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

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

There are always small regrets left during a trip, and that's what becomes the reason to come back next time. The Blue Lagoon hot springs remain closed due to nearby volcanic activity, and it's a real shame that I couldn't experience soaking in a hot spring in Iceland this time. But! Running into such a rare volcanic eruption like this, how could I not go see it!? I saw the price for this NT$15,000 helicopter volcano tour and just closed the page right away, but my British travel companion Zong Ying immediately said, why not go, it's a rare opportunity — and then yesterday MOMO also said she wanted to go, so this morning we decided to arrange for MOMO and me to join this helicopter volcano-viewing tour! This is the helicopter we'll be riding on shortly, and it's also my first-ever 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 told us it would definitely fill up, so we didn't need to worry about it being cancelled! Before departure, the ground staff helped us take a photo.

The takeoff was smoother than expected, and the flight altitude isn't too high—the buildings below look very clear. Looking into the distance, I can see a corner of the Reykjanes Peninsula.

Let me share Iceland's volcanic history with you. In 2021, Fagradalsfjall erupted, and this was particularly exciting because the previous volcanic activity on the Reykjanes Peninsula had been 800 years earlier. Because of this, people from all around the world rushed in to witness the magnificent power of the volcano. In 2022, Fagradalsfjall erupted once again, and similarly drew tourists from across the globe who came to observe this spectacular natural phenomenon.In 2023, Litli-Hrutur volcano first erupted for a month, and then Sundhnukagigar erupted at the end of the year — this volcano's previous eruption was 2,500 years ago, and this eruption caused severe damage to the nearby small town. Since this eruption, viewing the volcano 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 was the fourth since the eruption last December, and this eruption site is the same as the area that erupted on February 8th, which belongs to Sundhnukagigar. Gradually approaching the volcano, I could already see bursts of thick smoke and a whole stretch of black, cooled lava. Since my view inside the helicopter was only clear on the right side, I couldn't see it until the crater appeared down to my lower right.

Finally saw the volcanic craters! The orange-red lava keeps churning and bubbling. The main active area has two craters, and behind them there are two more smaller, quieter ones. All four craters are arranged in a straight line.

After the crater is the flowing lava, streaked with orange and black — something I used to only see as an animation at the science museum, now shown live in reality.

Return to downtown Reykjavik

The entire flight was only 35 minutes, but it was such a great experience! After the helicopter tour ended, I returned to the city center in a relaxed and happy mood. Yes, I felt that this Iceland trip had already satisfied me! I can temporarily remove this distant country from my travel list, but if anyone ever asks me about the most worthwhile destinations to visit, Iceland would definitely be in my top 5. With time to spare before the airport shuttle bus, we arranged to meet at a café. Reykjavik Roasters is renowned as Iceland's best coffee shop. I ordered a cup of coffee with an avocado croissant for my afternoon tea!

It was almost time to head back, but Momo suggested we go try an ice cream place nearby. Turns out it was Valdis, which had actually been on my must-try list too, but the shop I'd found was down at the harbor, so I never had 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 so many flavors to choose from — I picked the rum & wine cream flavor! Cheers with this gelato to celebrate our encounter this time!

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

Afterword 1: Since tonight's aurora index is 6!! I was really looking forward to possibly seeing the aurora from the airplane, but unfortunately by the time it got dark, we had already reached the airspace above the UK and missed our chance to see it (if we had flown in the opposite direction, maybe we would have had the opportunity). When we got off the plane, I quickly checked in with MOMO & BOBO who were still in Iceland, and sure enough, the aurora could be seen right in the city area. However, since we'd already seen it over these past few days, they didn't particularly bother going to a place without light pollution to watch it. Afterword 2: The cost of living in Iceland is really quite high, so we didn't buy too many souvenirs. Worth mentioning is that Iceland also doesn't have Starbucks. However, when I was browsing through the souvenir shop, I spotted a mug with a city cup style design and just had to buy it!

Explore more of the fantastic 6-day 5-night Iceland journey! 👉 【Iceland 6-Day Highlights Self-Drive Guide】Itinerary Planning × Local Group Tour Experience × Cost Estimates Get a full overview of the itinerary and plan your dream trip to Iceland! 👉 Iceland 6-Day 5-Night Travelogue: The Start of the Journey and a Bumpy First Day Arriving in Iceland, a stroll through Reykjavik 👉 Iceland 6-Day 5-Night Travelogue: Snæfellsnes Peninsula Day Trip Guide and Hidden Gem Exploration Explore Iceland's enchanting peninsula and capture its magnificent natural scenery. 👉 Iceland 6-Day 5-Night Travel Guide: Golden Circle One-Day Tour Classic Attractions & Strategies Experience the breathtaking charm of Iceland's iconic attractions and create memories to treasure forever. 👉 Iceland 6-Day 5-Night Travel Guide: Exploring the Magnificent Black Sand Beaches and Waterfall Journey of Southern VIK (Part 1) Step into the mysterious world of VIK and experience the natural beauty of the south. 👉 Iceland 6-Day 5-Night Travel Guide: Blue Ice Cave Wonders and Northern Lights Adventure in Southern Iceland (Part 2) Experience blue ice cave exploration firsthand and witness the spectacular glow of the northern lights. 👉 Iceland 6-Day 5-Night Journey: Helicopter Volcano Viewing Experience, Overlooking the Magnificent Lava Land Fly over Iceland's volcanic landscape and enjoy a truly one-of-a-kind adventure.