My Travel Blog
Iceland Travel Planning – Why I do it and why you need it
Why have I been doing personalized Iceland travel planning? And why should I do it for you? The feeling of offering the extra experience, feeling and "wow" to my clients on their trips to Iceland is an essential part of my reason for doing this work. Iceland is not a...
“When is the best time to visit Iceland?” by Mike Klein
Having lived in Iceland for the last two years, the question I get most often from my friends around the world is “When is the best time to visit Iceland?” It’s a great question, largely because it has no single answer. In fact, it usually requires a good number of...
It just might be good business – The opportunity of connecting and getting inspired in Iceland
Iceland is known to be a magical place. The nearness to nature, the warm-hearted people and the sense of isolation on this island far away from it all in the North Atlantic. But why is Iceland a good option for getting inspired? Why would you even consider going to...
The things you WON’T see in Iceland – By Mike Klein
Iceland is known as one of the world’s most scenic destinations - and most of what you see written about Iceland focuses on the amazing, world-class attractions you will see in this island country in the North Atlantic. But the things that you won’t see in Iceland...
Is this autumn the right time for Iceland? By Mike Klein
Autumn can be a great time to visit Iceland. Following an unexpectedly busy summer travel season, this coming autumn promises easier access to accommodation and rental cars, and even more open space in which to enjoy the country’s amazing scenery, distinctive cuisine...
Highlands adventure – By Arjan van der Weck
I have to admit, I didn’t share my true objectives with my travel companions until after we rented the Landrover. Contemplating the costly consequences of damaging an almost new but uninsured car during a river crossing is an effective way of killing any adventure in...
The Feeling of Iceland – By Helga Stína
Iceland is again on the top of many people´s list to travel in the post-pandemic era. My clients have been looking forward to traveling for a long time, and are eager to explore the beauty of Iceland. The feeling of Iceland is someting I love to promote to my clients....
Iceland by the seasons: and why you need a travel planner for each
A season-by-season guide to planning an Iceland trip Iceland may be a small country with only 330,000 residents. But the combination of high tourist numbers, predicted in 2022 and a difficult-to-navigate language makes local knowledge a valuable resource for a visitor...
The power of the geothermal dimension of the Iceland experience – By Mike Klein
While Iceland is best known for its volcanic landscape and it's lively little capital of Reykjavik, the crown jewel of the Iceland experience is the "pot" - a place to bathe in warming geothermal waters, outdoors and 52 weeks a year. No, not that kind of "pot" - I...
Is the “stocked cabin” about to become Iceland tourism’s “next big thing” By Mike Klein
Tourism in Iceland has roared back from it’s Covid-era abyss. That means pressure on the country’s relatively tight accommodation supply is again an issue, particularly at the upper end of the accommodation spectrum. But the ever-innovative Icelanders are putting...
The Icelandic Christmas book flood – By Helga Stina
In Iceland we have two kinds of floods. We have normal floods when glacier rivers flood because of unease and geothermal activities under glaciers. This is something the Icelanders are used to being aware of and manage reactions very professionally. The other type of...
Iceland is hot – Iceland is open “literally”
"Yes it's pretty crazy. It smells like a big bonfire with some sulfur added to it. Very warm indeed, and so windy that the coffee blew from my coffee cup. A bit of a cough, but we are still alive. The hike was two hours up about three mountains". This is the...
Iceland 2021 – When you can travel again safely
You want to come to Iceland when you can travel again? New flights open up possibilities - but you will need a local to navigate. Despite a flareup of COVID in recent days, Iceland has had a relatively charmed ride through the Pandemic - and the island nation in the...
Iceland 2021 – Covid does not take the beauty away
It´s been a long time now. A long time since we have travelled the world. Iceland, which has seen incredible increases in tourism since the financial crisis in 2008, is currently facing 10% unemployment because of collapse in the tourism business since the outbreak of...
Peaceful Iceland – and its appeal to the 2021 traveler
When people mention Iceland, the first things that generally come to mind are mountains, volcanos, geysers and breathtakingly stunning landscapes. Oh, they’re all included in the price of a plane ticket (assuming you can rent a car, a guide or take a tour that will...
