Amy and Jon: We landed in Iceland under gray, foggy skies. Before hitting the road, we stopped for a cappuccino and our first ever Kleina, Iceland’s everyday pastry: a twisted, cardamom-scented knot of dough, deep fried. From there we drove along the coast toward Selfoss, passing lava fields and meadows upon meadows of purple lupine. Once in Selfoss, we checked out the historic town center and stopped at The Old Dairy food hall for a stew lunch to warm up. It was a fun, cozy, contemporary spot.
Our lodging for the next couple of nights was the Frost & Fire Boutique Hotel in Hveragerði, and we enjoyed the area even with the rain and fog. Dinner was at Ölverk Pizza & Brewery, where we ordered a pizza with pepperoni and bananas. We thought they may have meant banana peppers, but no, it was actual bananas, and it was delicious. Scrumptious food along with good beer. Later we soaked in the hot spring tubs on the hotel property and, since the sun stayed up most of the day, we squeezed in a later evening hike too.
The next day we took the Herjólfur ferry from Landeyjahöfn to Vestmannaeyjar or the Westman Islands. The ferry initially broke through large waves to get to the island providing an exhilarating start. Our first stop was the Beluga Sanctuary to see two beluga whales and some rescued puffins. This was followed by an island tour with Ebbi, a local guide born on the island who shares personal stories about local culture and his ancestry.
The tour included puffin viewing at the massive colony of Stórhöfði, which is considered the largest puffin colony in the world. We also stopped at a replica Viking town and traditional turf house, with the option to see artifacts or try local treats, along with a visit to the site of the 1973 Eldfell volcanic eruption which destroyed a large area of the island’s homes. The puffins were the highlight, along with Ebbi’s humor.
A stop for some waterfalls broke up the trip back to our lodging, and the evening ended with more time relaxing in the hot spring tub.
Next up was Reykjavik for a whale and puffin tour. A visit to the tour office brought a little unfortunate news: our whale tour later that day was cancelled due to rough waters. We rescheduled for the next day, hoping conditions would improve, and spent the rest of the afternoon exploring the area. This included a local waterfall called Kermóafoss and a stop at Thor’s Power Gym, a strength training facility owned by Hafþór Júlíus Björnsson, the strongman and actor known as “The Mountain” from Game of Thrones.
Once checked into the Castle House Apartments for the evening, we found a fun dinner at Bastard Brew & Food. Dessert brought us back to a favorite from our 2015 visit to Iceland, Cafe Loki, for rye bread ice cream and a skyr cake with a cheesecake-like texture.
The next morning started with another cappuccino before a walk back to the whale tour office, where the rough waves caused our whale tour to be cancelled again. A larger boat was an option, but apparently at least half the passengers suffer seasickness despite the increased boat size. We decided to skip whale watching altogether and did our short puffin boat tour to a nearby island instead, where puffins flew and dove into the water. The puffin tour guide was also full of dry humor and our time watching the birds was a delight.
Icelandic bread-bowl soup for lunch with a look at the swans and geese on the small lakes in central Reykjavik concluded the afternoon. We browsed through a few tourist shops and made a visit to the Rainbow Road leading to Hallgrímskirkja, the massive church that towers over the city. A light dinner from the local grocer at our apartment closed out our time in Iceland. The trip was short, but the puffins, fields of lupine, tasty food, and sights made it a great one.
Dates: July 12-17, 2026
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