You know those lucky people who win all-expenses-paid trips just by being the hundredth caller or having their raffle ticket drawn? By some stroke of fate, I became one of them. Well, technically, my mom did—but I was lucky enough to reap the benefits.
Back in 2019, my dad and I wouldn’t shut up about going to Iceland. We had our sights set on the Northern Lights, and my college graduation lined up perfectly with peak solar activity. It was all just talk until a fateful night at the Colorado Automotive Hall of Fame induction ceremony. My dad swears he looked away for just a second, and suddenly, they were announcing my mom’s name as the winner of an Iceland Adventure trip.
Then life happened. Between 2019 and 2024, the trip sat on the back burner. But last fall, I got a text from my dad: “Want to go to Iceland?” Turns out, because of COVID-19, our five-year redemption window had stretched to six—and 2025 would be our last chance to go.
With the trip mostly planned by a travel company, I got to experience firsthand the benefits and drawbacks of letting someone else take the reins on your itinerary. Here’s what worked, what didn’t, and what I’d do differently next time.
Ask locals or frequent Iceland travelers, and they’ll tell you Reykjavik is best enjoyed in two to three days. We were set for six. Having a travel agent fill those extra days was incredibly helpful.
For starters, they booked us at Sand Hotel, a boutique stay right on the main city drag. It was modern, comfortable, and—best of all—walking distance from nearly everything. Complimentary breakfast didn’t hurt either.
We had four tours lined up throughout the week: a foodie walking tour, Northern Lights experience, Golden Circle adventure, and South Coast exploration.
The biggest perk of having a travel agent? They did all the filtering for us. If you Google “Iceland Northern Lights Tour,” you’ll get hundreds of results. Instead of sifting through endless options, we had experts choose high-quality excursions.
The food tour was a perfect way to sample Icelandic cuisine without the commitment of ordering full dishes. Would I have ever voluntarily ordered fermented shark? Definitely not. Am I glad I tried it? Absolutely.
One stop was the legendary Bæjarins Beztu Pylsur, a hot dog stand that’s drawn the likes of Anthony Bourdain, Kim Kardashian, and Bill Clinton. The beer-braised lamb-beef-and-pork dog lived up to the hype.
People brave Iceland in February for one main reason: to see the Northern Lights. But even in peak season, sightings aren’t guaranteed.
The travel company suggested scheduling the tour at the beginning of the trip because most companies offer a free reschedule if the lights don’t appear. We went out on our second night and got lucky—the lights were out in full force. They didn’t show up again for the rest of our trip.
Could we have rented a car and chased them ourselves? Sure. But would we have had homemade hot chocolate and cinnamon rolls while doing it? Probably not.
Both the Golden Circle and South Coast tours were 10-hour excursions packed with waterfalls, geysers, black sand beaches, Icelandic horses, and even a tomato farm.
Some highlight spots:
• Thingvellir National Park – where two tectonic plates meet
•Gullfoss Waterfall – a thundering double-tiered cascade
•Skógafoss & Seljalandsfoss – iconic waterfalls you’ve definitely seen on Instagram
•Reynisfjara Beach – eerie black sand, towering basalt columns, and crashing waves
It was some of the most breathtaking nature I’ve ever seen—words don’t do it justice.
We had a choice between Blue Lagoon and Sky Lagoon. Blue Lagoon is the famous one, but our travel agent gave us the inside scoop: it’s become a bit of a tourist trap—always crowded, not as well-kept.
We opted for Sky Lagoon, and I have zero regrets. It was more spa-like, offering a seven-step “tranquility journey” that included a cold plunge, sauna, steam room, and salt scrub. Plus, the views? Unreal.
My biggest concern going into this trip—as someone who has been on press trips where every minute is, unfortunately, accounted for—was that it would be too scheduled. But our Iceland itinerary struck a great balance. Reykjavik isn’t a huge city, and we had plenty of unstructured time to wander, check out local bars, pop into bakeries (the cinnamon rolls are a must), and shop for souvenirs. (Nordic homeware is elite, by the way.)
One area where we had almost complete freedom? Dinner.
Some might find that overwhelming, but I love researching and picking restaurants. My dad does not. I came prepared with a list but also took recommendations along the way. A few standouts:
• Skál – a casual, Michelin-recommended spot
• Fiskfélagið (Fish Company) – cozy, creative seafood
• Sushi Social – an Icelandic-Japanese fusion gem
• La Primavera Ristorante – an Italian spot with an Icelandic twist
• Ban Thai – unexpectedly some of the best Thai food I’ve had
Beyond the planned tours, we checked out:
• Perlan – especially great before the Northern Lights tour, as it includes a detailed (and visually stunning) explanation of the auroras
• FlyOver Iceland – basically Iceland’s version of Disney’s Soarin’
• The Settlement Exhibition– a fascinating look at Viking history
Overall, having a travel company handle the bulk of our itinerary made this trip incredibly seamless. Would I do another fully pre-planned trip? Maybe, depending on the destination. But Iceland was the perfect place to have the logistics handled—leaving us more time to soak in the magic.
And to think, it all started with a lucky raffle ticket.
Have you ever won a trip or traveled with a pre-planned itinerary? Would you do it again? Let me know in the comments!
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