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Iceland Spring & Autumn Discovery

8 Days / 11 locations in Iceland

Explore this exotic island in the North Atlantic as part of an international group. Share this travel experience with a group of like minded people, who also have a passion for travel. This tour focuses on nature exploration, soft adventures, culture and food.

Most travelers choose this tour because they love to travel, and want to share that experience with other travel fans, which are also adventurous. There’s nothing like a change of routine and new experiences to bring people together. Would you like to climb a volcano crater, walk through a lava field and bathe in a geothermal hot spring? Would you like to learn about the Vikings, meet some locals, enjoy meals made of pure and natural Icelandic ingredients and help prepare some of these with your fellow travellers? You can choose some of the optional activities during the tour, such as a glacier walk, horseback riding, whale watching, wilderness hiking and even going to the Spa, which makes for excellent and very entertaining dinner conversation!

Itinerary

 
Day 1     Keflavik - Reykjavik
Accommodation: Hotel Klettur
Meals: Dinner

The Flybus shuttle brings travellers from Keflavík International airport to Hotel Klettur in central Reykjavík where you spend two nights. At 19:00 there is a get-together where you meet your local tour leader and fellow solo travellers for a welcome drink in the hotel lounge, followed by an Icelandic dinner in a local Reykjavík Restaurant.

 
Day 2     Reykjavik - Reykholt - Borgarnes
Accommodation: Hotel Klettur
Meals: Breakfast / Dinner

This morning we travel to West Iceland and are introduced to the Icelandic sagas in the settlement center in Borgarnes and climb a volcano crater within an old lava field. Then you get warmed at Deildartunguhver, the Europe's most powerful hot spring, which produces 180 liters per second of water which at 97°Celsius (206 F) is nearly boiling. Nearby we see Hraunfossar which is a series of waterfalls pouring from beneath a long row of lava fields into the Hvítá River. Barnafoss, “the Children’s falls”, is nearby with its own tragic tale. Learn more about Icelandic history at the cultural site of Reykholt. We continue around the scenic "Whale Fjord" and visit a sheep farm where the whole group helps to prepare dinner together with the local host. Return to Reykjavík and overnight at Hotel Klettur.

 
Day 3     Reykjavik - Reykjanes Peninsula - Hveragerdi - Blue Lagoon - Grindavik
Accommodation: Ork Hotel
Meals: Breakfast / Dinner

After a Reykjavík city tour we take a less travelled route around Reykjanes Peninsula. Diverse geological features, hot springs, mountains, lava fields, amazing bird cliffs, moon landscapes, light houses and fishing villages are on today’s itinerary. In the afternoon we visit the famous Blue Lagoon where we soak in the geothermal water. We continue to the small greenhouse village of Hveragerði in South Iceland, where we stay for the next 4 nights at Hotel Örk. The hotel features a large geothermal outdoor pool, several hot tubs, a steam bath and a small golf course. Dinner and overnight at Hotel Örk.

 
Day 4     Hveragerdi - Gullfoss Waterfall - Geysir - Laugarvatn
Accommodation: Ork Hotel
Meals: Breakfast / Dinner

This morning you can learn about the Icelandic horse, its special qualities and its history, and also visit a geothermal greenhouse where the local host tells what it’s like to farm under glass with geothermal heat. Taste some of the delicious tomatoes to see for yourself! Then continue to Gullfoss “the golden falls“, a double waterfall that tumbles 34 meters into the Hvítá river, and attracts tourists and travellers in summer and winter. You see steam from the Geysir geothermal fields as you arrive. There are a variety of hot springs and bubbling pools. The original geyser is now dormant but has been replaced by Strokkur „the Churn“, which erupts at 5-10 minute intervals. The next stop today is at the thermal baths FONTANA in Laugarvatn, where healing geothermal heat seeps directly from the ground amidst a landscape painted with beautiful mountain ranges. Laugarvatn FONTANA will be a highlight of any wellness retreat in Iceland. Here you find three geothermally heated baths, a sauna, a warm sand beach, and access to the pristine waters of Lake Laugarvatn. A visit to the open-air baths at Laugarvatn FONTANA will also give you the opportunity to experience the ever-changing Icelandic weather as the thermal baths can be enjoyed all year around. In fact, spring and autumn makes the visit to the thermal baths an even warmer experience. Dinner and overnight at Hotel Örk.

 
Day 5     Hveragerdi
Accommodation: Ork Hotel
Meals: Breakfast / Dinner

Today we take you out along the south coast. You start at the high but narrow Seljalandsfoss waterfall which plunges over the mountain. There‘s an interesting trail that goes behind the fall – if you are prepared to get wet! Further east we stop at the Eyjafjallajökull Information Center and learn about living next to a glacier and active volcano. Skógafoss waterfall is 60 meters high and one of the most impressive waterfalls in the country. It‘s situated near one of Iceland's finest folk museums. This museum contains an outstanding collection of farm and domestic artifacts typical of Iceland’s past as well as turf-built houses. Now you can choose between an optional guided walk on a nearby glacier, or continue the bus tour to explore a black lava beach with bird cliffs. Dinner and overnight at Hotel Örk.

 
Day 6     Hveragerdi
Accommodation: Ork Hotel
Meals: Breakfast / Dinner

Free morning to enjoy a selection of optional activities: horseback riding, guided hiking or biking tour, visit the local wellness center or join an easy guided walk through the greenhouse village of Hveragerði with several surprising attractions. In the afternoon we travel to the coastal villages of Stokkseyri and Eyrarbakki with many old and colourful houses and visit a local folk and maritime museum. We stroll along the black sands at one of the local beaches. A real highlight will be a dinner of Icelandic lobster at a seashore restaurant and then we return to Hotel Örk.

 
Day 7     Hveragerdi - Thingvellir - Reykjavik
Accommodation: Hotel Klettur
Meals: Breakfast / Dinner

We start the day with a visit at Þingvellir National Park and UNESCO World Heritage Site, an area of exceptional geological and historical interest. We visit the law-rock where the ancient Viking parliament "Althing" met to make laws and settle disputes. We take a short but pleasant walk through this place of natural beauty. Around noon we return to Reykjavík, Iceland's capital, for a last night at Hotel Klettur. Afternoon at leisure for sightseeing, museum visits, shopping, spa treatments or optional whale watching tour. In the evening celebrate your Iceland Discovery Tour with a fish-buffet at a downtown Restaurant. As the night is still young, you might want to remain downtown and check out Iceland’s famous nightlife scene.

 
Day 8     Reykjavik - Keflavik
Meals: Breakfast

The Flybus airport shuttle picks you up at your hotel and takes you to Keflavik airport.

 

Notes

Total mileage without airport transfer is 1200 km (744 miles) during 6 days, which means a daily average of 200 km (124 miles). This means about 2,5-3 hours per day will be spent on the bus. On some days the driving might be longer than on some other days.

Nature Fees

There is a possibility that some of the nature attractions around Iceland might charge an entrance fee during the trip. These entrance fees are not included in the tour price and need to be paid by all tour members additionally on the spot, when entering any of these nature sites. Locations, amount of entrance fee, form of payment and other details are not known at the present time and are subject to change.

Maximum 20 Passengers
Price Includes
Hotel Accommodations 4 Nights
Meals Per Itinerary
Arrival and Departure Transfers Keflavik by Bus
Transportation
Sightseeing and Entrances Per Itinerary
Tour Escort
Price Does Not Include
 Optional Excursions
GJT-1269
1.28.15.WP26