So How Much Can You Actually Do in a 36 Hour Layover? Turns Out, A Lot!
I’m a HUGE fan of extended layovers, even better, taking advantage of stopovers when they are available. I had a work trip in London come up at the last minute. Flights were in short supply and I was looking at some pretty bad layovers no matter which route I took- 8 hours here, 5 hours there- nothing great to put it mildly. If I had been traveling for vacation, I would have just dealt with it knowing that was a means to an end, but with work travel, I just wanted the fastest option possible. After spending way too much time fooling with routing options, I had an idea. Instead of sorting by the shortest duration, what if I sorted by the longest duration and tried to squeeze in a day somewhere I’d never been? My very first option was on Icelandair. It had a fairly quick 90 min layover on the way to London from Orlando (one of my home airports) and then an 18 hour overnight layover on the way back. 18 hours? Was that enough to see or do anything? Maybe? But I wanted more time than that to make it worth my while. Then I remembered Icelandair’s stopover policy. I could add an extra 24 hours onto my layover for no additional cost. I checked the total to make sure it was in line with the “shorter” flights I was seeing and I was in luck! Not only was it cheaper, it was wayyyy cheaper- $600 total roundtrip. And just like that, I was turning a 36 hour work trip into a quick little getaway with an extended layover in Iceland.
Diary of My Layover in Iceland
Hour 1
Arrive in Reykjavik at 11:50pm after a 3 hour flight from London. Head straight to the hotel and go straight to sleep because I have a super early wake up to head out on a full day of sightseeing and adventure.
Hour 7
Rise and shine! Grab a small breakfast in the hotel and head out to meet Your Day Tours and my small group for Iceland’s most popular tour, The Golden Circle. As an FYI, none of the bus tours can pick up within downtown Reykjavik. Each tour company will give you a bus stop number indicating where to meet them. I asked the front desk how to get to my assigned number. It was a quick 5 minute walk.
Hour 8-16
And we’re off. Your Day Tours Golden Circle Tour takes you to Iceland’s three most popular attractions: Gullfoss, Geysir and Þingvellir with a quick stop at Faxi, a waterfall some consider to be the brother to Iceland’s most popular waterfall, Gullfoss.
Faxi
Faxi is a small waterfall….After a brief stop for us to view the waterfall from above, we got a taste of true Icelandic snacks: Icelandic flatbread with smoked lamb (not bad!) and one of the oldest drinks in Iceland, Malt (not great!) before heading to our next stop, Gullfoss.
Gullfoss
Gullfoss is an impressive waterfall, by any standards. While I haven’t checked off many of the “Best Waterfalls in the World” lists, I can say that this is, to me, the most beautiful waterfalls I’ve ever seen. Between the waterfall itself and its surrounding landscape, it put Niagara Falls to shame. In winter, this isn’t a long stop because it is so cold, but I can’t wait to go back and see in the summer months where I can walk all the way down to feel its majestic power. We made a quick stop to see some Icelandic horses and then we were on our way to our next destination.
Geysir
Geysir is one of the most famous hot springs in the world. So famous, in fact, that it gave name to other famous erupting hot springs. Geysir has been dormant since 2000, but there is an active spring in the area, Strokkur, that erupts every 3 to 8 minutes and goes as high as 35 meters.
This was our longest stop of the tour as we also had lunch. There are a few quick dining options in a cafeteria-style restaurant and a large gift shop to pick up a souvenir or two.
Þingvellir
The last stop of the day was at the national park, Þingvellir. While Gullfoss and Geysir were both awe-inspiring sights, Þingvellir was my favorite stop on the trip. We were able to get off the bus and walk the rift valley, where the tectonic plates that define the borders of North America and Europe are pulling apart. It was breathtakingly beautiful.
Hour 16-17
Get dropped off at the bus stop and head back to the hotel. Enjoy a quick rest because I have a long night ahead of me. Don’t rest too long though because there’s a city to explore.
