The direct flight from Raleigh Durham was great and we arrived at 6am or so, then took Flybus to our hotel. We stayed at the Iceland Parliament Hotel. While our room was not ready in the morning, we were able to pay for the extensive breakfast buffet then spend a couple of hours in their lovely spa. Very few people there and soaking in the hot water, we found, may be the best jetlag cure!
That afternoon we walked all over Reykjavik, went up to the top of Hallgrimskirkja and managed to dine on both soup at Icelandic Street food and, our Northern Lights tour being cancelled, Fish and chips that night at Reykjavik Fish. Both were very good, but we couldn't do much justice to the giant bread bowls. I would suggest getting the bowl of soup with a piece of bread (the cut-out center from a bread bowl) unless you are ravenous! Somehow my husband still needed gelato. I managed to eat some too.
The next day we now had two tours nearly back to back. First was the Golden Circle and Silfra snorkeling with Troll. We were picked up at a bus stop at 8am, wearing our long underwear under our clothes and driven to Silfra. We were getting dressed to go in the water before the sun was properly up. Fortunately, Troll had a heated truck out there where we were instructed to put a "pajama" on over our long underwear. It was basically a big zip up onesie. Then we went outside to get into the dry suits. The guides were great, gave clear instructions and they basically dressed us. On top of the drysuit, wrists and neck get an extra, very snug strap. It feels so wrong, but then you realize you can breathe just fine and it's only mind over matter about that neck strap. Hoods and mitts are not watertight, so you will feel the cold on your hands and face, especially. As for the snorkeling, you are going to float like a cork on the surface due to the air in the drysuit. It's not the least bit intimidating. It is however, not as interesting as I hoped in the early light of dawn. It's some very clear water and lots of rocks. They took lots and lots of pictures with a go pro. Note that if you are 60-69, a doctor has to sign your permission slip and if over 69, you are not allowed, so keep that in mind if you are considering this.
For the rest of the tour we joined a Troll Golden Circle tour that was already underway. They saw Thingvellir while we snorkeled, I think. The tour was fine and we saw a lot. There were plenty of opportunities for the bathroom or to get something to eat, but it does take time away from whatever sight you are visiting, so we skimped on food. I would say it makes me want to plan a summer trip now, because most of what we saw would probably be even better in the summer.
Upon our return, we had time for another bowl of soup - I loved the lamb - at Icelandic Street food, then it was off to meet our Northern Lights tour with Aurora Experts. This was a fabulous evening. The Northern Lights were amazing. A major goal of our trip and a huge highlight. Bring ALL of your warm things - it was very cold out there!
The next morning we mostly shopped and took photos before we took the Destination Blue Lagoon transportation out to spend our last night at the Silica Hotel. We took a package that included welcome drinks, our Blue Lagoon entry with 2 drinks and a tasting dinner at the Lava Restaurant. This was a lovely stay and a fun thing to do in the winter when days are short and cold. The next day it was easy to get the bus to the airport where we had a hot dog lunch. I was glad to see the cart there since we had not made it there in town.
I would highly recommend a winter break in Reykjavik if you want to do some hot water soaking and see the Northern Lights! If you really want to do all of Iceland justice, I think a summer trip is in order.