iceland boring

You know a lot of people love Iceland. I think it would’ve been better for you to have just stated wasn’t a fit for you

I think the attraction of Iceland is not found indoors in Reykjavik but outside in its natural landscapes where its waterfalls, volcanoes, geothermal pools and other geological wonders can be seen.

I am sorry you had that experience. Ours have been the opposite. I head back next month for my 7th trip and our 8th for next summer is already booked. We have found numerous excellent restaurants all over the country. My husband is there right now and had dinner tonight at what he said was a fantastic place. Same for his lunch. The architecture there is not like what you think of old Europe, but they do have their own style. The weather there is so extreme that buildings have to withstand that, which is very different than the rest of Europe. There are many towns that have oodles of art, and the street art is beautiful, IMO. We don't go with tour companies. We research and then self drive. We have been to many places in Europe, but Iceland remains our favorite place. We all have places that we enjoy, but I will say that I have never been bored in Iceland for even a moment, and we usually go for a couple weeks at a time.

I love Iceland and don't find it boring at all. I've been twice and can't wait to go back. I too love architecture, history, art etc but I also love the wild, remote, half moonscape - half Scandi landscapes of Iceland.

Did you do any reading or research at all before you went? Or did you arrive and then ask, hey, where are the great museums, restaurants and architecture?

And if you only spent a day there, sorry, you can't have seen enough to write off the whole country as boring.

but it seemed dreary and boring

You stopped there solo for less than half a day and did no research in advance.

I find this post amusing. The OP spent ONE DAY in a country and deemed it boring. Where could you have possibly gone -- I guess from the airport to Reykjavik and back? Do you not realize that Iceland is not Europe and doesn't have the same history? Those of us who have spent time there (one of my three trips was for 12 days) know that the attraction is in the countryside -- glaciers and waterfalls and canyons and beaches and mountains and puffins and whales and much more. But, if someone doesn't know this and spends ONE DAY in a country expecting it to be something it's not, then it's understandable that they would be disappointed.

Sorry to hear that.
Iceland does indeed have a very long and interesting history dating back as far as the year 870.
It also has some very interesting architecture in the form of ancient Viking type settlements and areas.
People go to Iceland for the natural and unique beauty of the outdoors there.

Not everything appeals to everyone. Ronnie shared his thoughts. Iceland doesn't need defending and the OP doesn't need to be put down or scolded.

I spent a day in Minneapolis in January, it was cold, dreary and boring. Don't make the USA a priority.

I think maybe they need to rename Iceland something more appealing like, oh, I dunno, Greenland and then it maybe will be a big hit.

Just a thought. (okay, not a good thought.)

Sorry Iceland was not a winner for you. Sometimes things just don't gel for everyone.

Happy travels and better luck next trip!

I spent a day in Minneapolis in January, it was cold, dreary and boring. Don't make the USA a priority.

So what tore you away from balmy,cheery and fascinating Calgary? :-)

Spent only a day in Iceland but it seemed dreary and boring

What did you do and what time of year were you there?

What were you expecting?

Not everything appeals to everyone. Ronnie shared his thoughts. Iceland doesn't need defending and the OP doesn't need to be put down or scolded.

--I agree. Be nice. We all have different interests, plus sometimes the energy of a place just doesn't work with our own.

Ronnie, I would probably find it boring too. My husband and I were in Norway this past May and, except for Oslo, we found it boring. Many people love Norway but not us. We’re city people and don’t do too well in the countryside. Because of this reason Switzerland is low on our list.

I clicked on the Iceland tab (I usually don't venture to this part of the forum) to start planning my Icelandic trip and came across this after a recent discussion with a friend about the appeal of Iceland being more outdoorsy rather than the typical itinerary of a European visit. So glad this is confirmed in some of the responses. My family and I just got back from Ireland where the majority of our time was spent outside taking in the natural beauty and unique outdoor sites, and we loved it (so now considering Iceland). Another reason being that we landed at Reykjavik a couple of years ago for a stopover to Germany, and it looked like landing on the moon, hence the intrigue to check out more of Iceland.
I completely agree with the previous responses that we all have our own style and reasons for visiting places. Ronnie seems to enjoy the architecture, art, and food on the continent. With that said, I do struggle with one bit that Ronnie noted: having spent one day to come to such a conclusion. Ronnie, was this part of a stopover with the airline?

