Before I left for Iceland, I had a million questions about what the process would be like with all the protocols in place because of Covid-19. Luckily I knew a few people who had traveled and kindly shared what their experience was. But since regulations are changing constantly, and I've gotten questions from people too, I thought it might be helpful to explain a bit about what the process was like. 

One important thing to note: Because the guidelines are continuing to evolve and change, you should definitely check with the Icelandic authorities about the latest requirements if you are planning your own trip. I can only document what we experienced at one point in time. But if you're the average adult, traveling to Iceland for tourism purposes, you'll likely experience a similar process. 

Iceland has been really good at handling covid-19. A large portion of their population is vaccinated and case counts were low enough when we traveled that a lot of the masking requirements were gone. 

In order to keep the case counts low, Iceland had pretty strict protocols to be able to enter their country. 

Prior to Departure

Almost everyone traveling to Iceland, regardless of vaccination status, had to have a negative covid (PCR or antigen) test within 72 hours of your departure. 

You also were required to fill out a health declaration pre-registration form online 72 hours before departure. After you submitted the form, you received a barcode over email or text that would need to be scanned at the airport. 

We were able to easily make an appointment for a rapid test at local CVS for the day before our travel. We had our results emailed to us with 25 minutes, and we had to show the certificate to the gate agent when we checked in at the airport. 

At the Airport

When we got to the airport, we had to go the ticket counter to complete the check-in process. In addition to our passports, we had to show the proof of our negative covid test, the barcode from the pre-registration form and our vaccination cards. 

It was a lot to keep track of especially because the vaccination card and passport where physical forms and the test results and barcode were stored digitally on our phones. 

We got to the ticket desk about an hour before boarding started and we were the only people in line, so that part went incredibly smooth.

Security also went super fast because the airport wasn't crowded and because we both have TSA precheck.

Other than needing to wear a mask the whole time and having some additional paperwork to show at check-in, the airport wasn't too different from normal times. 

Arrival in Iceland

Once we arrived in Iceland, the process was also really smooth. A few friends had warned me that they had to wait in some really long lines, but they traveled earlier than I did and by the time I got there, the Icelandic authorities really kept everything moving. 

We cleared customs in about five minutes. This part was exactly the same as previous times I've been to Iceland where you get a nice stamp in your passport. The only documentation we had to show at this stop was our passport. 

After making it to baggage claim, there was one more stop where you had to show the barcode on your phone to prove that you'd filled out the preregistration form. There was no line here either. We just showed our phones and we were allowed to pass through. 

The final point for document check was right by the airport exit where you can get your transportation. Here we had to show all of our documentation -- passport, vaccine card, negative covid test and barcode. Other than the fact that we had to juggle lots of different documents, this couldn't have been easier. 

We were through and on our way in no time. 

Traveling Back to the U.S. from Iceland

The last part of our trip that required extra logistics because of covid-19 was getting back home. Almost all travelers coming into the U.S. must have a negative covid-19 test within 3 days of travel, regardless of vaccination status. (Note: I know this is could be changing for some people as of Nov. 8 based on a new policy on travel into the U.S, but when we traveled the negative test was the only policy, so that's all I'm covering here).

Iceland makes it super easy to find a free covid test. There are multiple locations in Reykjavik and also a location really close to the airport. Since the U.S. accepted rapid tests when we traveled, we made an appointment for the day before we were supposed to leave at a testing site about a 20-minute walk from our hotel. 

Because our plans changed last minute once we were in Iceland, I had to call to cancel that appointment from our hotel and rebook us the next day -- Tuesday, the day of our departure. 

We checked in to the testing site easily enough, got our noses swabbed. The tests in Iceland definitely probe deeper than the ones in the U.S., but it's only done in one nostril, so there's that at least. 

The only tricky part was finding WiFi in the city without going back to our hotel to get our results. We stopped at a cafe for some caffeine, logged on and had negative tests were waiting in my inbox. 

Armed with all our documentation, we headed to the airport check-in counter. We showed our passports and negative tests. No need to show our vaccination cards this time around. The gate agent also had to sign an attestation form for us confirming our negative tests. But that was it. She printed us our tickets and we were on our way. 

