Day 1 - Arrival at Reykjavík
No Meals Included
Take a flight from London to Reykjavík. Upon arrival, our team will greet you at the airport and transfer you to the hotel in town.
Accommodation: Fosshótel Reykjavík
Day 2 - Thingvellir National Park – Geysir – Gullfoss
Meals Included: Breakfast & Dinner
Breakfast at your hotel. Meet your guide and start your Iceland adventure!
After a quick introductory of our home city of Reykjavík, head to Þingvellir 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!
Next on your journey is Gullfoss, the “Golden Waterfall”, where various walking paths give you photo-worthy views of the beautiful double-ledged cascade. You’ll also visit the nearby Geysir hot spring area to see the famous Geysir and Strokkur, as well as numerous other hot springs and boiling mud pools.
During the day you’ll get a glimpse into Icelandic local life. Visit an Icelandic family farm where tomatoes are grown using organic geothermal energy. Tour the greenhouse and sample some of the farm’s sweet Icelandic tomatoes.
Dinner and overnight in the Golden Circle area.
Accommodation: Hótel Selfoss
Day 3 - Þjórsárdalur Valley – Skógar – Dyrhólaey – Vík
Meals Included: Breakfast & Dinner
Breakfast at your hotel. Explore enchanting Þjórsárdalur valley and its ever-changing landscapes of birch woods, sandy lava fields, rivers, and waterfalls. If the skies are clear, you’ll also see the impressive and beautiful Mt. Hekla volcano towering over the region. Visit Stöng, where you can view a replica of a Viking-age longhouse that was buried by a volcanic eruption of Hekla. The area was a filming location for Game of Thrones Season 4.
Drive along the scenic farmlands of Iceland’s South Shore. Stop to admire the scenic waterfalls Seljalandsfoss and Skógafoss. Each waterfall has its own charm. Continue to Dyrhólaey* and the thundering waves of the Reynisfjara black sand beaches. End the day in Vík, Iceland’s southernmost town.
Dinner and overnight in the Vík area.
*Please note that Dyrhólaey is closed for the bird nesting season between mid-May and the 25th of June.
Accommodation: Hótel Katla
Day 4 - Vatnajökull National Park – Jökulsárlón Glacial Lagoon – Höfn
Meals Included: Breakfast
Breakfast at your hotel. Today you will be in a world of glaciers! You’ll be visiting the southern area of Vatnajökull 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. Drive through vast sand plains created by glacial outwashes as you head east. Visit the national park’s famous Skaftafell area, a site of outstanding natural beauty. Enjoy the views of rich green landscapes and black sands dominated by several magnificent glaciers. You’ll also see Svínafellsjökull, one of the most beautiful glacial “tongues” that are slowly creeping down from Vatnajökull.
Visit Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon where you’ll enjoy the breath-taking sight of icebergs floating in the fantastic 180m (591 ft.) deep glacial lagoon. You also have the option of enjoying a boat tour amid the ice bergs (must be booked in advance). Nearby is the dramatic beauty of the Diamond Beach, named for the shrinking icebergs that settle on the black sands before drifting out to sea.
Your overnight is in Höfn, a fishing port in the shadow of Vatnajökull glacier. Dinner is on your own. Höfn has a nice selection of restaurants and cafes. The local specialty is langoustines (Norway lobsters).
Overnight in Höfn.
Optional tour available
Accommodation: Hótel Höfn
Day 5 - Höfn – Eastfjords – Egilsstaðir
Meals Included: Breakfast & Dinner
Breakfast at your hotel. Drive from Höfn through Almannaskarð pass, stopping to admire the majestic coastline. Continue to the towering mountains plunging vertically into the sea that form the magnificent Eastfjords. We’re sure you’ll love the amazing views, so keep your camera ready! You will also pass villages, each with its own special history and charm. One of these is the tiny village of Breiðdalsvík. Your group will visit the Beljandi Microbrewery and sample some of the wonderful beer. The local community came together in 2017 to transform a rustic warehouse into a charmingly quirky brewery. You’ll meet one of the townsfolk and get a feel for life in a small Icelandic town, as well as see how great beer is made.
The road brings you to Egilsstaðir town, located near Iceland’s largest forest and a lake said to be home to a legendary (friendly) monster.
Dinner and overnight stay in the Egilsstaðir area.
Accommodation: Hótel Hallormsstaður
Day 6 - Lake Mývatn Area
Meals Included: Breakfast & Dinner
Breakfast at your hotel. Explore the empty vastness of the highland desert plateau Möðrudalsöræfi, desolate and yet hauntingly beautiful, as you head towards the Lake Mývatn area.
