Icelandic Weather Rules

As we alluded to above, you need to be ready for the weather in Iceland.  Roads can close with minimal warning and severe winds can easily turn snow into no visibility blizzards or insane sand storms.  Also, we often have sideways rain that goes even faster than your windshield wipers can go.  so make sure you checkout our local forecast and road conditions before you head out each day.  Typically, the months that have the most road closures is between November – March.  Outside of those months road closures can still happen but not as frequent.

Next, today we share a comprehensive list on How to Pack for a Trip to Iceland for any season.  Likewise, we will also provide some links to where we have purchased those items for ease of referencing and finding for you!  Feel free to share this with your loved ones and / or guests to ensure they do not forget anything!

Before You Go to Iceland

Iceland is an international destination.  First, you’ll need to make sure your passport is valid for at least 6 months after your departure from Iceland.  Second, if you are not from the USA, Canada, or the Schengen area please check if you need a visa to enter.  Third, depending on how far away your trip is, you may want to apply for a 0% foreign transaction credit card to use while you’re here (or as you book your travel).  This tip could easily save you $100’s of dollars!  In fact,  favorites are as follows:

• Chase Sapphire
• Platinum American Express Card

But be aware, not everywhere in Iceland accepts American Express.  For instance, it is mainly the larger hotels, stores, and restaurants.  A word of warning too, nowhere in Iceland is Discover Card accepted.

Next, when searching for flights from your home state or country, you’ll want to fly into our international airport: KEF.  Currently, there are 25 airlines that fly to Iceland.  Although, several only operate during the months of May-August.  For example, Delta and United.  And in our opinion, the most reliable is Icelandair.

A couple other favorites as you get organized for your trip:

• Our favorite luggage brand is Delsey Paris.
• Lock your bags up with colorful TSA locks!
• Find your luggage fast by using these Samsonite Luggage Strap Locks.

Now on with the how to pack for a trip to Iceland!

Accessories for Your Plane Ride to Iceland

Likely, when you think about how to pack for a trip to Iceland, you may want to begin with the flight.  As no matter the class you fly to Iceland in, it’s nice to have the best and most comfortable accessories when you fly!  Here is a short list of our favorites that can easily pack into your carryon:

• Memory Foam Neck Pillow Set (comes with travel bag, earplugs, and eye mask)!
• Collapsible Water Bottle (fill before you board the plane)
• EverSnug Travel Blanket (hooks to your carry-on)
• Phone Holder (Hello #Netflix and Fly!)
• Bose Headphones!
• Phone Charger
• External Battery or one with cords!
• Snacks!  Personal faves: Anything from Sugarfina and Protein Bars

Packing Your Iceland Carryon Bag

For those of you that like to travel with a carryon bag in tow, this list is for you!  And for our Iceland wedding couples, please make sure your wedding attire is carried on!  Here’s how to pack for a trip to Iceland the carryon version:

• Travel Folder (if you’re a visual planner or save on your phone):
  • Passport
  • Drivers License (if renting a car)
  • Day by day self-drive journey plan
  • Icelandair E-Ticket Itinerary
  • Car Rental confirmation
  • Iceland Hotel Confirmations (Note: Likely the wedding hotel is under the couples names).
  • Hiking GPS / GPS coordinates to offbeat locations or any Iceland hikes you want to do.
  • Any phone numbers you need.
  • Google Maps printed directions to each day’s adventures (in case the GPS fails at some point or you’re an over planner).
  • Iceland adventure / activity vouchers.
• Carryon Clothing:
  • 1 Hiking outdoor friendly outfit incase your checked bag gets lost or delayed. So you can hit the ground exploring when you arrive!
  • Swimsuit
  • Extra socks
• Other Carryon Items:
  • Medicines you may need while traveling or in Iceland
  • Anything important or valuable (IE, watches or designer shoes, etc).
  • Sunglasses
  • Any toiletries you cannot live without.
  • Above plane travel items.

What to Pack in Your Iceland Checked Bag

Furthermore, when you head to Iceland in any season, it’s likely many of the same items.  Why?  Because our tiny island in the North Atlantic sits in the Gulf Stream which means we do not have severe cold or hot.  Moreover, here is how to pack for a trip to Iceland for 10-14 days…

• Outfits:

  • 8 Casual Outfits
    • Personal fan of hiking, sweater, or wrap dresses, because they are so versatile from day to night.  Prana is the best for everyone!
  • (2) Nicer Out to dinner Outfits (IE, Cocktail Dress, Dress Shirt, etc).
  • (2) Pairs of blue jeans
  • 2-5 Sweaters
  • (3) Short sleeve shirts
  • (3) Long sleeve shirts
  • (3) Thermal shirts
  • 3 Tee-Shirts
  • Ski Pants + Ski Coat / Parka (In summer months only bring if you plan on doing glacier driven activities)
  • 1 Pair of Waterproof Pants
  • 1 Waterproof Shell or Rain Coat (with hood).  Helly Hansen is our personal fave!

