Get Going Gurlies: Iceland

Welcome to a place that’s so stunningly gorgeous that it doesn’t even look real. With cozy soups and visually-stunning pastorals, plus some very luxurious lagoons, Iceland is a destination that all gurlies should go visit.

As someone that loves the sunshine and warm beach life, Iceland was an unexpected travel choice for me. However, my friends and I had been discussing a shared dream of going to see the Northern Lights (we didn’t quite succeed, but we’ll talk about that later).

One discussion catalyzed an entire trip as we found various excursions, foods and spots that were promptly added to our Iceland bucket lists. In September 2024, we visited picturesque waterfalls and geysers, rode Icelandic horses, and relaxed in lovely lagoons.

We narrowed down our 5 favorite sights and must-do activities in Iceland, and here they are.

1. Natural Wonders

To grant ourselves some convenience, my 3 friends and I booked an Airbnb in the heart of Reykjavik, the capital of Iceland. It was very helpful to have everything we needed nearby, including grocery stores and restaurants.

Part of that accessibility was also pre-booking our tours through Reykjavik Excursions by Icelandia, which took us to a host of stunning destinations from Reykjavik.

The South Coast Wonders tour ( about $117 per person) took us to Skógafoss Waterfall, Sólheimajökull Glacier, Reynisfjara Black Sand Beach, Vík Village and Seljalandsfoss Waterfall.

The Golden Circle Tour (about $140 per person) treated us to the Geysir geothermal area, Gullfoss waterfall and Þingvellir National Park.

We found ourselves immersed in real-life places that looked like paintings with jaw-dropping vibrancy and bursts of color. The tour bus driver, who was a local, gave us the occasional trivia about each location and we had plenty of time to walk around each stop.

Plus, the tour company is carbon-neutral, meaning that from the buses to the layout of the tours, preserving Iceland’s ecosystem was of the utmost importance.

Pro tip: Bring a rain jacket, as it not only rains a lot in Iceland but all of the waterfalls will get you super wet.

We couldn’t miss out on the gorgeous geothermal paradise that is Sky Lagoon. This is definitely one for those looking to get their scenic self-care in.

Sky Lagoon offers guests the lavish 7-step spa ritual starting at around $100 (not including transportation, which was around $16) with a lagoon primarily heated by geothermal energy. It has natural hot water that comes from below Earth’s surface and fills the geothermal spa.

Since Iceland is known as the land of fire and ice with it’s combination of volcanoes and snow, Sky Lagoon’s ritual encompasses both hot and cold elements.

Pro Tip: Remember that you have to shower before entering lagoon to help with sanitation. Towels and lockers are provided.

3. Icelandic Horses

This was the first horseback riding experience for my friends and I, and we made it through unscathed

We used the same company to book this excursion (around $126) but rather than the large buses we’d boarded for the other excursions, this was a smaller vehicle with a smaller group. It was nice to have less people because it felt more intimate and beginner-friendly.

Before being paired with our horses, we listened to an instructional presentation and grabbed our riding equipment. They matched us with our horses based on our experience levels. I can’t remember the Icelandic name for my horse but was told her name means “ugly duckling,” which seems kind of mean because she is a beautiful chestnut horse.

I lucked out because ‘ugly duckling’ was docile, making her perfect for a newbie and allowed for me to enjoy the lush views just outside Reykjavík’s city center.

We were treated with hot chocolate and tea after, but had to rush off pretty quickly to catch our ride back to the city. Luckily, I packed some of my Chocolate LMNT electrolyte packets to keep me cozy.

Pro tip: Don’t call Icelandic horses “ponies.” It’s actually considered rude and is just a common misconception because Icelandic horses are smaller than other breeds. Also, if an Icelandic horse leaves the country, legally, it can never come back because it may endanger other Icelandic horses with outside diseases.

4. Reykjavik

Despite Reykjavik being crowded with tourists, it felt so incredibly cozy and cute. From the historic Hallgrímskirkja Lutheran parish church to the main street in downtown dressed up in the colors of the rainbow to celebrate Reykjavík gay pride, Reykjavík is brimming with life and community.

Reykjavik is sometimes overlooked as one of the most LGBTQ+ friendly cities in the world, but it’s definitely a place that celebrates diversity and for young people to gather on the weekends to enjoy the variety of clubs and bars.

However, if the nightlife isn’t for you (it wasn’t for us after our long days of excursions), there’s nothing like waking up and grabbing delicious pastries and hot beverages from one of the many bakeries.

We also had plenty of lamb and seafood, which are very common. I’d say it’s not the best place to be vegetarian or vegan, but there are some vegetarian-friendly soups. We also tried Icleandic hot dogs, which I recommend tasting at least once. The food wasn’t our biggest draw to Iceland, but it was cozy in the cold.

There were also the typical tourist shops with souvenirs and other goodies.

Pro-tip: While Reykjavik is full of tourists, Iceland is overall safer than many other places. It was nice to be traveling in one of the safest countries in the world. We felt safe as American women of color traveling there.

5. The Northern Lights

Okay, so this is probably the only true letdown of our adventure. Here’s what the Northern Lights in Iceland are supposed to look like:

And here’s what we saw on our Northern Lights tour:

So, it wasn’t what we were hoping for, but it’s honestly the luck of the draw. We visited in September 2024 after reading about how magnetic activity would be high during this time, making it more likely to catch the Northern Lights.

With that said, the tour comes with very clear disclaimers about how the Northern Lights aren’t guaranteed but they will keep taking you out to try to see them until you do. The only caveat, of course, is that no one can be on vacation forever.

They take you out of the city for the best possible view of the lights, also known as aurora borealis, which are caused by the interaction of particles from the sun with the upper atmosphere near the North Pole.

It’s important to note that they basically take you out to what feels like the middle of nowhere to wait for a chance to spot the Northern Lights. It’s very late at night, as it has to be dark for the lights to be visible, and it’s cold. So, we packed our jackets, hiking boots and some hand warmers. I honestly could have been even more bundled up for the temperature drop.

Final takeaway

While there wasn’t any way for us to to see the Northern Lights as we hoped, we were in awe of the star-filled sky. We even saw a shooting star. Living in the city, so many of us don’t get to see stars, which is kind of sad. So, that was pretty amazing.

We may not have gotten everything we hoped for, but visiting Iceland was still something very magical. I can’t say that it’s a place I would return to several times but I certainly would regret never witnessing the marvels of the land of fire and ice.