Customs in the U.S. were exactly the same as pre-covid except there was no line. I got my picture taken by the machine, handed my print out to the CBP agent and was on my way.

So overall, yes there are definitely some extra steps and some extra documentation you need to travel to and from Iceland because of covid, but it's all manageable, and it shouldn't be the thing that stops you from booking a trip!

Monday was the day I was most stressed out about before we left for Iceland. We had planned to hike one of the volcanos that had just erupted to see the freshly cooling lava fields. But every time I checked the weather it just kept getting worse and worse. From light rain, to steady rain, to rain, snow, hail. 

I packed accordingly, digging out all my waterproof/water resistant gear and planned for multiple layers for warmth. I wasn't excited for the weather, but I was excited for the hike. 

But our hike was not meant to be because Sunday night we found out our guide canceled the trip because the weather conditions made it unsafe. 

That left us scrambling to find something else to do on Monday. We'd heard that many things had gotten canceled Sunday into Monday because the weather was bad and guides couldn't have people out in terrible conditions, but we didn't want to spend our last full day in Iceland stuck in our hotel.

So after researching some options, we booked a super last-minute trip to the Snaefellsnes Peninsula. The peninsula is about a two-hour drive from Reykjavik, and would give us the opportunity to hike a dormant volcano, see mountains, waterfalls, black sand beaches and lava fields. 

And as the old saying goes, "Everything happens for a reason." This ended up being my favorite day of the entire trip, even though the weather was complete garbage. I ended up not caring that we didn't hike the original volcano. 

The Snaefellsnes Peninsula is just absolutely stunning. It embodies all the raw beauty and the unique topographies of Iceland. Every time I turned my head there was something new and beautiful to see. 

Our morning on the peninsula started at a decently high altitude. The rain that we'd gotten in Reykjavik overnight must have all been snow here because the ground was covered and we had a bit to trek through. 

We started at Mt. Kirkjufell and Kirkjufellfoss. This mountain is supposedly the most photographed mountain in all of Iceland, and it also made some appearances in Game of Thrones. 

It was so overcast the day we were there that we weren't even able to see the peak through the clouds. But even from our snowy pictures, you can see that this mountain is pretty uniquely shaped. 

Ben climbed all the way to the bottom of the waterfall and stuck his hand in the water. He confirmed it was quite cold. 

When we departed Mt. Kirkjufell, we set off to climb a now dormant volcano. At some point, someone had installed metal stairs, which would have made for an easy climb to the top except for the crazy wind gusts. We were hugging the inside of the steps, but I got blown to the far side more than once and Ben had to grab my back to steady me. 

When we made it to the top, it was honestly kind of hard to even enjoy the view with the wind. No one in our group could figure out where to stand to be blocked from it and even trying to turn sideways so the wind didn't have as much of you to clobber didn't really prove to help. 

Looking into the old volcano crater was cool, but I really wish it had been less windy so that we could have enjoyed this part of the day a little more. 

Luckily our next stop was to one of Iceland's famous black sand beaches within Snaefellsnes National Park. The wind was less insane at the lower altitude and even the rain seemed to let up slightly for a bit. 

This might have been my favorite stop of the day. It was so cool to see all the lava fields leading down to the beach and then the beach just covered in lava rock. 

The Atlantic Ocean was also the very embodiment of ice blue. The waves were rough as they crashed to the shore and the tide started coming in quickly while we were there. 

The coolest part for sure was seeing a seal swim right off shore. It popped its head up and the water was clear enough that you could see its body swimming along underwater. 

Walking away from the ocean, we saw the remains of an old ship wreck. It's kind of amazing the ruins were still just laying there on the beach and we could so freely walk around them.

As we continued through the park, we stopped at the base of the Snæfellsjökull Volcano. It is massive and the top is covered with a glacier, but cloud coverage made it hard to see all the way to the top. 

This part of the national park also had a cute lighthouse and some really funky lava rock formations. 

After leaving the national park, we stopped in the small fishing town of Arnarstapi for a beautiful hike along the coastline. 

We played around at this funky stone archway.

And we admired the cliffs.

