Now, here’s the thing: Iceland may not actually want you to visit. The tourism king of the North Atlantic bet big on inviting tourism to this stony destination at the top of the world, and it won — so much that locals are over it. (Sample headline: “Bloated on a tourism boom, Iceland locals have had their fill.”)
All that said, it’s amazing, and you should go at least once. If you haven’t made a plan yet, you should, because tickets are a hovering around the ridiculous $200 mark. That’s on Spirit-like budget carrier WOW — but you need only add about $150 for a more plush experience on national carrier Icelandair.
We just checked — seats are available into the winter. Are you saying: But surely I should wait until summer for my Iceland trip? We’re gonna say … no to that. Wait for summer if you prefer vacationing with the rest of North America (and a huge number of European tourists as well). The midnight sun at the June solstice is neat — but it’s not that neat. And winter brings the promise of aurora, hot springs under the stars, and not-that-cold temps: February’s average is around 29 degrees Fahrenheit, which isn’t that different from New York City.
With (Air)busloads of tourists headed to Iceland, this is no longer an exotic trip. But Iceland in January — there’s a story you can bring back home, after having seen some seriously excellent stuff.
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