Okies in Iceland

Getting there

Birmingham to Keflavík, before most people are awake

easyJet EZY6655 · OutboundTue 15 Dec

BHX

Birmingham

KEF

Keflavík

Departs07:05

Lands10:10

Flight time3h 05

Seats1A · 1BOkie 1 · Okie 2Okie 1 = Dave, window

BoardingSpeedy

Express lane04:30–06:30

Express lane

Megan sitting on top of an easyJet plane, arms wide

Megan's actual seat

easyJet EZY6656 · HomeSat 19 Dec

KEF

Keflavík

BHX

Birmingham

Departs11:00

Lands13:50

Flight time~2h 50

Seats1F · 1EOkie 1 · Okie 2Okie 1 = Dave, window

Car back by08:30

BoardingSpeedy

Straight from the booking

Seats and bags

Mr David Crocker: 1Ahome: 1F
Ms Megan You Min Lee: 1Bhome: 1E
🪟 The window seat: Dave, both ways (1A out, 1F home). A complete coincidence. Megan may lodge a formal complaint with the cabin crew at 35,000 feet, or arm-wrestle for it at the gate.
Parking: Car Park 2&3, booked
In Tue 15 Dec 04:45, out Sat 19 Dec 14:15. A minute's walk to zones B–C. Map ↗ · Manage booking ↗
Bag drop opens: 04:05
Bag drop closes: 06:05
Check-in closes: 60 mins before
Boarding: Speedy Boarding
first on, first off
Security: Birmingham Express Lane, valid 04:30–06:30
Booked for 05:30, valid an hour either side. One QR code for both of us: tap it on the ticket to enlarge.
Bag 1 each: Small cabin bag
45 × 36 × 20 cm
Row 1 has no seat in front, so it goes up in the locker
Bag 2 each: Large cabin bag
56 × 45 × 25 cm
Bag 3 each: Checked hold bag
dropped at the desk

A dark Tesla Model Y on a snowy road below a white hillside

★ Dave's choice

Our wheels

A Tesla Model Y. Obviously.

Collected at Keflavík at 10:30 on Tuesday and handed back at 08:30 on Saturday. Dual-motor all-wheel drive, winter tyres, and the heater switched on from a phone before every frozen morning. Quiet enough to hear the aurora. (You can't hear the aurora.)

⚡ Supercharger stops
Reykjavík, Vatnagarðar 24 and Álfabakki 6 · in town
Mosfellsbær, Háholt 11 · on Road 1 heading north (Húsafell day)
Laugarvatn, Efstidalur II · on the Golden Circle

AWDPre-heated seatsNo petrol stopsHeated steering wheelADHD friendlyArctic bear collision avoidance

Four long nights

Every night is an aurora night, if the sky behaves.

Iceland in December gets about 20 hours of darkness. Clear skies plus a little solar activity and the whole sky moves. Check the forecast every evening.

Where we sleep

Two stays, now unsealed.

Reykjanes peninsula · southwest Iceland · 25 minutes from the plane

The Retreat at Blue Lagoon

Moss Junior Suite · Tue 15 to Thu 17 Dec

📍 Norðurljósavegur, 240 GrindavíkDirections from the airportCheck in 15:00 · out 11:00

Built into an 800-year-old lava field, moss on every rock, with milky blue water running between them. Our suite is on the upper level, with its own balcony looking out to the horizon: aurora-watching without getting out of a dressing gown.

♨️Retreat LagoonGuests only, and just us hotel guests from 20:00 to 22:00

🪨Retreat SpaCarved into the lava, with the Blue Lagoon Ritual: silica, algae, minerals

🌊The Blue Lagoon tooUnlimited, any time we like

🍷Free minibarWine, Icelandic beer and soft drinks, both nights

🥂Welcome drinkHanded over at check-in, 15:00 Tuesday

🍳BreakfastEvery morning, included

☕Icelandic coffee timeEvery afternoon in the lounge

🧘YogaGroup session daily, if we feel virtuous

🍽️Lava restaurantBooked: Wednesday 19:30, à la carte, in the lava cliff by the lagoon. Restaurant ↗

