You will have the opportunity to visit four National Parks: Snæfellsnes peninsula, Skaftafell, Þingvellir and Jökulsárgljúfur. We will have the possibility to do some walking in the beautiful countryside during the tour, approximately two hours of walking per day. Accommodation is provided in hotels with private facilities. The hotels used on tours are often "summer hotels," used most of the year as boarding schools or country hotels which are simple and clean. On some departures this tour may be operated in reverse.
Day 1: Arrival Iceland
Early morning at Keflavik Airport, transfer to Reykjavik for one night. Avariety of accommodation choices are available from cosy guesthouses,comfortable moderate hotels to superior and deluxe properties. Please ask for pricing details at the time of booking your tour.
Day 2: Snaefellsnes
Pick up from downtown hotels between 0815-0845. We drive to the town of Borgarnes and on to the Snæfellsnes peninsula with its national park and the dominating glacier. We visit small fishing towns, drive through lava fields and enjoy the coastal scenery on our way to the town of Stykkishólmur. Our first overnight is in the Borgarfjörður area.
Day 3: Borgarfjordur-Thingeyjarsysla
We visit the beautiful waterfalls of Hraunfossar, where water comes running from under the lava and into the river Hvítá, and Deildartunguhver, one of the most voluminous hot springs in Europe and through the fertile farmlands of Skagafjörður and Eyjafjörður with it´s beautiful town of Akureyri, the capital of the north. We also visit Goðafoss, the waterfall of the Gods, before reaching our accommodation Þingeyjarsýsla where we stay for the next two nights.
Day 4: Husavik Whale Watching - Lake Myvatn
The day begins with a 3 hour whale watching cruise from the coastal town of Húsavík, weather permitting. We drive to Lake Mývatn which is considered one of the most fertile areas in the world so close to the Arctic Circle. This unique area features strange lava formations, attractive bays, pseudo craters and thousands of birds. We stroll through the lava field of Dimmuborgir and take a bath at Mývatns Nature Baths, before returning to our accommodation.
Day 5: Thingeyjarsysla-Fljotsdalsherad
Today we start the day visiting the volcanic activity at Krafla and the Geothermal area of Námaskarð. We visit Dettifoss waterfall before heading through the uninhabited highlands to the eastern part of the country. Overnight is in the neighbourhood of Egilsstaðir.
Day 6: Egilsstadir-Vatnajokull-Jokulsarlon Glacial Lagoon
Europe´s biggest glacier dominates the landscape with its glacial tongues calving into a glacial lagoon. We take a boat trip on the lagoon among the icebergs. Our overnight is in the Vatnajökull area.
Day 7: Skaftafell National Park-the South
We visit the National Park nestling below Iceland´s highest mountain, the 2110 meter Hvannadalshnjúkur. Then through the sandy desert of the south coast, overlooked by mountainous cliffs, glaciers and waterfalls. Overnight in Rangárvallasýsla.
Day 8: Gullfoss-Geysir-Thingvellir National Park
We start the day with an introduction to the Icelandic horse and then we drive on to Gullfoss which is known in Iceland as the "Golden Falls" and nearby is the fascinating geothermal area of Geysir. The most active geyser is Strokkur,"the churn", which can spout up to seventy feet every five to seven minutes.From there we travel to the ancient Viking Parliament area of Þingvellir National Park before returning to Reykjavík.
Day 9: Departure
Transfer to the airport to catch your flight onwards to your next destination or home. You may also choose to extend your stay in Reykjavik to do more exploring.
Optional Tours:
Reykjavik City Tour
Relaxing Blue Lagoon (on day of arrival or departure combined with transfer)
