Iceland/Northern Lights in January?

[Hard-Drive]

schmalex said:

We did it DIY for my 40th and had a brilliant trip.

We hired a Landcruiser from Avis and stayed at the Hotel Holt in the centre of Reykjavik. I downloaded an Aurora app to my iPhone and we chose the nights to go and see the aurora. For whale watching, we just booked a ticket locally the night before the trip.

Hmmm...interesting, and I like the flexibility. Question...did you actually need a Land Cruiser? Are the roads really only suitable for a big 4x4 or can you get away with a more basic car? I am a 4x4 enthusiast and have a tooled up Defender in my garage, and whilst renting an Avis Defender in Iceland would be a dream come true, clearly I wouldn't be going anywhere too exciting unless I had a winch, all the kit/supplies and another vehicle.

Loving the idea of renting a proper 4x4 but it's a hell of a lot more money than just a normal car or soft-roader. I'm guessing winter tyres are standard fitment up there all the time anyway, right? I'm assuming that one main road (road 1?) around the island is "The Golden Circle", and I guess as there's only one road to maintain they keep it pretty clear?

[schmalex]

We ended up driving up a mountain track in about 30cm of snow at 1am to see the aurora, so a 4x4 was necessary for that. However, we didn’t NEED a Land Cruiser; a RAV4 or similar would have been equally fine for that (they all come with studded tyres in the winter). If you’re going to stay on the roads, a normal car (on studs) will be absolutely fine (many insurances preclude going off the main highway anyway). If you do hire a car, invest in separate dust damage insurance (about £15 online) - it’s a common hire company wheeze over there

[djc206]

schmalex said:

We ended up driving up a mountain track in about 30cm of snow at 1am to see the aurora, so a 4x4 was necessary for that. However, we didn’t NEED a Land Cruiser; a RAV4 or similar would have been equally fine for that (they all come with studded tyres in the winter). If you’re going to stay on the roads, a normal car (on studs) will be absolutely fine (many insurances preclude going off the main highway anyway). If you do hire a car, invest in separate dust damage insurance (about £15 online) - it’s a common hire company wheeze over there

Our Avis Golf didn’t have studded tyres just standard winters, it wasn’t a problem.

[NRS]

djc206 said:

Our Avis Golf didn’t have studded tyres just standard winters, it wasn’t a problem.

Generally non-studded tyres will be fine. The time you need studs is when it's compared snow/ice and then it warms up and you get water on top. Then studs make a huge difference. But no idea how common that is in Iceland - it's mostly the start of winter/end of winter we get those conditions here.

[Hard-Drive]

OK thanks all. It's looking like a package flight/hotel deal, and then hire a basic 4x4 for a bit of freedom to go where we want.

[Hard-Drive]

OK, all booked up. Flying out on a Wednesday, be at the hotel in the evening, and then a mid morning flight back on the Sunday. Really looking forward to it and the missus has no idea...although the xmas present of an Iceland guide book will hopefully give the game away xmas morning!

So for those who have been, can you suggest an itinerary? A friend has advised against whale watching...and as yotties we can get our fix of marine life spotting in other ways. Same friend (female) has also said as the trip is for my missus the blue lagoon is a must.

I quite fancy the golden circle...is it doable in a day as a self drive?

And what about Northern Light spotting? I understand we'll need to leave Reykjavik and light pollution behind (unless we're very lucky). Are we best off signing up to a tour, or just heading out one evening in our own vehicle?

[NRS]

Hard-Drive said:

OK, all booked up. Flying out on a Wednesday, be at the hotel in the evening, and then a mid morning flight back on the Sunday. Really looking forward to it and the missus has no idea...although the xmas present of an Iceland guide book will hopefully give the game away xmas morning!

So for those who have been, can you suggest an itinerary? A friend has advised against whale watching...and as yotties we can get our fix of marine life spotting in other ways. Same friend (female) has also said as the trip is for my missus the blue lagoon is a must.

I quite fancy the golden circle...is it doable in a day as a self drive?

And what about Northern Light spotting? I understand we'll need to leave Reykjavik and light pollution behind (unless we're very lucky). Are we best off signing up to a tour, or just heading out one evening in our own vehicle?

What was the reason against whale watching?

I'm not sure exactly how they run them in Iceland, but I'd imagine if there is no lights it's probably a more fun experience in a tour. You'd also presumably be taken somewhere dark and with a good view around you, which could be a risk that you take much longer to find one if you go alone. They may also have a warm building to stay in when there is nothing happening, which would make it much more pleasant. Also if it's a very weak display you might not realise you've seen it, You should take a LOT of warm clothes with you - it will be very cold if you are out there for hours without moving much.