On our way off the peninsula, we made a quick stop at this church that is famous because it is painted black. 

Our final stop for the day was at a beach where seals are known to sun themselves on the rocks during low tide. Unfortunately, by the time we got there, the tide was decently far in, so we didn't see any seals sunbathing. We did see a few playing in the water though that would pop their heads up now and then. 

We also saw a massive whale carcass that had washed ashore. Here's its spine.

And sheep! On the beach! I don't know why I was so amused by the sheep on the beach, but it just cracked me up. 

By the time we finished the day, we were completely soaked -- our socks, our shoes, hats, gloves, everything. But I loved every minute (except maybe worrying the wind would blow me off the volcano) seeing so many things that I would never be able to see anywhere else in the world. 

When we got back to Reykjavik, our Northern Lights tour had been canceled yet again because of the weather. We weren't surprised though. This was clearly not the trip for us to see the Northern Lights.

We ended the day with a hearty and deliciously warm bowl of lamb soup in a bread bowl. I couldn't have thought of a more fitting way to wrap up our last full day in Iceland. 

On Tuesday morning, we got our covid tests, wandered around the shops and then flew back home, where we were treated to some really stunning views of the mountains of Greenland from plane. 

This trip to Iceland was short, but it felt like such a treat after not being able to travel for so long. 

I mentioned in yesterday's post that we got a great deal from Icelandair on our trip. One of the things that was included along with our flights and hotel was a guided tour of the Golden Circle sites and then admission to the Secret Lagoon.

I'd done the Golden Circle on my last trip to Iceland, but I feel like it's one of those things you have to do when you're there, so I didn't mind repeating it. Plus a trip to one of the geothermal hot springs that I hadn't been to before was a nice added bonus. 

The morning got off to a rocky start though because the driver forget to pick us up at our hotel. Luckily, one of the hotel receptionists was able to call the company for us to figure out what was going on, and they immediately sent someone over to get us. 

We joined the rest of the group and set out for our first destination, Thingvellir National Park. Along the way we drove through some snow and rain, and I was very happy to have a professional driver navigating the weather conditions. 

By the time we got to the park conditions had improved slightly. It was still super windy, but it wasn't raining or snowing. 

We spent some time hiking through the rift valley between the North American and Eurasian tectonic plates, and scoping out the site of Iceland's first Parliament. 

This was also one of the filming sites for Game of Thrones. Basically all the scenes shot North of the Wall were shot here. 

From the national park, we headed to a super activate geothermal area, home of the first ever geyser, that all others are named for. The original Geysir is dormant and no longer erupts, but there's another one that erupts every 6 to 8 minutes. 

We watched the hot water spout into the air, and then we hiked up the snowy trails on the mountain passing smaller, bubbling geothermal pools. 

We were rewarded with some stunning views from the mountain. 

After a lunch of lamb soup to warm my insides, we set off for the last of the Golden Circle sites -- Gulfoss.

Gulfoss is a massive waterfall dumping gallons of water into a gorge. 

It was super windy by the time we got there, and it was bit nerve-wracking at times to take pictures for fear our phones might be ripped out of our hands. 

The waterfall was beautiful though and I love that blue green color of the water. 

After a cold and windy day hiking around the national park, geysers and waterfall, I was more than happy when we got to the Secret Lagoon. 

This geothermal pool is fed from two bubbling hot springs, and the water is somewhere between 80 and 100 degrees. After a quick and freezing sprint from the changing rooms to the ladder into the pool, it felt great to sink into the warm water and just soak and relax. 

I was feeling very zen after my time in the Secret Lagoon and fell asleep on the ride back to Reykjavik.

After we got back and found out that our Northern Lights trip had been canceled again because of the weather, we headed out to get dinner and then stopped by a sports bar that was showing the NFL games. It was kind of convenient that the 4 p.m. games were being shown at 8 p.m. in Iceland. 

After a post-game walk home in the pouring rain, we got to bed later than I expected. The theme of this trip was I was constantly tired and never knew what time zone I was in. But we covered close to 7 miles (or 16,000+ FitBit steps) on our first day of sight-seeing out of the city.