In 2017, Inna visited Iceland with a Photofly Group tour. She raved about the beautiful waterfalls, hikes, and natural wonders, and urged me to consider Iceland for our next trip. Last year, we finally found an opportunity to plan a trip of our own, with an additional stop in Scotland.
Inna booked excellent business-class airline tickets from San Francisco to Reykjavik using Iceland Air (with a 2-hour layover in Seattle). In addition, she also booked an 8-day Ring Road Tour with Arctic Adventures, since Photofly was not available.
Thursday, July 24, 2025
I had started packing my small Samsonite suitcase and backpack a few days prior. Because of the varied climate in Iceland (even summers can be chilly), I had to pack a lot of cold-weather gear that I normally only pack on ski trips.
Iceland/Scotland Packing List
- Wear during flight (too bulky to pack)
- North Face hiking boots (used frequently)
- Lululemon winter jacket (used frequently in Iceland)
- Samsonite Suitcase
- red REI rain jacket (used in Edinburgh)
- two sets of travel pants (one waterproof)
- blue jeans (used in Edinburgh)
- Patagonia fleece (used frequently)
- winter gloves (used)
- winter hat (used)
- Backpack
- Canon R6 mirrorless camera with 28-70 f/2.8 lens with 3 batteries (used)
- Nikon P900 superzoom camera with 3 batteries <- batteries gave problems
- SIRUI 52" Carbon Fiber Travel Tripod <- not used
- Apple MacBook Air
- Chargers and adapters for EU & UK (Iceland uses the EU standard, like France)
- portable battery/charger (used frequently)
- Kindle (used)
- iPhone 14 Pro (used frequently)
- sunglasses (used)
We started our drive to the San Francisco airport (Terminal 1) at 16:00, arriving right before 17:00. There was some traffic, but less than I expected. Alex drove the Tesla Model Y back (he probably encountered heavy traffic).
After checking in at Alaska Airlines (for the first leg of our SFO->Seattle-> Reykjavik) trip, we went through TSA Pre-Check and then continued toward the Alaska Lounge.
Since we were flying overseas in business class, we should have had free access to the Alaska lounge, but we had to pay $35/person. The Alaska representative said that our first leg was less than 2,000 miles, and the next leg to Iceland did not count for free lounge access (too bad).
The Alaska Lounge in Terminal 1 was nice (with reclining seats) and had decent, drip coffee (courtesy of Ritual Roasters) and some light snacks. The miso soup was not very good, but the cookie was not half bad.
At around 19:10, our Alaska AS1327 flight started boarding, and we rode the elevator downstairs to our gate. We had front row seats (a first), and boarded the plane quickly. Boarding in business class was quite pleasant. We were offered drinks on being seated (and did not have to worry about finding space for overhead luggage). We also had exclusive use of the front bathroom (as all business class passengers do).
The captain and first officer were running late, but arrived on time for only a short departure delay. The flight was uneventful (except for the fact that the food was missing). There was some mix-up, and we were given 500 miles to our Alaska Miles Plan (as compensation for the food mishap).
After landing in Seattle, we took 3 different trains to reach our next gate, where our Iceland Air Airbus A320 was waiting. We were among the first people boarding the plane and enjoyed front row business-class seats.
The plane's stewardess offered us Prosecco and various alcoholic drinks. I initially ordered a Bailey's Irish Creme on ice, which I really enjoyed, and Inna tried some white wine from Alsace.
The flight was uneventful with not much turbulence. For dinner, we selected the baked salmon with potatoes, which was not bad at all (for airline food).
- Boris: Bailey's Irish Creme, Baked Salmon, potatoes
The salmon was not bad for airline food, but not at the level of other premium airlines like Air France.
We did not watch any of the movies, but I did finish reading Captain Courageous by Rudyard Kipling. I really enjoyed this story (as summarized by ChatGPT below):
Harvey Cheyne Jr., a spoiled and wealthy 15-year-old boy from a powerful American family, falls overboard from a transatlantic steamship. He's rescued by a fishing schooner called the We're Here, captained by the rugged and wise Disko Troop.
When Harvey demands to be taken back immediately, the crew laughs him off. With no way to contact his parents and no one believing his story, Harvey is forced to stay aboard and work for his passage, learning discipline, humility, and the value of hard work from the crew—especially Disko’s son, Dan.
