The number of foreign visitors in Iceland during the holidays has been increasing steadily in the past years, with this year on track to beat all previous records. According to the local news site visir.is several Icelandair Hotels expect to be nearly fully booked over the holidays Hilton Nordica, Reykjavík Marina and Reykjavík Natura are all fully booked over new-years, and close to fully booked over Christmas.
Numerous restaurants and cafés will stay open over the Holidays to serve foreign travellers. According to a list compiled by visitreykjavik.is 22 restaurants will stay open on Christmas Eve, and 42 on New Year’s Eve. (The list can be viewed here.)
But what are these foreign visitors doing, and why did they decide to spend the holidays in Iceland? The local newspaper Fréttablaðið interviewed several foreign visitors on the streets of Reykjavík to find out.
Unsurprisingly the fireworks and bonfires of New Year’s Eve are of course a major attraction, but there are a number of other reasons for foreign visitors to come to Iceland, including the Northern Lights.
The voices of a few tourists on the streets of Reykjavík
Mrs. Rachmaninoff, originally from Greece, but now living in Frankfurt had arrived on December 17 and was going to stay over Christmas and head home on the 26th.
Mrs. Rachmaninoff was going to spend Christmas Eve at her hotel, telling the journalist she was looking forward to the feast: “They are definitely going to serve some fabulous food at the hotel”. We certainly hope she is right!
Tom and Glenda Barber from England came last Friday and plan to stay until the 23rd, Þorláksmessa or “the mass of St. Thorlak”, during which time they took the “golden circle” and took a Northern Lights tour, visited the blue lagoon and were then planning to just stroll around town.
Strolling around downtown seems to be a very popular activity at this time of year: “Yes, we are planning to just walk and look around”, Glenda told the journalist.
Christine Wou, a student from Britain, told the journalist she had taken the golden circle, gone to Mýralssandur beach in South Iceland and visited the Ice Cave in Langjökull glacier. “These are all really great locations” she added, even though the Ice Cave stood for her.
She had not yet seen the Northern Lights, as the weather had not been favourable. “I expect I will be returning at some future date”, adding that she might even consider moving to Iceland.
Phillip Mason and Camilla Jessatova, who had both visited the Blue lagoon and taken the Golden Circle, were on a short four day visit and a stroll through downtown.
When asked what had been the most striking experience in Iceland, Mason told the journalist it was the people: “The people are really friendly”. Camilla was also impressed with the museums.
Daniel O’Donnell and Tom Hard from England were also on a short, three day trip. Unlike other visitors interviewed by Fréttablaðið, the two had managed to glimpse the Northern Lights. “We saw the Northern Lights, and we took a glacial hike yesterday,” Daníel told the journalist. The two had in fact visited Snæfellsjökull glacier, following in the footsteps of professor Lienbrock from Jules' Verne's Journey to the Centre of the Earth. But, rather than embark upon a 19th century science fiction adventure into the unknown, the two Englishmen had decided to come back to Reykjavík.
The two were not going to take the Golden Circle, but were going to visit some museums and stroll around downtown.
Avy and Tak Chen are Chinese students in Frankfurt, but took a three day trip to Iceland. They are leaving on the 24th. “We hope to see the Northern Lights and hike a mountain” Avy told Fréttablaðið, but adds that the weather is not looking good, so the mountain hike might have to be skipped.
Tak, however, held onto hope that the weather would be right for the Northern Lights, hoping the journalist would offer words of encouragement or the inside scoop on the elements: “Do you think that will be possible tonight?” We at Iceland Insider at least hope Tak will see the Northern Lights!
What's your Christmas story from Iceland?
Have you met any of the Jule Lads? Or perpahs their mother, the child-eating troll Grýla? What about the feared and ferocious Christmas Cat?
Add your stories in the comments! And please share any helpful hints you might have for other travellers.
The number of foreign visitors in Iceland during the holidays has been increasing steadily in the past years, with this year on track to beat all previous records. According to the local news site visir.is several Icelandair Hotels expect to be nearly fully booked over the holidays Hilton Nordica, Reykjavík Marina and Reykjavík Natura are all fully booked over new-years, and close to fully booked over Christmas.
Numerous restaurants and cafés will stay open over the Holidays to serve foreign travellers. According to a list compiled by visitreykjavik.is 22 restaurants will stay open on Christmas Eve, and 42 on New Year’s Eve. (The list can be viewed here.)
But what are these foreign visitors doing, and why did they decide to spend the holidays in Iceland? The local newspaper Fréttablaðið interviewed several foreign visitors on the streets of Reykjavík to find out.
Unsurprisingly the fireworks and bonfires of New Year’s Eve are of course a major attraction, but there are a number of other reasons for foreign visitors to come to Iceland, including the Northern Lights.
The voices of a few tourists on the streets of Reykjavík
Mrs. Rachmaninoff, originally from Greece, but now living in Frankfurt had arrived on December 17 and was going to stay over Christmas and head home on the 26th.
Mrs. Rachmaninoff was going to spend Christmas Eve at her hotel, telling the journalist she was looking forward to the feast: “They are definitely going to serve some fabulous food at the hotel”. We certainly hope she is right!
Tom and Glenda Barber from England came last Friday and plan to stay until the 23rd, Þorláksmessa or “the mass of St. Thorlak”, during which time they took the “golden circle” and took a Northern Lights tour, visited the blue lagoon and were then planning to just stroll around town.
Strolling around downtown seems to be a very popular activity at this time of year: “Yes, we are planning to just walk and look around”, Glenda told the journalist.
Christine Wou, a student from Britain, told the journalist she had taken the golden circle, gone to Mýralssandur beach in South Iceland and visited the Ice Cave in Langjökull glacier. “These are all really great locations” she added, even though the Ice Cave stood for her.
She had not yet seen the Northern Lights, as the weather had not been favourable. “I expect I will be returning at some future date”, adding that she might even consider moving to Iceland.
Phillip Mason and Camilla Jessatova, who had both visited the Blue lagoon and taken the Golden Circle, were on a short four day visit and a stroll through downtown.
When asked what had been the most striking experience in Iceland, Mason told the journalist it was the people: “The people are really friendly”. Camilla was also impressed with the museums.
Daniel O’Donnell and Tom Hard from England were also on a short, three day trip. Unlike other visitors interviewed by Fréttablaðið, the two had managed to glimpse the Northern Lights. “We saw the Northern Lights, and we took a glacial hike yesterday,” Daníel told the journalist. The two had in fact visited Snæfellsjökull glacier, following in the footsteps of professor Lienbrock from Jules' Verne's Journey to the Centre of the Earth. But, rather than embark upon a 19th century science fiction adventure into the unknown, the two Englishmen had decided to come back to Reykjavík.
The two were not going to take the Golden Circle, but were going to visit some museums and stroll around downtown.
Avy and Tak Chen are Chinese students in Frankfurt, but took a three day trip to Iceland. They are leaving on the 24th. “We hope to see the Northern Lights and hike a mountain” Avy told Fréttablaðið, but adds that the weather is not looking good, so the mountain hike might have to be skipped.
Tak, however, held onto hope that the weather would be right for the Northern Lights, hoping the journalist would offer words of encouragement or the inside scoop on the elements: “Do you think that will be possible tonight?” We at Iceland Insider at least hope Tak will see the Northern Lights!
What's your Christmas story from Iceland?
Have you met any of the Jule Lads? Or perpahs their mother, the child-eating troll Grýla? What about the feared and ferocious Christmas Cat?
Add your stories in the comments! And please share any helpful hints you might have for other travellers.
