Elizabeth's 8 Reasons Why Visiting Iceland Should Be Your New Year's Resolution

Elizabeth Thorp wrote an article sure to inspire anyone interesed in travel to visit Iceland. Her eight reasons to visit Iceland are:

1. Iceland is closer than you think
2. Scenic, other-worldly beauty, everywhere you turn
3. Northern Lights
4. Icelandic Horses
5. Blue Lagoon Geothermal Spa
6. Adventure
7. Culture & History
8. Hip Reykjavik

Read the entire article on Huffington Post, click here.

Public Holidays in Iceland in 2013

Public holidays in Iceland 2013

Banks, shops and several other services such as public bus service may be either closed on public holidays, and/or the hours of operation reduced. The Blue lagoon is open every day of the year but has limited opening hours on some public holidays. Scheduled sightseeing tours are usually not affected by public holidays.

 

New Year‘s Day 1 January (Nýjársdagur)

Palm Sunday 24 March (Pálmasunnudagur)

Maundy Thursday 28 March (Skírdagur)

Good Friday 29 March (Föstudagurinn langi)

Easter Sunday 31 March (Páskadagur)

Easter Monday 1 April (Annar í páskum)

Labour Day 1 May (Verkalýðsdagurinn)

Ascension Day 9 May (Uppstigningardagur)

Pentecost / Whitsun 19 May (Hvítasunnudagur)

Pentecost / Whitsun Monday 20 May (Annar í hvítasunnu)

National Day of Iceland 17 June (Lýðveldisdagurinn)

Bank Holiday 5 August (Frídagur verslunarmanna)

Christmas Eve 23 December (Aðfangadagur)

Christmas Day 24December (Jóladagur)

St. Stephen‘s Day 25 December (Annar í jólum)

New Year‘s Eve 31 December (Gamlársdagur)

Bonfires in Reykjavik - Map and location

Reykjavik is famous for its bonfires on New Year's Eve.

A dosen or so bonfires are lit up around 20:00 in the evening. Two hours later everyone leaves for home to watch Áramótaskaup on tv. This is a comedy show that makes fun of things that happened in Iceland during the year. Around 23:30 the firework display starts and lasts for about one hour.

But where are the bonfires?

A map is published every year in a Pdf-file but the bonfires are generally always in the same place.

Here's a map from last year.

Bonfires in Reykjavik - Map

What's open over Christmas and New Year in Reykjavik

Want to know which restaurants are open in Reykjavik over Christmas and New Year? You've come to ther right place. Luckily, there are several restaurants that stay open during the holidays.

Some are open every day, while some are closed on December 24, 25 and 31 and 1 January. If you're looking for a restaurant that is open then there is a list which you can find here.

Click on the link - to get the list of restaurants open over Christmas and New Year in Reykjavik.

Things to do in Reykjavik over Christmas and New Year

Reykjavik Bike Tours Holiday Schedule 2012 / 2013

Come ride with us over the holidays! You'll get a close up look at the Christmas lights in the city centre. You'll learn a few practical and interesting things about special Icelandic Christmas customs, and you get to be outside while doing light exercise.

We include the harbour area, city centre, University of Iceland campus, City hall, Parliament building and much much more on this 2.5 hour tour.


• When: December 24,25,26,27,28,29,30,31. Jan 1, 2.
• Duration: +/- 2.5 hours
• Distance: 7 km / 4.5 miles
• Starting time: 11:00 – (please see details below).
• Meeting time: 15 minutes before scheduled departure
• Meeting point: See a map of Reykjavik here.
• Difficulty: Easy
• Price: ISK 4,500 • Please note we do not accept credit cards, prior booking essential.
• Personal insurance is not included.
• Wear warm clothes and shoes. We have extra clothes just in case.

Please contact us if you'd like to rent a bike over the holidays.

We're #1 on Trip Advisor for all activities in and out of Reykjavik.
Winner Certificate of Excellence 2012

Reykjavik Bike Tours December 2012: 24,25,26,27,28 - at 11:00. December 29 - at 14:00, December 30 – at 10:00. January 2013: 1 January - at 14:00, and 2 January - at 11:00

Contact: Stefan @ Reykjavik Bike Tours – 694 8956 – bike@icelandbike.com – www.reykjavikbiketours.is

Tina Dico loves Iceland's south coast

Singer Tina Dico from Denmark loves the south cost of Iceland. Watch Skogafoss waterfall, lava fields covered with moss, national road number one and some rusted old trucks.

Tom Cruise Oblivion

Tom Cruise's new film the Oblivion screens in theatres in 2013. Parts of it was filmed in the amazing landscape in Iceland.

Two landmarks from the northern part of Iceland can be identified in the film:

 1 – Hrossaborg crater. Looks like an amphitheatre. It is about 400 meters / 1.400 ft. above sea level and rises about 40 meters / 120 ft. above its surroundings. The crater is north of glacier Vatnajokull, Europe’s largest glacier, and south of the Ring road. The crater is a popular place for travellers to have a picnic lunch sheltered from the wind.

2 – Dettifoss waterfall, Europe’s most powerful waterfall. This waterfall also appeared in the 2012 Hollywood film Prometheus.

Please contact Reykjavik Bike Tours for exciting off road bike tours in this amazing region of volcanic formations and stark beauty.