After you have booked your flights for the trip, it is time to get to the nitty-gritty yet essential list of the things-to-do. Read on for great insider tips and details you do not want to miss out!
Stay at a Hostel or Airbnb
Tour packages in Iceland are expensive, but they are so worth it! Dedicate the bulk of your budget on those activities and scrimp a little on your choice of accommodation. Since you’ll be out for most of the day, consider a staying at a hostel or Airbnb that comes equipped with clean bathrooms and kitchen facilities to cook meals if you are on a low budget for food.
Whether you are travelling solo or with a group of friends, staying at a hostel lets you meet new friends from all around the world. Groups of friends and family with children may consider a fully equipped home with amenities for your week-long stay in Reykjavik.
Insider finds: Accommodations in Iceland are probably the cleanest houses you have ever been to even if it is just a “cheap hostel”. Most of these places are decked out in the minimal and cosy Nordic design. It is like renting a space at Ikea for a few nights!
Book your Airport Transfer ahead of time
Stay ahead of non-prepared tourists and pre-book your airport transfers online. At US$56 for a two-way airport transfer, you can get from the Keflavik airport to the Reykjavik city centre where most hotels and hostels are located, in 45-minutes. Standard modes of public transport like railroad trains and metro are not available in Iceland. Locals move from place to place using standard-fare public buses, bicycles or personal cars.
Pack the Right Clothes
Dressing for fashion is an overstatement here. Ensure that you are kept warm enough for the sub-zero temperatures and windy weather conditions with a few sets of thermal wear. That includes heat tech from head to toe, a waterproof and windproof jacket, and a couple of thick wool socks. Find affordable apparels at Uniqlo, a thrift store or borrow from a friend. Bring a pair of slip-resistant boots to hike the slippery terrains of the natural attractions. Check out brands like Merrell, Salomon and The North Face for a good pair of shoes. Make sure to break into them before you leave for Iceland.
Bring a decent camera
Iceland is a photogenic place. With the natural lighting and scenic viewpoints at every angle, it would be a sin to not capture Mother Nature at her best. Basic cameras such as a point-and-shoot camera or your handy mobile phone would suffice. However, when it comes to D-day where you’ll have to capture the northern lights dancing in the skies, a quality camera that allows you to shoot in manual is ideal.
Pro-Tips for shooting using the Manual Mode on your DSLR:
(a) Set up your tripod at an area where there are minimal human-made lights, i.e. camera flashes from your fellow tour group passengers.
(b) Adjust your shutter speed to the lowest, e.g. 10 seconds minimum. The longer the duration, the more (northern) light it is going to capture.
(c) Lower your aperture to F/2.8 – F/4, and adjust ISO from 400-1600
(d) If the photo is overexposed, reduce the ISO. Image settings with a high ISO, e.g. ISO 3200 usually result in grainy images
The key idea is to capture only the light from the sky with minimal distractions from your surroundings. Try practising at home with a candlelight a couple of nights before leaving!
Board the Hunt the Northern Lights tour, where the bus picks you up from the doorstep of your accommodation. The hunt begins as the bus ventures off to secluded areas in the suburbs of Reykjavik. Most tour buses will stay in an area for about 20-30 minutes before moving off to one or two more locations. If the site is good enough to capture the dancing lights, the bus would probably stay for an extended duration.
A truly unforgettable night of adventure. Armed with a tumbler of hot cocoa, a bunch of heat packs and camera equipment, the adventure junkies chase the northern lights into the unknown.
