Iceland Six-Day Five-Night Trip Diary: Helicopter Volcano Sightseeing Experience, Overlooking the Magnificent Lava Land

Iceland 6-Day 5-Night Travel Diary - Guide to Iceland Local Tour

3/24 Every trip always leaves a little regret, which is exactly what makes you want to come back again. The Blue Lagoon is still closed due to nearby volcanic activity, and it's such a shame I couldn't experience soaking in an Icelandic hot spring this time. But! To think I actually got to witness such a rare volcanic eruption — how could I not go see it!? I originally saw the price for the 15,000 helicopter volcano tour and just closed the page right away, but my British travel companion Zongying said without hesitation, why not go, it's a rare chance. Then yesterday MOMO also said she wanted to go, so we decided to arrange to join this helicopter volcano-viewing tour with MOMO this morning! This is the helicopter we'll be riding on later, and it's also my very first helicopter experience!

A single helicopter trip could carry five people. When we signed up the night before, this trip wasn't full yet, but the travel agency confidently assured us it would definitely fill up, so there was no need to worry about it being cancelled! Before departure, the ground staff helped us take a photo.

Takeoff was smoother than I expected, and since we didn't fly too high, the buildings below looked really clear. In the distance, I could see a corner of the Reykjanes Peninsula.

Let's talk about Iceland's volcanic history — in 2021 Fagradalsfjall erupted, and before that, the Reykjanes Peninsula hadn't seen volcanic activity in 800 years, so people from all over the world flocked in at the time to witness the volcano's power. In 2022, Fagradalsfjall erupted again, and it likewise drew tourists from around the world to come and see it.In 2023, the Litli-Hrutur volcano first erupted for a month, and then the Sundhnukagigar volcano erupted at the end of the year — this volcano's previous eruption was 2,500 years ago, and this eruption caused severe damage to a nearby town. Since then, volcano viewing has only been possible by helicopter, as it's no longer possible to view it on your own from a nearby hilltop. Volcanic activity has been frequent this year — this eruption in March is the fourth since the eruption last December, and this eruption site is the same as the one on February 8th, both belonging to Sundhnukagigar. As we gradually approached the volcano, we could already see billowing plumes of thick smoke and a whole expanse of pitch-black, cooled lava. Since my view from inside the helicopter was only clear on the right side, I wasn't able to see it until the crater appeared down to my lower right.

I finally saw the volcanic crater — the orange-red magma keeps churning and surging. There are two main active craters, and behind them two smaller, quieter ones, with all four craters lined up in a straight row.

火山口後是流出來的岩漿，橘黑夾帶，以前在自科學博物館看到動畫直接搬到現實展現。 補上影片 第一次飛過後，直升機再換個角度給另一側的乘客觀看，很幸運地是我們這側有兩次機會能欣賞火山。 除了在噴發的火山，直升機還帶我們去2021及2023的火山口，不過這次飛行時火山口在左側，沒辦法有很好地拍攝位子。

Back to Reykjavik city center

The whole flight was only 35 minutes, but it was a really great experience! After finishing the helicopter trip, we headed back to the city relaxed and happy, and yes, I felt like this Iceland trip had already fulfilled me! I can temporarily cross this faraway country off my travel list, but if someone asked me for my most worthwhile travel destinations, Iceland would still be in my TOP 5. With some time left before the airport shuttle bus, we agreed to meet up at a café — Reykjavik Roasters is said to be the best coffee shop in Iceland. I ordered a cup of coffee with an avocado croissant for afternoon tea~

I originally thought it was about time to head back, but MOMO suggested going to try an ice cream place nearby. I never expected it to be Valdis! This place had actually been on my list too, but the location I found was at the harbor, so I never got the chance to go. Looks like aside from the hot springs, Iceland isn't leaving me with any regrets at all!

This is an Italian gelato shop with a lot of flavors, and I chose the rum raisin flavor. Cheers with ice cream to celebrate our meeting this time!

We took off at 6 o'clock and left Iceland, bringing this fire-and-ice journey to a close.

Postscript 1: Tonight's aurora index was a 6!! I was really looking forward to seeing whether we could catch the aurora from the plane, but unfortunately by the time it got dark enough, we were already flying over the UK, so we missed our chance with the aurora (if we'd flown the opposite direction, we might have had a shot). As soon as we landed, I quickly checked in with MOMO & BOBO who were still in Iceland, and sure enough, they could see the aurora right in the city. But since we'd already seen it these past few days, they didn't bother going somewhere free of light pollution.

Explore more of the fantastical 6-day 5-night Iceland journey! 👉 [Iceland 6-Day Highlights Self-Drive Guide] Itinerary planning × local tour experiences × cost estimates Learn about the overall itinerary and plan your dream trip to Iceland! 👉 Iceland 6-Day 5-Night Travel Diary: The starting point of the journey and a bumpy first day Arriving in Iceland, strolling around Reykjavik 👉 Iceland 6-Day 5-Night Travel Diary: Snæfellsnes Peninsula day tour guide and hidden gem exploration Explore Iceland's enchanting peninsula and capture its magnificent natural scenery. 👉 A Six-Day, Five-Night Journey Through Iceland: Golden Circle One-Day Tour, Classic Sights and Tips Feel the stunning charm of Iceland's classic landmarks and gather memories you'll cherish for a lifetime. 👉 A Six-Day, Five-Night Journey Through Iceland: Exploring Vik's Magnificent Black Sand Beach and Waterfalls in the South (Part 1) Step into the mysterious world of Vik and feel the natural beauty of southern Iceland. 👉 A Six-Day, Five-Night Journey Through Iceland: The Wonder of the Blue Ice Cave and a Night of Auroras — Southern Adventure (Part 2) Experience the Blue Ice Cave adventure firsthand and capture the dazzling wonder of the Northern Lights. 👉 Iceland 6-Day 5-Night Trip: Helicopter Volcano Sightseeing Experience, Overlooking the Magnificent Lava Land Fly over Iceland's volcanic terrain and enjoy a truly unique adventure.