
24 Jun A Photo Essay: Iceland
We had an amazing time exploring Iceland as you can see in our Iceland video–now, here is a preview of our adventures through photos. The beauty of Iceland is immeasurable, so rather than trying to summarize it, I’m going to let the photographs speak for themselves and get right to it in our Iceland photo essay:

Evening snorkeling in Silfra at Þingvellir National Park.

We went on the “Under the Midnight Sun” evening snorkeling tour and along with our guide, we were the only people in the river so we had the entire area to ourselves.

The water in Silfra is a stunningly bright blue and some of the clearest water on earth.

Crossing a single lane bridge while driving along Route 1 in south Iceland.

In 1996, following a volcano eruption, a flood destroyed bridges and Route 1 in southern Iceland. This is a memorial created from twisted bridge girders that were destroyed in the flood.

Lookout spot along Route 1 for viewing a glacier outlet in Vatnajökull National Park in south Iceland

Rock formation spotted in a field while road tripping the south coast of Iceland.

Near the entrance of Vatnajökull National Park with a glacier in the background.

There was a dust storm in this lava field near Route 1 when we were driving by.

The ever changing landscape in Iceland always makes for interesting scenery when driving Route 1.

Driving on a rainy day out to the Drumbó Base Camp for our White Water Canoeing trip.

Relaxing in a stretch of calm water of the Hvítá River while white water canoeing.

Cliff jumping into the Hvítá River during our white water canoeing trip. Micah and I were too cold to jump into the freezing water, but others from our group were more brave.

Boat that gives tours of Jökulsárlón, the glacier lagoon.

Ice at the glacial lagoon, Jökulsárlón.

Walking along the black sand beach where the icebergs from Jökulsárlón float out to the ocean.

Walking around the lava fields at Þingvellir National Park

Exploring inside a secret lava cave located in Þingvellir National Park

River running through Þingvellir National Park near the area where the world’s oldest parliament was established in 930.

Öxarárfoss, a waterfall along the tectonic rift in Þingvellir National Park.

The upper falls at Gullfoss, which translates to mean Golden Falls. Gullfoss is located along the famous Golden Circle route.

Gullfoss is located in the canyon of the Hvítá river and plunges over a cavern that is105 ft. deep.

The Strokkur geyser in the geothermally active valley of Haukadalur erupts every few minutes to heights anywhere between 15-40 meters high.

Hot Spring at the geothermally active valley of Haukadalur.

Steam from the hot springs and mud pots at the Gunnuhver geothermal area in the Reykjanes peninsula

Taking a stroll with Inga from Tiny Iceland at Gunnuhver, a geothermal area in the Reykjanes peninsula.

Camper van parked near Valahnúkur, a black sand beach in the Reykjanes peninsula.

Ship resting in the field along the road in the Reykjanes peninsula.

Plane in the field just off of Route 1.

This barn looks as though it was engulfed by a lava flow many years ago. We spotted numerous houses like this along the coast.

Beautiful and friendly Icelandic horses that came to say hi to us.

Hvalsneskirkja is a church that was built out of stone in 1887.

Pools near the entrance of the Blue Lagoon. Don’t try to swim here though, as the water is not warm like it is once you get inside to the actual lagoon.

Pools of glacial water at the base of the Falljökull outlet glacier.

Skógafoss is one of the largest waterfalls in Iceland and drops around 200 ft. off of a cliff.

The famous Hallgrímskirkja Church and statue of Leif Ericson in downtown Reykjavík. The statue was a gift from the people of the United States to the people of Iceland.

The Sun Voyager sculpture in Reykjavik is an ode to the sun.

Funky buildings with street art making a statement in Reykjavik

How to get a fresh drink of pure glacial water from a small stream.

Our glacier hike guide, Magnus, pointing out some interesting facts.

View from the start of our hike on the Falljökull outlet glacier.

Our guide showing us how to walk on the glacial ice.

Getting the ropes ready for ice climbing along the icefalls coming from the Vatnajökull ice cap.

Looking out to the coast while standing on the icefall of the Falljökull outlet glacier.

Our guide climbing up the icefall walls without any ropes.

Working on setting up the second rope line along a steeper wall for even more ice climbing.

Rappelling down the ice wall after climbing all the way to the top.

It was hard to tell where the glacier stopped and the clouds started when we were hiking.

Looking down into a water filled crevice on the glacier.

