Iceland June 17, 2025
We are now eighty days away from our Iceland adventure, so I decided to start a thread to generate a little discussion. We are flying Alaskan and Icelandic from San Francisco to Iceland and back. The air schedule was right on track until Alaskan switched us from mainline Alaska Airlines to their regional carrier Horizon for our return leg to SFO. Not! In the current environment we do not fly regional carriers. It took several repeats of that fact before the agent got it. But, ultimately he changed us to a flight sequence that does not include any regional carriers. The last Tauck agent I talked to about our excursions said she had a relative that did the trip recently and loved it. I have actually been to Iceland many times flying for the Navy, and always encountered some ‘amazing’ weather. So I have some reservations, but we are very much looking forward to the trip.
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We went to Iceland with Tauck some years ago. Good trip. https://www.mikeandjudytravel.com/2016Iceland-01.htm
I think they changed the sequence, but when we went, they took us to the Blue Lagoon on the way to the airport. To go into the Blue Lagoon you have to completely shower, including hair, and many of the women on the tour did not have anything with them to deal with their hair. I think they moved the visit to the Blue Lagoon to another day.
On our itinerary I don’t think they talk about the Blue Lagoon. We do some hot baths. But, the Blue Lagoon I know was shut down during a recent eruption. I don’t know if it is open now or not. I know there are thirty or so active volcanoes, so you need to be flexible. The international airport there at KEF was in the past a Naval Air Station … similar to Orlando. Many people wonder why Orlando has a code of MCO. MCO stands for McCoy Air Force Base. Bermuda (XKF) was also a ‘lend lease’ naval air station.
The Blue Lagoon in my opinion is overrated. There is another geo-thermal lagoon that Tauck took us to that I enjoyed. It was Mývatn (that is the spelling). It was only open for the Tauck guests at the time, and that made it very special. This was during the Pandemic. Iceland is awesome. The waterfalls are spectacular. We also flew Icelandic Air but we flew SFO - Denver - Iceland. I have a family slideshow if you’re interested.
As of today, March 23, 2025, the Blue Lagoon in Iceland is open, but there is ongoing volcanic activity nearby, and the main access road has been damaged, requiring visitors to use a temporary alternative route.
Here's a more detailed explanation:
Current Status:
The Blue Lagoon facilities are open, but the primary access road has been damaged by lava flows, so visitors must use a temporary alternative route.
Volcanic Activity:
There is an ongoing eruption at Sundhnúkagígar, which is at a safe distance from the Blue Lagoon.
Alternative Route:
To get to the Blue Lagoon, you can drive along road no. 41 (Reykjanesbraut), then turn to road no. 425 west along the Reykjanes peninsula, and then head north on route 426.
Travel Distance:
From Reykjavik: Approximately 50 miles (80 km), and from Keflavik: Approximately 28 miles (45 km).
Stay Updated:
Iceland Review recommends staying updated and checking the Blue Lagoon website before planning your visit.
Recent Closures:
The Blue Lagoon has had multiple closures due to volcanic activity, including a recent closure from November 20 to November 24, 2024, due to lava flowing over Route 43, the road to the Blue Lagoon.
Security Checkpoints:
There are currently security checkpoints in place, and you will need to present a booking at the Blue Lagoon in order to pass.
Along the route it appears there is a lava berm.
When we went to Iceland with Tauck, it was a new itinerary where they had started offering choices of excursions instead of seeing more places as previously. So we had one excursion a day which meant we spent way too much time on the ship. Several of us asked about going to the alternate place in some locations in the afternoons but we were told no, we couldn’t even pay extra to do it. I know Smiling Sam went early post pandemic and seemed to have a much fuller itinerary so I don’t know if Tauck has changed things. Having said that, we really enjoyed Iceland and intend to go back someday but next time we will take a land tour, we have one on our radar.
OK, Sealord. I’ll bite. Is it training, maintenance, or something else? I figure with your background, it’s not just the service. I prefer the larger aircraft but have always felt safe on the regional carriers. And, we don’t have a lot of choice in my small mountain town.
Happy wife; happy life.
Sealord -- You're scaring me! But it's not going to keep me on the ground.
Sealord - Your trip to SFO is probably more likely to get you injured than one of your flights. I understand that you have an expertise different than 99% of the Tauck travelers, but there are lots of components to a tour any of which could have disastrous results.
I’m of the mind each traveler weighs all of those components before they decide to travel.
There is a current thread on the Forum discussing security precautions on tours in the Middle East. That thread is presenting another component to travel that could have disastrous results that everyone needs to factor into their decision to travel or not to travel, or perhaps where to travel to or not to travel to.
Now back to the fun parts of travel.
The Myvatn Nature Bath private Tauck experience in conjunction with a visit to Godafoss was one of the best days on the Iceland tour when I took it in 2021. The Blue Lagoon visit was nice but didn’t compare to the previously described day, in my opinion.
I forgot to mention that when you're in Iceland you'll be able to have Icelandic Rye Bread. I'm surprised I didn't gain 10 pounds because it is simply delicious. If anyone would like to have a copycat recipe, I've made it often so let me know. It's not that hard.
