Reykjavik - Solo Travel

Each January, I like to try and take a solo trip somewhere fun, to give myself a reset before the year begins. In 2024, that trip was to Reykjavik, Iceland. 5 days, 4 nights of bitterly cold yet blissful weather, 4.5 hours of sunlight a day and 50+mph winds one evening. But don't let any of that put you off - Reykjavik in January is a great idea.

To be clear, this trip was designed as a citybreak in Reykjavik, so if you're looking for inspiration about how you should go and explore and photograph the Icelandic wilderness, go and read some posts from Gunnar Freyr Gunnarsson - one of the most insane wildlife and landscape photographers around (spoiler alert: you'll need a 4x4 and to not visit in January). But if you just want to visit Reykjavik for a few days, see the sights and do a tour or two... this is for you.

1. Reykjavik City ✅

Having landed and taken the bus from the airport into Reykjavik, I arrived at Kex Hostel, where I had booked a private room for my stay. I would 100% recommend for anyone solo travelling (or with your friends). The bar served local beer and great pizzas plus was bustling every night, even in January!

Over the following few days I wandered around Reykjavik whenever I wasn't on tours. My highlights include:

• All the locally brewed beer. I did not taste a single beer that I wasn't a fan of. Skúli Craft and Lebowski were my favourites bars.

• Walking out to the harbour to look back at the city and visit the Living Art Museum.

• Svarta Kaffid - an soup served in a giant bread roll. Available throughout the city but this place is supposed to be the best. I'd give it 10/10.

• Walking to the Grotta Island Lighthouse at the most northern point of the city.

• Reykjavík Art Museum Hafnarhús - there is a citywide art ticket available to visit many other galleries.

• Reykjavik Record Shop - the owner was super knowledgable and runs a record label specialising in jazz. Definitely worth a visit. Came away with a couple of new favourites for the collection.

• Ramen Momo was a no-frills fresh and delicious bowl of ramen. Just what I needed after walking in the cold all afternoon.

• Great coffee and delicious baked goods were too easy to come by - my favourites were Kaffi Ó-le, Brauð & Co and Reykjavik Roasters.

  
  

2. Golden Circle Tour ✅

As I didn't rent a car, I booked myself a Golden Circle Tour with Greyline to go and see some local sights. One of the most popular day trips from Reykjavik includes three locations in Icelands 'Golden Circle'. These include Thingvellir (Þingvellir) National Park, the Geysir Geothermal Area and the Gulfoss Waterfall.

In January, with the limited daylight each day, day trips are a little shorter so you can see as much as possible in daylight but what it does mean is that your whole trip is in golden hour (and a bit of blue hour). Perfect for photography. The views out of the bus window were just as epic as the actual stop offs.

3. Geo-Thermal Lagoon ✅

During my trip, a volcanic fissure had opened up, near Grindavik, just south of Reykjavik airport. This is an ongoing issue for this region meaning that the Blue Lagoon - Icelands most famous geo-thermal lagoon, is experiencing on and off temporary closure.

There are a couple of other options available so instead I chose to visit the Sky Lagoon. I have zero regrets. I opted for the package including the Skjól Ritual which I would fully recommend. The ritual includes the following:

1. Soak in the lagoon (40°C)

2. Cold plunge (5°C)

3. Sauna with beautiful sea views (80°C)

4. Stand in a refreshing cold mist (-5°C)

5. Exfoliate with their signature body scrub

6. Activate the hydrating body scrub in the steam room (46°C)

7. Cold plunge again to finish before returning to the lagoon (5°C)

4. Northern Lights ✅

As part of my Golden Circle tour, Greyline had an option to bolt on a Northern Lights tour. This involved being picked up and driven into the ice cold night to chase reports of aurora activity. I went out twice, with my camera, a tripod, all the clothing layers I had with me and some snacks.

I'd definitely recommend booking a Northern Lights tour early in your trip as most tour operators will rebook you for the next available night if you aren't lucky enough to see them. There is no guarantee you will see them and even if you are lucky enough, they may be very faint to the naked eye.

On night one, I stood in 40 mile an hour winds, on the top of a hill in 2°C, holding my tripod down so my camera didn't get blown over and I didn't take a single photograph I was happy with. This night was considered a 'no show' as they weren't visible to the human eye. I re-booked at no extra cost for 2 nights later.

On my second trip out, I went slightly better prepared. I organised my equipment better, wrapped my whole face in a second scarf and off I went. This time, it had snowed, no wind but it was -13°C. I stood and waited for 2 hours as the glow on the horizon gently increased. They were just about visible to the human eye if you allowed your eyes to adjust but the camera was able to see them dancing in between the ridge on the horizon. I can't wait for my next opportunity to see them again.