Glacial Adventure

Arrival in Iceland – The world’s northernmost capital city

Once you have landed at Keflavik Airport, please pick up your luggage and head through customs. Collect your rental car at the airport.

Travel to your hotel in Reykjavík and check-in. The rest of the day is open for your own activities. One of our favorite activities after a long flight is to visit one of the neighborhood geothermal pools. It is so refreshing to relax in the warm water, breathing in the fresh Icelandic air. It’s a wonderful way to get to see Icelandic daily life and maybe meet a few locals. It’s also nice to take a stroll in the old city center, perhaps visiting one of the museums or relaxing with a cup of coffee in a cozy café.

Please note check-in for most hotels begins at 14:00 – 16:00 (2:00pm-4:00pm)

Approximate distance: 50 km / 30 miles

National Park with Geological Wonders – Lively Geysers – The Famous Golden Falls

This morning, head for the UNESCO-listed Thingvellir National Park, where the world’s oldest parliament met for centuries on the shores of Iceland’s largest lake. This is also the meeting point of the tectonic plates that divide the North American and European continents, giving you the rare chance to take a walk between two continents. Visit the quirky geothermal fields of Geysir. Stroll along a footpath around colorful bubbling mud pools and spouting geysers. The most famous of these is Strokkur, which erupts about every ten minutes. Then visit the dramatic, two-tiered Gullfoss waterfall, a spectacular sight in winter when frozen mid-cascade. You can get great views of the waterfall from different angles on a variety of paths.

Afterwards drive along winter country roads to your overnight in South Iceland. If nature co-operates, you might glimpse some northern lights!

Travel idea: the Golden Circle area is full of hot springs, and there are two great local favorite bathing pools. Laugarvatn Fontana is built on top of a hot spring, and its steam baths are good for your skin and joints. The Secret Lagoon is a lovely historical stone-lined natural geothermal pool with its own tiny geyser nearby. Why not take a break and indulge in some hot spring relaxation? We’re happy to book a visit to either (or both!) hot springs for you.

Overnight in the Hella or Hvollsvollur area.

Approximate distance: 200 km / 124 miles

Waterfalls – Volcanic Landscapes – Black-Sand Beaches

Today you’ll explore the iconic South Shore, a region lined with volcanic mountains and glacier views. On a clear day, you can catch a glimpse of two very famous volcanoes. Beautiful Mount Hekla is Iceland’s most frequently erupting volcanoes (last eruption: 2000). A more recently erupting volcano is the towering strato-volcano Eyjafjallajokull, which erupted in 2010 and impacted airplane traffic worldwide. We suggest a visit to the LAVA Centre in Hvollsvollur town. Here you can interactive exhibit about the volcanoes and earthquakes that helped create Iceland.

Visit two spectacular waterfalls that have a special beauty of their own in the winter. Seljalandsfoss is a ribbon-like fall that drops gracefully down a cliff. If trail conditions are safe, you can walk behind the waterfall. Majestic Skogafoss has become one of Iceland’s most photographed waterfalls – make sure you have your camera ready for a selfie! As you drive, you’ll also see Myrdalsjokull glacier, one of our favorite places to enjoy guided glacier hiking or snowbomile tours. Continue onwards to Reynisfjara beach and its striking black sands. You can really feel the power of nature in this area of thundering waves and extraordinary rock formations.

Continue onwards, passing Eldhraun, the largest known single lava flow, as you head to your overnight.

Overnight stay in the Hofn area.

Approximate distance: 380 km / 236 miles

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

Today you will be in the southern area of Vatnajokull National Park, the largest of its kind in Western Europe. It’s dominated by Vatnajokull glacier, Europe’s largest ice cap.

Start with a visit to Jokulsarlon Glacier Lagoon, where you can enjoy the breath-taking sight of floating, blue-tinted icebergs on this 180-meter (591-foot) deep glacial lagoon. Nearby is the Diamond Beach, where silvery icebergs rest on black sands. Both the lagoon and the beach are great areas to spend some time catching perfect photographs. You also might glimpse seals lounging near the icebergs. Another glacial wonder in the area is the quiet, mystical Fjallsarlon Iceberg Lagoon.

Vatnajokull National Park’s glacier-ringed Skaftafell area is an outstanding area of natural beauty that also has great winter hiking opportunities. The park’s visitor center can fill you in on which trails are open for hiking during your visit. You can get closer to a glacier – and learn great facts about them – on a guided hiking tour that actually takes you onto the ice itself.

Overnight in the Kirkjubaejarklaustur area.

Approximate distance: 215 km / 127 miles

Greenhouse Village – UNESCO Geopark – Geothermal Lagoon

Head towards the village of Hveragerdi, which is one of the few communities in the world located directly on top of an active geothermal area. Hveragerdi is often called ‘the flower village’ because of its many greenhouses that use hot water from nearby springs. It’s a charming town worth a stop. There are several charming restaurants and shops, as well as a small geothermal park.

Turn onto a coastal road known for its breath-taking views of powerful sea waves slamming against the shoreline. The road leads to the Reykjanes peninsula, a UNESCO Geopark with many intriguing geological wonders, including the bubbling  Krysuvik geothermal area and the lunar landscapes of Lake Kleifarvatn. You can also opt to enjoy a relaxing soak in the famous Blue Lagoon, a unique wonder of nature with pleasantly warm and mineral-rich geothermal water located in a middle of a black lava field. (Please note that admission to the Blue Lagoon must be booked in advance. We would be happy to help you with booking admission). If you’re interested in culture and history, we definitely recommend a visit to the Viking World exhibit where you can discover facts about Viking life and see Islendingurinn, a replica of a Viking ship that sailed from Iceland to North America in the year 2000.

Return to Reykjavik; the evening is open to enjoy Iceland’s capital city.

Overnight in Reykajvik.

Approximate distance: 369 km / 229 miles

Return to Keflavik International Airport

Drive back to Keflavik International Airport.** We recommend departing your hotel in Reykjavik no later than at least 3 hours before your flight departure. It takes approximately 1 hour to drive to the airport, and check-in starts 2 hours before your departure.

If you did not visit the Blue Lagoon earlier but have some free time today, you might want to use the opportunity en route to the airport. For this detour, please be sure to allow for at least 2-2,5 hours additional time to enjoy the Blue Lagoon. Your rental car should be returned to the airport service area, which is located only 2 minutes from the airport building. A shuttle will then transport you to the departure hall.

**Please note that the package price is based on 5 x 24-hour rental days starting at the time of rental. If your flight arrives early on day 1 and departs late on day 6, an additional supplement will be charged unless you choose to return the car in Reykjavik when the 5- day rental is up and use our Airport Direct departure transfer.

Approximate distance: 50 km / 30 miles