Not only are we frugal shoppers, but we are also frugal travelers. Anytime I see a cheap flight, I immediately send it to Derria. So when I came across a $200 flight to Iceland on WOW Air, you already know what I did. A few days later Derria and I along with 4 other friends were booked for Iceland.
Now that we had purchased plane tickets; it was time to plan. We got a rude awakening real quick on how expensive Iceland is. In preparing for the trip we attempted to cut as many costs as possible. Before the trip, we rented a Jeep from Green Motion ($35/pp), to cut down on the money we would spend on taxis and transfers. We purchased tickets to the Blue Lagoon and also booked the Southern Iceland Glaciers, Waterfalls and Beaches Day Tour ($90). Everything else we would drive and do on our own.
Getting to Reykjavik
I mentioned before that we flew WOW Air. WOW is a no-frill, no thrill airline. You pay for EVERYTHING extra, nothing is included! Because we were flying on a budget airline, baggage restrictions were serious. The airline allowed us 1 personal bag and 1 small carry-on (16" under-seater carry-on suitcase), anything larger was an additional fee. We were literally struggling on how to pack to fit the requirements. I refused to pay for a carry-on bag so I used my packing tricks to make everything fit in a small under-seater carry-on that I got from Walmart. Derria paid for the large carry-on but in the end, WOW upgraded everyone to the large carry-on due to some change in the baggage policy. If you ever plan on flying with WOW add approx. $80-100 to the ticket price for baggage. Once you get on the plane there are no free amenities, NONE! So pack your food, drinks, and entertainment and enjoy your flight.
To Reykjavik We Go
Let me get to the actual trip. Since we had planned such a short trip, we packed it with as many things as possible. We flew on WOW Air from BWI at 6 pm arriving in KEF at 5 am. Before taking off, we purchased liquor at duty-free, remember everything is expensive in Iceland. Fast forward 5 hrs.....It's Saturday.
Saturday: We landed, found breakfast, and then picked up our rental. Next stop.....THE BLUE LAGOON.
Let me get to the actual trip. Since we had planned such a short trip, we packed it with as many things as possible. We flew on WOW Air from BWI at 6 pm arriving in KEF at 5 am. Before taking off, we purchased liquor at duty-free, remember everything is expensive in Iceland. Fast forward 5 hrs.....It's Saturday.
Saturday: We landed, found breakfast, and then picked up our rental. Next stop.....THE BLUE LAGOON.
The Blue Lagoon ($75) geothermal spa is one of the most visited attractions in Iceland. The spa is located in a lava field in GrindavÃk. The warm waters are rich in minerals like silica and sulfur the water temperature in the bathing and swimming area of the lagoon averages 99–102 °F. This place is amazing! We could have stayed here all day!
Next Stop....Reykjavik. Reykjavik is the capital of Iceland. It's 45 mins away from the airport and the Blue Lagoon. The view driving was amazing. Miles and miles of lava fields and mountains.
We checked into our Airbnb ($85/pp) got changed and headed right back out to explore the town. Our first stop was Hallgrimskirkja, the tallest structure in Iceland. The night ended party crashing at the Harpa Concert Hall then going to Prikid, the hip-hop club where we stayed til 2:30 am.
Sunday: 8 am...bright and early Sunday morning we were headed on our 10 hour day tour. Most people go see the Golden Circle but we opted for the Southern Iceland tour. It was still dark when we left but we got to watch the sunrise as we drove.
Stopped to see the Sólheimajökull and Mýrdalsjökull glaciers.
Walked along the black sand beaches of Vik.
Visited the Skogafoss and Seljalandsfoss waterfalls.
After a long day we headed back to Reykjavik. We watched the sunset. During the winter daylight is limited but we had a pretty long day of light for the winter time.
After we returned from our long day out we had dinner at Grillmarkadinn. The food here was amazing. This is a must is you are ever in Reykjavik.
After dinner, we jumped in the car to chase the Northern Lights. On the first try, we spotted them! They were faint but hey that's better than nothing.
We were dead tired after this, we slept about 4 hours total since Friday, so we hit club bed.
Monday: This was our last day in Iceland, so we spent our last few hours touring the city, snapping pics and trying not to get blown away cause the wind was kicking. After our mini tour headed to the famous hot dog stand, Bæjarins Beztu Pylsur, grabbed a bite to eat and drove to the airport. If you follow either of us on our personal social media accounts, you would see we had a little fun at the airport LOL. Let's just say it involved the six of us and an unopened bottle of Crown Royal.
Monday: This was our last day in Iceland, so we spent our last few hours touring the city, snapping pics and trying not to get blown away cause the wind was kicking. After our mini tour headed to the famous hot dog stand, Bæjarins Beztu Pylsur, grabbed a bite to eat and drove to the airport. If you follow either of us on our personal social media accounts, you would see we had a little fun at the airport LOL. Let's just say it involved the six of us and an unopened bottle of Crown Royal.
Overall we spent around $500 for everything during the trip, which is pretty great for an international trip in an expensive country. We hope you enjoy out pictures and maybe this will encourage you to travel to Iceland. Leave us any comments or questions in the comments section below.
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