Mountain Highlights

WALKING, TOURING AND WHALE WATCHING

Mountain Highlights is a guided tour for active nature lovers. The world at your feet, with an average of three hours walking a day in some of the most beautiful parts of Iceland and some longer hikes on days thre, five and ten. Highlights include visiting three National Parks Þingvellir, Skaftafell and Jökulsargljufur, the wonders of Landmannalaugar and Lake Myvatn, for its latitude the most fertile area in the world. There are waterfalls including the awesome Dettifoss, the most powerful in Europe. The tour includes, weather permitting, a 3 hour whale watching cruise sailing from Husavik. Lots to see but little to carry, as the tour bus will convey your luggage. Accommodation is provided in hotels with private facilities. The combination of nature and activities makes this holiday a perfect stay in Iceland!

DAY 1: ARRIVAL

Flight from selected airport to keflavik/Iceland. Bus transfer from Keflavik International airport to your accommodation in Reykjavik.

DAY 2: REYKJAVIK-GULLFOSS-GEYSIR-SKAFTAFELL

The day starts with a drive to the famous Geysir and the Queen of Iceland´s waterfalls, Gullfoss. We then travel through the sandy desert of the south coast which is overlooked by mountainous cliffs and magnificent waterfalls. We stay for the next two nights near Skaftafell National Park.

DAY 3: Walking in Skaftafell

The whole day is spent walking through the Skaftafell National Park.

DAY 4: SKAFTAFELL - FLJOTSDALSHERAD

We drive south of Vatnajökull, Europe´s largest glacier which dominates the landscape with its glacial tongues calving into a glacial lagoon. Next, amongst the icebergs, enjoy a boat trip on the Jökulsarlon lagoon. We then continue through the beautiful Eastern fjords. We spend the next two nights in the neighbourhood of Egilsstadir.

DAY 5: WALKING THROUGH VIKING TRAILS

A full day walking in the beautiful Eastern mountains.

DAY 6: FLJOTSDALSHERAD - HIGHLAND DESERT - MYVATN AREA

Today we walk up to Hengifoss, one of the highest waterfalls in Iceland. In the very remote area in the highlands of Iceland we visit Sænautasel, an old farm that was the main model for the setting of the novel: Independent People by Nobel Prize Winner Halldor Kiljan Laxness. We continue to Mödrudalur, a farm that has been inhabited from early settlement in Iceland and to this day, and has also served as a church site for centuries. We travel through desert landscape before reaching our accommodation for the next three nights in the Myvatn area.

DAY 7: HUSAVIK WHALE WATCHING - LAKE MYVATN AREA

We start the day, with a 3 hour whale watching cruise, weather permitting, from the picturesque village of Husavik. A short drive to Lake Myvatn, a unique area that features strange lava formations, attractive bays, pseudo craters and prolific bird life. We stroll through the lava field of Dimmuborgir, ending with a walk to the rim of the ash crater Hverfjall. We relax in Myvatns Nature Baths, before we head back to our accommodation.

DAY 8: WALKING IN HLJODAKLETTAR - DETTIFOSS - ASBYRGI

We visit Hljodaklettar with its strange formations and the magnificent and puzzling canyon Asbyrgi, said to be a hoof print of the eight legged horse of the ancient God Odinn. We walk along the west bank of the mighty Jökulsa river, not far upstream we see Europe´s most powerful waterfall Dettifoss.

DAY 9: LAKE MYVATN AREA - HELLA

We visit Godafoss and Aldeyjarfoss on our way south across the highland desert of Sprengisandur, with its views of the distant ice-caps Vatnajökull and Hofsjökull. We continue south through Sprengisandur to our accommodation for the next two nights in Rangarvallasysla

DAY 10: WALKING IN LANDMANNALAUGAR

The entire day is spent walking in the geothermal area of Landmannalaugar, a jewel in the Icelandic landscapes. The surroundings rhyolite mountains have the feel of another planet, ranging in colours from beige to red and from blue to black. We will have the opportunity to enjoy a bath in a pool of warm spring water.

DAY 11: THINGVELLIR - REYKJAVIK

Today we visit the historic sites of the first Icelandic Parliament at Thingvellir National Park where we enjoy the last walks of our tour before we head back to Reykjavik.