• Under Garments:

  • 2-4 Smartwool Base Layers.
  • 2 pairs of leggings (fleece lined are our favorite!)
  • 10 pairs of light weight socks
  • 1 Pair of Sealskinz socks
  • 2-4 pairs of heavy weight socks (wool socks)
  • Pairs of yoga or comfy pants
  • Pajamas
  • 10-15 pairs of delicates (one for every day of your trip)
  • Swimsuit (if it wasn’t already packed in your carryon)

• Shoes:

  • Rubber boots (Hunter are the best)
  • 1 pair of dresser shoes for dinner / dresser outfits.
  • Good hiking boots (check out Salewa).
  • Hotel shoes if you’re into that or gym shoes.

• Miscellaneous Item Ideas:

  • Hooded sweatshirt
  • Warm knit hat (Smartwool makes some AMAZING ones).
  • Scarf or balaclava if you run cold.
  • Umbrella and/or heavy duty Poncho (Note: Icelandic winds rip apart cheap plastic ones).
  • Gloves (we love Sealskinz gloves)!
  • Sunglasses
  • Basic Travel Adapter 
  • Higher Voltage Convertor (to curling / straightening irons, etc)
  • Chargers to any electronic devices (IE, Camera)
  • First Aid Kit / Additional Medicines / Emergency Kit
  • Head Lamp and/or Flashlight (comes in handy during Northern Lights photos or exploring lava caves)
  • An empty backpack (for impromptu hiking).  Our personal faves is by Marmot or Osprey Day Pack).
  • Personal Toiletries (IE, makeup, soaps, tweezers, hairbands, nail file, hair brush, hairspray, deodorant, etc).
  • Curling Iron (but usually no hairdryer as all reputable hotels will have)
  • 2 trash bags (Think dirty clothes hamper).  Or you can go fancy and get laundry bags!
  • 10 sandwich size Ziploc bags (You’ll thank me later).
  • 6 gallon size Ziploc bags (Never know when you may need it).
  • Snacks or Food you want but Iceland doesn’t sell.
  • Tripod if you’re a photographer or want to try Northern Lights photos
  • Bottles of alcohol (or buy Duty Free on arrival).
  • Checkout this list if you’re embarking on an Iceland adventure wedding: How to Pack a “Go Bag.”
  • An appetite for adventure!

• Other Items You May Want to Consider Packing:

  • DJI Drone (Note: You cannot fly the drone in airspace, national parks, or in other areas where signs are posted).  Do your research before you bring and be safe!
  • Compass (If planning to do a long day or multiday hikes)
  • Binoculars (Especially during summer Puffin season!)
  • Hiking Boot Bags or Shoe Bags (if you like things clean!)
  • Water Hiking Shoes
  • Point and Shoot Camera (Our Fave: Olympus Tough Camera)
  • Shorts (In Iceland summer months)
  • Travel Makeup Mirror
  • Bandanna (could be good protection during wind/dust storms).
  • Slippers (only a few higher star hotels offer).
  • Travel Alarm Clock (just in case your phone dies)
  • Energy Shots
  • Hiking Gaiters
  • Shout Wipes
  • Bridal Buddy
  • Hot Hands Variety Pack
  • Flask for whatever keeps you warm!
  • Sheewee or Venus to Mars
  • Go Pro Hero

Things You Cannot Buy in Iceland

Believe it or not there are may creature comforts that as Americans we get use to having.  But they are not available in Iceland.  So please consider when  deciding on how to pack for a trip to Iceland including these items:

• Dayquil / Nyquil
• Advil
• Pepto
• Mucinex-DM
• Dramamine
• Emergen-C
• Bring along any snacks / candy you love or must have as American candy isn’t sold here in many places.

Beating the Missing Iceland Blues!

Okay so your Iceland trip ends and you’re already ready to come back for another adventure.  We don’t blame you!  But what are some things you can do to beat the post-travel blues?  Here’s a few ideas…

1. Make a photobook of your adventure so you can relive it everyday!
2. Enlarge some of your favorite photos to décor your home!
3. Start planning your next trip here!

Lastly, hopefully this how to pack for a trip to Iceland blog post will be helpful to you as you plan and pack for your fabulous Iceland adventure!  Feel free to contact us with ideas on any items I might have forgotten to add to this Iceland packing list!  Otherwise we wish you safe travels!

© 2012 – 2023, Iceland Wedding Planner / Your Adventure Wedding; All Rights Reserved.

