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This smaller-sized group tour is a fantastic combination of our absolute favorite things to do in Iceland, from the iconic sites of Iceland’s South and West Coasts to hidden treasures and uniquely Icelandic activities such as lava caving, Blue Lagoon bathing, traditional tastes, storytelling, and, of course, northern lights hunting. We are proud of our carefully selected local guides who bring their own charm and flavor to this tour.

You’ll also travel at a comfortable pace. Each day there will be no more than 45 minutes to one-hour coach driving between tour stops.

Itinerary

Please note: If you have added extra nights in Reykjavik before your tour, the guide will meet your group for the start of the tour on Day 1 according to the standard “South Coast, Golden Circle, Snaefellsnes and Northern Lights” itinerary.

Upon arrival, head through passport control, collect your bags and go through customs to the Arrival Hall. Airport transfer is not included, but we are happy to help you arrange shared or private transfers.

Once in Reykjavik, check into your hotel. If you arrive early in the day, you might want to explore Reykjavik’s old town area, the location of many museums and galleries. You might also enjoy visiting one of the city’s outdoor geothermal swimming pools, where you can shake off your jetlag. In the afternoon you could take one of our day tours, such as whale watching or horseback riding, both bringing you close to Iceland’s nature and landscape.

Dinner is on your own. Reykjavik offers a multitude of restaurants and/or coffee-houses, making dinner a wonderful way to get better acquainted with Iceland's capital.

Tonight, there will be an information meeting (around 18:00/6:00pm) for you to meet your guide and other tour members. You will also learn more about your tour itinerary.

Overnight in Reykjavik.

Please note that hotels in Iceland start check-in around 14:00 (2:00pm), and early check-in is not guaranteed. Most hotels will be happy to store your luggage if you are not able to check in early.

Approximate distance: ca369km / 229miles

Glacier-crowned Volcano – Volcanic Formations – Icelandic tales – Lava Cave

Breakfast at your hotel. Meet your local guide in the hotel lobby. Depart Reykjavik with your guide and driver. Before leaving the city, you will have the option to visit the interesting Aurora Reykjavik center, where you can learn about northern lights and get tips for taking photos of auroras. (Admission is not included. Travel northwest via an undersea tunnel through Hvalfjordur (Whale Bay) on your way to the rugged coastline of the Snaefellsnes Peninsula.

Known as “Iceland in a Nutshell,” Snaefellsnes will show you an astonishing variety of natural landscapes that can be seen in Iceland, but all conveniently situated in one area. This is part of the remote and tranquil Snaefellsjokull National Park, named after the peninsula’s magnificent glacier-crowned volcano (last eruption: 250 AD). The mountain is said to be protected by a benevolent spirit, and you’ll surely feel recharged as you drive through this beautiful park.

Your group will visit secluded and charming fishing villages as you head along the northern peninsula. View Iceland’s most photographed mountain, Kirkjufell, and its surrounding fjord teeming with herring and orca whales. In nearby Grundarfjordur village, you’ll meet a local storyteller in his home for some funny insights, facts, and fables about Icelanders.

Continue along the coastline, making some amazing stops to admire columnar basalt formations and the crashing waves of the North Atlantic. The afternoon’s highlight is a visit to the spectacular Vatnshellir, an 8.000-year-old lava cave located at the foot of the mystical Snaefellsjokull glacier. An expert cave guide will show you the amazing and beautiful features of Vatnshellir. Your road then leads to Borgarfjordur, a scenic and historical area of West Iceland.

Dinner and overnight in Borgarnes, a charming town that has connections to one of Iceland’s most famous Sagas.

If weather conditions are favorable tonight, you might head out on foot with your guide to search for the elusive Aurora Borealis around your hotel. Otherwise, the northern lights hunt would be on Day 3, 4 or 5 (subject to weather conditions).

Approximate distance: ca235km / 146miles

Ancient parliament and Mid-Atlantic Ridge – Golden Waterfall – Lively Geysers

Enjoy breakfast at your hotel before heading on to the famous Golden Circle route. Iceland’s Golden Circle showcases a trio of celebrated natural attractions. Start with a visit to Thingvellir National Park (a UNESCO World Heritage Site), where Viking settlers established an annual assembly in AD 930. This parliament has now become the world’s oldest. Thingvellir is also a geological masterpiece, as it marks the visible site where the North American and Eurasian continental plates meet. You can walk along a path taking you between the canyon marking the location of the ridge.

Head through scenic farmlands to the celebrated Gullfoss waterfall, believed by many to be Iceland’s most beautiful cascade. Nearby is the Geysir Hot Spring Area, alive with boiling mud pits, steam vents, and exploding geysers. The most famous of these is Strokkur, a high-spouting geyser that erupts every ten minutes.

