Around Iceland

Day 1.

Early morning arrival. An English speaking driver/guide from Luxury Adventures welcomes the guests at Keflavik airport. After being delivered to your hotel in Reykjavik, have a day at leisure. Dinner at a selected restaurant.

Day 2.

Begin the day at Deildartunguhver, the hot spring releasing the most hot water per second in Europe. Afterwards, we head to the waterfalls called Barnafossar. Then we head to the Snaefellsnes peninsula. On the way you will see a lot of lava and craters. Stop at Ytri-Tunga to walk along the shore, and check for seals. We reach the Arnarstapi area after lunch, a region adorned with rugged cliffs and abundant bird life. Nearby are a wealth of caves, volcanic craters, chasms and fantastic lava formations. Snaefellsjokull glacier lies atop an extinct volcano, the site chosen by Jules Verne for the beginning of his Journey to the Centre of the Earth. A magnificent sight, Snaefellsjokull rises, solitary, at the end of the peninsula, into the North Atlantic sky. The excursion ends at Hotel Budir in the early evening. Dinner at the hotel.

 

Day 3.

This morning we drive to Stykkisholmur, on the northern shore of the Snaefellsnes peninsula in western Iceland. We suggest a boat trip from Stykkisholmur for a couple of hours: bird watching, beautiful nature, history, fishing for shellfish and tasting your catch right on board. Lunch at the restaurant Narfeyjarstofa in Stykkisholmur. Then head to the “Capital of the North”, the city of Akureyri. Akureyri is situated in one of the longest fjords in the country, surrounded by mountains reaching 1000-1500 m. The Arctic Circle is only 60 km north of the city. Early evening arrival at Hotel Sveinbjarnargerdi. Dinner at a selected restaurant.

Day 4.

We begin the morning in the seaside village of Husavik, where whale watching awaits. Whale watching: The whales most frequently seen are minke whales, groups of white-beaked dolphins, and porpoises. Then we proceed to Asbyrgi, a magical region with rocky canyons partially covered with birch trees. Sleipnir, the horse of the heathen god Odin, is said to have stepped down in Asbyrgi when passing over the sea – marking the area with his hoof. See the most powerful waterfall in Iceland, Dettifoss. Visit Myvatn, one of Iceland’s most popular tourist destinations, renowned for its awesome natural beauty. Volcanic eruptions played a crucial role in the formation of its landscape in ancient times. Myvatn is also famous for its bird life, home to more species of ducks than any other place on earth. The mud craters at Namafjall are unusually large, a sight which attracts many visitors. In this high temperature geothermal area, the ground is sterile and without vegetation, very acidic due to the effects of the gases from the mud springs. Early evening arrival at Hotel Reynihlid. Dinner at the hotel.

Day 5.

In the morning, cross a part of the north-eastern highlands. Take a stop and have a coffee at Mountain Coffee, the highest permanently inhabited farm in Iceland. Not far away from there, the strange landscape will make you will feel as if were you were on the moon. Proceed to Saenautasel, to explore a turf house built in 1843. The excursion continues after lunch. The next stop is a visit to the reindeer farm Klausturssel. From there, cross the glacier valley on your way to the “Capital of the East”, Egilsstadir, with a short visit to Husey to check out the seals. We head onwards to the town of Seydisfjordur. Early evening arrival at Hotel Aldan. Dinner at the hotel.

Day 6.

In the morning we head onwards to the sea village Breiddalsvik, passing through farmland to the spectacular eastern coast. Suggested lunch at Kaffi Margret. Visit Djupivogur, with the option of taking a boat trip to the island of Papey to explore the local bird life, especially the puffin and the arctic tern. Early evening arrival at Hotel Smyrlabjorg. Dinner at the hotel.

 

Day 7.In the morning, visit Europe’s biggest glacier, Vatnajokull, after a short boat trip between the icebergs on the glacial lake Jokulsarlon. The excursion continues after lunch, travelling along Iceland’s highest mountain, Oraefajokull (2111 m) to Skaftafell National Park. Either take a short walk to the glacier Skaftafellsjokull, have a look at the information center where they show a video of the sub glacial eruption of 1996, or take a hillside walk (2 h) to the waterfall Svartifoss. After this stop, continue along the huge glacier tongue of Skeidararjokull. Early evening arrival at Hotel Ranga. Dinner at a selected restaurant.

Day 8.