The post How to Pack for a Trip to Iceland appeared first on Iceland Wedding Planner.

I hope this finds you well and super excited for the wonderfully exciting week ahead of you!  Crazy busy season here at Photos by Miss Ann and we are loving every second of it!  Today’s post is a long super informative one so let’s get right into it!  When planning your Iceland wedding reception, it’s important to know four things:

1. What alcohol can you bring into Iceland?  …and how much can you bring?
2. What alcohol is made locally in Iceland?
3. What selection of liquors, beers and wines may be available for your Iceland wedding reception?
4. What are the prices you may be expected to pay for your Iceland wedding reception alcohol?

Many items of alcoholic content are imported into Iceland and may be more expensive than other locations you may have visited.  An alternative option may be to bring your own wedding champagne or specific alcohol so that you may save within your Iceland wedding budget.

Real Wedding in Iceland Example: When we held our Iceland destination wedding adventure at Seljalandsfoss waterfall, Vik Beach, and Skogafoss waterfall we knew that purchasing champagne for 40 people was going to be expensive.  For instance, if we would have purchased 10 bottles for our 40 guests (based on 4 glasses per bottle) to do our wedding champagne toast at Vik Beach it would have cost us $1,500 USD (if we purchased house champagne at Hotel Ranga).  Chris and I decided that those funds would be better spent elsewhere in our Iceland wedding ­budget but did want to still have a champagne toast for our guests during the sightseeing excursion.

After further research, we found that each person could bring 3 bottles of wine OR 1 bottle of wine and 1 liter of alcohol.  So we spent a weekend wine and champagne tasting in Napa Valley (see one of our destination engagement sessions we have done in San Francisco/Napa Valley, here) and found a delicious variety from Domaine Chandon in fact, it was their vintage reserve brut from 2007.  We bought a case (for only $600 USD) and shipped it home to Plymouth Michigan in anticipation of our April wedding in Iceland at Seljalandsfoss waterfall.  When we packed our bags for our Iceland destination wedding, we made sure to bubble wrap the bottles, and designated a few of our friends to help us abide by the 2-3 bottle per person restriction.  Luckily, all of the bottles arrived to Iceland in one piece along with our champagne glasses we also imported (our wedding host hotel was going to charge us $5 USD per glass to rent).

Question #1: What alcohol can you bring into Iceland?  …and how much can you bring?  Answer:  The specific guidelines directly from the awesome KEF Airport states the following on their website:

“Travelers can import duty-free alcoholic beverages and tobacco products as follows:
Alcoholic beverages:

1 litre of spirits, 1 litre of wine and 200 cigarettes (1 carton) or 250 g of other tobacco products;

or

1 litre of spirits, 6 litres of beer and 200 cigarettes (1 carton) or 250 g of other tobacco products;

or

1.5 litre of wine, 6 litres of beer and 200 cigarettes (1 carton) or 250 g of other tobacco products;

or

3 litres wine and 200 cigarettes (1 carton) or 250 g of other tobacco products.

Spirits comprise alcoholic beverages having 22% alcoholic content or more; wines comprise alcoholic beverages, other than beer, below this alcohol content.  The minimum age for bringing alcoholic beverages into Iceland is 20 years, or 18 years for tobacco.”

Question #2: What alcohol is made locally in Iceland?  Answer: Iceland produces some delicious beers at the following breweries:  Ölgerðin Egill Skallagrímsson in Reykjavik and Vífilfell.  The Reykjavik Distillery is another amazing local option for liquor.  They make several schnapps called Brennivin in interesting flavors like: Brennivin 50, Brennivin 64, Blueberry, Crowberry, Rhubarb, Bilberry, and Juniper.  They all have organic ingredients like potato, herbs, seeds, Icelandic water, etc.

One of the other token alcohols is called, Reyka Vodka.  They have such a fun tagline too, “When you live on the edge of the Arctic Circle, you need to know how to have fun.”  Ha, love! The company itself is also known for being a “green” vodka because it is produced using sustainable energy.  The vodka itself is made from organic wheat and they do a final filtration through lava rock –how fun, right?

Questions #3 & #4: What selection of liquors, beers and wines may be available for your Iceland wedding reception?  What are the prices you may be expected to pay for your Iceland wedding reception alcohol?  Answers:  They follow below!

<Please note that all prices below are approximations and are also from our direct personal/professional experiences for wedding receptions in Iceland.  The list below is also to provide you with an idea of what alcohol could be offered during your destination wedding reception in Iceland.  Prices vary depending on your chosen Iceland wedding hotel or restaurant.  All prices are featured in ISK (Icelandic Krona) and converted to USD (United States Dollar) as of today’s exchange rate (and by the bottle)>.