As a local and cultural treat today, you’ll stop at tiny Laugarvatn village for a taste of traditional “hot spring bread" that has been cooked in the warm ground by geothermal hot springs.

Dinner and overnight in the Golden Circle area.

Approximate distance: ca315km / 196miles

Scenic Waterfalls – Volcanic Views – Lava Flow – Magnificent Glaciers

Breakfast at your hotel. Drive along the iconic South Shore, an area of Iceland that is beautiful to view in the winter. This is one of the main farm regions of the country, and the road will pass by typical Icelandic farms, often with Icelandic horses in the fields. Depending on the weather, you might also get a glimpse of beautiful Mount Hekla, Iceland’s most frequently erupting volcano. South Iceland is home to the LAVA Centre, an interactive, high-tech educational exhibition depicting volcanic activity, earthquakes, and the creation of Iceland over millions of years. Enjoy both the exhibit and an interesting film about Icelandic volcanoes. As you travel onwards, you might get a glimpse of Eyjafjallajokull, the famous ice-capped volcano whose 2010 eruption halted air traffic worldwide.

Stop at two spectacular waterfalls, each with its own charm and character. Depending on the trail conditions you can walk behind Seljalandsfoss. Skogafoss is one of the country’s most photographed waterfalls and is said to be the hiding place for ancient treasure.

Head onwards, passing over Eldhraun, the surreal and vast lava landscapes that were created in one single flow – the largest known lava flow in history. You’ll start seeing views of glaciers as you head into southeast Iceland.

Dinner and overnight in Southeast Iceland.

Approximate distance: ca227km / 141miles

Western Europe’s Largest National Park – Glacial Lagoon with Icebergs – Europe's Largest Glacier

Breakfast at your hotel. Today you’ll be in the southern area of Vatnajokull National Park, named after Europe’s largest glacier. The entire park covers almost 14% of Iceland’s landmass, and it is considered the largest national park in Western Europe.

Start with a visit to Jokulsarlon Glacial Lagoon, where you can enjoy the breathtaking sight of icebergs floating in the deep glacial waters. You might also glimpse seals relaxing in the area. Nearby is the stunning Diamond Beach, where crystal-clear remains of icebergs linger on the black sand before disappearing into the ocean. Next, you'll visit the national park’s famous Skaftafell area, a beautiful “fire and ice” region created by volcanic activity and ringed by many glaciers. This is home to Svinafellsjokull, one of the most beautiful of the glacial outlets emerging from Vatnajokull.

Head west, passing through vast sand plains created by glacial outwashes. The road leads to Vik, Iceland’s southernmost village. Visit Reynisfjara beach, where you can take a walk on the black sand, admiring the extraordinary rock formations and thundering waves of the Atlantic Ocean.

Dinner and overnight in Vik.

Approximate distance: ca300km / 186miles

Reykjanes Seacoast – Moon-like landscapes – Relaxing Spa

Breakfast at your hotel. Today you’ll take a beautiful coastal road that leads onto the breathtaking Reykjanes peninsula. Reykjanes was designated a UNESCO Geopark in 2015 because of its many interesting geothermal and volcanic features, and it is a fantastic place to explore.

Visit Strandarkirkja, a pretty wooden church unique to rural Iceland. There is a long-standing tradition that prayers in the church provide luck and success to fishermen working on the dangerous seas. The small church is built right into the coast with amazing views of the turbulent ocean waves meeting volcanic rocks and black sand. Look for a quaint set of painted elf houses nestled in the church grounds.

Drive to Lake Kleifarvatn, set in fascinating, moon-like surroundings. This lake was the setting for a popular murder mystery, The Draining Lake, by renowned Icelandic author Arnaldur Indridason.

Near the lake’s southern end lies Krysuvik, where powerful jets of steam escape from deep below the earth’s crust and sulphurous steam rises from geothermal vents. You can see small hot springs, brightly colored mud pots, boiling pools, and other types of geothermal activity. The road takes you along low mountains, the shoreline, and craggy cliffs rising sheer from the sea. This is home to Grindavik, a town with a sizeable fishing fleet. After a lunch stop in Grindavik (lunch is on your own), head for the world-renowned Blue Lagoon. Set in a black lava field, this geothermal spa is a lagoon filled with warm mineral-rich seawater that provides ultimate interaction and relaxation in Iceland’s raw nature.

Here you can enjoy a lovely soak in the healing waters of the lagoon, a unique wonder of nature with pleasantly warm, mineral-rich water in the middle of a black lava field.

Return to Reykjavik, where your guide bids you farewell. The evening is open to enjoy the lively capital of Iceland. Dinner is on your own.

Overnight in Reykjavik.

reakfast 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 from 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!

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