Happy New Travel Year 2021
This has been a weird year to say the least. Everything we have taken for granted has been put on hold: such as hugging each other or shaking hands, traveling or meeting up with all of our family and friends at once. Some places have been hit very hard and are still...
That is what Iceland does to you – Northern lights and autumn leaves – By Helga Stína
It´s on. Autumn and its sister, the Lady Aurora Borealis. My husband “likes my craziness,” he says. Even when I drag him out into the night to chase the Northern Lights or for a walk during the day in pouring rain and misery. I guess that is how Iceland affects...
The only way is up – Keep dreaming – Start planning – By Helga Stína
I guess many of you, like me are wondering if this covid situation will ever end. Will there ever be a covid free world again. Many things have come to a standstill and the travel industry is one of those things. But what is there to do? There are many aspects on how...
Iceland and Eurovision – A decades long love story
Oh well. My home country Iceland continues to amaze me and perhaps it is quite extraordinary how it somehow manages to stay in the discussion as one of the most important places to visit in the world. In the past months we have been experiencing an extraordinary...
Why Iceland is perfect for the social distancing vacation – By Helga Stina
I have been working for and with fantastic people for many years now who all have had in common the dream to visit my home country of Iceland. People are different and have different needs. Some people love exploring cities, street art, restaurants, cafés, museums,...
Iceland is open – Are you ready? By Mike Klein and Helga Stina
This week, Iceland's prime minister,, Katrin Jakobsdottir, announced that the island nation will be accepting visitors from 15 June, setting up an unusual tourist season at a time when much of the world is slowly emerging from lockdown. With Covid-19 nearly eradicated...
Keep dreaming – Iceland is ready for another comeback
This nation of mine has managed to surprise me through the years. Let me take a couple of examples. Cod wars - Iceland has fought a few wars. The Cod wars against the Brits. We won. Here are some more information on the subject. The economical crisis in 2008 - Iceland...
What’s next for travel? Possibilities in the challenges
"Never let a serious crisis go to waste. And what I mean by that it's an opportunity to do things you think you could not do before." (Rahm Emanuel). I know many of us are wondering "where to next"? How is travelling going to look like? What is going to be possible?...
My Role Model
Today is the birthday of one of my biggest role model in life. Vigdís Finnbogadóttir, who served as president of Iceland from 1980 to 1996. Vigdís ís 90 years old today. When Vigdís became president I was 8 years old. I was staying on the country side with my mother...
The “looking forward to” is an option – By Helga Stina
Many of us are in shock due to this horrible virus attacking us all around the world. It´s an unprecedented situation and we are all trying to figure out how to function in this changed world. This is of course devastating and challenging in many ways for various...
Listen to the locals please – An interview with Hrútur Ærson The Sheep
With only 350,000 human residents, some people think Iceland lacks a diversity of opinion. But at Iceland Unwrapped, we have what it takes to seek out local expertise where it can be found. For a thoroughly different perspective, we interviewed Hrútur Ærson,...
2020 – Your Travel Year – Is Iceland just a tick in the box? By Helga Stina
"That´s over and done with" is something an old friend of mine sometimes said about both good and bad things and events in his life. But is traveling something you should just get over and done with, to tick a box, to show off on social media? Is it time to start...
What happens when the power is out? By Helga Stina
Iceland is a land of extremes. The elements of nature impact everything in life there. Being raised in a place that sometimes makes it difficult to plan ahead, is a privilege. You might ask why that is the case, and it is because it teaches one to respect nature and...
Advent in Iceland – It´s about warmth, traditions and surviving the darkness – By Helga Stina
One of my favorite times of the year has arrived. Advent is something that warms my heart and gets me excited every year, wherever I am. When I was a kid, it always seemed to be snowing during this time of year. Everyone was busy getting ready for Christmas, baking,...
Is it a bad idea to visit Iceland in the winter?
It’s officially winter now on this side of the globe. In Europe we have moved the clock. In Iceland, the clock has stayed out, but the weather is starting to get tricky in some areas of the country. Time to relax and stay inside To survive the winter where you are......