The Best of Iceland

Your itinerary begins in Reykjavik, the vibrant Icelandic capital, where after arriving independently you will make your way to the hotel for your first overnight stay. Today will be at your leisure, and there are countless things to do in Reykjavik to give you a taste of what Iceland has in store. You could choose to explore around the beautiful public gardens and parks, visit the Harpa concert hall and old harbour, see the famous Hallgrímskirkja Church or take an excursion to the nearby Blue Lagoon. Depending on the time of year you’re travelling, you may also be able to book a Northern Lights tour. Our team of destination experts will be more than happy to offer you some tips for your time here.

In the evening you will have the chance to meet up with your CEO and fellow travellers at the welcome meeting.

1 night’s accommodation at Hotel Cabin (or similar) with breakfast included the following morning.

After breakfast at the hotel this morning you will hop into the minibus for the approximately 5 hour journey to Akureyri, soaking up the remarkable scenery along the way. You will also stop for lunch at a local cantina along the way. Upon arrival in Akureyri, the rest of the day will be free to do what you please. There are fantastic whale watching tours available which depart from nearby Dalvik and offer a thoroughly enjoyable scenic boat ride through Eyjafjörður in search of sightings of Bottlenose Whales, Minke, and Humpback Whales. These whale watching trips are not included as part of your package but can arranged when you book. Alternatively, you may wish to simply spend some time exploring around Akureyri at your leisure.

1 night’s accommodation at Sveinbjarnargerdi Country Hotel (or similar), with breakfast included.

Today you will take a full day tour from Akureyri to Borgarfjörður, stopping at a number of fascinating areas along the way. First up will be the famous Goðafoss waterfall, one of the most impressive waterfalls in the whole of Iceland, where you can enjoy the walking paths that offer fantastic photo opportunities of the falls from every angle. Next up is the Myvatn Geothermal Lake which was formed during a volcanic eruption 2,300 yrs ago and offers unforgettable scenery and the chance for some birdwatching. In the lava fields of Dimmuborgir, you can enjoy a walk around looking for the dramatic arches, pillars and lava caves that are truly a sight to behold, before moving on to Námaskarð to see its bubbling mud pools and steaming fumaroles. The final stop of today will take you to another mightily impressive waterfall, Detiifoss, which is thought to be the most powerful waterfall in Europe.

After a busy day of exploring, you will arrive in Borgarfjörður in the evening to enjoy a stay in a local guesthouse. Breakfast included.

Leaving beautiful Borgarfjörður behind, you will now enjoy a very scenic drive along the coast through the majestic eastern fjords towards Hofn. On the way you will pass by Vatnajokull glacier, the largest ice cap in Europe. Upon arrival in the scenic fishing town of Hofn, the rest of the evening will be at your leisure.

1 night’s accommodation at Hoffell Glacier World Guesthouse (or similar) with breakfast included.

Moving on from Hofn, today will be all about ice as you make your way to the Jökulsárlón glacier lagoon for tremendous views of the ice cap and the towering icebergs which have calved off the Breiðamerkurjökull glacier. The lake here is the lowest point in Iceland and the imposing icebergs in striking shades of white and bright blue, often with seals lounging on top, make for dramatic scenery that is sure to fill your cameras. Optional activities are available here including a wonderful glacier lagoon boat ride, either by amphibian boat or Zodiac boat. (Costs apply)

You will then move on to equally scenic Diamond Beach before making your way to Skaftafell National Park for some exploration around the area’s diverse landscape. Here you can opt to join a thrilling and energetic glacier hike (costs apply). Please note, today’s optional activities should be booked in advance.

By early evening you will arrive in the small town of Vík for your overnight stay at Hotel Dyrholaey (or similar). Breakfast included.

Today will see you fulfil the “Golden Circle” tick-list as you set off from Vík and make your way back to Reykjavik. The first stop will bring you to Reynisfjara Beach to see its famous black sand with foaming white waves crashing along it, ominous rock formations and shallow caves that make for impressive photo opportunities. Next up its time to visit the Seljalandsfoss waterfall and enjoy a walk along the path that allows visitors to peek behind the curtain of water cascading over the rocks above, before visiting Gullfoss, another hugely impressive waterfall that marks the start of the “Golden Circle”.

Continuing onwards you will then reach the famous Geysir Hot Springs to see a variety of geothermal pools and the erupting hot spring Strokkur. Although Geysir is one of the best-known and oldest geysers recorded in the world, it is dormant more often than not, but Strokkur erupts a spray of boiling hot water straight into the air about every ten minutes! We will wait around to try and catch this memorable sight.

The final adventure of your Iceland tour will bring you to the UNESCO world heritage site of Thingvellir National Park, where you can see the tectonic faults created by North American and Eurasian tectonic plates shifting apart, and the Oxarafoss waterfall. This area is one of the most-visited sights in Iceland and will offer the perfect ending to your action-packed itinerary.

By evening you will arrive back into Reykjavik and check into the Hotel Cabin (or similar) for the final overnight stay of your itinerary. Breakfast included.

After breakfast at the hotel this morning, your itinerary comes to an end and it will be time to head homewards or onwards. Should you wish to spend more time here to see more of this fascinating city, our team will be more than happy to help arrange this for you.