My Journey to the Centre of the Earth – Thrihnukagigur Volcano
I am an explorer – as I’m sure you’ve all worked out at this point with my passion for solo travel, long haul exploration and hitting the slopes.
Iceland has always been top on that adventurous travel bucket list. There are few places in the world I lust over as much as Iceland, and the more I looked into this incredible country the more I needed to go. They call that wanderlust, right? ‘The extreme and strong desire to travel.’
Well, in this case, I had and still have wanderlust for Iceland.
Before I could even believe it I had my flights booked to Reykjavik, and then the nerves kicked in because if I were to never visit Iceland again then this was my one shot to see this beautiful country.
The researching process began. I probably read about 50 different bloggers experiences and one place kept reappearing in the adventurous travel blogs…Thrihnukagigur Volcano (try saying that 5 times fast!). As I clicked through the beautiful pictures of Icelandic lagoons and waterfalls I was always drawn back to the volcano experience. I took the plunge and booked tour tickets for the middle of my Icelandic Adventure.
I could write about my whole adventure to Iceland forever (about the stunning lagoons and how Reykjavik completely stole my heart), but this experience to the centre of the earth deserves much more than a mention. This experience made me want to shout about it from the Volcano tops!
The Thrihnukagigur Volcano tour was something out of this world. That is all I read online and it was exactly that, out of this world.
The morning of the tour I was so excited, I’d already spent a few days in Iceland already so I was getting used to the culture (and timezone). I was so ready to experience my first time inside a volcano…not many people ever get to experience this.
The bus picked me up from my hotel, alongside the other tourists. They were just as excited as I was for the day ahead, experiencing a once in a lifetime adventure. Once we arrived at the destination we set off on our 2-mile hike to the Volcano. Luckily enough the weather was good and raincoats weren’t needed (but they were provided). This trek went so quickly for me because the tour guides were offering information and I also got to know the other tourists on the trip.
Once we got to the entry of the Volcano we had some tea and coffee in a hut before getting our safety equipment on. We were briefed on all the safety information before the last part of our trek to the volcano mouth. The entrance to the volcano had a lift that descended inside the volcano.
I wasn’t sure what to expect, or how long it would feel on the way down. All I will tell you is that you’ll be left speechless. The lift brings you a long way down and the views all around you are spectacular. The rock inside the volcano was incredible and once we got to the bottom the tour guide explained to us what we were looking at. We were looking at incredible colors inside the magma chamber, you wouldn’t quite believe how beautiful the inside of something so destructive could be.
After the tour guide spoke to us we were allowed to explore for a while before we took the lift back up to ground level. During this time I took some photos for other people on the tour and myself, getting to experience this moment with new travel friends. It’s incredible the people you meet on your travels, especially on adventurous tours because you meet travellers just like you – you can make friends for life.
I felt speechless in this chamber, the views were exhilarating and fascinating, such a magical place to experience. As we boarded the lift again I did not want to leave. I was in another world, and it reminded me why I travel and all that travel teaches you.
Back at the surface, we were brought to the hut we got our safety gear from and were given delicious hot soup before our hike back down to the bus.
This experience is an unforgettable one, I don’t know how I’ll ever top this. It was a reminder of why I travel and the type of travel I love, adventure. Exploring new places is a passion and if somewhere leaves me speechless I know there will be a good travel story to follow. So here’s to plenty more breath taking experiences and being left speechless.
If you’re ever in Iceland you have to explore the volcano…if not this one then one of the many others in the country.
I am an adventurous sales consultant from America. I work so that I can travel around the world beyond the 50 states of the USA, but also in them. I really enjoy solo travel and suggest everyone try it at least once but I also love taking to the slopes with my friends.