Categories Winter Tours Escorted Tours Iceland Winter Tours

Looking for a short trip showcasing the best of South Iceland’s natural wonders and outdoor fun? Join a small group tour that perfectly blends of glittering glaciers, hot spring pools, outdoor adventure, and local experiences.

South Iceland is ideal for getting to know a glacier, and winter is when they’re most glorious. We’ll show you magnificent ice caps, a glacier national park, and floating icebergs. Plus, you’ll get to meet our friend Sleipnir the supertruck and enjoy a unique quest to a natural ice cave on legendary Langjökull glacier. We’ve even added hot spring bathing and local culture to this small group tour for an authentic Icelandic experience!

We Support Iceland’s Nature and Local Communities! During the trip you’ll receive a special souvenir: an Iceland Search and Rescue Association (ICE SAR) key ring. Your guide will tell you about this trained team of volunteers dedicated to rescue work and accident prevention in Iceland. ICE-SAR’s work is supported by contributions from companies and individuals. Iceland Travel is one of these proud supporters. Additionally, all our escorted tours include carbon offsetting through Kolviður, the Iceland Carbon Fund (ICF).

Itinerary

Good to Know: Generally, on days 2 – 4 there will be no more than 45 minutes to one-hour driving between each tour stop. You’ll arrive at each night’s accommodation in the late afternoon.

Please note: If you have added extra nights in Reykjavík before your tour, the guide will meet your group on Day 2 according to the standard “South Iceland Glacier Vistas” tour itinerary.

Arrival at Keflavík International airport. Transfers to Reykjavík are not included in the tour. We would be happy to arrange shared or private transfers for you, so let us know at booking time. Perhaps you might even consider a transfer that lets you visit the Blue Lagoon on your way to Reykjavík. We can help book that!

If you arrive earlier in the day, you might consider adding a day tour. We’d be happy to make suggestions based on your interests. One of our favourite activities after a long flight is to visit one of the neighborhood geothermal pools. It’s also nice to take a stroll in the old city centre, perhaps visiting one of the museums or relaxing with a cup of coffee in a cosy café. You might also enjoy a relaxing visit to the nearby Sky Lagoon.

Dinner this evening is at your leisure. Reykjavík offers a multitude of restaurants, making dinner a wonderful way to get better acquainted with Iceland’s capital.

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.

Golden Circle and Langjökull Glacier Adventure

Approximate Distance:

295 km / 183 miles

Vibrant Crater Lake – Lively Geysers – Golden Falls – Spectacular Glacier

Breakfast at your hotel. Your guide will meet you in the lobby of the hotel.

Depart Reykjavík and drive to the world-famous Golden Circle area. Your day’s adventure starts with a visit to Kerið, a visually stunning volcano crater lake. The combination of distinctive red volcanic rock and the vibrant blue lake make Kerið one of Iceland’s most recognizable craters.

Next, drive to the geothermal fields of Geysir with bubbling mud pools and the high-spouting Strokkur hot spring. After some time to walk around this quirky geothermal area, you’ll head to the area of Gullfoss waterfall.

Here, your group will board a highland bus for a drive on a mountain track deep into the highland wilderness. The vast views of black sand desert and rock formations lend an air of mystery to the day. (Expect some bumpy roads, which are a part of the adventure.) The destination is the magnificent Langjökull, Iceland’s second largest glacier.

Now it’s time to meet Sleipnir, an enormous red glacier truck. Named after Óðinn’s eight-legged stallion, “our” Sleipnir has eight wheels (each as huge as a person) and an 800-horsepower engine. Sleipnir’s design enables it to handle the rugged glacial terrain in relatively smooth comfort. The trusty monster truck takes you up Langjökull to experience the glacier’s beauty up close. During the trip, your glacier guides will share interesting glacier facts and tales of the highlands. The guides will take you on a short ice hike to a mystical and enchanting natural ice cave hidden deep on the glacier. There is something special about standing close to one of those glacial formations that only appear during the winter months.

After returning to “civilisation” you’ll have time admire the dramatic two-tiered Gullfoss waterfall, a spectacular sight in winter when frozen mid-cascade.

Relax after the day’s adventure with a peaceful drive to your accommodation in South Iceland. If the weather conditions are just right, you might even glimpse northern lights dancing in the sky!

Dinner and overnight stay in Southwest Iceland.

If weather conditions are right, your guide will take you on a northern lights hunt on foot in the area outside your hotel tonight, or on the evening of Day 3.

Skógafoss Waterfall and Vatnajökull National Park

Approximate Distance:

390 km / 242 miles

Glacial Views – Lagoon with Icebergs – Europe’s Largest Glacier

Breakfast at your hotel. Drive along the South Shore, an area of Iceland that is especially beautiful to view in the winter. If the skies are clear, you might get a glimpse of two famous volcanoes: Hekla (Iceland’s most frequently erupting) and Eyjafjallajökull (famous for the 2010 eruption that impacted international air traffic).

Stop at the spectacular Skógafoss, a beautifully shaped waterfall that makes a perfect backdrop for a selfie.

The road leads to 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! Visit the national park’s famous Skaftafell oasis, a site of outstanding natural beauty dominated by several magnificent glaciers.

Visit Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon, where you can enjoy the breath-taking sight of icebergs floating in the fantastic 180m (591 ft.) deep glacial lagoon. Nearby is the dramatic beauty of the Diamond Beach, where shrinking icebergs settle on the black sands before they drift out to sea.

After this beautiful day of glaciers, head to your hotel for the evening.

Dinner and overnight in the Kirkjubæjarklaustur area.

The South Coast and Þingvellir National Park

Approximate Distance:

405 km / 252 miles

Black Sand Beaches – Famous National Park –– Seaside Hot Spring Baths

Breakfast at your hotel. Head back along the beautiful South Coast, enjoying a different view of the winter landscapes. Stop in Vik, Iceland’s charming southernmost village. Close by is Reynisfjara beach. Take a walk on the black sand, admiring the extraordinary rock formations and thundering waves of the Atlantic Ocean.

Next, stop at the graceful, ribbon-like Seljalandsfoss falls, where you’ll have time to admire this beautiful cascade.

Now it is time to drink in some of Iceland’s local culture, literally. Visit the geothermal greenhouse town of Hveragerði, home to a microbrewery that is a local favourite hangout. Here, you’ll learn about Icelandic microbrewery culture and, of course, have the chance to sample some of the local brews.

No trip to Iceland is complete without a visit to Þingvellir National Park (UNESCO World Heritage site) where the world’s oldest parliament met for centuries on the shores of Iceland’s largest lake. This place makes us Icelanders enormously proud of our heritage. Þingvellir is also geologically important: it’s the meeting point of the North American and Eurasian tectonic plates. This means you might even have a rare chance to walk between two continents!

Today’s last stop is a relaxing farewell to your adventure. Enjoy the authentic Icelandic tradition of bathing in hot spring fed pools at Hvammsvík nature resort. Hvammsvík sits right near the Atlantic Ocean, with water levels and temperatures of the natural pools fluctuating with the tides. You’ll surely enjoy the unique experience of relaxing in a choice of eight natural hot springs surrounded by majestic mountains and black beaches.

Return to Reykjavík, where your guide bids you farewell at the hotel. The evening is open for you to enjoy your own activities. Dinner is on your own.

Overnight in Reykjavík.

Farewell to the Land of Fire and Ice

Breakfast at your hotel. Please note that this might be a light breakfast if you are taking an early morning departure 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!

Notes