Iceland

Iceland

Capital: Reykjavik, major cities: Kópavogur and Akureyri.

How to Get to Iceland

There are no direct flights from Kyiv to Iceland yet. The most convenient route is via European capitals like Riga, Copenhagen, Stockholm, Helsinki, or Oslo.

From Denmark, you can reach Iceland by ferry with Smyril Line.

Visa to Iceland

Icelandic visa applications must be submitted to visa centers in Kyiv. Don’t forget travel medical insurance for the entire trip.

Customs

Duty-free allowances include 1 liter of spirits over 22%, 200 cigarettes, or 250g of tobacco. Alcohol is allowed for those 20+, tobacco for 18+.

Prohibited items: narcotics, raw meat, cured meats, fresh or frozen game, unpasteurized milk, eggs, seeds, lead toys, and used fishing gear without disinfection. This also applies to horse riding gear. Export of natural history items like unprocessed lava, stones from protected areas, birds, eggs, and nests is prohibited.

Useful Phone Numbers

Embassy of Iceland in Ukraine:

• Address: 04119, Kyiv, Derevlianska St., 8
• Phone: (+38 044) 568-59-62, 568-59-63
• Hours: 10:00-19:00 (Mon-Fri)

Ukraine’s representation in Iceland is through the Embassy of Ukraine in Finland.

• Address: Vahaniityntie 9 00570 Helsinki
• Phone: (+3589) 228-90-00

Emergency services: 112.

Transportation in Iceland

Route 1, the Ring Road, is a 1400 km highway along the coast. Most travel involves this road, as flying is the main alternative.

Note: Iceland has no railways.

Car Rental

Renting a car in Iceland is not a cheap pleasure. And if you do rent, you should only rent a jeep: the difference in price compared to passenger cars will be small, and it is most convenient to drive an SUV in many parts of the country.

Car rental is expensive; a 4×4 is recommended for navigating many areas. Driving is on the right, and Ukrainian licenses are valid. Icelandic roads are generally easy to navigate.

Climate and Weather

Subarctic maritime climate. Average August temperature is +10 °C, January -1 °C. The Gulf Stream moderates the climate, but it’s often windy. Reykjavik’s average January temperature is around 0°C, July +11°C. Summer has “white nights,” while December has only 5 hours of daylight.

It is better to come here in the summer, before the end of August: in September, hotels begin to close for the winter, the number of public transport runs is reduced, and nature itself slowly begins to impede freedom of movement.

Hotels in Iceland

Iceland has both expensive “design hotels” and small, family-run guesthouses or cottages. Hotels in Iceland are not subject to mandatory classification, but are classified on a voluntary basis by the National Tourist Office into five categories: one, two, three, four and five “stars”. They are rated according to about one hundred “objectively measurable” parameters, so the classification of hotels is quite adequate.

Popular hotel chains include Radisson SAS, Icelandair, Edda, Fosshotels, Icelandic Hotels, and Kea Hotels.

Electricity is 220V, 50Hz, with two-pin plugs; adapters may be needed.

Note: Five-star hotels are rare.

Banks and Currency Exchange

The country’s currency is the Icelandic krona (ISK), and it’s amazing how many things you can buy with just 100 auras! The current exchange rate is 1 ISK = 0.22 UAH (1 USD = 122.75 ISK, 1 EUR = 137.75 ISK).

You can exchange your money at banks, The Change Group offices, or hotels (they charge a commission of about 2.5 USD no matter how much you exchange).Banks are open from Monday to Friday from 9:15 to 16:00.

And you’ll be glad to know that you can use your traveler’s checks or credit cards pretty much everywhere. ATMs are readily available in all banks, large stores, hotels, and on most main streets, so you can access your cash anytime. They’ll take all major credit cards, so you can rest easy.

Shopping and Stores in Iceland

Stores in the Icelandic capital are open from Monday to Friday from 9:00 AM to 6:00 PM, and on Saturday from 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM. Some supermarkets are open until 11:00 PM every day.

