Have You Heard of Iceland?
Iceland has been a popular tourist destination for the past few years. I fell in love with it on a brief stop-over and knew I had to return soon. This beautiful Nordic island is located between Greenland and the Faroe Islands. Reykjavik is the capital, but it is also the largest city on the island. What is impossible to put into words is how amazingly beautiful this country is. If you’re interested in visiting, it’s important to plan and prepare for the pros and cons that come with exploring this northern paradise.
The Pros:
When it comes to the positives of visiting Iceland, there are too many to put all in one place, but here’s a few of my favorite reasons to visit.
- Free City Tours of Reykjavik
- Vibrant Local Night Life
- Supermarkets and Gas Stations for Cheap Eats
- Meeting Fellow Travelers
- Clean, Budget-friendly Hostels
- Affordable Bus Tours
- Amazing Natural Beauty of the Landscape
The Cons:
Planning a trip to Iceland can be daunting when you start looking at the expenses of food and transportation. Although everyone tells you Iceland is expensive, you never really understand how expensive the country is until you get there. I have over 100 reasons why I would visit Iceland again, but there are also several cons that might put someone off to visiting.
- Food is Expensive (Did I REALLY have to try this Skyr Smoothie for $9)
- Large Amounts of Tourists
- Gas is Expensive (About $7.50/gallon)
Why I Will Visit Again:
I’ll definitely be making another trip to Iceland next year. There’s so much I still haven’t seen. Iceland is not the type of country you visit just once. I even met people while I was there, who had already visited two or three times in order to get more out of the Icelandic experience every time. Although I explored some incredible landmarks on my last visit. My next visit I look forward to doing the glacier hike and some whale watching. Honestly, as expensive as the country is, it won’t cost you your kidney to get there, so there is a balance to how much the entire trip will cost. It’s always best to plan and be prepared. Interested in visiting Iceland? Look into the pros and cons of what your trip might be like.
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Free city tours are one of my absolute favourite things ever when travelling. You find out so many fascinating things and the atmosphere is always great.
Yikes! A $9 smoothie! Flights to Iceland from where I live in PA are surprisingly affordable (under $300) which I guess helps offset some of the costs while you’re there. It’s looks like a beautiful country!
It really is a beautiful country. But it is super expensive.
Lol. I can relate. The only thing keeping me from visiting Iceland is the expenses. Like you said, it’s all about finding balance and that’s what I lol forward to doing as I can’t escape not visiting this magical city. I thought I read somewhere that it gets dark early, that should be a con too. Nevertheless, I love Iceland and thanks for putting this post up to guide anyone going to Iceland.
The darkness depends on what time of year you visit. I was there in October and it didn’t get dark until about 6 or 7 in the evening.
There are so many pros to go to Iceland. I’ve read many blogs about how beautiful it is and the different national parks and hikes you can do. I also read how crowded it is starting to get and that it will so be overrun with tourists. Did you feel it was overcrowded?
At certain times of day in Reykjavik it can get really crowded with tourists. And when you visit the major sites there will be a large amount of tourists but nothing major.
Love love love this blog and the photos. Thank you for the insight of your experiance. I am visiting Iceland this year so will be taking your advice.
Thank you so much. Glad to hear my blog post was useful. Enjoy your time there. It is definitely worth it.
I have heard so much about Iceland. Its so good that you have presented both the pros and cons of the place. The food seems quite costly there.
Hi!
You sold me at free city tours and night life! I guess a few drinks could warm you up! Did they have an ice bar? I would love to visit and see the area! Nice photos!
I’ll meet you there next time! 🙂
Dee
Sounds like a plan Dee. I didn’t visit any Ice Bars but I’m sure there has to be a few.
For us Iceland is the stuff of our dreams and we hope to get there. What beckons us is the beautiful natural landscapes and phenomena that Iceland is home to. The waterfalls, geysers and of course the Northern Lights are experiences of a lifetime.
You will definitely fall in love with the natural landscape. I’m heading back for sure. Iceland is not the type of place you visit only once.
We just got back from Iceland ourselves last week! Beautiful country, but you did point out the cons good. They are just not ready for all the tourist that are coming there. I think it will take a little time 🙂
Nice!. It’s definitely a beautiful country. I think the amount of tourists coming has been overwhelming.
I would like to work around the cons and still visit it. The Pros in my opinion so outweigh the cons. The natural lure of Iceland is one of the prime reasons for me to get there. Thanks for sharing this all.
The pros definitely outweigh the cons for me. I’d go back every year if I had the money. It’s such a beautiful place.