[craig1912]

Went Whale watching but didn’t see anything other than a couple of dolphins.
Northern lights you are better going on a trip as they are all linked in to the best places to see them . We went with Extreme Iceland who were excellent.
Blue Lagoon is good on the way or way back from the airport. Pre book and you can also get a massage etc.
You can easily do Golden Circle in a day on. your own but we went in a big 4x4 with Extreme Iceland and got to see a few places off the beaten track. Our guide was brilliant and we were oue from 8am to 9pm

[RizzoTheRat]

Golden circle is doable in a day, but probably a struggle in January when there's not a lot of daylight. We stopped overnight near Geysir when we did it meant we spent ages wander around Þingvellir, and had time to walk around both sides of Gulfoss, plus stop at several other places that looked interesting on the way.

I would always recommend going on a 4x4 "Superjeep" tour, you'll get to places you'd have no hope of going on your own, with a knowledgeable tour guide to tell you about it. We did one up on to the the Long Glacier, and he also stopped at Þingvellir on the way out, and some other stunning locations.

[Hard-Drive]

NRS, as per Craig192's post my friend didn't see anything either. And TBH as cruising sailors in the UK we've seen porpoises, dolphins, basking sharks, blue sharks, jellies, Sunfish, etc etc so a whale's a whale TBH. And sadly a lot of Icelandic eateries serve Minke whale as a "traditional" dish however I'm led to believe it's nothing more than a tourist dish so it seems a bit hypocritical.

4x4 tours...should we be able to pick something up when we are there, or via the hotel, or is it a good idea to book in advance?

[JQ]

NRS said:

What was the reason against whale watching?

I'd imagine because in January it'll be fking freezing and the sea will likely be quite choppy. We did it at Easter and it was very very cold and half the boat were blowing chunks. It also takes quite a while and with limited daylight hours it may end up wasting most of a day.

You can do the Golden Circle in January in a day in your own car, we did it in a Corsa. All the cars will have studded tyres and any roads where you need to use a 4x4 will be closed in January.

You might want to cost up some of the trips, I've been going for 15 years and the cost of tourist trips over the last couple of years has gone through the roof as it would appear the American, Japanese and Chinese tourists that have descended on the place seem to have endless supplies of cash. I must admit I've never been on one as we have access to 4x4's over there but I costed up a superjeep tour for some friends when we were out there earlier this year and it was around £600 for the two of them.

Blue Lagoon is great, I've been numerous times, but again it's become very commercialised over the last few years. Despite this, if you've got the cash, I'd go for it. We've been to all the other lagoons over the years and whilst the Blue Lagoon isn't our favourite it's the best one for a short trip as it's so convenient to go either when arriving or leaving. You have to pre-book.

Go to a local swimming pool. Swimming in Iceland is part of their way of life. It's not really swimming, more relaxing. Every small residential area has a swimming pool. We always go to Seltjarnarness, walking distance from the centre of Reykjavik (http://www.seltjarnarnes.is/thjonusta/ithrottirogtomstundir/sundlaug/). Have a bit of a swim, then go in the hot pot, then go in the hotter hot pot, then if you dare go in the fking boiling hot pot, before jumping in the icebath, then taking a sauna. All of this outside, so even better if it's snowing. A great way to spend a couple of hours. The pool is open early and stays open late so this can be done when it's dark and you're perhaps not doing sightseeing. We go most days when we're there and the pool at Seltjarnarness is much less touristy than those in the centre of town.

There's a lovely walk round the Seltjarnarness peninsula that takes in a bird sanctuary, golf course and light house. There's also a hot footbath which again is a great place to sit and take in the view. Not my picture - https://www.google.co.uk/url?sa=i&rct=j&q=...

I also quite like going to Perlan - https://www.perlanmuseum.is/en/ as you get a good view of the city from the Observation Deck - which is free. You'll go past it as you drive round the city so it's a good place to stop for 45 mins. There's also a manmade geyser in the grounds.

[NRS]

Hard-Drive said:

NRS, as per Craig192's post my friend didn't see anything either. And TBH as cruising sailors in the UK we've seen porpoises, dolphins, basking sharks, blue sharks, jellies, Sunfish, etc etc so a whale's a whale TBH. And sadly a lot of Icelandic eateries serve Minke whale as a "traditional" dish however I'm led to believe it's nothing more than a tourist dish so it seems a bit hypocritical.

4x4 tours...should we be able to pick something up when we are there, or via the hotel, or is it a good idea to book in advance?

Ok - I've done it over here in Norway in January and enjoyed it - but then again it's pretty normal to see orcas, finn and humpback whales without too much travelling to see them. There's even less light and also stormy seas/ cold weather as we're a lot further north, but then it's a case of dressing for the situation. However seems like there isn't so much point in Iceland/for you.

Btw - the whale watching is most likely the complete opposite people of those hunting them, rather than related. It is a traditional food, but is dying out with younger people (as with many traditional foods the world over with burgers etc taking over). That means it is becoming more of a tourist thing. However older people will still have it, as will younger people the further north (in Norway) you go. I'd guess Iceland is quite similar.