I stepped off the plane to be greeted with an arctic blast of wind. I was awestruck as I gazed across the beautiful lava fields and rocky outcrops. The landscape was unreal, like something out of ‘Interstellar’. Upon arrival at our coach, after swiftly moving through the airport, we were greeted by a very kind and informative coach driver and tour guide. As we drove past the frigid sea and numerous aluminium factories, Ether, our guide, pointed out to us numerous interesting facts such as how aluminium smelting is the largest power-intensive industry in Iceland. Our travel time flew by and before long we had arrived at our first hotel. We settled down into our rooms and then proceeded to come downstairs for dinner at around 7:30 pm. For dinner, we had chicken and rice and for dessert, we had Skyr yoghurt, an Icelandic tradition. The following day we had the lucky opportunity to have a guided tour of the Keykjanes Peninsula. Throughout the day we experienced numerous hot springs which were amazing although the same cannot be said for the sulphuric smell. Later that day we went on a lava cave hike where we saw stalagmites and stalactites of ice as well as experiencing an unusual sensory exploration of what it’s like to be in total darkness which means being 220 feet away from a light source in a concealed area. This was something totally new for me and the sensation is impossible to replicate. In the evening we visited Sundholl geothermal swimming pool, an opportunity we certainly weren’t deprived of throughout the week! There were hot tubs ranging between 35 and 40 degrees Celsius and ice baths reaching sub-zero temperatures. On Day 3 we embarked on a full day guided excursion of the South Shore. We visited a black sand beach as well as seeing coastal landforms such as Dyrokaey arch and numerous stacks and stumps. Possibly my personal highlight of the trip, later that day we visited Myrdalsjökull glacier. We wore krampons (special metal grips for our boots) and wielded ice axes throughout the hike. There were amazing opportunities for photos as well as plenty of chances to enhance our geographical knowledge. After walking for around 3 hours and all the way up and down the glacier, we got back onto the coach and headed to visit two waterfalls, Skógafoss and Selialandsfoss. In the evening, we were given another chance to revisit the geothermal swimming pool. On our penultimate day of the trip we planned to visit the Secret Lagoon, a geothermal pool surrounded by hot springs, followed by visits to Gulfoss waterfall and the spectacular Great Geysir Basin. Here we watched the geysir erupt numerous times and reach gigantic heights. In the evening we participated in a trip quiz, a tradition as Mr Hill mentioned. Sadly, after a highly competitive series of rounds my team placed 4th out of 10. On our final day we visited The Wonders of Perlan exhibition, further expanding our knowledge of Icelandic geography, history and culture as well as a final trip to the Fly over Iceland virtual reality ride before our flight. This ride was extremely fun and allowed us to see most of the landmarks we had visited from a whole new perspective, in the sky! Sadly however, the trip had to draw to an end and after a fun and interesting week we departed home from Keflavik Airport.