On day 1, we arrived at Keflavik International Airport after a short flight of around 2 hours. With a quick turn around, we met our tour guide Anna, who promptly took us to multiple geysers, which were fantastic examples of geothermal energy. Despite the strong smell of sulphur, we all managed to look past it and enjoy the experience of seeing them so close up. Once the busy morning was up, we headed down to a traditional Icelandic seaside village, which served the best fish and chips! We had a fulfilling afternoon, climbing volcanoes and exploring frozen lakes. With all spirits high, we headed to the hotel for an early night ready for the jam packed day ahead.
With the second day under way, we were lucky enough to visit some of the most spectacular waterfalls, and volcanoes, including Eyjafjallajökul. The highlight of the trip was the glacier walk up Solheimajokull, it was a once in a lifetime opportunity and really allowed us to apply our glacier knowledge we had learnt in school when spotting glacial features up close such as hanging valleys, and a lateral moraine (which we walked on!) We then headed down to one of Iceland's most dangerous beaches, also known as Reynisfjara beach. It was a great opportunity for us to take in the picturesque views and spot coastal features we had previously learnt about during GCSEs.
On the morning of day 3, excitement was spreading around the hotel as we headed off to the Secret Lagoon, everyone was really looking forward to it. The location was beautiful and it was a lovely touch of warmth in the Icelandic cold. As we continued our tour, heading to the Golden Circle, we experienced many more amazing waterfalls and volcanos that add to Iceland's natural beauty. To finish off another busy day we were able to admire the geologic landscape where the Eurasian and North American plates meet (the only place in the world where you can see this happen!) The sights didn’t disappoint and it was an incredible experience to see the geographic processes in real life put into action.
As the final day began, we headed to the capital city, Reykjavik. The city was small, but offered great opportunities and views to take in. A personal favourite was Hallgrímskirkja Cathedral. We were lucky enough to venture to the top, where we experienced perfect views of city from above and the surrounding mountains. After a quick lunch break at a delicious burger restaurant we sadly had to begin the journey home, we were all disappointed but so grateful to have been given such an amazing opportunity.
