Thanks for the great trip!

Thanks for the great trip!

Takk fyrir frábæra ferð!

A travel blog by Svenia Schmidt

Guided tour? No, thanks!

I have been an individual traveller all my life. Independence and freedom are very important to me so the thought of being tied to a group had always put me off. Having the possibility to meet people and exchange stories and knowledge is what travelling to me is all about. Well, and of course exploring the country’s landscape, landmarks, and sights. What better way is there than renting a car and driving around?

Iceland in winter

When my friends and I decided to go to Iceland we all agreed that we had to go in winter because we wanted to at least have a chance to see the Northern Lights. So, I started my usual planning by reading blogs and watching YouTube videos about Iceland in winter. Soon I learned that Iceland’s winter is no “normal” winter. A mind changer was a video of a car getting blown off the streets in a snowstorm. We do not have these crazy storms at home and dealing with them didn’t seem to be a lot of fun.

Safety and convenience reasons

Having dealt with a lot of stress at work or in our private lives we felt like we did not need any stress during our holidays. We did not want to worry about making the wrong decisions because we couldn’t assess the Icelandic weather. We didn’t want to look for alternative routes and accommodations in case of road closures because, let’s be honest, if you don’t know the roads and you don’t know the weather (and in my case you sometimes don’t even know the direction), the whole trip ends up being more like a survival training than like a holiday. So, we decided to give up our independence for once in exchange for getting all our (potential) problems solved for us – we are honest, we had pure safety and convenience reasons.

All expectations had been met

When our Northern Lights Exploration Tour with GJ Travel had started, we soon noticed that we made the best decision in opting for a guided tour. Yes, the weather was crazy, and our bus had to slow down to almost a stop on the ring road for not getting blown off the road. It snowed and it was stormy, so at Gullfoss, we got dropped as close to it as possible. It was so stormy we could hardly walk, taking a non-blurred photo became a challenge. Our guide rescheduled our visit at Reynisfjara due to storm and high waves. So yes, we felt very safe with a local guide who knew the dangers of the Icelandic winter. Also, we did not need to deal with anything other than showing up on time for departure. We always got the weather forecast for the next day with recommendations on what to wear, Northern Lights forecasts for the coming night, toilets were pointed out and we were provided with crampons that were real lifesavers on the often very icy grounds. And the biggest advantage: No need to focus on the road, we could keep our eyes on Iceland’s natural wonders at all times.

We got so much more

With my desire for independence and freedom, I totally blocked out all the other advantages that come with a guided tour. There is so much more than safety and convenience.

Local guide: Yes, I read a lot before and during my travels and yes, I talk to locals but having a local guide who is dedicated to teaching travellers about his/ her country is a goldmine. I learned so much about Iceland, about its history, economy, folklore, traditions, language, volcanoes, glaciers, geothermal areas, Northern Lights, food, you name it!

Did you know that there are 500 earthquakes in Iceland per week? Or did you know that your camera can see the Northern Lights when you cannot? Do you only see a pile of rocks and pillars? There might be a story about a troll behind it. In a car, you just see the sights. With a local guide, you learn what’s behind them.

Social aspect: On a tour, it is nearly impossible not to meet people. On our tour, there were 20 people from 9 different countries. Where do you meet so many different people with different stories? After a long day exploring, we often sat in the hotel bar talking about the day, what life is like at home and told our craziest travel stories. I travelled with two friends but when you are a solo traveller it’s great to always have people to talk to. Also, you always have someone who takes a photo of you.

Hidden gems: On our tour, there weren’t any hidden gems in common sense, but we did a couple of things we wouldn’t have done without this tour. For once we visited a shark farm. Of course, we would have tried the famous Hárkal, the fermented Greenland shark, somewhere but most likely not on a shark farm where we learned and watched how this delicacy is being produced. Needless to say, we tried it or rather washed it down with Brennivín. When visiting the Geysir Hot Spring Area our group could taste freshly made hot spring bread that was pulled out of the steaming ground in front of us. It was divine, especially with butter, egg, and herring on it. People who were passing wanted to join in, but it was for the group only. One of my highlights of our tour was something we also would not have experienced on a self-guided tour. While cruising on a fjord the boat crew threw out the nets and caught fresh scallops. They cracked them open for our group and we could enjoy them with soy sauce, ginger, and wasabi. The freshest sashimi I have ever had at a stunning location.

Guided tour? Yes, please!

All in all, I would do it again in a blink of an eye. I did not miss my beloved independence one bit. I did not have to worry about a thing while I learned so much about Iceland, got to know great people and had experiences my friends and I still talk about a lot. I cannot wait for this pandemic to be over so I can go on my next tour, maybe for the midnight sun!

Takk fyrir frábæra ferð! Thank you for the great tour!