Sam: Thanks for the info on tours. I don’t feel like the tour descriptions are sufficiently enlightening. I may need to adjust after I hear a detailed briefing. I do have Myvatn on my chosen list. Any other tours you found particularly good?
We took this tour last June. We were provided with excursion options on three of the days. The option to go to the Blue Lagoon was actually on the day before departure, but as I’m not a “bath” person, we didn’t do any of them. The waterfalls are all spectacular, and there are some hiking options—we did a 5-mile hike on Grimsey to get to the Arctic Circle marker. It was a terrific tour.
I enjoyed the Marine Life and Birding excursion. Beyond the wildlife we saw, on the ship the crew drug the bottom and hauled up a net full of seafood which they prepared and served to us on the spot.
Another excursion I enjoyed was the outing to Vigur island. Our visit which was a couple of weeks after yours was in peak nesting season for the Arctic Terns. As a result as we walked around the island the birds were quite protective. It made for a memorable walk. We saw lots of sea life/birds on this excursion as well.
I’m a big waterfall fan, so all of the excursions that involved waterfalls or geothermal activity were fun as well.
I enjoyed most of the excursions.
We're on the 17 June trip this year. What clothing should we bring - how cold does it usually get?
Well that just cracked a theory on another thread. Nice to meet you. The weather in Iceland is modified by ocean currents to the more moderate. But it is very far North, and the weather can change very quickly. We expect nice weather, but we will have one change of clothes that would be suitable for Antarctica. Just in case. I have been there many times with the military. We only went there when the weather was supposed to be good, and I most often arrived to find the weather awful. People in Iceland, and many visitors enjoy a good snow storm. That. being said, I’m hoping to enjoy slacks and sweaters weather.
We went in July pre Covid and it was the coldest summer they had had in many years, windy and rainy on a few days. Be prepared for anything.
We were there for Summer Solstice last June and had quite nice weather overall. Layers are good if you are going different places since it is variable around the country. Overall, we did not need anything more than a puffer jacket or a good Patagonia like waterproof shell but for an ATV trip, and the requisite parka was provided. We walked Reykjavik several days and did not have to be bundled up during our lucky spate of weather. My kids took advantage of the day that does not end, and went to bars at 1AM when it was still light out, and a puffer was all they needed. Love the unique and varied terrain there.
Onthego - Here are a few pictures to show some of the range of clothing/weather we had in 2021. Remember that it can change fairly quickly. The tour before us couldn't go ashore on one of the islands because they couldn't use the shore tender boats due to weather.
Thank you, Smiling Sam !!!
Any other suggestions for the trip will be appreciated. Are walking sticks a good idea?
If you don’t use a walking stick or cane in your normal life then I don’t believe a walking stick is necessary. That said, if having one makes you feel more comfortable then bring one along.
Weather will drive what you feel like doing or can do. We stayed an extra day in Reykjavik after the tour. We had a helicopter tour over the volcanoes lined up, but the morning of our flight the company called and cancelled due to clouds in the area where we would have flown.
One tip is, don’t be afraid to do and try new things. Iceland offers up the chance to experience a lot of things you don’t experience in normal day-to-day living.
On the food front possibilities range from some great pastries to lots of seafood, including fermented shark (Gordon Ramsay says this is the worst thing he’s ever tried).
On the activities/sights list possibilities - mineral baths, Icelandic horses (a smaller breed), zip-lining, waterfalls, volcanos, etc.
Thanks for all that info!!! I think we'll pass on the zip-lining, etc. since we're in our late 80s!!!
Late 80s! You're an inspiration to all of us.
The weather on our trip of mid- July 2021 ranged from cold and rainy (necessities including at least fleece ( thin rain proof down for me) , gloves, etc, ) to warm, sunny mid- 70s. This was a difficult trip to pack for and required a lot of clothes. The hot springs ( NOT the blue lagoon) were a private Tauck event for at least an hour before anyone else arrived. People were taken aback by the need to shower ( either community or a few private ) , but somehow we managed. Loved it. Opt for the Grand hotel if you can. The Hilton is a 2 mile cab ride to downtown which costs over $20. Walking between the continental plates was a real highlight for us along with the icelandic horse demonstration and lunch, the waterfalls, Vigur Island, and Heimay . The rock formations are fantastic. Bad weather than definitely diminish the experience, so be prepared.
Thanks for the tips. Our party is staying at the Grand Hotel both before and after. The weather. Yes, I’ve experienced the Icelandic summer weather which sometimes resembles winter. That has always been my reservation about taking this tour, but I got talked into it by our traveling companions. We plan on taking one layer of Antarctic clothes, and a variety of lighter clothing.
Antarctica clothing is overkill for this tour.
That may be … but you may have missed the fact that I have been to Iceland many times flying to Keflavik. I have seen nice weather, and I also have frozen my behind off … thirty five knots of wind, rain, cold, and that was with a weather forecast that said it would be nice. If you are in a ‘tactical’ jet aircraft with limited fuel, there is no weather alternate for Keflavik.
Iceland weather is a bit like the Drake Passage. Cross your fingers and hope for the best. 😁