Anniversary trip to beautiful Iceland
In November 2019, goMICE organised an anniversary trip for one of its clients, an international company from the gaming industry. With a group of 35 people, we travelled to breathtaking Iceland. This client desired a special trip to a unique destination. Many destinations were considered during the quotation process, but ultimately the client chose beautiful and icy Iceland. Thanks to our long-standing partnerships with many local suppliers in Iceland, we organised an unforgettable anniversary trip.
Iceland, here we come!
Although it was still reasonably warm for the time of year in the Netherlands, the temperature in Iceland was expected to be around -10 to -15 degrees. At Schiphol, we therefore handed out clothing packs, including warm cardigans, hoodies, beanies and scarfs. Besides everyone being immediately recognisable, an extra team spirit was created: Iceland, here we come!
After a three-hour flight we landed in a totálly different world. Iceland, the land of natural splendour, many seasons and a variety of landscapes. During the drive from the airport to the hotel in Reykjavik we were introduced to this straight away. Upon arrival it actually started to snow! We at goMICE obviously cannot influence weather conditions, but this snow shower got the atmosphere going straight away. Upon arrival at the impressive hotel, all room keys were already laid out according to the rooming list. Everyone could go and freshen up in their room for the evening programme: dinner in one of the best restaurants in Iceland, followed by a Northern Lights tour.
Magical Northern Lights tour
The Northern Lights (Aurora Borealis) is a luminous phenomenon in the atmosphere that can be seen at high geographical latitudes in clear weather, especially in winter. The Northern Lights can be seen in Iceland from mid-September to the end of March inclusive. The greatest chance of witnessing the Northern Lights is during the evening hours and during the darkest days of the year. This makes the months from November to February inclusive most suitable for spotting the Northern Lights!
The Northern Lights are and remain a natural phenomenon, which means sightings cannot be guaranteed. Every day at around 17:00, together with local guides, we check whether the conditions are favourable enough to run the tour that same evening. The forecast for the evening was promising and the tour went ahead. Far away from the city lights, the guide shared many folklore stories and myths about Icelanders and the Northern Lights. For example, some Icelanders believe the lights are caused by elves moving through the sky. We have been fortunate enough to see the Northern Lights regularly during group tours, but tonight we were left with a magnificent starry sky. However, the atmosphere and experience were certainly no less for it!
Land of many beautiful landscapes
Every season has its own charm and offers a unique landscape each time. With its name and location, Iceland gives the impression that it is always freezing cold. Despite its fairly northerly location, the cold is actually not nearly as bad as you might think. Winters in Iceland are cold and the summers are also reasonably cool. What is striking and characteristic of Iceland is the somewhat harsher weather, which fits the island's unique, rugged landscape very well. Because this trip took place during the winter season, the days were short and cold. However, this allowed us to enjoy the breathtaking views of the snow-covered landscapes during the bus journeys.
Super jeeps and buggy ride
The following morning we were collected from the hotel by four massive super jeeps, our transport for this spectacular day. This was an unexpected surprise for the participants! We drove in the super jeeps to the starting point for our super cool activity: the Buggy Ride. At 10:45 am the sun came up and we raced by buggy through Iceland's stunning moon-like landscape. Off-road we drove through puddles of ice water and spotted wild Icelandic horses. An unforgettable moment for everyone. As a project manager, it is wonderful to look around the group and see nothing but smiling faces. That is what we do it for!
Golden Circle
After rounding off the morning with lunch, we set off again in a super jeep and visited the enormous Gullfoss waterfall, the Geysir, the Strokkur (which spouts 20 metres of boiling water every 5–8 minutes) and Thingvellir National Park. The route taking in these four unique locations is also known as the Golden Circle. In the evening, we rounded off our visit to Iceland with a delicious dinner at one of our favourite bistros in Reykjavik, where we enjoyed local Icelandic specialities.
Valuable appreciation!
The days in Iceland flew by and before we knew it we were back on a, slightly less cold, Dutch soil. The participants had a wonderful time during the anniversary trip. For instance, we later read the following quotes:
- “Just back from a fantastic trip to Iceland! Great collaboration, lots of laughs and quick to adapt, high standards and no stress! It was a long process and, partly thanks to your patience and trust, we had the most amazing team event ever! Thank you so much and hope to work with you again soon!”
- “Thank you so much, it was amazing! Thank you Moniek for organising all this!”
- “Great trip, good vibe! Thanks for organising this Moniek, you did a great job!”
Brilliant to read this feedback. This is what we do it for!
Would you also like to know more about the possibilities for an unforgettable anniversary or group trip to Iceland? Then be sure to read our blogs “Adventurous Iceland as an incentive destination”en“Top 5 sustainable destinations in Europe”or plan straight away online sparring session with us! See you soon Iceland