Iceland Wedding Champagne and Sparkling Wine Prices:

• House Champagne (Example: Ayala Brut NV): 19,000 ISK (Icelandic Krona) = $150 USD
• Louis Roederer Cristal:  234,000 ISK (Icelandic Krona) = $1,890 USD
• Tosti Asti Sparkling Wine: 5,200 ISK (Icelandic Krona) = $45 USD

Wedding Reception in Iceland Wine Price Examples:

• Santa Cristina Cipresseto Rosato (Italian Rose): 6,500 ISK = $55 USD
• Rene Mure Riesling (French): 7,800 ISK = $65 USD
• Bolla Pinot Grigio (Italian): 6,600 ISK = $53 USD
• Vina Maipo Gran Devocion Sauvignon Blanc (Chile): 8,500 ISK = $69 USD
• Sky Valley Chardonnay (New Zealand): 8,600 ISK = $70 USD
• Chateau Branaire Ducru Grand Cru St. Julien (Red/Bordeux): 29,800 ISK = $240 USD
• Chateaunauf du Pape E. Guigal (Red/Rhone): 22,000 ISK = $178 USD
• Domaine Faiveley Corton Grand Cru (Red/Burgundy): 45,800 ISK = $395 USD
• Colome Reserve Malbeq / Cabernet (Red/Argentina): 25,900 ISK = $210 USD
• Gen Carlou Syrah (Red/South Africa): 10,950 ISK = $90 USK
• Spy Valley Pinot Noir (Red/New Zealand): 8,500 ISK = $70 USD
• Delicato Shiraz (Red/USA): 6,500 ISK = $53 USD

Side Note: Typically the per glass cost is 1,600 ISK ($13 USD) and for champagne per glass cost is usually around 3,800 ISK ($32 USD).

Iceland Wedding Beer Choices:

On average a bottle or glass of beer is around 900 ISK ($8 USD) and the most often found beer varieties in Iceland follow below:

• Einstok Pale Ale (Icelandic Beer)
• Hrammur Lager (Icelandic Beer)
• Víking Gold (Gullfoss): Best selling beer in Iceland (type: lager).
• Víking Stout (Icelandic Beer)
• Víking Pilsner (Icelandic Beer)
• Egill’s Gull (Ölgerðin Egill Skallagrímsson in Reykjavik)
• Freyja (Wheat Beer from Selfoss Iceland)
• Móri (Icelandic Red Ale)
• Lava Stout (Southern Iceland Beer)

If you plan to have an open bar for your wedding guests please note that the 3+ star hotels in Iceland offer a very exuberant list!  This is awesome, but can become expensive very quickly.  Here was our example list of what we featured for our Iceland Open Bar Menu (outside of the above we already posted):

Cost was ~1,800-4,000 ISK ($15-32 USD) per pour:

• All Schnapps Available & Mixers (Like Jagermeister, Baileys, Triple Sec, Cointreau, Grand Marnier, etc).
• All Beers, selected wines, and champagnes.
• Berneroy Brandy
• Brennivin
• Bombay Gin
• Chopin Vodka
• Fonseca Guimaraens Port
• Glenmorangie Single Malt
• Havana Club Rum
• Jameson (18 years old)
• Johnnie Walker Gold (18 years old)
• Remy Martin Cognac
• Reyka Vodka
• Tequila: Silver Patron
• Vermouth Rosso
• Whiskey: Woodford Reserve

Iceland Wedding Planner Tip: If you’re having an Iceland wedding welcome dinner the night before maybe choose 4 specific wines and beers you will serve with dinner.  Having an Iceland Bar Menu helps too!  Then for your Iceland wedding reception, keep the options open by the glass (not the bottle) but limit what brands you would like to have served to your guests.  Example, we limited our guests to only being able to order 18 years old scotch/whiskey/brandy/ports because Hotel Ranga had some rare whiskey that were 25+ years and more than $75 USD per glass.  We had selected as a couple a “do not serve” list of those rare brands and also selected our favorite brands in each mixed drink category.

We hope that this blog post today on Iceland Wedding Reception Alcohol will prove to be a useful tool to you as you plan your wedding day in Iceland!  If at any time you need assistance planning your Icelandic destination wedding or need an Iceland wedding photographer, we would love to help you!  Our packages include Iceland wedding planning and Iceland wedding photography (we’re a husband and wife team: Photos by Miss Ann) allowing us to be your one point of contact for you throughout this amazing process so please contact us for more details!

With a smile, Ann & Chris Peters

Expert Iceland Wedding Planners & Iceland Wedding Photographers

© 2002-2013, Photos by Miss Ann, All Rights Reserved

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