Eclipse Day, Reykjavik, Iceland: August 12, 2026
Months before our flight to Reykjavik, I researched the eclipse times, where it would be visible, and what to expect on the BusTravel Iceland website. "For the first time since 1954, a total solar eclipse will be visible in the skies of Iceland on August 12, 2026. Even more historic, Reykjavík will witness totality for the first time since 1433. This rare celestial event is expected to draw eclipse chasers, photographers, and curious travelers from around the world – and Iceland offers some of the most breathtaking viewing spots on Earth to experience it."
A lot of people lured in by the hype. Eclipse watchers traveled to Iceland from around the world. Hotels were booked more than a year in advance just for this event. I was skeptical. In July 2014 we had a two-week, self-drive around the island tour. We rarely saw the sun because of the sideways rain and wind.
However, we needed to be in Reykjavik on August 14, for the start of a Northwest Passage trip that we had booked last year, so why not fly in three days earlier just in case. Not being able to locate lodging, we booked the pre-cruise tour of Iceland which gave us four nights lodging and three tour days.
After a very early 6:13 am arrival on August 11, the hotel generously allowed us to check in early for a nap before wandering Reykjavik to see many of the sights we saw in 2014. We stopped at Hallgrímskirkja (completed in 1986), the largest church and second tallest building in Reykjavik. Before the church was built, the USA gifted the people of Iceland a statue of Leif Erikson by Alexander Stirling Calder in honor of the 1930 Althing Millennial Festival commemorating the 1000th anniversary of the convening of Iceland's parliament at Þingvellir in 930 AD. The church sits behind the statue.
The Rainbow pedestrian street is lined with interesting shops and restaurants. It was painted in 2015 for Reykjavík Pride, and the design became a permanent city landmark. The annual pride month ended just before we arrived.
I had licorice ice cream at one of the ice cream shops on Rainbow Street. Licorice became a thing in Iceland as a widely used medicinal cough remedy. Licorice (known locally as lakkrís) was originally sold in pharmacies to treat coughs (it clears mucus from the nasal passages) and stomach ailments. Because Iceland was isolated in the North Atlantic and had limited access to imported sugars, fresh food, and traditional sweets, the intense, sweet flavor of the licorice root became a reliable substitute https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/iceland-licorice.
One place we did not see in 2014 was the Starbucks. Reykjavik has three Starbucks' locations. The people of Iceland told their city council that they wanted Starbucks, and their request was granted in triplicate.
The ship Bandero with its "No Whaling" banners was in the harbor. Coast guards and police special forces Viking Squad (love that name) boarded the vessel around midnight on July 30, 2026, detained its crew, and seized the ship. The Bandero was apparently threatening a whaling ship. Iceland does allow commercial whaling. After a two-year pause, hunting for fin whales resumed in June 2026. The whaling season runs from early June to late September. The quota for 2026 is 150 whales. The Bandero remains seized and moored in Iceland. The Icelandic government has indicated it plans to submit a parliamentary bill to permanently ban whaling by February 2027.
We ate sheep soup in a bread bowl at the colorful Icelandic Street Food restaurant located just a block from our hotel. On another evening we ate at Iceland's oldest restaurant. Kaffivagninn is at the Reykjavik Harbor. We did not have the "rotten shark" or "smoked puffin on a waffle." Dan did have the "cave man beef carpaccio" and although I am usually more adventurous, I had the seafood soup.
Our Icelandic tour began the next morning with a bus trip to the Blue Lagoon. We were some of the first arrivals which made it lovely to be in the beautiful milky blue pools before they became too crowded. At the mask bar we both slathered the white mud onto our faces and rinsed the mud off when it was dry.
The Blue Lagoon is a geothermal spa located in a lava field. The warm seawater comes from the nearby geothermal power station. The color, the milky blue, is due to its high silica content. The silica forms a soft white mud on the bottom of the pools that is collected for use as body and facial masks.
Like much of Iceland, the Blue Lagoon is threatened by volcanic activity. In November 2024, lava from a volcanic eruption reached the Blue Lagoon, destroying the car park. Walls of lava rock protect the lagoon and its facilities from encroaching lava, and they have a Plan B for evacuating guests.
On the way back into Reykjavik, the bus detoured to show us the Official Residence of the President. A church sits in front of the residence. President Halla Tómasdóttir, a woman, was elected in 2024. The Prime Minister, also elected in 2024, is Kristrún Frostadóttir. The first democratically elected woman president in the world was Iceland's Vigdis Finnbogadóttir in 1980. The mayor of Reykjavik is a woman.
Back in Reykjavik, people were choosing their spot to stand and hopefully get a glimpse of the eclipse. We decided to stay in the Reykjavik City Center at The Pond (Tjornin) at City Hall which was just a few steps from our hotel. The clouds and the weather were not looking promising. It began to rain. The partial eclipse began at 4:47:11 pm. We didn't notice any difference until almost totality when light levels really dimmed.
Totality began at 5:48:16 and ended at 5:49:17 pm. It became dark and the birds who had been entertaining all of us, flew. The swans began swimming back to their island in The Pond. After one minute and one second of totality, it was light again, but still raining and still cloudy. We didn't see the corona or any portion of the sun but all of us still experienced the eclipse. We were there for the experience!
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