Over the course of several months, Harvey transforms from an arrogant brat into a responsible and capable young man. When the fishing season ends, the crew returns to port, and Harvey is finally reunited with his parents—now a changed person, ready to take his place in the world with maturity and honor.
The reclining seats in business class were comfortable, but not as good as the fully reclining seats on other airlines. I was able to nap/sleep a bit, and even managed to sleep through breakfast (which Inna said didn't look very promising).
Friday, July 25, 2025
Starting: Home (San Jose, CA)
Ending: Hotel Island & Spa, Reykjavik, Iceland
Highlights: Hallgrimskirkja Church, Hekla Restaurant
We landed in Reykjavik at 14:00. Having been seated in the front row, it was my first time to be the first person to exit the plane (Airbus A320). We boarded a bus to take us back to the terminal and quickly went through customs.
Since I had already purchased 2 tickets on the Flybus from Keflavik airport (KEF) to our Hotel Island (pronounced IS-Land). When we exited the terminal, we loaded our suitcases into the bus (we were worried that they might get stolen, but everything went well). Next time, we should take our backpacks with us to avoid unnecessary worry.
While seated in the bus, we waited about 20 minutes until it was completely full before the Flybus departed. The bus departed around 14:50, and we arrived at the BSI Bus Terminal, where we boarded another small van to take us the rest of the way to Hotel Island.
We were tired when we checked into our room #614. We unpacked slightly. Inna was very hungry, so we rode downstairs to the hotel's Hekla Restaurant. The menu had many interesting items, and we sat down for lunch. Hekla was mostly empty at this time, giving us a false impression that perhaps it wasn't a good restaurant (good restaurants are usually very busy). Later, checking Google Maps, we learned that it was highly rated (4.5/5.0).
- Inna: Seafood Salad
- Boris: Catch of the Day (Cod)
The Catch of the Day (Cod) was the highlight and was deliciously prepared. Inna was surprised as she is usually not a fan of cod, but the Icelandic version was outstanding.
After lunch, we walked to the Hallgrimskirkja Church. It was a very long walk (35 minutes), and we were tired when we finally reached it. We briefly stepped inside and were surprised to hear an organ playing. There was a summer organ playing series, and we happened to bump into one of the recitals.
Hallgrímskirkja Church
Architecture & Design
Name: Hallgrímskirkja (Church of Hallgrímur), named after Icelandic poet and cleric Hallgrímur Pétursson (1614–1674), renowned for his Passion Hymns, a cornerstone of Icelandic spiritual and cultural heritage WikipediaHit Iceland.
Architect: Commissioned in 1937 and designed by State Architect Guðjón Samúelsson, who drew heavily on Iceland’s natural landscapes—basalt formations, mountains, and glaciers—for inspiration WikipediaHallgrímskirkjaAll Things Iceland.
Style: A striking fusion of Expressionist and Neo-Gothic traits. The exterior features “organ pipe” columns that echo basalt rock formations (e.g., Svartifoss), while the interior aligns more with traditional church layouts WikipediaWikipediaWikipediaAll Things Iceland.
Structure: Composed of three parts—tower with curved wings (for facilities), a nave, and a cylindrical sanctuary evocative of Viking helmets WikipediaAll Things Iceland.
Construction & Milestones
Timeline: Built over 41 years, from 1945 to 1986 WikipediaHallgrímskirkja.
In 1948, the crypt beneath the choir was consecrated for worship.
The tower and wings were finished in 1974.
Full consecration occurred on 26 October 1986, aligning with the 312th anniversary of Hallgrímur’s death and Reykjavík’s bicentennial as a city WikipediaHallgrímskirkja.
Height & Visibility
Height: Stands at 74.5 meters (approximately 244 ft), making it the tallest church and among the tallest structures in Iceland WikipediaAll Things Iceland.
Location: Positioned on Skólavörðuholt hill, it dominates Reykjavík’s skyline and serves as one of the city’s most prominent landmarks WikipediaAll Things IcelandVisit Reykjavík.
Interior HighlightsPipe Organs
Hallgrímskirkja houses two large pipe organs:
A Rieger-Kloss organ (1946), located in the south wing.
