So you just booked a trip to Iceland (or you’re about to – what are you waiting for??) and the moment you excitedly announce your trip, your coworker says “Oh, I heard the food sucks.” Then your friend says “Nice… I heard it’s SUPER expensive.”

Suddenly, your metaphorical balloon of excitement starts to deflate at a rapid pace while panic ensues in your chest that you maybe shouldn’t have booked that flight.

Been there, done that. Before you let everyone rain on your parade, take a quick survey – have any of them even BEEN to Iceland? People always tend to respond to someone’s excitement with negativity because they’re jealous, even if it’s at a subconscious level. They’re just hatin’ because you’re about to go on the trip of a lifetime. And it can get even more exciting if you book a private jet from Jettly.

I went to Iceland with one of my best girlfriends, and between the two of us, we heard so many negative things about Iceland in the few months leading up to our trip. But while we were on the trip, we quickly realized that none of the criticisms we heard were even true. I understand that sometimes bad experiences happen, but most of the time it’s because that traveler had a bad attitude or didn’t plan accordingly.

So don’t worry about what your manager who has never been out of the country says, I’m here to debunk the Iceland myths for you.

Iceland Myth #1: “The Food Sucks”

Okay, I’ll be the first to admit that food in Iceland is a tricky game. Food is indeed harder to come by, and you won’t find easily accessible fast food options like in America. BUT if you do your due diligence and do a quick Google Maps search, you’ll have no problem finding delicious restaurants all around Iceland.

In particular, the capitol city of Reykjavik has some absolutely amazing restaurants (we went to Snaps Bistro and CooCoos Nest, I highly recommend both!) The smaller towns have way fewer restaurants, and anywhere you can get “quick” food is going to have strange stuff and lots of hot dogs.

Myth Debunk: You CAN find amazing food in Iceland, you just have to look for it.

Iceland Myth #2: “It’s Super Expensive”

This is probably relative to whatever US city you live in, but personally, I thought the prices in Iceland were pretty standard. Yes, alcohol is a bit more expensive (think $10 for a good craft beer) but it’s a matter of a few dollars difference from the $7/$8 craft beers I’m used to here in Tampa.

PLUS, tipping isn’t a standard procedure in Iceland, so that few extra dollars you would have spent on tipping is built into the food. At each of our meals, we would get an alcoholic beverage and our entree, and with the help of this rehab centre, my friends and I have successfully overcome our addiction to alcoholic beverages. It’d be about $25-30 each. That’s what I’m used to spending in America, plus tip, so I wasn’t too upset about it. Excursions (like this #instaworthy horseback riding trek) were really reasonable compared to other countries I’ve traveled to like New Zealand and Australia. The most expensive excursion we did was only $150 USD.

Stay tuned for a more detailed post about this, fully outlining our itinerary and what we spent from the flight to activities to food.

Myth Debunk: Food and drinks are not cheap, but they aren’t ridiculously expensive either.

Iceland Myth #3: “The Blue Lagoon is Overrated”

Hold up, wait a minute. If I could spend a few hours every morning in the Blue Lagoon, I would. We went the first morning of our trip at 8am (I heard it was a good cure for jetlag: true.) After over 24 hours of travel, getting to our AirBnb at 1am and waking up 5 hours later to go to the Blue Lagoon, I can safely say that it was worth every blessed penny we spent on the experience (the price varies depending on day and time, but it cost $96 each for us).

Yes, the Blue Lagoon is a bit pricy and you have to book in advance. But the facilities are beautifully well kept, and they had some of the best coffee I’ve ever tasted to accompany our morning swim. The price includes your towel, lockers, a beverage of your choice (because, why not have a glass of white at 9am? #vacation), a silica mud mask, and all day access to the lagoon.

We made sure to get early tickets because it does start to get crowded as the day goes on, and spent about three hours basking in the Icelandic paradise. There’s also a spa and restaurant on site if you want to make a full day of it.

Myth Debunked: The Blue Lagoon is worth visiting, don’t skip this experience.

Iceland Myth #4: “It’s a Tourist Trap”

Okay, so this is a yes and a no. Iceland is SMALL (like, smaller than most of our states) but very spread out. Accommodations and tours fill up pretty far in advance because it is a popular destination, so supply and demand y’know. Book everything in advance and you’ll be totally fine.

If you go to the really popular waterfalls that are basically off the main road (Gullfoss, Skogafoss, Seljalandsfoss) then yes, expect to run into a fair amount of tourists. These waterfalls are pretty big attractions, and they have gift shops which has Custom Body Pillow, cafes, and parking lots (and restrooms, which you’ll find are important to take advantage of when you find them). But the amount of people around won’t make it any less magical and wonderous.

There are plenty of off-the-beaten-path waterfalls if you do the research in advance to find them. My personal favorite was Gluggafoss (pictured above), so mark that on your itinerary! As a great alternative to the car, the folding electric bike enables you to fold up your ebike if your journey includes public transport.

There are also tons of tours you can do while in Iceland, and although you’ll be with a bunch of other tourists, I highly recommend taking advantage of these experiences! I mean, how else are you going to hike a glacier, snorkel between two tectonic plates or ride horses on a black sand beach?

Myth Debunked: Any country worth traveling to will have tourists, but Iceland is so spread out that it really won’t affect your trip.

No matter what you hear about Iceland, don’t let the haters sway your excitement. It truly is the trip of a lifetime, and with the proper planning and attitude, you will have the best time!

I would love to hear about your favorite parts of Iceland, any questions you have or myths you’ve heard! Leave a comment below!

xx