Finishing up the remainder of our hike, our other guide, leading us in, out and around the crevices.
Steph
Posted at 11:10h, 24 JuneLOVE these photos! We just back from two weeks in Iceland- what an incredible trip and country! We’ve started blogging our trip a bit but we are still working things up. It looks like you guys also had an amazing time!
Jenna Kvidt
Posted at 09:06h, 25 JuneThanks! We did have an amazing time! Glad you guys enjoyed it as well. I will have to go check out your posts about it–always fun to have exciting Iceland stories to read!! 🙂
Mary - Calculated Traveller
Posted at 12:07h, 24 JuneTwitter: CalculateTravel
Wow, fabulous photos! What an amazing looking adventure!
Mary – Calculated Traveller recently posted…Memories of Newcastle-upon-Tyne
Jenna Kvidt
Posted at 09:07h, 25 JuneThanks, Mary! We had a really great time!
Angela (
Posted at 12:13h, 24 JuneTwitter: angelatravels11
Excellent photos. Looks like you had great weather to photograph Hallgrímskirkja Church. I went and toured the south, but I want to go back to drive the entire Ring Road.
Angela ( recently posted…Yosemite Time Lapses
Jenna Kvidt
Posted at 09:10h, 25 JuneThank you! We did have great weather that day in Reykjavík, one of the few nice weather days of the trip 🙂 It was still amazing the other days though, even with the rain! I would love to drive the entire Ring Road as well–we decided we have to do that next time we visit! Hope you get to as well!
Karisa
Posted at 14:32h, 24 JuneTwitter: karisabroad
Woah, rappelling down the ice looks EPIC! Amazing post!
Karisa recently posted…8 Hours in Vientiane
Jenna Kvidt
Posted at 09:11h, 25 JuneThanks! Rappelling down the ice was sooo fun!! The glacier hike/ice climb was definitely our favorite activity of the trip!
elaine schoch
Posted at 23:14h, 24 JuneTwitter: elaineschoch
Great photos! They do speak for themselves…
elaine schoch recently posted…Sometimes a Souvenir Can Be Much More Than Just a Souvenir
Jenna Kvidt
Posted at 09:11h, 25 JuneThanks, Elaine!
Jill
Posted at 07:36h, 25 JuneOk, I think I need to open an Iceland specific savings account. It’s been high on my list for awhile but never seems to make the cut in the end (mostly due to expenses). These photos are so incredible… I’ve got to get there! Looks like you had a fantastic experience.
Jill recently posted…One week.
Jenna Kvidt
Posted at 09:19h, 25 JuneLol, I think you should!! It’s such a great place! We had an amazing time 🙂
We were surprised though, it wasn’t quite as expensive as we thought it would be! We used hotel points and frequent flier miles to offset some of the costs, and the tours are spendy, but thankfully there is so much else that you can do for free/cheap as well
Erik
Posted at 12:27h, 30 JuneAWESOME pictures! Now I want to visit. Hope you had a thick wetsuit for that snorkeling!
Erik recently posted…Photo Friday – Sunrise over Kawah Ijen Volcano, Java, Indonesia
Jenna Kvidt
Posted at 21:30h, 08 JulyThanks! It was such a great trip! And, yes, thankfully, we had drysuits on for snorkeling, so it was actually pretty warm 🙂
noel
Posted at 16:28h, 02 JulyI’m dying to go to Iceland, it looks like a photographers dream place to visit – so different and exotic than my world. I love all the nature, thanks for sharing this.
noel recently posted…Travel Photo Mondays – photo tour #1
Jenna Kvidt
Posted at 21:37h, 08 JulyThanks! It is definitely a great spot for photographers, you would love it! It’s so beautiful!
Wrabbit007
Posted at 17:09h, 02 JulyWe are flying to Iceland in two days – going to be spending two weeks there! Your pictures have me so amped up! How did you organize that rappelling experience? I would love to do something like that! How long were you there for, and what month did you visit in? I can’t wait to share my stories with you via my blog when we get back! 🙂
Wrabbit007 recently posted…Trekking Through Tulum: A Journey Into Mexico’s History
Jenna Kvidt
Posted at 20:23h, 08 JulySorry for the delayed response! I hope you are having a great time in Iceland already! We were there for 6 days in May. The rappelling was on a glacier hike/ice climbing tour. We did the Glacier Xtreme tour with Glacier Guides–it was one of the trips from Skaftafell. We would highly recommend it–it was so much fun!! Hope you get a chance to go and have a great trip–look forward to reading about it!
Jessica - a passion and a passport
Posted at 00:12h, 03 JulyTwitter: passion_4travel
