Guided Iceland Circle - 7Nights / 8Days

Day 1: Welcome to Iceland

Individual transfer by Flybus shuttle bus from Keflavik airport to your accommodation in Reykjavik.

Overnight location: Icelandair Hotel Natura. Dinner is on your own. (50km / 31mls)

Day 2: Volcano Crater, Seals, Fjords & Mountains

At 09:00 meet our tour guide and depart from Icelandair Hotel Natura. Travel west along the scenic Hvalfjörður fjord and the town of Borgarnes. Easy hike on Grábrók volcano crater in the middle of a greenish lava field. In the afternoon visit a natural history & seal museum in the fishing village of Hvammstangi. Further north stop at the turf church of Víðimýri and then continue along scenic fjord landscape and over several mountain passes until we reach Akureyri, the capital of North Iceland. The overnight location at Akureyri allows you to walk around the town.

Overnight location: Icelandair Hotel Akureyri. Breakfast included. Dinner is on your own. (425km / 264mls)

Day 3: The Capital of North Iceland, Lake Mývatn & Geothermal baths

In the morning we explore the town of Akureyri: visit the botanical garden, walk the streets and admire the panoramic view over the Eyjafjörður fjord. In the afternoon we travel to Goðafoss – the waterfalls of the Gods. Then we explore Lake Mývatn, famous for its strange lava formations at Kálfaströnd, its pseudocraters at Skútustaðir and its tephra cone Hverfjall. We end the afternoon relaxing in the Mývatn Nature Baths with a fantastic view over the whole area.

There is a possibility of seeing the Northern Lights during the evening from October to mid-April.

Overnight location: Sel Hotel Mývatn or similar. Breakfast included. Dinner is on your own. (120km / 75mls)

Day 4: Lava Labyrinth, Hot Springs & Travel East

In the morning we walk in the lava labyrinth at Dimmuborgir “the dark castles”, hoping to get a glimpse of the trolls who are said to live there. In the afternoon, we visit the hot spring area of Námaskarð with bubbling mud pools and steaming solfataras. We head through the uninhabited highlands and moon-like surrounding to East Iceland. From June to August the tour includes a detour to the powerful waterfall Dettifoss.

Overnight location: Icelandair Hotel Hérað (Oct-Apr) or Álfheimar Guesthouse (May-Sept). Breakfast included. Dinner is on your own. (250km / 155mls)

Day 5: East Fjords

It’s a day to admire the dramatic fjord landscape and its tiny fishing villages at the end of twisty roads in the East Fjords and on route we visit an interesting stone and mineral collection. In the afternoon we see Vatnajökull – Europe’s biggest glacier that is visible all over Southeast Iceland.

There is a possibility of seeing the Northern Lights during the evening from October to mid-April.

Please note that itinerary on this specific day can change due to seasonal factors, such as daylight.

Overnight location: Hotel Höfn. Breakfast included. Dinner is on your own. (260km / 161mls)

Day 6: Vatnajökull National Park, Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon, Diamond Beach & South Coast

We start the day with a stop at Jökulsárlón, a glacial lagoon filled with floating icebergs, and we explore the extraordinary site and might see seals swimming in arctic waters. You can walk on the black sandy beach where large icebergs get stranded. Depending on the season optional boat trips are available. We travel along the southern part of the glacier Vatnajökull and spend time at Europe’s largest national park, which has Iceland’s highest mountains, an alpine environment, and Europe’s largest glacier.

In the afternoon, a beautiful drive with many natural wonders awaits us today as we head across the Eldhraun lava field, cross the sandy desert of the south coast, overlooked by mountainous cliffs, glaciers and waterfalls. We stroll along the black lava beach of Reynisfjara near Vík. In the small village of Skógar there is Skógafoss waterfall which is 60 meters high and is one of the most impressive waterfalls in the country. We continue to the high but narrow Seljalandsfoss waterfall which plunges over the mountain. There is an interesting trail that goes behind the fall – if you are prepared to get wet! Further west we stop at the Lava Centre and learn about Iceland’s volcanic activity.

There is a possibility of seeing the Northern Lights during the evening from October to mid-April.

Please note that itinerary on this specific day can change due to seasonal factors, such as daylight.

Overnight location: Hotel Eyjafjallajökull. Breakfast included. Dinner is on your own. (380km / 235mls)

Day 7: Icelandic Horses & Golden Circle

We explore classics today as we travel the route of the Golden Circle sights. We start the day at Friðheimar, where you learn about the Icelandic horse, its special qualities and history and visit a geothermal greenhouse. Later on we see steam from the Geysir geothermal fields as we arrive. There is 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. We continue to Gullfoss, “the golden falls“, which is a double waterfall that tumbles 34 meters into the Hvítá river and attracts travellers in summer and winter. We travel inland to Thingvellir National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage site. As we return to Reykjavík, we take you for a short city tour to show highlights of the world’s northernmost capital.

Overnight location: Icelandair Hotel Natura or similar. Breakfast included. Dinner is on your own. (160km / 99mls)

Day 8 Departure Home

Individual transfer by Flybus shuttle from your accommodation in Reykjavik to Keflavik airport.

Breakfast included. (50km / 31mls)