Guided Tour Across the Wilderness

Flight from selected airport to Keflavik/ Iceland. Transfer from Keflavik airport to Reykjavik.

After a hearty breakfast at the hotel, our journey begins with a visit to Thingvellir National Park, the site of the world's first parliament. The national park is also fascinating from a geological point of view, as we can see how the American and Eurasian continental plates are drifting apart. Afterwards, we visit the popular geyser area. The Strokkur geyser shoots an impressive fountain of water into the air every 5-7 minutes. Our last stop is at the Gullfoss waterfall. The various hiking trails and viewpoints allow us to admire the ‘Golden Waterfall’ from many perspectives. Finally, we have dinner and accommodation in the Hella region.

Our first highlights of the day are two impressive waterfalls. At the famous Seljalandsfoss, there is a small path that leads behind the waterfall (but be careful, you will get wet) and Skogafoss offers a great opportunity to get very close to the thundering waterfall. We then reach the black sand beaches on the south coast of Iceland, which offer a fantastic view of the bird cliff Dyrholaey, where thousands of puffins breed every year. In Vik, we have the chance to admire the small church before travelling past the Eldhraun lava fields to the Kirkjubaejarklaustur region, where we will stay for 2 nights.

We will have breakfast at the hotel before heading to the southern part of Vatnajokull National Park. On the way, we will pass by the impressive Vatnajokull glacier, which is the largest glacier in Europe. During the drive, we will also get a glimpse of Iceland's largest mountain, Hvannadalshnjukur, which towers over the landscape. The highlights of the day will be the glacier lagoons Jokulsarlon and Fjallssrlon. We will take an included boat tour to get up close to the floating icebergs in Fjallsarlon and if we're lucky, we might see seals swimming in the lagoons. Breidamerkursandur, also known as Diamond Beach, located next to the lagoons, will provide a popular photo opportunity. On our way back to the hotel, we will pass several outlet glaciers of Vatnajokull and get a great view of Skaftafell.

After breakfast today, we embarked on a highland adventure. Leaving the paved roads behind, we followed the gravel tracks through the scenic landscapes of Fjallabaksleid to Landmannalaugar. This unique area is famous for its colourful mountains and excellent hiking trails. We enjoyed short hikes and then had the chance to take a dip in one of the hot springs, providing an authentic Icelandic experience. Following this, we drove to Thjorsardalur, where we found the longest river in Iceland and spent the night there.

Today, we are driving further along the remote paths of the highlands. We are heading north along the famous Sprendisandur route. We will pass raging glacial rivers, black sand deserts, and uninhabited expanses. Our experienced driver is navigating us safely through the uneven terrain. Along the way, we will learn about the myths and legends associated with this route. During the journey, we will get to see the Herdubreid Table volcano, known as Iceland's ‘Queen of the Mountains’, before we reach civilization again in North Iceland. We will spend the next three night in the Myvatn area.

After breakfast, we will explore the northern part of Vatnajokull National Park and the Myvatn area. The unique Myvatn area is a geological wonderland with bizarre lava formations, pseudocraters, the colorful bubbling mud caves of Hverarond, and the steaming slopes of Namaskard. Our next stop is the majestic Dettifoss, which lies in the Jokulsargljufur valley. The waterfall is one of the most powerful in the whole of Europe. We'll then visit the horseshoe-shaped gorge Asbyrgi, which, according to legend, was formed by Odin's eight-legged horse. In the afternoon, we'll visit the idyllic fishing village of Husavik to get an insight into local life before returning to the hotel.

After breakfast, our first destination today is the north of Vatnajokull National Park, where we'll visit the Askja Caldera. This crater was formed by a volcanic eruption during the last ice age. The area around the sunken crater is used as a training ground by NASA astronauts for lunar missions due to its remoteness and geological conditions. We will hike around Askja Lake, located in the crater, and visit Víti Crater, also known as the 'gateway to hell', which is filled with turquoise water. We will also make a detour to Drekagil, where we can admire the unique lava formations in the Dragon Valley. The night will be spent in the Myvatn area.

We start our day with a filling breakfast before leaving the Myvatn area and driving along the Arctic Coast Way. We'll follow picturesque coastlines, passing through charming villages, until we reach our first destination, the breathtaking Godafoss waterfall. Our next stop is Akureyri, known as the lively ‘capital of the north’. Here, we'll have free time to explore the town at our own pace or join an optional excursion. Our journey continues to the Troll Peninsula Trollaskagi, named for its peculiar rock formations that resemble petrified trolls. From here, we can enjoy stunning views of the crashing waves, high cliffs, and colorful fishing villages. Moving on, we'll explore the Skagafjordur area, famous for breeding Icelandic horses. We'll wrap up the day with dinner and an overnight stay in the Laugarbakki area.

We will start the day with breakfast at the hotel and then head to the Vatnsnes peninsula to see the Hvitserkur rock formation. This 15-meter-high basalt rock rises from the water just off the coast and is a popular nesting site for seabirds. In the afternoon, we will drive through the farmlands to West Iceland and visit the Viking House at the Eric the Red Museum. This was the home of the famous Viking and the birthplace of his son, Leif Eiriksson. Both father and son are among the most famous Vikings in history. Our overnight stay will be in the Snaefellsnes area.
 

Today we will visit the different landscapes of the Snaefellsjokull National Park, where the glacier of the same name lies above a silent volcano that last erupted in 250AD. We will also visit the most photographed mountain in Iceland, Kirkjufell. The black beach Djupalonssandur was once home to 60 fishing boats and one of the most productive fishing villages on the peninsula. Today, however, the bay is uninhabited. The small harbour town of Arnarstapi is surrounded by basalt formations that lead to a small hiking trail that once connected Arnarstapi and Hellnar. We return to Reykjavik in the late afternoon. Our guide will leave us here and we will have a last night in Reykjavik. Dinner is on your own.

Transfer from your hotel to the airport. Individual flight back to the UK.