Visit fantastical Stuðlagil, an impressive canyon made of basalt columns that seem to resemble organ pipes. A viewing platform near the canyon lets you enjoy the canyon’s unique features. Stuðlagil is one of Iceland’s largest basalt formations. You can see how basalt columns like these influenced the design of Reykjavík’s Hallgrímskirkja church.
Stop at Dettifoss, Europe’s largest and most powerful waterfall. Continue onwards to the Námaskarð pass with its boiling mud pools and vibrant colours. We often feel like we are visiting another planet when we come here, and you may feel the same way. It’s such a surreal experience!
Walk along the pseudo craters at Skútustaðir and peek into Grjótagjá, a cave with underground hot springs. Explore the peculiar lava formations at Dimmuborgir. They look as if fantasy creatures built them. Legend has it that elves live here, so be respectful during your visit.
You’ll definitely see why the surreal Mývatn area has become so popular as a movie location.
Dinner and overnight stay in the Mývatn area.
Accommodation: Laxá Hotel
Day 7 - Lake Mývatn Area – Goðafoss – Akureyri
Meals Included: Breakfast
Breakfast at your hotel. Start your day’s adventure with visiting sites in the Mývatn area. Next, head to magnificent Goðafoss waterfall, one of North Iceland’s most important symbols. You will also learn how the waterfall got its interesting name.
Afterwards, you’ll head to Akureyri, the colourful northern “capital“ of Iceland. The town has charming buildings and a beautiful view of the Eyjafjörður fjord. Though small in size, Akureyri has a lively cultural scene.
The rest of the day is open for you to explore Akureyri. If you’re interested in culture, check out the trendy Listagil area, the “Art Canyon.” You can stroll the street here, browsing art galleries and stopping in at one of the friendly cafés or pubs for delicious, locally sourced food. Several museums are worth a visit. The botanical garden is open year-round; many visitors find it interesting that a garden so close to the Arctic Circle has such a large variety of plants. Akureyri also has a nice variety of restaurants, so you’ll certainly enjoy the chance to dine out tonight.
Overnight in Akureyri. Dinner is on your own.
Optional tours available
Accommodation: KEA Hotel Akureyri
Day 8 - Skagafjörður Borgarnes
Meals Included: Breakfast & Dinner
Breakfast at your hotel. Drive through scenic valleys framed by dramatic mountains as you head into the historical Skagafjörður region. Icelanders consider the Skagafjörður area to be one of the country’s finest places for horse breeding. Enjoy an introduction to the unique Icelandic horse breed with its special fifth gait – the tolt. This horse breed has remained unchanged since Viking times.
Cross the Holtavörðuheiði plateau taking you into West Iceland. Drive through Borgarfjörður, a region that has been getting international recognition for its lovely volcanic and wooded scenery and for its Viking history. Listen to the powerful rushing waters of Deildartunguhver, Europe’s mightiest hot spring area. Stop to admire the beautiful Hraunfossar waterfalls, were brightly blue water rushes through black lava formations. Nearby is Barnafoss, a waterfall with even more brilliantly blue colours. There is an interesting and poignant legend associated with this waterfall.
Dinner and overnight stay in the Borgarfjörður area.
Accommodation: Hótel Hamar
Day 9 - Borgarfjörður – Snæfellsjökull National Park – Reykjavík
Meals Included: Breakfast
Breakfast at your hotel. Today, you will explore the amazing variety of natural landscapes in Snæfellsjökull National Park. The park’s crown jewel is Snæfellsjökull glacier itself, which covers a dormant volcano that last erupted in 250 AD. In addition, you’ll also see Kirkjufell, one of the most photographed mountains in Iceland. Walk along the uniquely pebbled seascape of Djúpalónssandur beach. At the picturesque harbour village of Arnarstapi, you can observe magnificent basalt rocks in stacked formations.
One Icelandic Saga mentions that Snæfellsnes and its people are protected by a benevolent half troll who lives high on the glacier. You might even find a sense of magic and healing energy in this beautiful peninsula.
During the day, your group will visit Bjarnarhöfn Shark Museum, where you’ll learn about “hákarl,” the cured shark meat specialty that Icelanders have enjoyed since Viking times. You can even try some for yourself (if you dare).
At the end of the afternoon, your motor coach heads back to Reykjavík. Your guide will bid you farewell at your hotel.
Overnight stay in Reykjavík. Dinner is on your own.
Accommodation: Fosshótel Reykjavík
Day 10 - Farewell to the Land of Fire and Ice
Meals Included: Breakfast
After enjoying your breakfast in hotel, take a private transfer to the airport for your return journey to London.
