Iceland Travel

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.This morning’s drive goes through the countryside 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 being the only place in the world where you can see the separation of the North American and European tectonic plates. Proceed to Geysir, the “geyser” which gave its name to all other erupting hot springs. From there visit the most impressive waterfalls in Europe, Gullfoss (Golden Waterfall).  ATV/Quad Later, take part in ATV/Quad “super sized” biking at Bolalda, with a choice of challenging terrain or a “tamer” route.  Caving Then do some cave walking: discovering the marvels that volcanic activity has created in the past is a trip that everyone can enjoy. The excursion ends at your hotel in Reykjavik. Dinner at a selected restaurant.

Day 3.This day begins with a drive along the south shore. See the waterfalls Seljalandsfoss and Skogafoss – one of which you can actually walk behind! Along the shore, you will see black sandy beaches, mountains and strange lava formations. The Solheimajokull glacier tongue extends down from its mother glacier, Myrdalsjokull, Iceland’s fourth largest. Ice walk/climb Hike 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, with an area of about 590 km². It rests on a very volcanically active mountain massif, which erupted very powerfully in 1918. Its volcano is called Katla, and its caldera is estimated to have a diameter of about 10 km. Snowmobiling. Proceed to snowmobiling on Myrdalsjokull glacier. The surface area is about 600 km², yielding a volume of about 130 cubic kilometers. The excursion ends at your hotel. Dinner at a selected restaurant.

Day 4.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. Lunch as advised by guide. This excursion continues after lunch, through a multitude of small gullies and valleys, clad with low birch-trees that create seemingly endless possibilities for the nature lover. 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. The excursion ends at your hotel. Dinner at a selected restaurant.

Day 5.Morning departure. Explore the pristine highlands of Iceland. The route goes into Landmannalaugar; a high-heat geothermal area. Bare of vegetation, Landmannalaugar has a landscape of brightly colored sands and mountains. Pass by the volcano Hekla before arriving at the interior route, passing over 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. The fresh air, combined with the rivers, craters, high mountains and massive lava fields, gives one a very special feeling. 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 your hotel. Dinner at a selected restaurant.

Day 6.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. Arrive back at the hotel in the evening. Dinner at a selected restaurant.

Day 7.This day leads towards 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. Late evening arrival at the hotel. Dinner at a selected restaurant.

Day 8.Fly to the north of Iceland. Visit the seaside village of Husavik, where Whale watching awaits. The whales most frequently seen are the minke whale, groups of white-beaked dolphins, and porpoises. We often see the popular humpback whale and the killer whales (orcas), and the occasional fin-, sei- and blue whale. After lunch, proceed then 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. We fly back to Reykjavik in the evening. Dinner at a selected restaurant.

Day 9.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. Late evening arrival back at your hotel. Dinner at a selected restaurant.

Day 10.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 11.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 mid-day flight with loving memories of Iceland. Bless, bless!