12-Days Grand Tour of Iceland Tour from Reykjavík

What's Included

Meeting and pickup

Itinerary

Day 1
Welcome to Iceland. Individual transfer by Flybus shuttle bus from Keflavik Airport to your accommodation in Reykjavík.
1 stop
1
Reykjavik
Relax at your hotel or explore Iceland’s capital city on your own if time allows. The hotel is ideally located to explore the city on foot with the main shopping street, Laugavegur, just around the corner.
4 hours • Admission ticket free
Day 2
Golden Circle
4 stops
2
Fridheimar
Learn about the Icelandic horse, its unique qualities and history and visit a geothermal greenhouse.
1 hour • Admission ticket included
3
Gullfoss
The mighty waterfall of Gullfoss - the Golden falls - perhaps the most beautiful in the country. The glacial river of Hvítá (white river) tumbles 32 meters (105 ft.) in a double cascade. On a sunny day a rainbow is very likely in the massive spray.
40 minutes • Admission ticket free
4
Geysir
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 The original geyser is now dormant but has been replaced by Strokkur, "the Churn", which erupts at 5-10-minute intervals.
1 hour 30 minutes • Admission ticket free
5
Pingvellir National Park
UNESCO World Heritage site since 2004. Stroll around the country’s most sacred site, home of the oldest existing national parliament in the world, the Alþingi, and major events in the history of Iceland. Thingvellir is a place of fascinating natural beauty, a spectacular geological vista, set on a vast plain flanked by large fissures, right by Iceland’s largest lake, Thingvallavatn.
45 minutes • Admission ticket included
Day 3
Snæfellsnes Peninsula & Ferry trip to West Fjords
4 stops
6
Snaefellsjokull National Park & Glacier
Explore the Snæfellsnes Peninsula, which juts out from Iceland’s West Coast. A rugged mountain chain runs its length, capped by the 1,446-meter Snæfellsjökull glacier, a mystical cone-shaped stratovolcano. We travel around the Snæfellsnes Peninsula, through lava fields, and along the ocean with many excellent Icelandic photo opportunities. We see the most popular sites at the Snæfellsnes National Park where volcanic craters, lava flows, an ice cap, glaciated peaks, fjords, sandy beaches, and high cliffs shape its landscapes. We follow the adventure of Jules Verne’s classic science-fiction novel about “The Journey to the Center of the Earth”.
2 hours • Admission ticket free
7
Vatnshellir Lava Cave
Your chance to go on a trip to the interior of the earth under the glacier Snæfellsjökull! This lava cave tour takes you 35 meters underground and about 200 meters into the lava tube called Vatnshellir.
1 hour • Admission ticket included
8
Kirkjufell Mountain
Jutting out into the bay rises one of the most photographed mountains in Iceland, Mt. Kirkjufell. A photo stop is of course included!
10 minutes • Admission ticket free
9
Stykkisholmur
In the afternoon, we catch the car ferry Baldur from Stykkishólmur to Brjánslækur in the West Fjords. On the 2,5 hour journey over Breiðafjörður Bay, we pass the island of Flatey, which is inhabited only during the summertime. If the weather is beautiful, you enjoy a magnificent view of the bay’s countless isles as well as the glacier Snæfellsjökull.
2 hours 30 minutes • Admission ticket free
Day 4
Iceland's Westernmost Point
2 stops
10
Hnjotur - Minjasafn Egils Olafssonar
Folk and transport museum in Hnjótur. Items on display showing the history and every day life in the Southern Westfjords.
1 hour • Admission ticket included
11
Latrabjarg bird cliffs
We continue through a very remote and sparsely populated region to the bird cliffs of Látrabjarg, the largest seabird cliff and the westernmost point of Iceland and Europe where you can see puffins from mid-May till mid-August. We take a walk in the wilderness to the top of the highest bird cliff in Iceland. Látrabjarg is known in the world for its density of Nordic birds. Puffins, razorbills, guillemots, fulmars, cormorants, kittiwakes and other cliff birds flock either in hundreds, thousands and even in millions. Látrabjarg is a place where you can get very close to the seabirds, and even if you're not into birdwatching, you are entertained by the comic puffins and mesmerized by the sheer number of birds.
2 hours • Admission ticket free
Day 5
Beautiful West Fjords
2 stops
12
Dynjandi (Fjallfoss)
The unique waterfall Dynjandi with its seven levels of plunging water, declared the country’s most beautiful waterfall by the people of Iceland. continue over a mountain pass and travel along the southern shores of the West Fjords. This is a route less travelled and characterized by sheer cliffs, deep cut bays and narrow stretches of coastal lowland.
1 hour • Admission ticket free
13
Erpsstadir Cottage
A family run dairy farm best known for their ice cream and various other dairy products. Take a look at the milk production world and taste their unique ice cream directly from the farm, with local flavours
45 minutes • Admission ticket included
Day 6
Heading North
4 stops
14
Hvitserkur
A gravel road takes us around the peninsula to Hvítserkur, a highlight on the east coast of the region; a mass of igneous rock, about 15 meters high, situated on the seashore. Fulmars and gulls live on Hvítserkur. An old story has it that Hvítserkur is a petrified troll that intended to stone a nearby cloister, but dawn arrived before he could succeed.
30 minutes • Admission ticket free
15
Borgarvirki