WHOAAAA I need to get to ICELAND like yesterday! When I finally do book my trip, I want a detailed itinerary of EVERYTHING you guys did! 🙂 promise?! 🙂 And those photos are phenomenal!
Jessica – a passion and a passport recently posted…10 Things to do in Florida (besides hanging out with Mickey)
Jenna Kvidt
Posted at 21:41h, 08 JulyThanks!! 🙂 And yes, promise! I’ll let you know everything we did for sure! Let me know when you go–you will love it! We have lots more about our trip coming up the next few weeks, so stay tuned 🙂
Amy
Posted at 07:27h, 03 JulyTwitter: tenpennydreams
Gorgeous photos! I’ve been dreaming about visiting Iceland for years and finally made the trip last month. It’s taken me so long to go through all the photos I took (almost 1,000 in three days!) but I managed to blog a few of them. We visited several of the places you mention, although we didn’t have chance to go on a glacier hike. Looks like it was amazing!
Jenna Kvidt
Posted at 21:51h, 08 JulyThat’s a lot of photos in 3 days, wow! I can see how you could take that many though! I’m glad you enjoyed it too 🙂 The glacier hike was fun–we really enjoyed it. I will have to go check out more of your photos and posts from Iceland!
Life Images by Jill
Posted at 00:46h, 04 JulyThankyou for sharing your amazing images of a place I can only dream about ever visiting – what a wonder travel blogging is! That water must have been so cold!!
Have a great weekend ahead. I am joining you through Travel Photo Monday.
Jenna Kvidt
Posted at 22:06h, 08 JulyThanks so much for stopping by! It was a beautiful country! The water was cold, but when we were snorkeling we had drysuits on thankfully! The canoeing was pretty chilly though! 🙂
Marcia
Posted at 15:38h, 04 JulyWOAW, what incredible photos. Each one looks more spectacular than the other. I guess you had a fantastic trip, eh? You make me want to hop on a plane, like right now!
Marcia recently posted…Newcastle Jamaica
Jenna Kvidt
Posted at 22:09h, 08 JulyThanks!! We did have a great time 🙂 We want to hope on a plane and head back too, lol!
Paul
Posted at 14:09h, 09 SeptemberTwitter: packedTheCamera
Absolutely amazing photos! The colours, composition and quality are stunning. How did you find Gullfoss waterfall? I was taken away by its might and power.
Jenna Kvidt
Posted at 11:17h, 16 SeptemberThanks so much! Really appreciate it! We enjoyed Gullfoss too–it was so pretty and powerful!
Kymee Martinak
Posted at 16:30h, 21 SeptemberWow that is so amazing, I had no idea that so many beautiful things are in Iceland. Thank you so much for sharing. I think that my bucket list is so full that I will not be able to do this. But I have your wonderful pix to act like I was. I feel so humbled. WOW again
God bless you all
Kymee
Jenna Kvidt
Posted at 19:28h, 21 SeptemberThanks, Kymee! Iceland is indeed gorgeous! I know how you feel about the places you want to visit–there are so many it seems hard to imagine making it to them all! I hope you get to Iceland one day, but if not at least you get to see how pretty it is 😉
Eileen C.
Posted at 16:57h, 05 NovemberTwitter: guapetonah
Obviously I still want to go to Iceland myself, but I feel I don’t even need to after seeing this incredible photos, well done!
Eileen C. recently posted…Childhood Dreams: Seeing the Lipizzaner Stallions Perform in Essex, MA
Jenna Kvidt
Posted at 00:30h, 06 NovemberThanks so much! Really appreciate it 🙂 It was so pretty I feel like it’s hard to take a bad photo, haha! We loved it there though, such a beautiful place!
Nikki Pitts
Posted at 18:29h, 05 NovemberTwitter: nikki_pitts
OMG, your photos are AMAZING!! Love the texture and the way you captured the unique non-traditional vacation moments. Can’t wait to visit Iceland 🙂
Jenna Kvidt
Posted at 00:31h, 06 NovemberThank you–really appreciate it! 🙂 It was such a fun place; we had an amazing time and so many unique experiences. Hope you love it too when you get there!
Una
Posted at 17:40h, 06 NovemberTwitter: unagotlost
Just stunning! Iceland was the most beautiful place I’ve ever visited and I can see that there are so many more things to discover there. Snorkeling in Silfra at Þingvellir…. wow!
Hope to be back soon, and the same for you.
Jenna Kvidt
Posted at 11:30h, 10 NovemberThank you! I agree, it was so beautiful and hope we both make it back soon too! There is so much more we want to see there as well! Snorkeling was great–especially since we had so many layers on–wasn’t very cold 🙂
