You can read about Iceland. You can watch hundreds of videos. You can study the weather forecast, save every waterfall on Google Maps and convince yourself that you are completely prepared.
And then you arrive.
Suddenly you're standing in horizontal rain, holding a coffee, looking at a waterfall while an Icelandic horse stares at you from the other side of a fence.
Welcome to Iceland.
Here are 10 things that only really make sense once you've actually been here.
1. The Weather Forecast Is More of a Suggestion
Sunshine at breakfast.
Rain ten minutes later.
Wind from absolutely nowhere.
Then sunshine again.
Icelandic weather can change incredibly quickly, sometimes several times within the same hour. You quickly learn that asking, “What will the weather be like today?” isn't nearly as useful as asking, “What will the weather be like for the next twenty minutes?”
The secret?
Layers. Always layers.
And never underestimate the wind.
2. A 20-Minute Drive Can Take Two Hours
Not because of traffic.
Because you'll stop.
First there's a waterfall.
Then some horses.
Then a mountain that looks particularly beautiful.
Then another waterfall.
Then someone sees a rainbow.
Then someone needs to photograph the sheep.
Google Maps may say you'll arrive at 14:30.
Iceland has other plans.
3. Icelandic Horses Know They're Beautiful
You pull over.
You walk towards the fence.
You take out your phone.
And the horse looks at you as if this happens approximately 400 times a day.
Because it probably does.
Icelandic horses are small, strong, incredibly photogenic and full of personality.
And one important lesson you'll quickly learn:
Don't call them ponies.
Seriously.
4. You Will Become Weirdly Excited About Waterfalls
Before Iceland:
“That's a nice waterfall.”
After three days in Iceland:
“STOP THE CAR!”
Somehow you never get tired of them.
Huge waterfalls. Tiny waterfalls. Hidden waterfalls. Waterfalls you can walk behind. Waterfalls that appear randomly beside the road.
Eventually you'll have 387 waterfall photos on your phone and absolutely no intention of deleting any of them.
5. The Hot Water Smells… Interesting
You turn on the shower.
You notice something.
“Is that… eggs?”
Yes.
In many parts of Iceland, geothermal hot water naturally contains sulphur, which can give it a distinctive smell.
Don't panic.
It's completely normal.
After a few days, you barely notice it.
And once you're sitting in warm geothermal water outside while the Icelandic air freezes your nose, you probably won't care anyway.
6. Icelanders Really Do Talk About the Weather All the Time
There's a reason for this.
Weather in Iceland isn't just small talk.
It can decide whether you're driving somewhere, hiking somewhere, flying somewhere — or staying exactly where you are.
Wind becomes a perfectly acceptable dinner conversation.
You may even find yourself checking wind speeds like you've suddenly developed a professional interest in meteorology.
Congratulations.
Iceland is changing you.
7. Sheep Apparently Have Their Own Traffic Rules
You're driving peacefully through the Icelandic countryside when suddenly:
Sheep.
On the road.
Looking completely unconcerned.
Icelandic sheep spend much of the summer roaming freely, and sometimes their preferred destination seems to be exactly where your rental car is trying to go.
You'll wait.
They'll stare.
Eventually, somebody will move.
Usually you.
8. Reykjavík Is Tiny… Until You Realise How Much Is Happening
Reykjavík doesn't feel like most capital cities.
There are colourful houses, street art, cafés, tiny shops, swimming pools, restaurants, music, cats wandering around like they own the place — and the ocean never feels very far away.
You can walk around the centre surprisingly quickly.
And yet somehow you can spend days exploring it.
One minute you're standing outside Hallgrímskirkja.
The next you're walking down the rainbow street.
Then you're drinking coffee.
Then you've somehow bought three puffins, a Viking, six magnets and something with an Icelandic sheep on it.
We're not judging.
9. You Start Understanding Why Everyone Is Obsessed With Puffins
Before Iceland:
“Cute bird.”
After Iceland:
“PUFFIN!!!”
There's something about seeing one in real life.
The colourful beak. The slightly serious expression. The tiny wings. The way they look like they've dressed very formally for an event nobody else knows about.
Suddenly you understand why puffins appear everywhere in Iceland.
On mugs.
Magnets.
T-shirts.
Postcards.
Plush toys.
And possibly in your suitcase on the way home.
10. You Leave Iceland… But Iceland Doesn't Quite Leave You
This might be the biggest surprise.
You go home.
You unpack.
You find sand somewhere it definitely shouldn't be.
You look through hundreds — possibly thousands — of photographs.
And suddenly you miss it.
The mountains.
The ocean.
The waterfalls.
The strange weather.
The colourful Reykjavík streets.
The horses.
The enormous skies.
Even the wind.
Well…
Maybe not the wind.
And that's usually when the little things you brought home from Iceland start meaning more than you expected.
A magnet isn't just a magnet anymore.
That ridiculous little puffin reminds you of the day you finally saw one.
A Reykjavík postcard reminds you of wandering through the city.
A horse souvenir reminds you of the one that walked over to the fence and posed perfectly for your photograph.
Souvenirs aren't really about collecting things.
They're about keeping little pieces of a journey.
And Iceland tends to give you quite a lot of moments worth keeping.
Take a Little Piece of Iceland Home
Whether you've just returned from Iceland, you're still planning your adventure, or you simply can't stop thinking about coming back, you can explore our collection of Iceland-inspired souvenirs at Saga Store, Bankastraeti 11.
Puffins, Icelandic horses, Vikings, Reykjavík memories and little reminders of the Land of Fire and Ice — all waiting to find their way into your home.
Until your next Iceland adventure. 🇮🇸