🌌Darkest skiesNo light pollution, so our best aurora odds of the trip

Northern lights over a steaming lagoon in the snow — What we're hoping for

Moss Junior Suite bedroom with a window onto the lava field — Moss Junior Suite

Looking from the bed through floor-to-ceiling windows — The view from bed

Armchairs, bed and a freestanding bath in the suite — Suite seating

Swimming in a milky blue lagoon between lava walls — The Retreat Lagoon

The hotel lit up at dusk above the lagoon — Dusk at the Retreat

Aerial view of the lagoon winding through moss-covered lava — From above

Lava Restaurant: tables laid in a tall glass hall looking straight out over the steaming Blue Lagoon — Lava, Wed 19:30

An in-water massage floating in the lagoon — In-water massage

Moss-covered lava beside bright blue water — The lava field

Laugavegur 28 · Reykjavík's main street · pedestrian, Christmas lights

ION City Hotel

Junior Suite · Thu 17 to Sat 19 Dec

📍 Laugavegur 28, 101 ReykjavíkDirections from the RetreatTwo nights, Thursday and Friday

Right on Laugavegur, so dinner, bars and the Christmas lights are a few steps away. The Junior Suite comes with a 17 square metre balcony, and on that balcony is our own glass-fronted sauna looking out over the rooftops.

🔥Balcony saunaPrivate, glass-fronted, over the city

🍫Free minibarComplimentary, like the Retreat's

☕NespressoIn the room for the late mornings

🔊B&O speakerFor the sauna playlist

🍽️Sumac downstairsFire-grilled Middle Eastern food, same building

🎄On the doorstepShops, bars, Hallgrímskirkja a short walk uphill

Glass-fronted sauna on a private balcony next to the bedroom — Our balcony sauna

The Junior Suite with a large bed and wool throw — The Junior Suite

Junior Suite bed beside the glass balcony doors — Bed by the balcony

Junior Suite bedroom with big windows over the rooftops — Rooftop windows

Another view of the Junior Suite bedroom — Room to sprawl

ION City Hotel's front on Laugavegur, Sumac on the ground floor — Laugavegur 28

The ION City lobby and reception desk — The lobby

Dark corridor with diagonal light strips — The corridors

Day by day

The plan

Mid-December daylight runs from about 11:15 to 15:30, so the days are slow and the nights do the work.

Tuesday15December

Land, then disappear

The Retreat, night 1Sauna 1🍷 Free wine and beer

Wednesday16December

A whole day of doing nothing

The Retreat, night 2Sauna 2🍷 Free wine and beer

MorningBreakfast, yoga if we feel virtuous, back to bed if we don't
MiddayThe spa ritual: silica, algae, steam, lava-walled rooms
Lunch
Lunch in our robes, no booking needed, from 12:00.
🧖 Spa RestaurantInside the Retreat · robes welcomeArmchairs and floor-to-ceiling windows over the lagoon. Chicken, beef or the Caesar for Dave; sushi or ceviche for Megan.Restaurant ↗
Menu

Mains

Chicken breast, barley, parsnip, chilli £37

Caesar salad with chicken, parmesan £37

Beef striploin, chimichurri, broccolini £49

Beef tataki, almonds, yuzu, chilli £37

Icelandic stracciatella, tomato, basil £37

Vegan steak (Juicy Marbles), mushroom demi-glace £43

Cod, sushi, ceviche, tuna tartare ML ✓ DC ✗

Sides

Potato bread, olive oil, lava salt £12

Mashed potatoes £12

Grilled broccolini £12

Greek salad £12

Hummus, crudités or seed crackers £12

Puddings

Dark chocolate mousse, sea salt £20

Japanese strawberries, skyr £22

Feykir cheese plate, honey £16

Fruit salad £18

ML ✓ Megan yes · DC ✗ Dave no (fish and seafood)
15:00Lagoon at sunset, which in December is mid-afternoon
🚶 Lava is a 2-minute walk from our room
19:30
Dinner at Lava Booked
🍽️ Lava RestaurantIn the lava cliff, next door to the RetreatGlass walls over the lagoon. Mushroom soup or parfait, then lamb, tenderloin or the ribeye for Dave; langoustine soup and cod for Megan.Restaurant ↗
Menu

