Dating In Iceland: Everything You Need To Know (Tips)

The truth, myths, or whatever you might call it, have to do with how Icelandic women look, their behavior towards sex, and equality. Some might remember seeing an airline that advertised “Dirty Weekends in Iceland with a guaranteed one-night stand.” The advert was responded to by lots of interested bachelor travelers all over the world. Iceland is one of the absolute best places in the world to be a woman as they are both happy and free to do anything they want without paying attention to what people might think. If you’re looking for a one-night stand, then you’ll get one without taking any form of shame for doing so. On the other hand, an Iceland woman won’t feel bad to shut you off if she is not interested in you. It is, after all, a game for two; it takes two to tango and all of that! If you’re looking to start dating in Iceland, you’ll have to up your game as people there are not into dating the same way most people in other parts of the world approach the dating scene. In Iceland, you might even argue that dating is frowned upon, well, at least to some extend.

The approach to meeting a woman in Iceland is different; you meet her at a bar or club, or wherever, and then you hope that you’re not related (most people in Iceland are related). Then you do your thing, and after sex, you can decide to get to know each other on an intellectual level. The sex culture in Iceland is open and casual, and you discuss sex without hesitation and restrictions. Discussions about sex, if you have any or not, are freely debated among friends. In most other countries worldwide, the stereotypical view is that men want sex desperately and women don’t want sex until they finally give in after a serious relationship has been established. In Iceland, it’s different, as women and men are equally sexual, and it’s just a personal choice. Men and women discuss sex openly, and no one is judged for doing so in Iceland. The Icelandic spirit is more of Carpe Diem, and to most people in Iceland, dating will be anything but dull, and to say it as it is – drunken hookups are rather common. For a small country like Iceland, it has a lot of fun to offer, and the cool thing about it is that people there are used to having guilt-free fun.

Yet, as much as Icelandic women are ready to get it on with you on the first night, they are big on equality, which means that an Iceland girl will buy you a drink and see nothing special in doing that. Also, there is nothing like jealousy over past relationships. A woman has had her fun, and she knows that sleeping around doesn’t mean you can’t eventually get into a serious relationship. Icelandic women like to go out, dance, drink, get drunk and make new friends. Just like Scandinavian women, women in Iceland are self-assured and independent. They are beautiful and strong-minded, love having fun, and are not big on dating or marriage. Also, if you are a foreigner or local does not make much difference. Icelandic women are not impressed by material wealth. They prefer it if you are enthusiastic and have a good personality. You get bonus points if you’re the creative type. But hey, even an accountant can talk about his job in a cool way if he wants to. Dating an Icelandic woman is a big victory as they are independent, beautiful, and smart.

Winning over the heart of an Icelandic woman or impressing an Icelandic woman is quite a strenuous task. In most European countries, you can flaunt money in a woman’s face, and you can be rather sure she finds you charming and interesting. In Iceland, the outcome is reversed. Iceland has the highest rate of proud feminist women who, in most cases, only date men who see them as equals. Also, when it comes to equal pay and similar matters – Icelandic women are at the forefront compared to the rest of the world. What is more, an Icelandic woman will never back down from an argument – although she will do it by being civil. Cat-calling, an Icelandic woman, is a big NO as it is perceived as disrespectful, and most Icelandic women will not accept it. They demand respect and will go to any length to get it. Seducing an Icelandic woman requires a lot and needs to be approached with seriousness and carefulness, especially if she is not that interested in you, to begin with. Thus, before you jump or wiggle your way into the Iceland hookup scene, there are few things you need to know about how to impress an Icelandic woman.

These tips will save you a lot of embarrassment from women or accidentally insulting anyone. Generally, Iceland might have a liberal hookup and dating scene, with men and women being open to sex; however, this doesn’t give you a license to be arrogant. On the contrary, compared to many European countries, Iceland has been among those that shunned sexist attitudes, as witnessed when they petitioned to ban pick-up artist Julien Blanc from entering the country in 2014. Among other issues when visiting a progressive country like Iceland is that no pressure comes with initiating a date or relationship as a man. As it was stated in the Guide to Iceland, “Be equal, be friendly, make them laugh, and don’t try to push anything.” Going out with an Icelandic woman means you have to be careful and calculative to know when you’re doing too much or too little. You don’t rush to open the door for an Icelandic woman; she might take the gesture as offensive and that you are trying to submit her into being dominated and controlled.

For most people in other countries, something that can seem strange as opening the door for a woman or man is seen as being considerate and polite. Nonetheless, Icelandic women take the equality game very seriously. Likewise, if an Icelandic woman is in some kind of trouble, e.g., she has a flat tire and is standing on the side of the road trying to fix it – you are most likely better off driving by as you don’t want to display your toxic masculinity. When it comes to paying the bill, if you are out dining with an Icelandic woman, don’t be in a rush to pay for everything. Look for clues and let her take part in the decision-making process to see if she insists on paying to avoid becoming a victim of your masculinity. Also, avoid taking control of an Icelandic woman’s movements if she, e.g., steps over something or is stumbling – it can easily be misinterpreted as being dominating. Dating an Icelandic woman and wanting to impress her means you have to let her do anything she wants without regard to your views if they are not aligned with hers. A man who treats a woman like an equal is what an Icelandic woman wants, and they are sometimes impressed by such men.

