Iceland is an island country situated in the northernmost part of the European continent. It is located where the North Atlantic Ocean meets the Arctic Ocean. As its name suggests, this country experiences extreme cold and mostly remains covered with ice, due to its proximity to the Arctic Circle. I read about this country in different online and printed magazines. I have always wanted to see the Northern Lights or Aurora Borealis, which can be seen all over Iceland during the winter months.

My maternal cousin Ronnie’s marriage was fixed on the 10th of last December and the new couple wanted a destination wedding in Reykjavik, the capital of Iceland. Since they live in London, it only takes around 3 hours for a non-stop flight. We landed at Keflavik International Airport, which is 50 Km to the southwest of Reykjavik. Our flight tickets were purchased from Icelandair, which is the flag carrier of this country. We boarded the scheduled flight at 9.25 pm from Heathrow International Airport and reached Iceland at 11.40 pm.

As we stepped out of the airport, we felt mesmerized to see the wonderful green, blue, pink, and red colors of the Aurora Borealis spread all over the dark sky! As it was a dream come true for me, I was feeling so ecstatic at that time! It looked like thin ribbons that were dancing across the night sky. I tried to capture this spectacular sight with my smartphone, but it was not easy and I needed to adjust the brightness, focus, mode, and shutter speed of its camera. However, I could not do a good job as the lights appeared hazy and overlapping in most photos!

Our accommodation was booked online in a reputed 2-star hotel in Reykjavik. It offers shuttle transportation between the airport and the hotel, which was a great help for us. The location of this hotel is very close to the local bus stand and the accommodation cost was affordable for us. We chose this hotel as it was highly rated by its previous customers. Though we reached the hotel at night, we received all the necessary services from experienced hotel staff. The wonderful view of the Atlantic Ocean from our rooms was an added advantage.

The wedding was held on the next day at Hafnarfjordur, a town located 10 km south of Reykjavik. Aurora Basecamp in this port town was chosen as the wedding destination where up to 120 guests can join the ceremony. Several domes with seating arrangements for guests imparted a unique, dreamy look to this place, surrounded by nature’s beauty.

After the wedding ceremony was over, all of us, including the new couple, decided to go for local sightseeing the next day. We went back to our hotel in Reykjavik and consulted the manager of the hotel for guidance in sightseeing. He arranged a local guide for us to make our tour easy and comfortable. Our guide, a young man named Aron, was a cheerful person who promised to lead us to all the prime tourist attractions in and around Reykjavik.

Hallgrímskirkja

Hallgrímskirkja is a parish church in Reykjavik and an important landmark of this city, as it is the tallest building in the country. Since it is 74.5 meters tall, this largest church in Iceland and can be seen from all parts of the city. It was a treat for us to see the unique architecture of this tower-like building, with a spire at the top and wing-like structures on two sides. We were informed that this huge church was built 41 years ago and named after Hallgrímur Pétursson, a cleric and poet of Iceland in the medieval period. An elevator took us to the top of this building, from where we were thrilled to see the wonderful view of Reykjavik. The large statue of a European explorer, Leifur Eiriksson in front of this church was another tourist attraction.

Harpa Concert Hall

Harpa Concert Hall is another landmark of Reykjavik. People enjoy various concerts, operas, and musical performances here to make their evenings more enjoyable. Though we could not attend any concert in this hall due to a lack of time, a glimpse of this magnificent building was a must for us. Our guide informed us that this honeycomb-shaped concert hall looks its best during the six months of winter, due to the elaborate decoration of colorful lights covering this building. After enjoying the view of this grand architectural structure, we went to dine in one of the two restaurants on this campus. We also bought a few souvenirs from a gift shop in Harpa Concert Hall, which were artistically created by talented local people of this country.

Perlan or Pearl Observatory

This wonderful observatory is located on Oskjuhlio, the highest hill in Reykjavik. We reached the foot of this hill in 5 minutes from the city center by our rented car. We enjoyed the panoramic view of the entire city from the observation deck surrounding the dome towering over this building. The basement of this observatory holds a volcano exhibition, along with some basic facilities. The first floor of the building houses a natural ice cave and a planetarium where we were awed to have a virtual tour of the entire Iceland, comprising all the natural elements of this country. We relished an amazing dinner in the revolving restaurant on the 5th floor of this observatory, where you can also find a bar and a café. We also enjoyed ice cream at the Ice cream Parlour on the 4th floor.

Lake Myvatn

We heard from our tour guide that Lake Myvatn is a popular tourist spot in Northern Iceland. This place is nearly 6 6-hour drive from Reykjavik. It is a shallow water body that was formed due to lava eruption more than 2000 years ago. Various volcanic features can be seen here, as volcanic eruption was noted only a few decades before. However, this lake becomes a heaven for bird lovers in summer, as they can watch numerous species of migratory ducks in this lake. Its name is derived from the Icelandic name of midge, which is a tiny biting insect that is widely available in this water and a favorite food of all ducks.

Akureyri

Akureyri is a prime city in Northern Iceland, which houses several tourist attractions. Since it is only an hour’s drive from Myvtan Lake, we decided to visit this beautiful place. The entire place was covered with snow and the northern light was brighter over the clear night sky, compared to the occasionally cloudy weather of Reykjavik. My cousin booked a few rooms in a ski resort in Akureyri, where we stayed for 2 days for sightseeing. Akureyri Church or Akureyrarkirkja, is one of the foremost notable sites here, designed by the same architect who created Hallgrímskirkja in Reykjavik. Akureyri Botanical Garden is another tourist spot with thousands of plant species over 3.6 hectares of land and we loved the scenery as all these plants were snow-laden. We also visited the Akureyri Museum, Icelandic Aviation Museum, and Laufas Museum, which shows the ancient lifestyle of this country. However, the Christmas light decorations all over the snow mesmerized us all!

Finally, our memorable trip to Iceland came to an end and all of us returned to London after 5 days. None of us will ever forget this wedding due to the wonderful experience of touring Iceland. I never stopped thanking my cousin and his sweet bride for this great idea of this destination wedding, and they were very happy too. 

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