After our first night in , we set off for the southeast coast and stayed in this little town called Vík. It’s famous for its black sand beaches made of volcanic sand—like, jet black. It’s one of the many spots where they filmed scenes for Game of Thrones. We rented a small cabin on Airbnb, totally out in the middle of nowhere, and stayed there for two nights.

The highlight? We got to see the Northern Lights, which we weren’t expecting at all! The moon was supposed to wane as the trip went on, and by the end of the trip, we were hoping for moonless nights to maximize our chances of seeing them. But even early on, the moon rose late enough that the skies were dark. The first clear night, they appeared right over our cabin—just these beautiful green lights dancing across the sky.

I mean, they’re not as vivid in real life as they look in photos. The photos I took are long exposures, so they’re brighter and more colorful than what you see with your eyes. But still, it was magical. We were standing outside in the freezing cold, just staring at the sky. It was probably around 0°C (20s or 30s Fahrenheit), but we didn’t care.

That first day in Vík, it was really cold. We made a stop before checking into the cabin to see this lighthouse on a peninsula near Reykjavik, and the wind was brutal. We were out of the car for maybe 15 minutes, and I was already thinking, “If it’s this cold the whole time, I don’t know if I’m gonna make it.” But, thankfully, the weather got progressively nicer as the trip went on.

Oh, and waterfalls. I lost count of how many we saw. They’re everywhere in Iceland, and in the winter, most of them are partially frozen, which makes them even more beautiful.

We rented a car and planned the whole trip ourselves - did a ton of research, mapped out all the points of interest we wanted to see, and then just hit the road. We were constantly on the move, staying only one night at each place except for Vík, where we had two nights. Sunrises were around 10 am, and sunsets were at 4 pm, so we’d try to be on the road by 9, driving in the dark, to make the most of the daylight hours.

While in Vík, we had some incredible meals. I tried Arctic char for the first time - it’s kind of like salmon but with a lighter, milder flavor. It was fresh and delicious. And, fun fact, pizza is apparently a thing in Iceland. I had some at a place where they made their own sourdough dough, and it was honestly just as good as any brick oven pizza back home.

After Vík, we drove further east and stayed out there for a couple of nights before heading back west toward Reykjavik. One of our last stops was in a town near Kirkjufell, a super distinctive mountain that you’d probably recognize if you’re a Game of Thrones fan. We were hoping for more amazing Northern Lights, but it clouded over after a brief show. Still, we got about half an hour of decent viewing, so no complaints.

Before driving back to Reykjavik, we stopped at Hvammsvík, an outdoor spa on the Atlantic.

It was a stunning trip.

Everywhere we looked, it was an incredible vista or photograph in any direction.

We saw more waterfalls than we can count and three nights of northern lights.

We’re already planning to return.

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Paul Niccolls