I'm an American who visited Iceland for the first time. Here are 9 things that surprised me.

Talia LakritzJul 25, 2023, 01:52 IST

The author in Iceland.Talia Lakritz/Insider

I'm an American living in New York City, and I visited Iceland for the first time in June.
I was surprised by the high cost of food and by how light the sky remained at night.

After years of Iceland sitting at the top of my travel bucket list, I finally had the chance to visit in June.

I largely found it easy to navigate the country as an American tourist, but there were still a few unexpected discoveries during my trip.

Here are nine things that surprised me about Iceland.

I expected the Blue Lagoon to be a disappointing tourist trap, but it lived up to the hype.

At the Blue Lagoon in Iceland.Talia Lakritz/Insider

Avocado toast at the Blue Lagoon.Talia Lakritz/Insider

Kronan in Iceland.Talia Lakritz/Insider

Hagkaup in Iceland.Talia Lakritz/Insider

Behind the wheel in Iceland.Talia Lakritz/Insider

A gravel road in Iceland.Talia Lakritz/Insider

The view from my hotel bed at 10:30 p.m.Talia Lakritz/Insider

Inside Costco in Iceland.Talia Lakritz/Insider

A waterfall in Iceland.Talia Lakritz/Insider