Inside the Volcano Tour | Thrihnukagigur Volcano, Iceland

There were two things that Markus and I were determined to do in Iceland, take the Inside the Volcano tour and dive between two tectonic plates. I'm happy to say we were able to do both and I'll first be posting about our descent into Thrihnukagigur Volcano, the only drop-in volcano tour in the world. The only way to get into the dormant volcano is through 3H Travel and they are a great company. Everything is included in the price and really easy. The tour lasts about 5-6 hours and there is a 2 mile hike through Bláfjöll before you can get to Thrihnukagigur. If you are unable to hike, you have to take a helicopter to the volcano. The hike itself, was incredible with nothing but ice and snow for the first part, but it felt like a real expedition. 

Once we arrived at Thrihnukagigur, we were broken up in to groups of 6 and strapped into an open air elevator that descends 120 meters directly into the magma chamber, which erupted about 4,000 years ago and has been dormant ever since. Once you enter the volcano, it's absolutely breathtaking. The colors inside are so vibrant and rich and resulted from intense heat and pressure mixing with minerals deep in the rock. I've never seen anything like it before and was awestruck the whole time we were down there. Descending deep into a volcano was definitely a once in a lifetime experience that I will never forget.

Blue Lagoon | Grindavík, Iceland

Blue Lagoon is easily one of the most photographed destinations in Iceland. It's easy accessibility and facilities, make it a hotspot for travelers. We intentionally scheduled our day at Blue Lagoon late in our trip so that we could feel relaxed before we came back home. The geothermal spa is located in a lava field and the water is rich with silica and sulfur. Markus and I spent all morning lounging around in the water soaking up all the good stuff, drinking wine and taking it easy. We chose the premium package and were given two different types of masks, silica mud and algae. So it was a lot of fun swimming around with masks with a bunch of complete strangers. 

Everything about the Blue Lagoon was incredible and amazing and a place that I definitely recommend. If you can spend the whole day there, that would be the best. Also, if you eat a meal there, hand down, the Lava Restaurant is very good. Markus and I had langoustine soup, rib of beef  and Arctic catfish. There wasn't a single bad dish and all three were really delicious. Overall it was one of my favorite experiences in Iceland and a place that I could go to again.

Hallgrímskirkja & Cafe Loki | Reykjavík, Iceland

Hallgrímskirkja is one of the most popular sites in Reykjavík. It's easily found in the city centre and can be seen from afar throughout the city. The Lutheran church took 41 years to build and was designed to resemble the basalt lava flows that can be found throughout Iceland. After spending a lot of time out in the wilds of the country, it was cool to see such a uniquely designed building, which Reykjavík definitely does not lack. It's also worth the small fee to go up to the tower and see the stunning views of the city. 

Before Markus and I travelled to Iceland, we watched Andrew Zimmern's Bizarre Foods Iceland episode. He ate a lot of strange things, but the food that looked the most interesting was fermented shark. I didn't know where we were gonna find it, but I was determined to get it. Luckily right across the street from Hallgrímskirkja is Cafe Loki. If you want to try traditional Icelandic cuisine on a budget, this is the best place to do it.

Markus and I decided to be really adventurous and we ordered the Icelandic Braveheart which consisted of Brennivins shot, rye bread & flatbread, dried fish with butter and four pieces of fermented shark. We also ordered Icelandic meat soup to try and supplement the meal. It was a good thing we did, because the shark was awful. I tasted like the way ammonia smells. Apparently the Brennivins shot is meant to make it go down easier, but that made it worse, because it tasted like rubbing alcohol. I wish it tasted sweet and nutty like Zimmern claimed, but this was a major fail. 

Þingvellir, Geysir & Kerið | Iceland

I've finally reached the end of our road trip through Iceland! It took a while, but we finally made it friends. On our last day, Markus and I packed in a ton of spots and places and drove through the popular tourist route, the Golden Circle. First we stopped at at Þingvellir, then Geysir and finished the day at Kerið. I think by the end, we were ready to stay put in one place and stop living out of a tiny car. I will say that the I didn't regret one minute of our road trip. At first, we were a bit hesitant to do it, but in the end, we knew it would be an unforgettable experience. If you ever make it to Iceland, I recommend that you drive around the whole country and not stick to Reykjavik. Iceland is a beautiful country that is meant to be explored. 

Þingvellir is one of the most significant places to visit in Iceland. It's known for being a historical, geological and cultural site and is one of the most popular. It's been designated as a UNESCO World Heritage site. The world's oldest existing parliament can be found here as well as the canyon that separates two tectonic plates, which Markus and I dove through later in the week. 

About 60 km west of Þingvellir is Geysir or sometimes known as The Great Geysir. After seeing a million waterfalls, it was cool to see water coming from a different direction. 

Another popular spot on the Golden Circle tour is Kerið, a volcanic crater. There are several craters in the area and it has been dubbed Iceland's Western Volcanic Zone. It was an incredible thing to see and the perfect end to our road trip! 

Icelandic Horses & Hraunfossar| Húsafell, Iceland

Before Markus and I headed over to Hraunfossar, we took an unexpected detour. As we were driving on Route 1 toward Reykjavik, there was a portion that was unpaved and really rough. We decided to take another road that ran parallel with Route 1. Not really sure why we thought this was a good idea, but in the end it was. The road was higher up on a mountain. While we were driving we came across a team of Icelandic horses. Iceland is well known for their smaller pony sized horses. I ran out of the car immediately to get a close up. I wanted to pet one, but being allergic to all animals, I kept my distance. After spending some time squealing over their cuteness, we continued on our tour of West Iceland.

After we left those adorable little horses we continued on Route 1 toward Hraunfossar waterfall. I have to admit that by this time, I was kinda over waterfalls. Iceland is covered with them and it felt like we saw every kind of waterfall that existed. Despite this, it was still very beautiful and not like the others. Hraunfossar, sometimes called Lava waterfalls, is a series of smaller waterfalls that cascade into the Hvita River. The water of Hvita River was so bright blue and almost looked artificial. It was such a stunning contrast to the rock formations and purplish fauna.