Starters

Mushroom soup, coconut cream £24

Chicken liver parfait, blueberries, bacon £24

Burrata, tomatoes, basil oil £26

Grilled salad, asparagus, fennel, corn £24

Langoustine soup, Arctic char tartare ML ✓ DC ✗

Mains

Ribeye 300 g, fries, peppercorn sauce £80

Beef tenderloin, pickled pear, carrot £57

Lamb fillet, rhubarb, mushroom purée £52

Celeriac, miso, black garlic £40

Cod, or the fish of the day ML ✓ DC ✗

Puddings

Crème brûlée, vanilla, orange £22

Skyr ganache, blueberries, toffee £22

Ástarpungar, cardamom ice cream £22

Vegan lemon mousse, strawberries £22

Set menu · whole table

Four courses: celeriac tartare, scallops, lamb, chocolate silk · £93 ML ✓ DC ✗

ML ✓ Megan yes · DC ✗ Dave no (fish and seafood)

Thursday17December

Into Reykjavík

The city suite, night 1Sauna 3

11:00A last swim, then up the coast to the city
🚗 About 55 min from the Retreat to ION City Map ↗
MiddayStill to choose
15:00Check in at ION City Hotel, Laugavegur 28: the suite with its own sauna on the balcony. Map ↗
EveningStill to choose: a northern lights boat, the aurora bus, or a long dinner To book

Friday18December

Into the Glacier Booked by Megan

The city suite, night 2Sauna 4GlacierSnowmobileIce tunnel

07:30Leave ION City in the dark, charged to 100% overnight. Road 1 north, Hvalfjörður tunnel, Borgarnes, then Roads 50 and 518. The route
About 140 km, roughly 2 hours 10 in winter · tap the map for directions
🚗 About 2 h 10 from ION City to Húsafell Map ↗
09:45Park at Húsafell centre (map ↗), beside Hotel Húsafell, and check in 15 minutes early. Both driving licences: you need one to drive the snowmobile
10:00Glacier truck up Langjökull, Iceland's second-biggest ice cap. Snowmobiling across the ice on one sled. The plan: Dave drives out, Megan drives back (about 20 minutes each way; confirm the swap with the guide at the briefing), as the sun comes up (sunrise about 11:20)
ThenAbout an hour inside the ice tunnel, carved deep into the glacier, at 0 °C. Overalls, helmet, gloves and crampons provided
LunchBack at Húsafell: bistro open until 15:00, minimarket until 17:00
🚗 About 2 h from Húsafell back to Mosfellsbær
⚡Supercharger: Mosfellsbær (Háholt 11) on the way home, about 15:30 as the light goes
🚗 About 20 min on to ION City Map ↗
EveningThaw out in the balcony sauna, then whatever we choose for the night

Saturday19December

Home for Christmas

Fly home

07:15Out of the city in the dark, with winter time to spare (Dave's body clock: awake since 05:40, bags by the door)
🚗 About 55 min from ION City to the car hire Map ↗
08:30Hand back the car at Blue Car Rental, Blíkavöllur 3, then walk 3–4 minutes to departures. They recharge it.
11:00Fly home to Birmingham, EZY6656
13:50Land at Birmingham
14:15Out of Car Park 2&3 and home
Evening🥟 Lazy dumplings with Megan, a film, and absolutely nothing else

Status

Sorted, and still to sort

Every big booking is done. All that's left are Megan's evening picks, and most of those need no booking at all. Dave has now read this list more often than any referral letter.

Flights both ways (1A and 1B out)Booked
The Retreat, Moss Junior Suite, Tue and WedBooked
ION City Hotel, Junior Suite, Thu and FriBooked
Tesla Model YBooked
Birmingham Airport parking, Car Park 2&3Booked
Dinner at Lava, Wed 19:30 · restaurant ↗Booked
Thursday afternoon and nightOnly needs booking if it's Perlan, FlyOver, an aurora boat or bus, or a dinner tableTo choose
Into the Glacier + snowmobile, Fri 10:00 (Megan)Booked
Friday nightOnly the farewell dinner needs a table bookingTo choose

Also in Reykjavík

Things to wander into

Reykjavík means "smoky bay", after the steam the first settlers saw rising from its hot springs.

TjörninThe city pond, half frozen, with the swansMap ↗
The Yule Lads13 mischievous Santas, one arriving each night from 12 DecemberAbout ↗
Harpa at ChristmasThe glass concert hall on the harbour. Nothing on our two nights (Jimmy Carr on the 17th is sold out), but the building itself is worth a wander, lit up after darkHarpa ↗
Grótta lighthouseThe nearest dark sky, ten minutes from the hotelMap ↗
Hlemmur MathöllFood hall at the top of Laugavegur, a short walk from the hotelMap ↗
Hafnarfjörður Christmas VillageWooden huts and lights in the harbour town, 15 minutes awayMap ↗

Winter, properly

Frozen waterfalls, black sand, snow on everything.