Take a short walk up to Borgarvirki, on a 180-meter ridge. The ruins of Borgarvirki are a circular, fort-like stone enclosure rising above 10-15 meter basalt columns. Inside are the remains of a well and some dwellings.
30 minutes • Admission ticket free
16
Kolugljufur Waterfall
We continue to Kolugljúfur canyon, where waterfalls cascade into the deep, rugged gorge. It is a breathtaking sight to walk on the viewing platform and watch the calm waters of the river suddenly leap and tumble onwards over so many impressive falls – a sight which will leave no one unmoved.
30 minutes • Admission ticket free
17
Vioimyrarkirkja Church
Further north we stop at Víðimýri to visit one of the few preserved turf churches in Iceland. The church was built in 1834 and has turf walls, but timber gables both back and front.
30 minutes • Admission ticket free
Day 7
Iceland's Northernmost Town, Whale Watching & Sea Angling
3 stops
18
The Herring Era Museum
Iceland’s largest maritime museum and the only Icelandic museum who has won the European Museum Award. Totaling 2500 square meters, this museum shows the remarkable history and past glory of Siglufjörður as the herring capital of Iceland.
1 hour 30 minutes • Admission ticket included
19
Whale Watching Hauganes
Go whale watching for 2-3 hours in Eyjafjörður – Iceland’s longest fjord right below the Arctic Circle. You will see humpback and minke whales, harbour porpoises and dolphins – The success rate to spot whales is 99%! For an added bonus and fun, try your luck at sea angling towards the end of the tour.
2 hours 30 minutes • Admission ticket included
20
Akureyri
Akureyri, a charming town of 18000 inhabitants. Sometimes called 'The capital of the north' it is the largest town outside the southwest corner.
2 hours • Admission ticket free
Day 8
Geological and Volcanic Lava Wonders
5 stops
21
Godafoss
One of the prettiest waterfall in Iceland. 'Waterfall of the Gods' draws its name from the time when Christianity became the official religion of Iceland.
40 minutes • Admission ticket free
22
Dimmuborgir Lava Formations
In the morning we hike in a lava labyrinth at Dimmuborgir “the dark castles”, hoping to get a glimpse of the trolls who are said to live there.
40 minutes • Admission ticket free
23
Lake Myvatn
Lake Mývatn which is known for its geological wonders and active bird life during summer. We stop at the bizarre lava formations at Kálfaströnd followed by a walk around the many pseudo craters.
2 hours • Admission ticket free
24
Námaskarð
We visit the hot spring area of Námaskarð with bubbling mud pools and steaming solfataras.
30 minutes • Admission ticket free
25
Dettifoss Waterfall
Dettifoss, Europe’s most powerful waterfall, in the northern part of Vatnajökull National Park. The round-trip walk takes about 40-60 minutes.
50 minutes • Admission ticket free
Day 9
Eastfjords and Geothermal Bathing
3 stops
26
Egilsstadir Swimming Pool
Our first stop will be at Vök baths, a geothermal floating pools in Lake Urriðavatn where guests can soak in the hot water, within and surrounded by the lake.
1 hour 30 minutes • Admission ticket included
27
Petra"s Stone Collection
Visit Petra’s fascinating rock collection. A naturalist and a collector are two terms that have been used to describe Petra since she was a little girl. Petra collected for nearly 80 years this unique treasure of rocks, crystals, zeolites, quartz and more, all from the nearby area in the Eastfjords.
1 hour • Admission ticket included
28
Vatnajokull Glacier
Europe’s biggest glacier that is visible all over Southeast Iceland.
Admission ticket free
Day 10
Vatnajökull National Park, Glaciers & Glacier Lagoon
2 stops
29
Jokulsarlon
Jökulsárlón, a glacial lagoon filled with floating icebergs. Explore the amazing site and you might see seals swimming in arctic waters. Included is a boat ride amongst the floating icebergs, considered one of the highlights on tour around Iceland
1 hour 30 minutes • Admission ticket free
30
Fellsfjara
Black sandy beach, the so-called Diamond beach, across the road from Jökulsárlón. Here large icebergs from Jökulsárlón get stranded.
20 minutes • Admission ticket free
Day 11
The South Coast
4 stops
31
Reynisfjara Beach
Take a stroll on the black lava beach and along bird cliffs at Reynisfjara Black Sand Beach. Interesting caves and impressive rock formations can be seen, including columnar basalt.
40 minutes • Admission ticket free
32
Skogafoss
Skógafoss waterfall, another must-see location in South Iceland. The crashing water creates a mist that results in frequent and magical rainbows, just adding some more memorable experiences to the sheer beauty of this stunning scenery and place.
45 minutes • Admission ticket free
33
Seljalandsfoss
Seljalandsfoss waterfall where you can follow a slick and wet trail and walk right behind it. Come prepared and bring a raincoat and good boots as you will get wet.
45 minutes • Admission ticket free
34
Lava Centre
Visit the Lava & Volcano Exhibition Centre focused on geology and active volcanoes and watch a documentary film about volcanic eruptions in the past years in Iceland.
1 hour • Admission ticket included
Day 12
Departure Day - Individual transfer by Flybus shuttle from your accommodation in Reykjavik to Keflavik Airport
1 stop
35
Reykjavík
Relax at your hotel or explore Iceland’s capital city on your own if time allows. The hotel is ideally located to explore the city on foot with the main shopping street, Laugavegur, just around the corner.
4 hours • Admission ticket free

Additional info

• Suitable for all physical fitness levels

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