Besides incredible photos, you can bring back a woolen sweater with reindeer, handmade ceramics, art glass, or silver souvenirs from Iceland.

Cuisine and Restaurants

Icelandic national cuisine is, of course, all sorts of seafood dishes (scallops, shrimp, salmon, halibut, shark, cod, and others), as well as lamb in various variations and traditional Icelandic soup.

Tipping is not accepted in Iceland: the service charge is already included in the bill. However, for particularly good service, you can show gratitude — it won’t offend anyone.

In some hotels, restaurants, and nightclubs, there is a paid cloakroom.

Entertainment, Attractions, and Landmarks of Iceland

The main attractions of Iceland are natural: the Hekla volcano, geysers and glaciers, the Landmannalaugar valley, the Thorsmork valley, and the Westman Islands. Akureyri, the second largest city in Iceland, is convenient to use as a base for exploring the surroundings. From there, it is not far to Husavik, the Godafoss waterfall, and Grimsey Island.

The rugged coastline of the Westfjords is one of the most beautiful regions of the country. There are very few tourists there — as well as locals: in the main city, Isafjordur, today less than 3,000 people live.

Landmannalaugar is a must-visit mountain area in the southeast of the island. There, hot springs rage, and within a radius of 10 km, many strange natural “artifacts” are scattered: fields of frozen lava, deep canyons, unreal blue lakes, snowy slopes, smoking thaws with the smell of hydrogen sulfide.

Icelandic vodka Brennivin is the main unofficial alcoholic drink of the country, made from potatoes and caraway seeds. Its name literally translates as “burning wine”. Icelanders themselves call this drink “Black Death”.

Active Recreation in Iceland

Iceland is a country of vivid impressions. Where else can you find a land where fantastic, lunar landscapes, dotted with craters and frozen lava, coexist with soothing meadows where horses and sheep graze? And above the dormant volcanoes, forests rustle, streams murmur, waterfalls cascade, and geysers soar up.

People come to Iceland not only for vivid impressions, but also to improve their health: one of the most popular tourist destinations is spa tours. Their peculiarity is extremely simple: they not only relax and heal the body but also have a beneficial effect on the psyche. The beautiful landscapes of Iceland, sea excursions where you can watch dolphins and whales, Icelandic fjords — all this helps to relax and restore mental balance. Outdoor enthusiasts will also not be disappointed — in Iceland, nature is so unique and distinctive that even a regular hiking trip for a couple of days will turn into a fairy-tale journey. And the large number of cliffs and mountains makes this land a real Mecca for climbers, rock climbers, and hang gliders.

Thingvellir National Park and Geysers Valley

The valley of Thingvellir Natural Park is dotted with trails that you can wander all day. The park is home to the rift of the continental plates of Eurasia and America, the largest lake in Iceland — Thingvallavatn, the Thing fields where the Althing, the first parliament of the Vikings, sat, and the witch’s whirlpool where unfaithful wives were drowned.

In the neighboring Geysers Valley is Geyser itself — the very one whose name now refers to all hot fountains in the world. Nearby is another fountain, Strokkur, which works almost on schedule: it shoots into the sky every 5–10 minutes. And Gullfoss, a 30-meter waterfall, is a superstar, always densely surrounded by tourists.

Iceland Video

Iceland: A Land Where Nature Writes Its Own Rules

Iceland is not just a country, it is a world where nature becomes the main screenwriter, artist, and architect. From frozen lava fields to raging geysers, from turquoise lagoons to snowy peaks — every corner of this land tells its own unique story. Here you can feel like a hero of a fantasy film, where every step is a new discovery, and every landscape is an inspiration. Iceland does not just invite you on a journey; it promises to turn your impressions into unforgettable memories that will stay with you forever. So, if you are looking for a place where you can forget about routine and merge with nature, Iceland is waiting for you. And may this journey begin today!