Reykjavik

Travel Advice for Seniors: Reykjavik

The endpoint destination on our cruise from New York City, Canada. Greenland and Iceland, Reykjavik was a good dropping off point as it was close to many sights and activities.

Reykjavik is the capital of Iceland and the largest of its cities. There are many sights to see there including the National and Saga museums tracing Iceland’s Viking history and the striking concrete Hallgrimskirkja church.

We ended up getting a few extra days in Reykjavik as our ship docked early due to hurricane force winds on the east and south sides of Iceland, so we were able to spend a little more time exploring.

A word on Reykjavik….it is very expensive as a lot of merchandise must be imported. Also, in the main tourist areas restaurant prices are very high for even simple fare. It is good policy to ask your hotel concierge where the locals eat and shop to bypass the sometimes outrageous prices. Also, the shops off the main tourist treks were slightly less expensive.

We stayed at the City Center Hotel, in the tourist area, which was utilitarian, but nice centrally located accommodation. The Icelanders like their fresh air, even if it is 50 degrees outside, so be prepared to wait for the radiator to warm up if the windows have been left open. We requested a heater to get warmed up a little faster.

Right around the corner from our hotel was the Settlement Exhibition which is the remnants of an original Viking settlement right in the heart of Reykjavik. The picture history of the city adjacent to the actual areas of stone/dirt was also interesting. And the coffee shop next door that has ice cream and hot chocolate is also Mom-approved.

We did go to a couple of the national art gallery/museums which were nice, but even though they were national, were fairly unremarkable other than to see some Icelandic artists on display. We visited the Listasafin Islands National Gallery and the Djoominjasafns Islands National Museum. Remember though, Iceland is a small country with most of its citizens living in the capital city of 140,000. While it may not be an art gallery mecca, it certainly is a beautiful and convenient place to end or begin your trip around Iceland.

One of the fun activities we did was FlyOver Iceland, a 4D theater type ride that sounds a bit kitschy but was actually a great way to see Iceland’s natural resources and cities without leaving your chair. After getting strapped into your seat, you are pulled forward so that your feet hang off the edge of the platform and you are totally immersed in what is playing on the IMAX screen. Throw in moving seats, wind and mist on your face and you get the idea.

The second fun activity was going on a Golden Circle tour, featuring a stop at Thingvellir National Park where a few scenes of Game of Thrones were filmed. The park clearly shows the two tectonic plates that converge in Iceland, one heaving above the other. Additional stops included Gullfoss waterfall (take an umbrella and waterproof clothes!), Strokkur waterspout at Geysir and the Kerid Crater and last but not least, the Blue Lagoon Thermal Pools.

There had been several volcanic eruptions earlier in the year we traveled to Iceland and we were a bit nervous that this tour would go at all. However, we were able to go to the Blue Lagoon after all. The guide, seriously, did tell us what to do in case of an earthquake if we were at the Lagoon (get out of the water and follow instructions). Thankfully, we didn’t experience an earthquake, but there was a town that was cordoned off for traffic due to lava flow and you could see mountains of lava rock  formed up to direct lava in case of another flow.

A word about the Blue Lagoon…you do receive a towel and access to a locker, you have to pay extra for a robe. You enter the ladies/men’s locker room and take a full shower (no clothes) before donning your bathing suit and rushing out to the warm water of the lagoon. Make a note of which changing room you were in so you can find your locker later as they are on two different floors. Be careful not to slip on the entry to the water as it may be a bit chilly and you will want to get to the water as quickly as possible. When in, our pass included a free drink ticket, bar to the right as you enter. The pass also included a silica mud mask, the shop of which is off to the left in the water as you enter the Lagoon. It is a glob of white paste that you smear on your face and let set for about 5 or so minutes before washing off. The Silica is what gives  the Blue Lagoon  it’s phenomenal pale blue color. Upon finishing your time, strip down, rinse out your suit and take another nude shower before getting dressed. It was an enjoyable interlude and a relaxing way to close out the day.

Europeans have a much different attitude toward nudity than Americans and are much less self-conscious about it. Trust me, no one is really that interested in looking at your body in the showers/locker rooms and there are plenty of people with worse figures than you. So go on! Enjoy yourself and reap the therapeutic effects! Everyone else is!

We had originally planned for three days in Reykjavik but ended up staying for five days due to part of our cruise cancellation. While we didn’t sit around twiddling our thumbs, three days or less is an adequate stay in Reykjavik.

Many people fly into Reykjavik to do the Ring Road loop around the country on Highway 1.  We visited by cruise ship instead, but we met a lot of people who were driving and having a good time.

Where we stayed: City Center Hotel. Good accommodation, centrally located.

How we got there: Ship from Akureyn, Iceland to Reykjavik. This was part of a 15-day ocean cruise tour beginning in New York City and ending in Reykjavik, with stops in Canada, Greenland and Iceland.

General Accessibility Information: Iceland is overall pretty accessible. Tour operators like Iceland Unlimited offer accessible day and multi-day tours. Sjálfsbjörg, The National Association of People with Disabilities surveys museums and public spaces for accessibility. TravAble is a free app that shows accessible places and services. FIA Guide for the Disabled Traveler is a website with information about using a disability parking permit or placard in Iceland. Call in advance to verify and make specialty arrangements. See our sections on specialty apps and accessible travel for more on accessibility assistance.