Iceland — Winter…?

Every VaVenturer has to visit Iceland.

It’s the perfect confluence of all things VaVenturing — an otherworldly Island, full of mystery and adventure, a legitimate overseas destination just a few hours from the US East Coast, the power of nature in a way few of us have experienced before — but at the end of a long day in the field — lovely food and a warm bed and a hidden bar with convivial company, local brew and a friendly landlord.

There are 2 Iceland’s — summer and winter and as befits a place where the calling card is the extremes of climate — it’s like visiting two completely different countries.

So which season to choose?

The overriding reason to go in winter, of course, is the Northern Lights. With darkness running from mid-afternoon to around 9:00am, there’s a lot of nighttime in an Icelandic winter and that means plenty of opportunity, in theory, to see the aurora.

Here’s the challenge. First, the lights are finicky — and unlike the weather and more like earthquakes, very hard to predict. In fact, an essential tool is using one of the online trackers that provide location and intensity data in real time as well as some level of prediction for the upcoming hour. Second, many of those nights are cloudy and rainy. Third, ideally you’ll want to avoid the full moon although, to be fair, as long as the intensity is sufficient, the moon won’t provide too much interference, but at lower levels can easily wash out the experience.

But — if you do get to see the lights it will be one of the most magical, memorable experiences of your life.

The best way to increase your odds of seeing the lights is to book one of the many small bus tours that depart from the central square area around mid evening. They all have some sort of weather guarantee and the opportunity to rebook throughout your stay without charge. The drivers track the sites closely and along with local knowledge, head to the sites with the best odds and will drive around late into the night if there’s any possibility of seeing the aurora.

The night we went out, following a washout when we were originally scheduled, was predicted to be minimal at best. We sat high on a ridge for well over hour and were literally about to call it quits, rationalizing to ourselves that the trip was still worthwhile without seeing the lights, when a faint glow started in the horizon and within minutes we saw one of the highest intensity shows in many weeks.

There are other reasons to go in Winter as well.

The already otherworldly landscape, covered in ice and snow, feels even more desolate — for fans of GOT — its literally beyond the Wall, (but no wildings that we could see.)

Winter is also a wonderful time to spend quality time in Iceland’s famed outdoor volcanic spas — including the Blue Lagoon.

Sure, its expensive — up to $100 a person — and probably a bit overpriced but we think worth it. While other sites will urge you to spend 90% less and go to one of the many excellent local spas used by the locals — the Lagoon is an example of smart VaVenturing — accessibility, all the facilities you need, something quite unique and — you’re on vacation!

The lagoon itself is vast with many hidden corners, as well as waterfalls, steam rooms and saunas and even a salt cave. In winter especially, there’s nothing like walking out in a swimsuit in a shivering 10 degrees Fahrenheit into the steaming waters of the lagoon — and do it when it opens at 8:00am — in the inky dawn sky. (Since most flights from the US arrive overnight at around 6:00am and the lagoon is 15 minutes from the airport, its actually a great way to begin an Iceland trip.) Get your tickets online well ahead of your trip — that way you’ll skip any lines and get the best pricing which is demand sensitive.

The downsides of Winter.

It’s cold, very cold. You’ll need to dress and pack for the sub-arctic — that means definitely checking a bag on your flight and lots of layers, top and bottom, and possibly even crampons for your hiking boots if you want to to walk the landscape. Many trails are icebound and without the right equipment you’ll slide all over the place.

There really isn’t that much daylight — realistically — from about 9:00am — 3:00pm.

Depending on how you feel — driving can be exhilarating or challenging — ice storms, fog, snow drifts. All the cross island gravel roads are closed in winter — even if you have a 4x4. In a bad storm the main ring road can also get blocked. But all rental cars are fully equipped with snow tires and shovels. (more on car rentals here).

On the other hand, if you love the feeling of challenging the elements, the sense of being at the at the end of the world and at the mercy of the weather gods, there are few places that better indulge your inner Scott of the Antarctic then Iceland in Winter.