As 2025 draws to close, I find myself reflecting on what made this year special—and honestly, the weather deserves a mention. Iceland behaved itself more than usual, which any local will tell you makes all the difference when you’re trying to show visitors the country at its best.
We welcomed travelers from India, the United States, the Netherlands, the UK, and beyond. Each group brought their own questions, their own sense of wonder, and their own ideas about what Iceland could be for them.
To do this work properly: to create trips that actually fit people rather than fitting people into trips. I spent considerable time on the road myself. South, east, north, west. Meeting vendors, testing routes, discovering what works and what doesn’t.
One particular stay stands out: a renovated cottage in the middle of nowhere. Seals on the black sand beach. Blueberries growing wild on the hillside. Fresh vegetables and rhubarb in the garden. Hidden geothermal pools where the only sound was water and silence. These are the moments that remind me why I do this work. Iceland fills every sense if you know where to look.
The east was another revelation this year. The wildlife, the deep fjords, the entrepreneurs building remarkable things in remote places. I watched puffins nest on cliffsides. I ate what might be the best fish soup in Iceland (strong claim, I know). I saw a whale moving through a fjord while sitting in a hotel room with views that made me forget about my laptop entirely.
As Forrest Gump’s mother said, life is like a box of chocolates: you never know what you’re going to get. Iceland is similar, except there are too many choices. That’s where the overwhelm happens. That’s also where a travel planner becomes useful: someone who knows which chocolate is which, who can design around what you actually want rather than what a guidebook says you should want.
I never tire of conversations with our partners around Iceland: the people running small hotels, the guides who know their regions intimately, the innovative entrepreneurs working to balance tourism with sustainability. These conversations make us better at what we do. They help us create experiences that connect travelers to the real Iceland..
To those who came in 2025, thank you for trusting us with your Iceland journey. And if you would like to come in 2026, we can’t wait to welcome you.
Happy new year.
Helga Stína – Founder and owner of Iceland Unwrapped