A Bathing suit
It may seem counterintuitive to pack your bathing suit on your trip to the land of fire and ice, especially if you are head there in the fall or winter, but trust me you will need it. Swimming is one of the main activities in Iceland. Locals often enjoy a dip in public swimming pools including this one in Reykjavik.
Even more desirable than pools are the myriad of hot springs and thermal baths. Many tourists just visit the Blue Lagoon and call it a day. Don’t get me wrong, the Blue Lagoon is the perfect opportunity to bust out your fabulous resort swimwear for Instagram, indulge in a wonderful face mask that comes with your entry pass (Pack this clay face mask kit to have blue lagoon luxury all day, every day!), and have a drink, but there are so many more hot springs to explore and enjoy including the Hveragati Thermal River and the Myvatn Thermal Baths in Northern Iceland.
A Jacket
This might go without saying for a country that literally has ‘ice’ in the name, but be sure to bring a warm jacket any time of year you go, including summer time. Though the fall and winter can be chilly in Iceland, it typically posts lows higher than New York City, so you don’t need to be too concerned about inclement weather, but you will especially want to bundle up after you leave a natural thermal bath and trade your bikini for a nice down jacket. Even in the summertime, the island can often be covered by a layer of fog bringing down the overall temperature, so you’ll want to bundle up a bit.
Speaking of summertime…
A portable power supply
A portable power supply is one of my favorite tools in my travel arsenal for any trip. Getting lost in a foreign country without your phone can be challenging. But if you are lucky enough to visit Iceland during the summertime, you are definitely going to want some extra juice for your phone. The reason being that during the summer Iceland experiences 24 hours of sunlight thanks to their high latitude position. Around the summer solstice, this can mean that even when past sunset, the sun is barely tucked below the horizon and still gives off plenty of light. On the solstice in July, you may get to experience the midnight sun.
All of this sunlight means you might be roaming around the island for long days! More than enough to run out the juice on your phone (which you will need for pictures!).
Tunes for the road
Make sure to have some playlists downloaded on your phone for your trip to Iceland. There are tons of great natural attractions to visit including the Golden Circle, the Black Sand Beach, and tons of caves, thermal baths, and glaciers.
Only bad news? They are not all conveniently located in one place. Darn nature. You will spend a considerable amount of time on the road in Iceland to reach all of their attractions. Having good company helps and having some music and reading material will also help pass the time. Don’t worry – the road time is worth it, but it is substantial. Be sure to organize your stops in an efficient way to cut down on driving and gas, which can be quite expensive on the island.