A grand Johannes Klais organ (1992), with:
5,275 pipes
72 stops, 102 ranks
Height of 15 meters, weighing around 25 metric tons
WikipediaAll Things Icelandexeterhotel.is.Bells & Carillon
A carillon with 29 bells adorns the tower. The three largest—Hallgrímur, Guðríður, and Steinunn—are named after Hallgrímur, his wife, and daughter. They ring on the hour and every 15 minutes during designated times Wikipediaexeterhotel.isAll Things IcelandWikipedia.
Art & Statues
Near the entrance is a statue of Jesus by Einar Jónsson, donated in 1948 Wikipedia.
Stepping outside, you’ll find the Leif Erikson statue, a gift from the U.S. commemorating Iceland’s 1000-year parliamentary heritage
As we were tired, we returned to our hotel so that we could use the hotel's spa. We arrived at the spa around 7:00 p.m. and had only about an hour to enjoy it. The spa was completely empty, and we were the only people there. Our spa attendant first forgot to give us the lockers' keys and also towels. After the shower, we realized that there were no towels to be had. Eventually, I discovered that saunas had fresh towels and used those.
The spa has two hot, thermal pools and one cold plunge (though the cold plunge is minuscule). We enjoyed relaxing in the two thermal pools. I wanted to use the sauna also, but could not get it to raise and its temperature. There were electronic controls that kept resetting. The spa closed at 20:00, and we returned to our room to dress for dinner.
We decided to return to Hekla Restaurant for dinner, as we were tired and did not want to look for a different restaurant far away. This time, at around 20:15, Hekla was quite busy and most of the tables were taken. Our waitress found us a table and we sat down, ordering the following items:
- Drinks: 2 Hot Teas
- Appetizer: Grilled Tiger Prawns
- Main: Catch of the Day (Cod)
- Dessert: Chocolate Lava Cake
The Catch of the Day (cod) was excellent, as expected, and the Tiger Prawns were delicious (although a bit smaller than I expected).
After dinner, we decided to burn a few calories and walk to the shore. We ended up walking for about an hour (round-trip), marvelling at the brightness of the evening (it did not seem that the sun would ever set).
On the way back to Hotel Island, we noticed dozens of teenagers out, roaming around. We were surprised to see so many young, unsupervised kids this late in the evening.
Saturday, July 26, 2025
Starting: Hotel Island & Spa, Reykjavik, Iceland
Ending: Hotel Island & Spa, Reykjavik, Iceland
Highlights: Hallgrimskirkja Church, Einar Johnson Museum, Harpa Concert Hall, Magic Ice Reykjavík, Sky Lagoon
After a restful night of sleep, I woke at 07:30, showered, shaved, and dressed. After Inna awoke and dressed, we decided to try following a one-day program, as suggested by ChatGPT. It suggested that see try eating breakfast at the Sandholt Bakery (far away), so we decided to use local buses to get there.
The bus stop for bus #5 was nearby, and we boarded it (paying using Apple Pay, which is widely accepted in Iceland). We walked part of the way, down the busy city center in downtown Reykjavik.
After finding Sandholt Bakery, we queued up in a long line, waiting to be seated. The pastries looked divine, and both Inna and I were tempted to order more than one. After waiting about 15 minutes, we sat down and ordered the following items:
- Coffee (excellent)
- Moss Black Tea (tastes like Earl Grey)
- Skyr Yogurt with Granola
- Lamb Tiga Sandwich
- Eplavinarbraud (Apple Danish)
The Skyr Yogurt was exceptional, and the Lamb Tiga Sandwich was excellent as well. The Apple Danish was delicious too!
After breakfast, we walked a few blocks to the beautiful Hallgrimskirkja Church. We purchased tickets to use the elevator, rode to the top, and took photos of the beautiful skyline using both iPhone and Canon R8 mirrorless camera with the 28-70 f/2.8 lens.
After exploring the church, we sat down and listened to the organ playing (hoped for J.S. Bach). The organ is the largest in Iceland with 5275 pipes and it sounded fantastic. I was hoping the organist would play something more appealing to my musical tastes.
We stopped by the nearby Sculpture Garden in the Einar Johnson Museum to photograph some intriguing outdoor sculptures (for some reason, Google Maps listed the Museum as closed, but the garden was actually open. Fortunately, we ignored Google Maps, which we found to be frequently mistaken).
Feeling a bit sleepy, we stopped by for two cups of drip coffee at Reykjavik Roasters. Initially, we wanted to order a pour-over for two, but it was not available. There was a mix of interesting people there, with one young lady knitting.