This morning, the drive goes along Iceland’s south shore. See the waterfalls Seljalandsfoss and Skogafoss – one of which you can even walk behind! Along the shore you will see black sandy beaches, mountains and strange lava formations. Solheimajokull glacier tongue extends down from its mother glacier, Myrdalsjokull. Ice walk  on crampons up on to the ice field where a wonderland of ice sculptures, ridges and deep crevasses awaits discovery. Myrdalsjokull (1480m) is the fourth largest glacier in Iceland, with an area of about 590 km². It rests on a volcanically active mountain massif, which erupted very powerfully in 1918. Its volcano is called Katla, its caldera estimated to have a diameter of about 10 km. Just west of this glacier is the infamous Eyjafjallajokull (1666m), which disrupted world air travel in 2010. Go snowmobiling on Myrdalsjokull. The excursion ends at Hotel Ranga in the early evening. Dinner at a selected restaurant.

 

Day 9.

In the morning your guide will take you to Thorsmork, one of the most beautiful spots in Iceland. Translated as “Thor’s Woods”, Thorsmork is a nature reserve shielded on three sides by glaciers, mountains and glacial rivers. For this reason, Thorsmork is difficult to reach, except by mountain vehicle. The outlet glaciers tumble and crawl down into the gullies, some of them ending in spectacular glacial lagoons. The glacial melt-off forms rivers that all have to be crossed on the way to Thorsmork. Some days the crossing can be quite challenging. An innocent stream can change into a thunderous torrent in a matter of hours. End the day at Hotel Ranga. Dinner at a selected restaurant.

Day 10.

Morning departure. Explore the pristine highlands. The way goes into Landmannalaugar, a high-heat geothermal region. It’s like driving on the moon. No vegetation, only brightly-colored sands and mountains. Landmannalaugar is situated in the central highlands of Iceland. Pass the volcano Hekla before arriving at the interior route, across lava fields, black ash and scoria deserts. Landmannalaugar is an area of great contrasts, with black ridges and colorful mountains of green, red, yellow and orange. We recommend you top the day off with a nice hot bath in a natural geothermal hot spring. Afterwards, take a hike over the lava, which still has hot steam coming up from the ground. The excursion ends in the early evening at Hotel Ranga. Dinner at a selected restaurant.

Day 11.

In the morning we proceed to Geysir, the “geyser” which gave its name to all other erupting hot springs. From there visit the most impressive waterfall in Europe, Gullfoss (Golden Waterfall). Thousands of tons of icy water thunder majestically down in a double-fall into a deep gorge. Then we head to Thingvellir, the site of the original Althing, considered the oldest democratic parliament in the world. This area is noted for its spectacular lava formations, and for being the only place in the world where you can see the separation of the North American and European tectonic plates. Proceed to ATV/Quad “super sized” biking in Josefsdalur, with a choice of challenging terrain or a “tamer” route. Josefsdalur is the motorhead’s ultimate dream. Then go Caving, discovering the marvels that volcanic activity has created in the past in a trip that everyone can enjoy. The excursion ends in the early evening at your hotel in Reykjavik. Dinner at a selected restaurant.

Day 12.

Start the day by trying Horseback riding in Icelandic nature. The Icelandic horses are often called ponies, and have been a part of the Icelanders life since the Viking age. Afterwards, drive in a sightseeing tour of Reykjavik and its immediate vicinity. See the old town centre, the Parliament, the Cathedral, the harbor, the National Museum and Hofdi house, site of the 1986 Reagan-Gorbachev summit. Drive past the city’s local salmon river and take in the Arbaejarsafn outdoor folk museum. It provides an interesting contrast to the most recent part of Reykjavík. Arrive back at the hotel in the evening. Dinner at a selected restaurant.

Day 13.

Start the day by going self-driving in a super jeep/SUV tour, led by your guide. Your guide will go over how to drive the vehicle, teaching you all the safety rules. The excursion continues after lunch. The locations visited depend on weather conditions. Early evening arrival back at your hotel. Dinner at a selected restaurant.

Day 14.

The morning starts by going to the Blue Lagoon, a natural geothermal spa surrounded by lava fields and black sandy beaches. Have “the swim of your life”, enjoying the comfort of the warm lagoon water. Suggested lunch at the Blue Lagoon. After lunch, head to the airport for your flight with loving memories of Iceland. Bless, bless!