Private transfer to Reykjavik. Overnight stay in a superior hotel in Iceland’s capital.
Included choice of activities: Horseback riding or whale watching or Blue Lagoon or extra sightseeing, depending on arrival time or departure time.
We leave Reykjavik and drive to the famous double falls at Gullfoss and Geysir hot springs, with a stop by some man-made beauty at the church of Skálholt. We see some history at Þingvellir National Park, site of the ancient Viking Parliament, before continuing to Reykholt. There’s more history here, as this is the home of the 13th-century poet, Snorri Sturluson. We stay in West Iceland for the next two nights.
Included choice of activities: Hiking on route or visit lava cave.
Enjoy a day excursion to the amazing Snæfellsnes Peninsula and its lovely “capital”, the charming fishing town of Stykkishólmur. Then it’s off to sea, cruising around Breiðafjörður Fjord, home to thousands of seabirds. Back on land, a uniquely Icelandic treat awaits us at Bjarnarhöfn, where they make Hákarl, the fermented shark. In the afternoon we stop at Europe’s most powerful hot spring Deildartungahver and the lava waterfalls of Hraunfossar.
We travel through old lava fields, fertile farmlands and fjord landscapes to Northwest Iceland where we are introduced to the Icelandic horse. Then it’s over a high mountain pass to Akureyri, the capital of North Iceland. We spend the next three nights in the fishing town of Húsavík.
Included choice of activities: Horseback riding or turf farm & turf church visit.
The day starts with a 3-hour whale watching tour from Húsavík or Akureyri, weather permitting. We have the afternoon free to write postcards, relax and wander around town. There are some interesting museums and you can visit the church, too!
We visit the waterfall <Goðafoss, en-route to Lake Mývatn. This lake is known for its lush vegetation and countless species of birds, some of which are not found anywhere else in Europe. The unusual lava field Dimmuborgir will be explored and we will walk up to the rim of the ash crater Hverfjall. All of our work is rewarded with a soak in the natural hot springs at Mývatn Nature Baths, before heading back to our accommodation.
Today starts with a scenic drive around Tjörnes Peninsula and on tour departures from June to September a visit to the magnificent waterfall Dettifoss, the most powerful in Europe, part of Vatnajökull National Park, before heading through the uninhabited highlands to East Iceland where we stay for the next three nights.
It’s a pretty drive around Lake Lögurinn to Egilsstaðir – please keep an eye out for the monster. We visit the unusual farm mansion at Skriðuklaustur, which was built by a well-known writer. When conditions are right, we can walk up to Hengifoss, one of the highest waterfalls in Iceland. We also take a pretty drive over a mountain pass down to the fishing village of Seyðisfjörður.
Borgarfjörður Eystri is a short wide fjord and grassy fertile valley with a charming fishing village of the same name, and the capital of Iceland’s elf community in East Iceland. Magnificent colourful mountains and numerous beautiful rocks and rare stones are found here. This day tour takes you off-the-beaten-paths!
We enjoy the dramatic fjord landscape, twisty roads and fishing villages of the East Fjords. Soon we see Vatnajökull, Europe’s biggest glacier, which dominates Southeast Iceland. We experience the glacier on a boat trip (May-Sept) among the floating icebergs in the glacial lagoon Jökulsárlón. For the next two nights, we stay in the Vatnajökull National Park region.
We have the whole day to relax, walk, and explore Skaftafell and Vatnajökull National Park.
Value-added and included activity depending on season: Glacier hike or superjeep/snowmobile tour or a visit to natural ice-cave (mid-November to mid-March).
Our return to Reykjavík goes through the fertile meadows and sandy desert of the south coast, overlooked by mountainous cliffs and glaciers. There are spectacular black lava beaches and several beautiful waterfalls on the way, such as Skógafoss and Seljalandsfoss, and we may spot puffins and even some seals. There’s a short visit to the folk museum at Skógar with its turf houses, before arriving back at the capital.
Private transfer from your accommodation in Reykjavík to Keflavík airport.