OP found his one day stop over in Iceland boring. Fair enough- to each his own. But I have a problem with anyone who has such a limited exposure thinking he has sufficient knowledge of an entire country that he can credibly tell anyone how they should prioritize a vacation to that country.

For us, Iceland was about the natural beauty, which is amazing, the different terrain, the breath-taking waterfalls, learning about their amazing geothermal systems, the challenges of the seismic activity, learning a bit about general life in Iceland. One has to "get out of the city" to really do it justice. We went with National Geographic and had an amazing experience, then headed to SW Greenland with NatGeo for a continued amazing experience.

Just like with people, each place is different, and one needs to understand what makes a place special and what you can see/learn/experience with each. I find it fascinating to get just a wee glimpse of how people live in different places, food sources, expressions, the natural resources, the challenges, the threats, the comforts, etc.. On a lighter note, I will never forget the "affirming look" the young guide in Greenland made when I asked her if it was difficult to date in Greenland (boats are involved in transportation between communities, since there are so few roads, and the boats cannot easily travel during parts of the winter), add to that a relatively limited population.

Like with art, what one person likes is not always what another one does. And, what we might not find enticing at one point in our lives, it might appeal to us at another time. So it is with travel.

I see this as a win. One less tourist will be returning to Iceland and will be discouraging anyone who asks. What's not to like.
Now if we can get some bored people who visited Venice, Barcelona, and Mallorca, well, hooray.

On a forum like this, stating that one personally found a country to be dreary and boring, at least if the visit was for more than a day, may be legitimate (if in the case of Iceland, puzzling); however, advising people against making it a top priority is not. Fortunately, I see from the consensus of the above comments that most forum readers are too smart to take that advice, so I guess no harm has been done.
This sort of thing reminds me of an episode from "Fawlty Towers," set in Torquay England, in which a dissatisfied guest in Basil's (John Cleese) hotel complains about the view from her window. "But madam," says Basil "what you are seeing from the window is Torquay. What were you expecting to see from a Torquay hotel window -- the Sydney Opera House? The Hanging Gardens of Babylon? Herds of wildebeest sweeping majestically across the plains?"

Also, I was pleased with the many comments pointing out that that a country may have attractions beyond food and man-made visual spectacles (architecture and art) and that Iceland is not necessarily lacking even in the latter; and especially SJ's, which correctly observed that the OP was flat-out mistaken about "no history."
(Icelanders produced some of the greatest literature of the middle ages -- some of you know this already; and others have, if they choose to take it, an opportunity for some pleasant and horizon-expanding research.)

There really aren't enough Fawlty Towers references on this message board (and life in general).

@Faedus, I was reading your response aloud to my husband, and before I could get to the quotation from Basil, my husband came out with the wildebeest line! Thanks!

@Mary +1

@Ronnie,
I too prefer a big, old, gritty, historical city. BUT, Iceland is a dream of nature and vast, varying landscapes. If you have a chance to go again, get out of Reykjavik.

@ Mary: +2

@vandrabrud: Your husband evidently has been watching the right kind of television -- commendable!

Don't mention the war. I did it once , but I think I got away with it all right.
I am a doctor and I want my sausages!

mountains and puffins and whales...OH MY

This is an entertaining thread. Ask 100 people if they would find Washington, D.C.'s museums and public spaces or Yellowstone National Park most boring...

Like the moon. I imagine sort of like being on the dark side of the moon in the winter. And freaking expensive. $25 puffin burgers! I went for the whales. It was worth it for that. Three days one boat after another from sunrise to sun set (well the sun never really rose or set). Then got out of Dodge.

Ronnie,
Didn't you see the award winning Harpa Opera House in Reykjavik, or Hallgrimskirkja, also in Reykjavik, with Art Deco design, made from lava rock and world renowned? Across from Hallgrimskirkja, the sculpture garden. Wow, you missed a lot. No hype.

I loved the four days I spent in Iceland and can't wait to go back. That said, I'm from dreary and boring Minneapolis area.

JK.

We were in Venice for 5+ days this fall. After years of people telling us how much they dislike Venice, we were really curious of what our reaction would be. WE. LOVED. IT. We decided that people that don't like Venice spend 2 or less days walking with the masses entering few if any buildings. We also noted that about 10% of it is pretty crowded leaving the rest of it quite pleasant to stroll.

It's ok to not love every place you visit, but its good to try a bit.