We stayed for 4 nights and stayed in Reykjavík city centre, which many people have told me is too long a stay in this area as there isn't  much to see in the city. These people just didn't know where to look. I found that if you are going to do more trips or hire a car and would like more than a few hours to explore this charming town then I would say you need longer. I would love to go back with a camper and drive the whole country.

We flew in from Birmingham airport with Jet2 which was a pleasant experience, we chose a twilight check-in which allowed us to check in our bags the night before, living very close to the airport this made sense for us and in the morning we could just sail straight through security and enjoy a relaxing fry up at Weatherspoon.

The flight to KEV (which is the main airport for Reykjavík) was reasonably short, around 3 hours. 

Once we landed and grabbed our bags we headed to the car hire. We got a shuttle bus to the car hire but it is walkable if you know where you are going, which is what we did on the return.

Hiring a car I would recommend if you plan on going out of Reykjavík and don't like the big coach trips. Our car was from Blue Car Hire, which were very friendly, we hired a sat nav, however this didn't work very well so they gave us  a Wi-Fi block to use the maps on our phone. Which by the way is absolutely genius. I would take one now where ever I go in the world.

Day 1:

When we got into Reykjavík we had planned a whale watching trip to make the most out of our time there. We probably planned it a bit close because we found ourselves rushing to sort parking ( which wasn't easy) and running to find the harbour. It was well worth the stress though. For anyone that is motion sick like me and doesn't think that is something they are going to enjoy because of it, I would say just do it. Don't miss out on a once in a lifetime trip because of it. You can sit outside the whole time like we did (as long as you wrap up warm). The boat company supplied sea sickness tablets for if you really needed it, many people on the trip took them and were very impressed with the fast results. The waters were very choppy for a while obce you got out of the harbour. We sailed for about an hour before we stopped. The moement we saw the first humpback whale it all became worth it. It was truly amazing to see these creatures so close in the wild. We were maybe 15ft or so away form them at some points.  The crew on the boat were great, there was someone on the speaker as soon as the whales were spotted so that everyone could get outside to see them and they were great sharing as much information about the whales as you could want. It was one of my favourite experiences in Iceland.  

That evening we did a must see if you are in town. The penis museum. Yes, you read that right. This is exactly what is sounds like,  a museum of penises. There is a bar where you can get a drink to take round with out, you then walk through to many different elements of the museum. There are moulds and test tubes, pictures and information. My favourite being the test tube of a sperm whale's penis. Surprisingly  as big as a small person. If you have as sense of humour then this is definitely worth a visit.

Day 2:

Day 2's plan was to do the golden circle and then finish is a natural thermal spa. However with the islandic roads things don't always go to plan. 

On the way to the Thingvellir nation park around 10 minuets away when we it quite a large rock on the side of the road and popped 2 tires. We managed to get into the car park for the national park before they got too low to drive. Thankfully this was the 1st stop on the golden circle tour so we could wait here for the recovery. The hire company were great they got someone out to us around an hour later. They took the tires away and brought us back 2 new ones around 3 hours later. This meant we could carry on with the tour but we decided to skip the thermal spa at the end as we were going to the blue lagoon later in the trip.

The national park was beautiful, the views were gorgeous. It is where the 2 tectonic plates meet. You can actually scuba dive between the plates which we would have loved to do if we had more time. As standard for Iceland there are beautiful small waterfalls and rivers going through the national park. 

Stop 2 on the golden circle was the geyser. This was relatively quiet by the time we got there. You don't need long at this stop, although amazing there is only so much to see. There is something quiet spectacular about seeing boiling water shoot into the air from the ground. I shoots every few minutes, and is quite mesmerising to see it bubbling  and building up to shoot straight in the air. I would definitely say it was worth a trip to see.

Stop 3 on the golden circle was Gullfoss waterfall.

Now that was AMAZING. The second we got out the car and it came into view wee were absolutely taken away by the sheer size of the water fall. As we went in the beginning of October the weather was still good enough to go right down to the waterfall almost within toughing distance. I had a friend that went the next week and path that would go you there was shut off due tot he weather so it was only viewable for them from higher up. It was amazing to get that close that you fell like you could almost reach out and touch the water. Definitely my highlight of the golden circle.

Day 3: Vik

Vik was a 3/4 hour drive from Reykjavik. The drive as long but didn't feel as long as that with akl the views along the way. We stopped about 15 minutes from Vik and the main black beaches as we were desperate for a wee. We stopped at the lcosest tiulets google could find us. This was once of the best decisions as at the toilets we discovered that there was a light house on the rocks. We walked to wards the lighthouse after taking care of business. The lighthouse was built out onthe clift side ao you walk out on the rocks which is people aprund 40/50ft wide and very exposed. Be prepared for the wind!!!! As soon as we started walking out we were it by the stongest winds i have ever experienced in my life. T ot the point where it was hard to walk and you darent walk close to the edge for fear of vbeing blown off. The lighthouse wasnt open but the views from here was nothing short of amazing. We discovered a small track road that kead to even higher ground. as we went, parked and got out I have never been so thanknful for needing a wee. The view from this top [oiny is still to this day one of the betst views my eyes have ever experivencwd. The rocky hills of the country met the green flat land which lead into the black sand beaches and out to the Atlantic ocean, all in one picture. 

On to the black beaches themselves. We stopped at the café on the black beaches of Vik. Had a bit to eat and went on to explore some more. We walked along the black sand with the wind beating at us. to the left we came around a small cave in the rocks with column like rocks making up the sides, another example of how interesting this landscape can be. The views on the beach were quite something even if you had to squint through the sand in the wind. 

On the drive back we stopped at another one of the hundreds of waterfalls in this country. Seggafloss waterfall. Now thuis was something tht i recommend if you are near and in the summer months. It is a small waterfall  but with a twist. There is a path thatb leads all the way round so you can walk behind the falling water. This was a relly soectacular experience to break uou th drive hime. 

Day 4: Blue lagoon and Reykjavik

Day 4 started as a chilled day exploring the rest of Reykjavik that we hadn't seen so far. This town is full of bars, restaurants and shops. Of course we had to buy an obligatory islandic jumper and a Christmas tree decoration form the Christmas shop (yes it is open all year). We had a lovely wlk along the harbour and through the streets. 

It was then time for the Blue Lagoon

This is the most tourist thermal spa in Iceland. It was worth a visit. It is huge. Made up of different parts that are all connected with the water. There is a bar area, you ger a free drink with your entry and can buy more. Therer is the face mask area where you get 3 dfase maks to try. Therer is the quit=eter relaxation area and there is the spa area where you can book treatments. There are also a couple of saunas aswell. We did the face masks =, had our drink and chilled for a coupld of hours. The water was lovely and the whole area felt very relaxing =, definelty wortha visit. 

We had dinner tat night in the lava restaurant on site. Like every other restaurant in Iceland that food was lovely but expensive.

 That night we tried a boat trip again but this time to see the northern lights. We were out for a few hours, this time didn't go far enough for the water to get choppy thankfully. However the cliuds were not on our side and we had to leave iceland without seeing them. We'll be back somedya though so I am holding out hope for the future.