What To Pack Before You Go to Iceland

I just got back from an amazing week touring Iceland.  I could tell you about all of the amazing things I did (climbing a glacier!) and saw (puffins flying everywhere), but I think it’s more important to be prepared.  This is a country unlike any other and while you can expect to keep things pretty low maintenance, packing what you need is critical to really enjoy your time.

Here are the items at the top of my packing list for Iceland!

SUNSCREEN!
It didn’t occur to me that the sun would be as strong as it was.  I thought that pants and long sleeves would be enough, and my face lotion with SPF 30 would suffice.  If I knew how strong the sun burned through the haze, I would have packed stronger sunscreen and a baseball hat or two.  Don’t be like me-keep your nose from turning bright red and pack your sunscreen. It was supposed to rain all week long, but was bright and sunny!


IF YOU DONT'T LIKE THE WEATHER.....
Be prepared for it to change, because it will change all day long!  Pack it all just in case.  We always made sure to wear layers, pack more layers and have a hat, gloves and scarf on hand.  Some days I spent the day in a tank top and capri pants, and other days I was in pants, long sleeves, wool socks and several other layers on top!  Truly, there was no way to prepare fully because anything was possible.  Be smart and be proactive.

WATERPROOF SHOES ARE A MUST!
Despite us receiving little rain, I found waterproof shoes to be critical!  We were hiking through all kinds of terrain and going in and over rivers and springs.  More than once I put my foot into ankle deep water and my feet were warm, dry and safe.  I can only imagine how important that would have been if there was actual rainfall!


BRING A SWIMSUIT
Icelanders are a hearty bunch and go swimming year round.  Aside from the beach (it’s an island after all), there are swimming pools everywhere, natural springs to jump into, lagoons to visit and hot tubs everywhere.  The air may have been chilly, but the water was warm .  It was a no brainer to just jump right in!


(DON’T) EAT YOUR VEGGIES!
The diet in Iceland is a lot of meat, fish, dairy and potatoes.  There’s grains and fruit and a few vegetables but the variety is not there.  For someone who regularly fills half of her plate with vegetables, it was a shock to my system to eat in a more Icelandic manner, I got my fill of salads, but they weren’t as robust as I’ve come to expect and my body was craving broccoli when I got home!  That being said, I love enjoying traditional food when I’m traveling and am glad I dove in!

Iceland was truly a magical experience, and I can’t wait to go back and keep exploring!  It was somewhere I never thought I would visit, and I want everyone to have the amazing experience I had,  minus the sunburn! Be sure to contact our team today to start planning your next adventure - info@whitneyworldtravel.com