I paid $1,700 to visit Iceland. Horrible weather meant I couldn't see the Northern Lights, but I found 5 other ways to have a good time.

My first stop was the Blue Lagoon, a famous geothermal spa with temperatures ranging from 98 to 104 degrees Fahrenheit.

Getting in a bathing suit and swimming in freezing weather might sound horrible, but the water was quite comfortable. I paid about $95 for this experience.

My next stop was FlyOver Iceland, an attraction I learned about through an advertisement I saw at the airport. The $42 experience started with lectures and videos about the history of Iceland, mythology, and the land.

Next, we were led to a theater full of chairs with handlebars along the side, similar to the seats on a roller coaster. When everyone was seated, the chairs lifted, suspending each person in the air.

A screen at the front of the room displayed vivid videos of Iceland's beautiful natural landmarks. The seats moved as we watched the videos, and wind and scents to match the projected scenes blew around the theater. Mist hit my face as I saw videos of waterfalls, making it seem like we really were flying over Iceland.

This was a great alternative to physically seeing parts of the country I couldn't drive to because of the inclement weather.

While in Iceland, I wanted to find an excursion that didn't require me to get on the road, so I spent about $120 to go whale-watching. I booked the last-minute adventure at a brick-and-mortar Gray Line Iceland location in downtown Reykjavík.

The mountain views, beautiful ocean, and the whales putting on a show were amazing. The boat had plenty of space, and the staff served coffee and hot chocolate.

The weather lightened up during the three-hour whale-watching expedition, so I made the spur-of-the-moment decision to drive to the Geysir hot-spring area. The geothermal area was free to the public and featured geysers that could shoot water over 100 feet in the air.

Most geysers I encountered were inactive, but I saw a fountain-like hot spring, Strokkur, erupt twice.

Though it was freezing, I was excited to go snorkeling between the North American and Eurasian tectonic plates. I paid $150 to go snorkeling and $30 for a diver to snap photos with a company called Dive.IS.

Once I got in my wetsuit, which was surprisingly warm, the instructor taught me about how the tectonic plates shifted. Then, we set out on the 30-minute snorkeling journey.

The buoyancy of the wetsuit made it easy to stay afloat, and I fully enjoyed the clear, refreshing water.

Overall, I still think the $1,700 I paid to travel to and explore Iceland was well spent.

Due to the snowy, cloudy weather, I never went on the Northern Lights tour I'd booked. Though my heart was set on seeing the streaks of blue, green, and purple flash across the sky, my stay showed me plenty of things to see and do in Iceland.

I got out of my comfort zone by whale-watching and snorkeling and had an amazing time learning about the country's rich history.

Gray Line Iceland, the company I booked the $66 Northern Lights tour through, offered customers who didn't see the lights the option of getting a refund or a ticket to use in the future. I opted for the ticket.

I'll definitely return to Iceland to try to see the lights again soon.