Nicole Melancon
Posted at 22:24h, 07 NovemberTwitter: thirdeyemom
Wow, stunning stunning photos! I live in Minneapolis (saw you were from here) and went to Iceland with my dad two years ago, and fell in love with it. Amazing place! Great blog! Found it through the TBEX monthly challenge!
Jenna Kvidt
Posted at 11:32h, 10 NovemberThank you so much and glad you stopped by to check us out! Always fun to run into fellow Minnesotans 🙂 Glad you enjoyed Iceland as well!
Ross
Posted at 15:27h, 24 NovemberTwitter: travelling4fun
Superb photos. I did Highway 1 around Iceland and the photos bring me back. Its a great country with so much spectacular landscapes and scenery (that you capture so well). One of the best countries I was in.
Ross recently posted…Robbed in Uganda
Jenna Kvidt
Posted at 18:45h, 29 NovemberThanks so much! One of our favorite countries as well! Sounds like fun to go all the way around the ring road–we hope to do it next time. Only made it half way this time
Oliver
Posted at 02:57h, 27 JanuaryTwitter: coffeestainedJ
Every time I see photos from Iceland I struggle to believe this is actually planet earth… 🙂 Wonderful photo essay indeed!
Oliver recently posted…Dreams ~ Henry David Thoreau
Jenna Kvidt
Posted at 09:46h, 05 FebruaryThanks! We are always thinking the same thing–such a crazy landscape!
Jenna Kvidt recently posted…Local Hangout: 3RD & 3RD in Delray Beach, Florida
Daidri
Posted at 23:18h, 06 MarchTwitter: theegetawgal
I really enjoy photo essays and these pictures are especially good! Iceland is beautiful but boy am I glad to not be in that cold!
Daidri recently posted…Outrigger Racing: A Long Standing Tradition in Hawaii
Jenna Kvidt
Posted at 00:44h, 17 MarchThanks so much, Daidri! Appreciate it. It was a bit chilly at times, but thankfully it was in the 50s the majority of our trip, so it was pretty decent weather for May! Definitely nothing like a tropical beach though 🙂
Urska
Posted at 14:51h, 30 AprilTwitter: Endless_Roads_
Wow! Amazing photos! This landscape looks fantastic!
Urska recently posted…Mostar Old Bridge
Jenna Kvidt
Posted at 13:31h, 05 MayThanks so much, Urska! It was so unique–we loved exploring all the crazy landscapes!
Jenna Kvidt recently posted…The Southernmost Winery in the US: Schnebly Redland’s Winery
Jennifer
Posted at 12:27h, 09 JulyTwitter: jdomb
Iceland is our favorite country! So excited to head back for the third time in September.
Jennifer recently posted…A Slice of New York at Pizza a Casa
Jenna Kvidt
Posted at 10:40h, 20 JulyWow, third time?! That’s awesome! Hope you have a great time 🙂 It’s been our favorite country so far too–we are trying to plan a second trip out there–hopefully next spring we can make it back!
Kevin Lydon
Posted at 12:41h, 09 JulyTwitter: guessthiscity
Isn’t Iceland just amazing. I was just there in March and did a lot of the same things you guys have done. Looking at your photos I definitely wish I would have gone snorkeling and climbing/hiking on the ice. Those photos are just stunning. I am already planning my next trip back.
Kevin Lydon recently posted…Revitalizing the body and soul at the Blue Lagoon hot springs Iceland
Jenna Kvidt
Posted at 10:41h, 20 JulyWe are planning another trip back too–isn’t it such an amazing spot?! Glad you had a great time. You will have to put ice climbing and snorkeling on the list for next time! 🙂
Ryan
Posted at 10:59h, 04 AugustTwitter: Treksplorer
Incredible photos, Jenna! Love the way you arranged the gallery—feels like the perfect “Iceland In a Nutshell” tour. Scrolling through really brought back a ton of amazing memories of my trip to Iceland several years back. (Have a few pictures that are startlingly similar to some of yours here actually!) Thanks for sharing 🙂
Ryan recently posted…Day Trips From Ljubljana: 5 Reasons You Need To Visit Lake Bled, Slovenia
Jenna Kvidt
Posted at 01:36h, 14 AugustThank you! Really appreciate it 🙂 Isn’t Iceland such an amazing spot?! Glad to bring back some memories!!
Jenna Kvidt recently posted…Alpine Slide and Mountain Tram at Lutsen Mountains
Andrew
Posted at 13:04h, 11 JanuaryTwitter: 9to5escapes
looks like you had an amazing time. Great photos. I read need another trip to Iceland as my last was not great!
Jenna Kvidt
Posted at 00:49h, 14 JanuaryOh no! What happened on your last trip? We loved Iceland and had a wonderful time–I hope you get to go back and enjoy it one day!
Jenna Kvidt recently posted…A Photo Essay: Santorini, Greece