December Iceland looks like this even from the roadside. Here is what the light and the weather will be doing.

Weather and light · Reykjavík

Weather, roughly

Typical December, not a forecast. Check vedur.is from 8 December.

🌡️ Temperature−3 to 4 °C

Highs: 3 to 4 °C, mild for the latitude thanks to the sea
Lows: −2 to −3 °C: icy pavements and roads in the mornings
Average: 0.8 °C, hovering round freezing

🌨️ Rain and snow~95 mm

Wet: About 3 mm a day; December is Reykjavík's wettest month
Snow: Around 12 snowy days, so likely-ish, but rain can wash it away in a day

💨 Wind and sunBreezy, dim

Wind: Averages 5 m/s (11 mph); stormy days gust over 25 m/s and feel 5 to 8 °C colder
Sun: ~13 hours in the whole of December 2024. Clear nights are a gift

🏔️ Glacier and auroraColder, cloudier

Langjökull: 1,000 to 1,400 m up: well below freezing plus wind chill. All the layers, snowmobile suit on top
Aurora: Plenty of dark hours; cloud decides. Check the vedur.is cloud map each evening

Daylight and darkness

Four hours of sun, and a lot of beautiful blue

The sun barely clears the mountains. Either side of it come long stretches of twilight, the soft blue hours that make Iceland look painted. Hover or tap a band for exact times. Sunglasses optional; patience with Dave stopping for photos, essential.

Night · 15 hours of it. Aurora time.

Nautical twilight · deep blue, first stars.

Civil twilight · the best photo light.

Daylight · low sun, golden shadows.

Times as a table

Day	Nautical dawn	Civil dawn	Sunrise	Sunset	Civil dusk	Nautical dusk	Daylight

Iceland stays on UK winter time all year.

Locals

Fluffier than us. Just.

Icelandic horses grow thick winter coats and stand about in the snow looking unbothered. Expect to stop for them at least once.

Fifty things, ten at a time

Things you didn't know about Iceland

Beer was banned until 1989.Prohibition began in 1915. Wine came back in 1922 and spirits in 1935, but strong beer stayed illegal until 1 March 1989, now celebrated as Beer Day.
There are no mosquitoes.Not one. Scientists think the freeze–thaw cycle never lets them finish growing up.
No army.The only NATO member without a standing army. There's a coast guard, and a lot of horses.
The phone book goes by first name.Surnames are mostly patronymics (Björk Guðmundsdóttir is Guðmundur's daughter), so everyone is listed by first name.
There's an app to check you're not related.Everyone's descended from the same few settlers, so you bump phones before a date to check you're not cousins.
Christmas Eve is for books.Jólabókaflóð, the Christmas Book Flood: books are the gift, then everyone goes to bed to read them with chocolate.
A giant cat eats people at Christmas.Jólakötturinn, the Yule Cat, eats anyone who didn't get new clothes for Christmas. Pack something new.
The country grows about 2 cm a year.It sits on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, where North America and Europe are pulling apart. You can walk between them at Þingvellir.
The hot water smells of eggs.It comes straight out of the ground, geothermally heated, with a whiff of sulphur. The cold tap is glacier water and tastes perfect.
Horses that leave can never come back.To keep the breed disease-free, an Icelandic horse that leaves the country can't return. Even for a visit.

1 of 5

Next time

For our next holiday together in Iceland

Three places that didn't fit into four short December days. They're all a long way from Reykjavík, and with barely four hours of daylight we'd have spent the trip driving in the dark.

Summer · 2 to 3 hours awaySnæfellsnes road trip

Kirkjufell, black-sand beaches and a glacier on a volcano. Needs a long summer day, or a night out west.

Summer · 5 hours awayDiamond Beach

Icebergs washed up on black sand at Jökulsárlón. Too far for a day trip; best with a night or two on the south coast.

Winter only · 5 hours awayBlue ice caves

Inside Vatnajökull, open roughly November to March. Next winter, with a couple of nights near the glacier.