crawl. I did one in 2022 with friends and it was a blast. It was specifically a beer crawl, and we went to Brew Dog, Einstök bar, and Skúli Bar.

The only app on here that is season dependent is the next coming up, which is My Aurora Forecast. The northern lights in Iceland can only be viewed in winter because we long, dark nights during that time. During most of the summer, we have 24-hour bright days, which makes it impossible to see the northern lights.

If you have not already, I recommend listening to an episode I shared last year called “How and Where to See the Northern Lights in Iceland.”

Hiking in Iceland is one of my favorite activities. While you can do it any time of year, summer is optimal because you have a larger number of trails available. Plus, you can venture into the highlands, which is a magnificent place to visit.

I like to use the app All Trails for ideas of where to go. The trails range from walking tours in Reykjavik to very challenging hikes in remote parts of the country. Along with directions, a navigation tool, length of the hike, elevation gain, route type (such as a loop or one way), and level of the hike (like easy, moderate or challenging) it also provides reviews from people that have used the trail. Users can submit photos of the hike, so others have an idea of what their experience might be like.

The app is free to use, but you get access to more features if you upgrade. Personally, I haven’t upgraded but I might consider it in the future.

Regardless if you rent a car or not, there might be time when you want to try other forms of transportation during your visit. Here are two apps you can use in the Reykjavík metro area.

Hopp provides electric scooters that let you zip around town. Its very easy to use the app and riding the scooters can be a lot of fun. One safety concern is that some people have been drinking and scootering. I don’t recommend that, especially since we have been hearing about more serious scooter related accidents that end in hospital visits. Also, wearing a helmet is recommended because these scooters can go fast!

If you would like to take the public bus around the city, you need the Strætó bus app called Klappið. I have heard that some people were having issues with it but it was launched last year after the bus company decided to upgrade from their old app system. Hopefully, they have worked out the kinks.

Over 95% of Icelanders speak English well. However, you might encounter a sign or some text in Icelandic that boogles your mind. The Google Translate app has an awesome feature that makes translating Icelandic a breeze. There is a camera function that scans the text and translates it on the screen in real time. To be fair, the translation are not always 100% accurate but it does a decent job at getting the meaning across. Well, most of the time.

Before I jump into the random fact of the episode, I would like to give another shout out to Go Car Rental Iceland for sponsoring this episode. I hope you check out the Spotify Iceland Road trip that we collaborated on. I love listening to it and I plan to keep updating up periodically. Remember to use my code Iceland10 to save 10% on your entire rental cost when you book with Go Car Rental Iceland.

There has been a rumor spread by international media outlets that for years that there is an app in Iceland that Icelanders use when dating. Because the country is so small, there is some concern that the person you’re interested in could be a close relative, like a first cousin, so it wouldn’t be strange to want to check that out beforehand. That is where the Islendinga App has come into play.

When an Icelanders puts in their kennitala, they can look up all of their relatives dating back to the time of the Vikings. The rumor is that this app was specifically created for the dating scene in Iceland. The truth is that the app is an archive that was once in the written form but now has been preserved digitally. While Icelanders CAN use it to see who they are related to and if they are or are not closely related to a person of interest, it is not primarily used for dating.

In recent years, many English words have found their way into the Icelandic language. For instance, many Icelanders just say app in an Icelandic accent when talking about a computer program.

However, the Icelandic word for a computer program or computer application is tölvuforrit.

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This post is meant to give you a list of the U.S. Fast Food Restaurants in Iceland and how I have noticed they may be similar or different from the ones in the states based on menus I have seen. Just note that I’m not going over every possible menu. Also, I must use Instagram as my menu checker. Due to IP restrictions, I can’t see the websites for fast food restaurants in the US. I’ll just be pointing out some interesting differences. Of course, menus are subject to change and this information is based on what I have observed recently

I hardly eat at fast food restaurants, but I have been to a few of the places on this list. I will also list the different locations for each of the restaurants in the show notes, so feel free to check that out at allthingsiceland.com/American-restaurants-in-Iceland

To be fair, I am a big advocate of trying local Icelandic restaurants and food, but I do know of people that like to try U.S. fast food restaurants in other countries. By the way, this episode is not sponsored by any company.

Please note that these are the ones I’m aware of and it’s possible that I might miss one or two that I don’t know about it, but I have tried my best to find every currently open U.S. fast food restaurant in Iceland. Lastly, I will share some US fast food chains that are no longer in Iceland. They tried but inevitably it didn’t work. While I do know the reason for why some of them failed, I will provide some of my speculation as to what happened to the others.

Meg Jean Fitz – United States

Number of Locations: 18

Price Range: $17.51 – $32.28

What is different on the menu in Iceland vs the U.S.:

Don’t expect to see brownies, apple baked twists, lava chocolate cake, and insanely cheese covered cheesy bread sticks on an Icelandic menu. They do have cheese filled bread sticks but it seems that the ones in the US are also covered in cheese.

Number of Locations: 13

Price Range: $6.32 – $13.71

What is different on the menu in Iceland vs the U.S.:

After comparing the menus, it seems that Subway in the US has more cheese options, the ability choice of adding an egg, avocado, as well as more sauces and cookie choices.

Number of Locations: 10

Price Range: $8.37 – $15.12

What is different on the menu in Iceland vs the U.S.:

The biggest surprise to me about Sbarro in Iceland is that it has way more options, especially when it comes to pasta. This comparison was based on Sbarro’s international website, which might not be representing well what is available in all locations.

Number of Locations: 8

Price Range: $2.45 – $20

What is different on the menu in Iceland vs the U.S.:

One of the biggest omissions on the Icelandic menu is mashed potatoes, biscuits, and mac & cheese bowls.

My favorite part on the Icelandic menu is that they have permanent vegan and vegetarian options on the menu. In the US, there are limited-time only vegan and vegetarian options at select locations.

Number of Locations: 1

Price Range: $3.49 – $14.06

What is different on the menu in Iceland vs the U.S.:

Items like Mexican pizza, breakfast, whip freeze, a double decker, Doritos Locos Taco, and dessert

Number of Locations: 1

Price Range: $9.07 – $27.35

What is different on the menu in Iceland vs the U.S.:

There are the same amount of pizza options in both countries. However, the US has options for pizzas to be hand tossed, pan, thin n crispy, stuffed crust, hand tossed, and skinny slice.

Along with that, in the US you can get a gluten free pizza.

You won’t find Hershey’s toasted s’mores cookie and chocolate brownie, Hershey’s chocolate chip cookie, cinnamon sticks, and apple pies in Iceland.

Number of Locations: 1

Price Range: $16.84 – $32.70

What is different on the menu in Iceland vs the U.S.:

To my surprise, I have not seen potato skins on the menu in Iceland, battered shrimp, and desserts.

You might be wondering what has caused these restaurants to fail, while others still stick around. In the random fact of the episode, I will share two facts. One is a reason why these places don’t make the cut and the other is the oldest surviving US fast food restaurant in Iceland.

KFC is the oldest surviving foreign food chain. It opened in 1980 in Hafnarfjörður.

This is quote from the Reykjavik Grapevine that  quoted Davíð Þorláksson in 2019, who at the time was Director of competitiveness at the Confederation of Icelandic Enterprise.

Reykjavik Grapevine

Skyndibiti – fast food

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Þakka þér kærlega fyrir að hlusta og sjáumst fljótlega