We decided to explore the shoreline and headed there, with a stop at the Harpa Concert Hall. We inquired about tours and performances and learned about a 13:00 tour (for which we purchased tickets). We marveled at the beautiful building and took lots of photos.
At 13:00, we toured the Harpa Concert Hall with the talented Ragnheidur Ingunn Johannsdottir, also ur tour guide. Ragnheidur sings classical lieder, plays the violin, and conducts orchestras. She is considered one of Iceland's rising young stars. She was dressed very casually, and you wouldn't be able to tell (at first glance) that she is a serious classical musician.
Initially, the desire for a new concert hall in Reykjavik was lobbied by the famous conductor Vladimir Ashkenazy, who conducted the Iceland Symphony in Reykjavik. Due to his effort, collaboration between the government and industry led to its eventual construction.
After the tour was over, we decided to eat lunch at the Hnoss Restaurant, inside Harpa Concert Hall. It was easy and convenient. We ordered the following items:
- Inna: Eggs Benedict
- Boris: Catch of the Day (Link)
The entrees were expensive but not too bad, and the service was fast and efficient.
After lunch, we decided to walk around the shoreline, stopping in various shops along the way. We also walked to the Reykjavík City Hall, which is located near a small lake. We saw a famous statue of the "Unknown Bureaucrat" and watched all the pigeons being fed.
We headed back toward the main downtown area with all the shops. While walking around, we noticed the Magic Ice Reykjavík - Ice Bar & Gallery, and decided to try it out.
Before entering the ice chamber, we donned extra layers of warm clothes. We entered the subzero chamber and looked at a few ice sculptures. At the bar, we ordered the following drinks for Inna and me:
- Blue Curacao, Lemon, and Vodka on ice
The drink was excellent, and the Magic Ice tour guide helped us get unique photos with all the interesting ice sculptures. After about 30 minutes, we exited the ice chamber and stopped by for some hot Earl Grey tea. We had had enough of the cold! We talked briefly with the owners of Magic Ice; many spoke Russian. They told us that many Ukranians and Poles live in Reykjavic.
Inna wanted to look around a few stores, so we split up for a few hours. I looked for a grocery store to purchase a small can of shaving cream. I finally found one grocery store, but only a large, bulky can was available (there was not much selection for shaving cream, unlike in U.S. stores). I purchased the larger can. In general, I found that even the larger grocery stores have a much narrower selection of products.
I also spent some time browsing books at Penninn Eymundsson Skólavörðustíg, a local bookstore. Most of the books were in Icelandic, but there was a small section of books in English. There was also a large section of books on Icelandic nature photography, which I found impressive.
Since I had made dinner reservations at Skal! At 17:30, we met up with Inna there. After being seated, we looked at the menu and ordered our dinner.
- Appetizers: Ceviche (Ocean Perch), Bread, Cod Cheeks
- Main: Lamb Fillet
- Dessert: Skyr Mousse
The small and large plates were delicious, but the portions were very small. Were they intended for hobbits? (because they could not have been intended for Vikings). In addition, we were charged for one alcoholic drink, which we did not purchase. Skal! was not a bad restaurant, but it's one you visit after eating somewhere else first.
After dinner, we caught a taxi (after some effort in trying to find one) to Sky Lagoon. Inna had pre-purchased tickets for 19:30.
I was very impressed by the Sky Lagoon. It was modern, well organized, and efficiently run. We swam around in the main thermal pool and then followed the 7-Step Ritual.
Inna purchased the Ser Package, which included private changing facilities, showers, and the 7-Step Ritual, which included the following steps:
- One journey through the seven-step Ritual
- Enter the Lagoon
- Cold Plunge - the water is ice cold
- Enter the Turf House (Sauna) - The Sauna is not very hot
- Cold Mist
- Body Scrub
- Steam Room
- Icelandic Elixir (delicious)
The Sky Lagoon was a definitive highlight of our stay in Reykjavik. The thermal baths were amazing! We loved it so much that we stayed there until closing time (22:30).
We rode a taxi back to our Hotel Island. Although only 12 minutes by car, the taxi charged about USD 40. Taxis are very expensive in Iceland.
