Itinerary

Day 1: Arrival in Reykjavik
Good to Know: Generally, on Day 2 – 8 there will be no more than 45 minutes to one-hour driving between each tour stop. You’ll arrive at each night’s accommodation in the late afternoon.

Please note: If you have added extra nights in Reykjavik before your tour, your tour starts with the evening meeting on Day 1 according to the standard itinerary.

Day 2: The Golden Circle and The South Shore
Highlights:
Geysir Hot Spring
Gullfoss Waterfall
Hekla Volcano
Eyjafjallajokull Glacier
Seljalandsfoss Waterfall
Skogafoss Waterfall
Reynisdrangar Cliffs
Vik i Myrdal

Approximate Distance:
325 km / 200 miles
Exploding Geysers – Waterfalls – Black Sand Beaches

Breakfast at your hotel. Your guide will meet you in the lobby of the hotel. Start your adventure by visiting the fascinating Aurora Reykjavik Northern Lights Centre. You’ll get a great introduction to northern lights, how they are formed and the folklore surrounding them. You’ll also get tips about how to capture northern lights on film.

Continue to the Golden Circle natural wonders. Explore Gullfoss waterfall, a spectacular sight in winter when frozen mid-cascade. Continue to the geothermal fields of Geysir with bubbling mud pools and the high-spouting Strokkur hot spring (and other geysers). Continue along the south shore and stop to admire the waterfalls Seljalandsfoss and Skogafoss before continuing to Dyrholaey and the black sand beaches of Iceland’s South Shore. Continue to the village of Vik.

Dinner and overnight in the Vik area.

If weather conditions are right, your guide will take you on northern lights hunt on foot in the area outside your hotel tonight, or on one of the other evenings that you are staying in the countryside.

Day 3: Vatnajokull National Park (Skaftafell area)
Highlights:
Katla Volcano
Eldhraun Lava Field
Skaftafell National Park
Vatnajokull National Park
Vatnajokull Glacier
Jokulsarlon Glacial Lagoon
Hofn

Approximate Distance:
265 km / 165 miles
Lava Fields – Glacial Lagoon with Icebergs – Europe’s Largest Glacier

Breakfast at your hotel. Today, you’ll be visiting the southern area of Vatnajokull National Park, named after Europe’s largest glacier. The total park area covers almost 14% of Iceland, making it the largest national park in Western Europe! Visit the national park’s famous Skaftafell area, a site of outstanding natural beauty dominated by several magnificent glaciers. Visit Jokulsarlon Glacier Lagoon where you can enjoy the breath-taking sight of icebergs floating in the fantastic 180m (591 ft.) deep glacial lagoon (make sure your camera is loaded and ready!) Nearby is the dramatic beauty of the Diamond Beach, where shrinking icebergs settle on the black sands before they drift out to sea.

Dinner and overnight in Southeast Iceland or in the Hofn area.

Day 4: The East Fjords
Highlights:
Egilsstadir
Lagarfljot Lake
Hallormsstadur

Approximate Distance:
260 km / 162 miles
Narrow Fjords – Picturesque Coastline – Legendary Lake Monster

Breakfast at your hotel. Get ready to enjoy some amazing views today! Drive through Almannaskard pass, stopping to admire the majestic coastline. Continue to an area of towering mountains plunging vertically into the sea that form the magnificent East Fjords. Keep your hand on your camera and keep an eye out for wild reindeer, which can sometimes be seen in the area during the winter months.

You will also pass villages, each with its own special history and charm. One of these is the tiny village of Breiddalsvik. Here, you’ll visit the local Beljandi microbrewery and sample some of the beer. You’ll meet one of the townsfolk and get a feel for life in a small town. Drive to Egilsstadir town, located near Iceland’s largest forest and a lake said to be home to a legendary (friendly) monster. Egilsstadir is also getting a name for itself for its excellent locally sourced cuisine, and you will surely enjoy some of it at dinner.

Dinner and overnight in the Eastfjords area.

Day 5: Lake Myvatn Area
Highlights:
Hverfjall Crater
Myvatn Lake
Krafla Volcano
Dettifoss Waterfall
Vatnajokull National Park

Approximate Distance:
255 km / 158 miles
Highland Desert – Bizarre Lava Formations – Volcanic Winter Wonderland

Breakfast at your hotel. Explore the empty vastness of the highland desert plateau Modrudalsoraefi, desolate and yet hauntingly beautiful in its winter snows, as you head towards the Lake Myvatn area. On the way, stop at Dettifoss, Europe’s largest and most powerful waterfall. Continue onwards to Namaskard pass with its boiling mud pools and vibrant colors. We often feel like we are visiting another planet when we come here, and you may the same way. It’s such a surreal experience!

