Iceland

We first went to Iceland 17 years ago, right after the financial crisis, when the króna had collapsed and a private room in a hostel cost €60. Oh, and you were all alone in that hostel in October. Those days are definitely gone. But Iceland itself? Still one of the most extraordinary places on Earth.

We've been back in every season since — September, October, February, summer — including a 17-day winter trip that involved frozen waterfalls, several snowstorms on the South Coast, and a negotiated peace with Icelandic weather. We've walked on Vatnajökull, snorkelled between two tectonic plates, chased the aurora from igloos and fjord-side cabins, and found the hot springs that actually still feel wild.

Iceland gets a lot of hype. Most of it is deserved. But there's a version of Iceland that most guides push — Golden Circle, Ring Road, Jökulsárlón, done — and then there's the one we enjoy the most: the fjord an hour from Reykjavík that no one's heard of, the glacier lagoon at 6am before the tour buses arrive, the tiny town you only stopped in because of a weather redirect that turned out to be the highlight of the trip.

We write about both. All seasons, all budgets — and with real numbers, because Iceland's price tag deserves a straight answer.

Our Iceland coverage: Reykjavík · South Coast & Ring Road · Snæfellsnes · Hvalfjörður · Vatnajökull · Northern Lights