Inna wrote a lovely summary about our first day in Reykjavik in Russian:
Мы замечательно провели первый день в Рекьявике. Очень вкусно позавтракали в прекрасной пекарне - вообще здесь вкуснейший хлеб, выпечка, местный йогурт (скир), отличный кофе и атмосферные кофейни. Послушали органный концерт в церви Хадльгримскиркья - очень интересная архитектура в форме шлема викинга, а также самый большой орган в Исландии сделанный в Бонне - 5275 труб, рядом отличный сад скульптур, потом прогулка по городу и набережной, ещё сходили на экскурсию в концертный зал Харпа - местная жемчужина современной архитектуры - потом постараюсь отдельно написать о нем, произвел впечатление и у нас была потрясающая девочка экскурсовод - скрипачка, сопрано и дирижёр в одном лице - и она нам даже спела по моей просьбе :) Потом пришлю видео где она поёт. Рейкьявик нам очень понравился - очень красочный, компактный удобный город, много художественных галерей и мастерских, прекрасная керамика местная. Ещё заглянули в ледяной бар и галерею ледяных скульптур. Очень много русскоговорящих людей здесь Вечер провели в великолепной термальной спа - очень красивые виды, натуральные камни, водопад и шикарные сауны прямо над океаном. Потом пришлю фотки. Всё, кажется отчиталась :)
Sunday, July 27, 2025
The Hotel Island's one large breakfast room was already packed with travelers and hikers. Most tables were already taken and the buffet was fairly crowded. We found a free table and selected a few items from the breakfast buffet:
- Boris: Skyr Yogurt with nuts & granola, scrambled eggs, cold cuts, cappuccino
- Inna: Skyr Yogurt with nuts & granola
The breakfast buffet was mediocre and lacked the wide variety of meats and pastries that are common in more luxury hotels. After finishing breakfast, we returned to our room, picked up our luggage, and then rode downstairs to check out.
Our Arctic Adventures Mercedes-Benz mini-bus was already there, and our guide and driver, Bjorn, was waiting for us. He expected us to leave before 08:00 (but no one had warned us about it).
We quickly loaded our luggage on the mini-bus and boarded. Our large suitcases and backpacks would ride in a trailer, towed behind the bus. We took our personal items (rain coats) and cameras with us on the bus (as there was very limited storage space for large items like backpacks).
Bjorn had to make a few more stops to pick up the rest of the tour. All 19 seats on the bus were filled, and we began our tour of Iceland's Golden Circle.
Reykjavik Trip Review (July 25-26)
Highlights
- Bathing and relaxing at Sky Lagoon Hot Spring Spa
- Eating a excellent bakeries & restaurants (although expensive)
- Forrettabarinn Restaurant & Bar
- Sandholt Bakery
- Hekla Restaurant
- Touring the modern Harpa Concert Hall with Ragnheidur Ingunn Johannsdottir (and getting a sample of her Classical singing)
- Listening to Baroque Music played on one of the largest organs at Hallgrimskirkja Church.
- Viewing beautiful sculptures in the Einar Jónsson Museum (Sculpture Garden)
- Using public transportation. Buses accept Apple Pay, and getting around is fairly easy (so a car is not really needed in Reykjavík)
- Paying using Visa/MasterCard credit cards or Apple Pay (no need for ISK cash)
- Eating Skyr yogurt (widely available)
Lowlights
- Using taxis is very expensive ($40 per 10-minute ride)
- UberX and Lyft are unavailable (so getting picked up can be difficult)
- Keflavik Airport (for international flights) is quite far away from Reykjavík's downtown area.
- A taxi ride from Keflavik Airport to downtown is $200
- Using Flybus costs about $70 for two people (but takes about 30 minutes longer than a taxi)
- Everything is more expensive than in the U.S.A.
- The weather is very unpredictable. It can be hot, cold, sunny, and rainy - all within an hour.
Links
Reykjavik
- Attractions
- The Einar Jónsson Museum (Sculpture Garden)
- Hallgrimskirkja Church (organ music)
- Harpa Concert Hall (classical music concerts)
- Magic Ice (ice sculptures, alcoholic drinks)
- Dining
- Forrettabarinn Restaurant & Bar (high quality)
- Hekla Restaurant (high quality and reasonable price)
- Sandholt Bakery (delicious pastries and sandwiches)
- Hotels
- Spas
- Tours
- Transporation
Iceland/Scotland Trip Itinerary
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