Explore the natural beauty of the Lake Myvatn area, including the pseudo craters at Skutustadir and the Laxa Salmon River. You will probably see why this area, especially during the wintertime, has been so popular for movie makers.

Dinner and overnight stay in the Myvatn area.

Optional Activity – we recommend you book and pay for this activity in advance to ensure a spot for you on the tour. Let us know during the booking process.

Myvatn Nature Baths – Relax in an azure geothermal lagoon in a peaceful wilderness setting | Duration: Flexible time | Included: Bathing fee | Not Included: Towel and Swimsuit (rentals available)

Day 6: Akureyri and the Troll Peninsula
Highlights:
Dimmuborgir Lava Pillars
Godafoss Waterfall
Akureyri
Trollaskagi Peninsula
Siglufjordur

Approximate Distance:
235 km / 146 miles
“Waterfall of the Gods” – Akureyri – The Beautiful Troll Peninsula

Breakfast at your hotel. Start the day by exploring he peculiar lava formations at Dimmuborgir. The name means “Dark Citadels” in Icelandic, and they certainly look as though were built by fantasy creatures. There are local legends that elves live here.

Visit the magnificent Godafoss waterfall, one of the most important symbols of North Iceland. Afterwards, drive to Akureyri, the colorful northern “capital” of Iceland. The town has charming buildings and a beautiful view of the Eyjafjordur fjord.

After spending some time in Akureyri, continue along the coastal roads of Eyjafjordur and the Troll Peninsula. This is a beautiful drive along steep mountains with amazing views over the Arctic Sea and the black sand coastline. Enjoy a stop in Siglufjordur, a town set in a beautiful fjord of the same name. This town has some of the finest timber buildings in the country, beautifully restored to their original glory.

Visit Siglufjordur’s award-winning Herring-Era Maritime Museum. The museum recreates the atmosphere of the early 20th century, when Siglufjordur was transformed into a frontier-like boom town, thanks to a large migration of herring. The museum will transport you back to that exciting time.

Afterwards, head along majestic mountains and narrow passes to Skagafjordur, considered to be one of the finest places in Iceland for horse breeding.

Dinner and overnight in Northwest Iceland.

Day 7: Skagafjordur – Borgarnes
Highlights:
The Herring Era Museum
Skagafjordur Fjord
Drangey Island
Grabrok Crater
Borgarnes

Approximate Distance:
235 km / 146 miles
Mountain Views – Unique Viking Horse Demonstration

Breakfast at your hotel. Today you will enjoy an introduction to the unique Icelandic horse breed with its special fifth gait, the tolt. Icelandic horses are very important to the country’s history. These gentle horses are known as the Icelandic people’s most faithful servant.

Continue towards the village of Blonduos, built on both sides of the river Blanda. This is a part of Iceland known from the Icelandic literary work Vatnsdaela Saga. Cross the Holtavorduheidi plateau taking you into West Iceland. Drive through Borgarfjordur, a region that has been getting international recognition for its diverse landscapes and its Viking history.

Dinner and overnight stay in the Borgarnes area.

Day 8: Borgarfjordur – Thingvellir – Reykjavik
Highlights:
Deildartunguhver Hot Spring
Barnafoss Waterfall
Hraunfossar Waterfalls
Hvalfjordur Fjord
Thingvellir National Park
Reykjavik

Approximate Distance:
205 km / 130 miles
Hot Springs – Picturesque Waterfalls – National Park with Geological Wonders

Breakfast at your hotel. Visit some of West Iceland’s beautiful natural wonders. Drive to Deildartunguhver, the most powerful hot spring in Europe. Stop to admire the beautiful Hraunfossar waterfalls, where brightly blue water rushes through black lava formations. Nearby is Barnafoss, a waterfall with a brilliantly blue colour.

Drive through the scenic and mountain rimmed Hvalfjordur fjord to Lake Thingvallavatn, Iceland’s largest lake, and Thingvellir National Park. This UNESCO heritage site is where the world’s oldest continuing parliamentary government was founded in the 10th century. It is also the place where the North American and European tectonic plates meet. You will have the unusual experience of walking between two continents! Afterwards, head to Reykjavik for a last night in the colourful capital city. Your guide will bid you farewell at your hotel.

Overnight stay in Reykjavik. Dinner is on your own.

Day 9: Farewell to the Land of Fire and Ice
Breakfast at your hotel. Please note that this might be a light breakfast if you are taking an early morning flight. Transfer on your own to the international airport for your departure flight. The airport transfer is not included, but we are happy to help you arrange shared or private transfers.

We recommend you depart your hotel no later than three hours before your departure flight. We wish you a pleasant trip back to your homeland and hope to see you in Iceland again!