Many foreign men traveled in and out of Iceland after the hoax rumor of the government paying $5000 monthly to foreigners willing to marry their women. This rumor has been going around the internet for a while now, and many people are beginning to believe it. To be honest, what other incentive do you need to marry an Icelandic woman that is not satisfied by how beautiful, independent, fun, and generally awesome she is? Foreigners don’t need $5000 to marry an Icelandic woman, and Icelandic women don’t care much about marriage anyway. People in Iceland don’t see marriage as a big deal. Compared to other countries, the age for marrying in Iceland is relatively higher, which means that the chances of a date leading to marriage is 50-50 and depends on how amazing you are as a guy. In Iceland, being single is not taboo, and it’s not frowned upon. Au contraire, many young Icelanders are now single or just casually dating; they don’t see marriage as an accomplishment.

Icelandic women don’t feel any pressure to find a partner, no matter the age. Thus, Icelandic women don’t just jump into the first relationship opportunity that comes along. When they get into a relationship or start dating, they don’t think about marriage. So don’t be disappointed when you realize that Icelandic women’s view on marriage is different from yours. Nonetheless, you can still find an awesome relationship and be an excellent partner for an Iceland woman. What is more, Icelandic women do enjoy a lasting relationshipå when they finally decide to get married. The average number of years Icelandic women stay married is on a steady increase yearly. Unlike other European countries, the rate of divorce isn’t high in Iceland. Maybe because Icelandic women don’t place their entire goals on marriage eliminates many problems that most men and women face in relationships. An Iceland woman will not try to change you; if she doesn’t like you enough, she wouldn’t be with you in the first place.

It’s safe to say that an Icelandic woman who agrees to be your girlfriend or wife has done so because she loves you and not for your money or any other such thing. Furthermore, although divorce rates are not high in Iceland, you find a significant number of children born out of wedlock. In 2014, research showed that 70.5% of babies born in Iceland were to parents who hadn’t bothered or thought of tying the knot. So, in contrast to many other countries, women in Iceland don’t mind have children even though they are not married. Hence, you can probably argue that Iceland is the least paternalistic country you can find on Earth. Or you can say that dating in Iceland and starting a family will not necessarily mean that you will get married.

Of course, with the stories you’ve heard about Icelandic women so far and how beautiful they are, you’ll definitely be looking for where to pick them up if you visit Iceland. The good news is that you can find dates in many places on the island. The best place to start when looking for a date in Iceland is Reykjavik; more than half of the population of Iceland live here or visit there regularly. Being the capital and the largest city in Iceland, it is where most foreigners and tourists visit. In addition, Reykjavik is commonly known for its main entertainment spots and is ideal for meeting beautiful single Icelandic women. When in Reykjavik, you can narrow your search by visiting some of the best spots in the city to find pretty young women. Needless to say that some places are better than others and depending on your age and your accommodation while you are in Iceland you have to make some choices about where you want to begin.

Nightlife in Iceland is really fun as most young people are fond of going to nightclubs and bars. You can’t blame them; after a hard day or week at work, it’s an excellent time to unwind and have some fun. But, if you desire to visit some places where people really unwind or find a single Icelandic woman to date, then a singles bar or nightclub is the place to go. You can start at Austur at Hafnarstræti, and then move to Den Danske Kro at Ingólfsstræti, B5 at Bankastraeti, Bravó at Laugavegur, Kaffibarinn at Bergstaðastræti, Micro Bar at Vesturgata, Pablo Discobar at Veltusund, Lebowski at Laugavegur, Paloma at Naustin, Prikið at Bankastræti to name some of the best places.

With that being said, these locations are not cheap, so expect things to be costly. Still, it’s worth paying for, and it is a great idea to book your hotel or accommodation close to any of these venues – you don’t want too far home if you should be lucky to meet someone special. Nonetheless, there are, of course, more places to go than we have mentioned here, but where ever you choose, be sure to remember that you’re in Iceland, and the women there think and do things differently. Nightlife and going out on the town might be the thing to do for people looking for dates, but daytime isn’t a bad idea either. Although people might be busy with their daily activities, talking to a woman is still possible. You can walk into a mall, find a shopping area, parks, and even the Blue Lagoon tourists flock, etc., and you will find someone that catches your eyes. Here are some places you can try out in the daytime; Elliðaárdalur, Austurvöllur park¸ Grasagardur Botanical Garden, Húsgagnahöllin, Hljómskálagarður, Hallargarður, and Kringlan.