Our last day in Iceland was bittersweet.
We were tired and looking forward to going home (if only to see our cats), but still had set aside some time to see the major city: Reykjavik.
We had read that you only really need a few hours to see the main attractions in the city.
One of the only things we regret from our trip is not having allotted more time than this to explore, as there are many unique shops and things to take in.
PARK BEHIND THE CHURCH
We began our exploration of Reykjavik by looking for parking. This is usually the most difficult part of visiting large cities for us, as finding parking is usually a frustrating experience. Fortunately, after finding ourselves in one extremely small and unsuitable parking garage, we found free parking right behind Hallgrímskirkja – the beautiful Lutheran church that will be easily recognizable to most people who have looked at photos of Reykjavik.
THE REST OF REYKJAVIK
It is tough to consolidate all the sights into a couple of paragraphs, but there are so many takeaways from this city. One standout thing we really liked is how the city is not intimidating like most major cities of the world. While we occasionally visit NYC, the feel is significantly rougher and more crowded by comparison. It helps that Reykjavik is also lower to the ground, without the towering skyscrapers that dominate a skyline like New York City’s.
There are many little shops we found ourselves stumbling into, sometimes only for a few minutes. Record shops, music instrument stores, the Chuck Norris Grill, the Lebowski Bar (a bar themed around The Big Lebowski), and Icelandic specialty stores are all great in their own ways. We are not into collecting too many souvenirs on our trip, but ended up buying an authentic Icelandic wool blanket – no regrets 🙂
Our visit to Harpa – the really unique concert hall of Reykjavik – was great to see. The location makes for some great photography opportunities. We hope to one day catch a show there!
We ended our time in Reykjavik with a visit to Joe & The Juice – a great coffee shop. We carried our drinks through some winding streets as we made our way back to our campervan.
RETURN TO THE AIRPORT, BYE ICELAND!!
From Reykjavik, we returned our campervan at the airport, and were on our way home.
Traveling throughout the entire country of Iceland was a unique and powerful experience filled with a nice mixture of challenges and relaxation.
The photography opportunities are virtually endless in this country, it is no wonder it is such a popular destination for photographers and filmmakers around the world. We hope to one day revisit Iceland and take in more of the sights, as there are still many things we were unable to see.
If you are considering traveling to Iceland, we highly suggest you do!
We hope that our 10 Day Travel Iceland article series has been insightful and useful for you. On our website, we have created many other resources that you will want to check out if you are considering your own trip to Iceland – whether for photography or not. A few great articles to check out include our Kuku Campervan Review, and 10 Things to Know Before Traveling Iceland’s Ring Road.
If you have any questions about Iceland travel, feel free to leave a comment below and we will be in touch!
