My first trip with my wife and 2 year old daughter to Iceland. We stayed at Planet Apartments in Reykjavik. On our first night, we tried to chase the aurora by driving to nearby Grotta lighthouse. The place was packed with cars even though it was very cold and windy. From Reykjavik, we drove to Thingvellir National Park, Geysir, and Gullfoss.
After that we drove on Route 1 and stayed at a small cabin right by (5 mins drive) Reynisfjara (Black Sand Beach). On our way to our cabin we stopped by at Seljalandsfoss and Vik for lunch. Went to Kronans to pick up some quick dinner options for later.
It was sunset by the time I decided to go to Reynisfjara, the crowd was thinning out and I took my time taking pictures and walking down the beach towards Reynisdrangar.
In the video, you will see a clip of the windy / drafty conditions we were dealing with by the beach. Suffice to say, I booked Vik Apartments in the morning after we were freezing all night and couldn’t get any sleep thinking when this cabin was going to be blown away. We packed our bags and left for Jokulsarlon, Diamond Beach and Vatnajokull National Park, where I hiked / jogged to and from Svartifoss as I was losing day light fast. The staff at the visitor center told my wife that a sandstorm was coming. We got out of there in a hurry.
Note to anyone driving in Iceland. The wind in Iceland is serious. I saw a Sprinter van flipped on its side while driving to Jokulsarlon. Cars were not driving in a straight line either as we were all being knocked around. And yes, do be very careful with opening the car door. The wind will just rip it off.
Anyways, by the time we got back to Vik, it was time to check into our new accommodations. Once I entered the apartment, I kicked myself for not just booking it from the start. Not only was it warm, it was big and modern. My daughter had the space to run around and we all did NOT have to wear our down jackets inside.
The next day after having great rest, we drove the F206 to my daughter’s favorite location of the trip, Fjadrargljufur Canyon. There, she hiked most of the trail to the canyon from the parking area and was having so much fun to finally be able to stretch her legs out and walk around.
We proceeded to head back to Vik for lunch and my wife and daughter did not get a chance to see Reynisfjara the first time around so we stopped by. Before heading to our next cabin, we stopped at Skogafoss. What an amazing sight. I carefully walked closer to the bottom of the waterfall as the ground is covered in ice from the water spray. The sound of the roaring water, the proximity one is able to get close to and the size of it. This is one of the better experiences in Iceland. After that, I hiked up the stair master to see Skogafoss from the top… I would do it once. The sight from up top is meh.
After Skogafoss, it was time to drive to our mountain cabin in Selfoss. This was our last opportunity to see the northern lights as our trip was coming to an end. Once we settled down our luggage and my daughter went to sleep, I decided to walk outside the cabin and looked up. The aurora was there. It was not the strongest northern lights show, but it was right there! I set up my tripod and took some pictures of my first northern lights sighting. The second one would come soon after and THAT was a light show.
Once we woke up in the comfortable cabin, it was time to get some rest and relaxation. We drove to Blue Lagoon and took a dip in the hot springs. It was a nice experience and as it was pretty much off season, the crowd was very manageable. Next, we stopped by once more at Reykjavik to see the remaining sights we missed the first time around.
On the drive back to Selfoss, the aurora was ever present in the sky. I told my wife, THIS is real distracted driving. I kept saying oh look here and oh look there. I couldn’t wait to get back to the cabin and see it from there, where there are no light pollution around and it is from the comfort of where we are staying. Aria was able to witness her first northern lights at such a young age. Once she went to sleep, I continued on to take pictures of this amazing sight with my wife. Bucket list checked.
The next morning before we flew back to NYC, we ate at a spot called Rósakaffi. I highly recommend it as it was children friendly and the food / coffee was great.
Notes:
1) My daughter is being raised bilingual, hence you will hear Cantonese and English spoken in this video.
2) 90% of this video was filmed on an iPhone XS Max, my 11 Pro Max arrived a day after I left on this trip. The remaining 10% was filmed on a Yi Action Camera 4K… my Go Pro Hero 8 was shipped late and arrived a few days after I left for the trip. Bummer :(.
3) The camera I use is a Fujifilm X-E2 with a Fujinon 18-55mm lens and a Rokinon 12mm f2. The tripod I use is a Manfrotto compact light.
4) Child carrier is a Deuter Kid Comfort 2.