Hour 17-19
Walk around downtown and explore Reykjavik’s picturesque streets. There is plenty of information about where to eat and what to shop online so I won’t spend much time on this part. I stopped in a sporting goods shop and grabbed an additional neck gaiter for my nighttime adventure, but mostly just explored. I did grab a bite to eat before heading back to the hotel, but it wasn’t anything memorable. It was a decision based on convenience.
Hour 19-20
Back at the hotel to put on all the clothes I own so I don’t freeze to death while waiting to catch a glimpse of the aurora . Keeping my fingers crossed for an exciting night!
Layered Up and Ready To Go
Hour 20-24
Northern Lights hunting with Happy Tours: the absolute highlight of my 36 hours. I chose Happy Tours because they were also another small group operator. They were more expensive than some of the larger big bus tour companies, but it was worth every penny. We drove in a big yellow Jeep about 45 minutes outside Reykjavik into a large open field. It was FREEZING, I mean super, super cold, and those in the group not dressed appropriately spent about 3/4 of the night in the Jeep.
Our tour guide kept us completely entertained while trying to spot the elusive lights. There was an abandoned house in this field where we sat in wait. In addition to it being rather chilly, it was also pitch black- like the kind of dark where you can’t see your hand in front of your face. To get the best look of the Northern Lights, there can be no light pollution. Anyhow, so we’re in this field with this house. Our guide starts to tell us its “history” with its tales of hallows and haunts. He asks if we want to go in, but warns us of its crippling structure and its mysterious sounds. I get scared by anything- and by anything I mean I jump when the ice maker drops new ice cubes. So, he says he’ll take 4 of us in at a time. I am laughing at the ridiculousness of this scene, but more how hesitant I am about going into this house, but I go. I won’t spoil the rest because I’m fairly certain this wasn’t his first haunted house rodeo, and I imagine you will experience the same, but it was a certainly a memorable experience. You’re probably thinking- but the Lights!- don’t worry, the other guide was keeping watch and ready to get us back outside (although “outside” in this house is a relative term).
The Evening’s Sideshow
Two hours of waiting and we see the faintest green cloud appear and then disappear almost as quickly. The guide yells out, most of us miss it. But then, for the next 30 minutes, Planet Earth puts on quite a show. We sip hot cocoa and stare at the sky, and it was magic. They begin to fade away, coming less frequently and with less intensity. We decide as a group that we’ve seen enough and head back into town.
Hour 24
Am so exhausted that I think I fall asleep with half of my layers on.
Hour 30-31
Rise and shine again! 6am wakeup call to pack and get ready to head out. Run late and sprint to the bus stop again to catch my combined Blue Lagoon and airport ride. There a few options for Blue Lagoon plus airport transfer companies, but I went with Reykjavik Excursions.
Hour 32-35
Blue Lagoon! After group touring and city touring and middle of the night touring, I was really looking forward to the Blue Lagoon. I choose Blue Lagoon’s cheapest package option, the Comfort Package. This included entrance fee, one silica mud mask, the use of a towel and one drink. This is one of those places that’s on every list of “must do” Iceland, so I was a little worried it would be a bit of a letdown. It wasn’t! I did try keeping my hair out of the water like all the guides suggest, but I failed and still didn’t have any issues. The milky sky blue water combined with the steam combined with the surrounding landscape made for an unforgettable experience. I lounged, gave myself a silica mud mask, had a drink, stood under the waterfalls, and lounged some more. It was a perfect way to end my whirlwind trip.
Hour 35-36
Back at the airport to head home with an exhausted body but a wander-filled soul.
Was Is An Extended Layover in Iceland Worth It?
Absolutely. Is 36 hours enough time to see everything Iceland has to offer? Absolutely not. It was a great appetizer for what I hope will be followed by dinner and dessert, albeit maybe with warmer weather.
Long layovers are a way to get a taste of a destination without adding a ton of expense. All you need is a little creativity in routing. Need some help figuring out a layover or stopover for your next trip? Let me know!
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