Around Iceland in Luxury

Day 1

Early morning arrival. An English speaking driver/guide from Luxury Adventures Iceland welcomes the guests to their Luxury vacation at Keflavik airport. After being delivered to your hotel in Reykjavik, have a day at leisure.

Day 2

The first full day in around Iceland Luxury guided tour, starts by driving to Deildartunguhver, the hot spring releasing the most hot water per second in Europe. Afterwards, we head to the waterfalls called Barnafossar. Then we head to the Snaefellsnes peninsula. On the way you will see a lot of lava and craters. Stop at Ytri-Tunga to walk along the shore, and check for seals. We reach the Arnarstapi area after lunch, a region adorned with rugged cliffs and abundant bird life. Nearby are a wealth of caves, volcanic craters, chasms and fantastic lava formations. Snaefellsjokull glacier lies atop an extinct volcano, the site chosen by Jules Verne for the beginning of his Journey to the Center of the Earth. A magnificent sight, Snaefellsjokull rises, solitary, at the end of the peninsula, into the North Atlantic sky.

Day 3

This morning we drive to Stykkisholmur, on the northern shore of the Snaefellsnes peninsula in western Iceland. We suggest a boat trip from Stykkisholmur for a couple of hours: bird watching, beautiful nature, history, fishing for shellfish and tasting your catch right on board. Next we head to the “Capital of the North”, the city of Akureyri Iceland. Akureyri is situated in one of the longest fjords in the country, surrounded by mountains reaching 1000-1500 m. The Arctic Circle is only 60 km north of the city.

Day 4

We begin in the seaside village of Husavik, where you will go on a whale watching adventure. The whales most frequently seen are minke whales, groups of white-beaked dolphins, and porpoises. Then we proceed to Asbyrgi, a magical region with rocky canyons partially covered with birch trees. Sleipnir, the horse of the heathen god Odin, is said to have stepped down in Asbyrgi when passing over the sea – marking the area with his hoof. See the unique waterfall, Dettifoss. What makes Dettifoss so unique is how powerful the waterfall is. Visit the unique nature of Myvatn, one of Iceland’s most popular tourist destinations, renowned for its awesome natural beauty. Volcanic eruptions played a crucial role in the formation of its landscape in ancient times. Myvatn is also famous for its bird life, home to more species of ducks than any other place on earth. The mud craters at Namafjall are unusually large, a sight which attracts many visitors. In this high temperature geothermal area, the ground is sterile and without vegetation, very acidic due to the effects of the gases from the mud springs.

Day 5

In the morning, cross a part of the north-eastern highlands in Iceland. Take a stop and have a coffee at Mountain Coffee, the highest permanently inhabited farm in Iceland. Not far away from there, the strange landscape will make you will feel as if were you were on the moon. Proceed to a turf house built in 1843. The excursion continues after lunch. The next stop is a visit to the reindeer farm. From there, cross the glacier valley on your way to the “Capital of the East”, Egilsstadir, with a short visit to Husey to check out the seals. We head on wards to the town of Seydisfjordur.

Day 6

We head on wards to the sea village Breiddalsvik, passing through farmland to the spectacular eastern coast. Visit Djupivogur, with the option of taking a boat trip to the island of Papey to explore the local bird life, especially the puffin and the arctic tern.

Day 7

In the morning we will continue your around Iceland in luxury tour by visiting Europe’s biggest glacier, Vatnajokull, after a short boat trip between the icebergs on the glacial lake Jokulsarlon. The excursion continues after lunch, travelling along Iceland’s highest mountain, Oraefajokull (2111 m) to Skaftafell National Park. Either take a short walk to the glacier Skaftafellsjokull, have a look at the information center where they show a video of the sub glacial eruption of 1996, or take a hillside walk (2 h) to the waterfall Svartifoss. After this stop, continue along the huge glacier tongue of Skeidararjokull.

Day 8

We keep driving along Iceland’s south shore on this tailor made journey. See the waterfalls Seljalandsfoss and Skogafoss – one of which you can even walk behind! Along the shore you will see black sandy beaches, mountains and strange lava formations. Solheimajokull glacier tongue extends down from its mother glacier, Myrdalsjokull. Ice walk on crampons up on to the ice field where a wonderland of ice sculptures, ridges and deep crevasses awaits discovery. Myrdalsjokull (1480m) is the fourth largest glacier in Iceland, with an area of about 590 km². It rests on a volcanically active mountain massif, which erupted very powerfully in 1918. Its volcano is called Katla, its caldera estimated to have a diameter of about 10 km. Just west of this glacier is the infamous Eyjafjallajokull (1666m), which disrupted world air travel in 2010. Go snowmobiling on Myrdalsjokull.

Day 9

Your guide will take you to Thorsmork, one of the most beautiful spots in Iceland and is known for its unique nature. Translated as “Thor’s Woods”, Thorsmork is a nature reserve shielded on three sides by glaciers, mountains and glacial rivers. For this reason, Thorsmork is difficult to reach, except by mountain vehicle. The outlet glaciers tumble and crawl down into the gullies, some of them ending in spectacular glacial lagoons. The glacial melt-off forms rivers that all have to be crossed on the way to Thorsmork. Some days the crossing can be quite challenging. An innocent stream can change into a thunderous torrent in a matter of hours.

Day 10

Morning departure. Explore the pristine highlands in your tailor made private tour. The way goes into Landmannalaugar, a high-heat geothermal region. It’s like driving on the moon. No vegetation, only brightly-colored sands and mountains. Landmannalaugar is situated in the central highlands of Iceland. Pass the volcano Hekla before arriving at the interior route, across lava fields, black ash and scoria deserts. Landmannalaugar is an area of great contrasts, with black ridges and colorful mountains of green, red, yellow and orange. We recommend you top the day off with a nice hot bath in a natural geothermal hot spring. Afterwards, take a hike over the lava, which still has hot steam coming up from the ground.

Day 11

We proceed to Geysir, the “geyser” which gave its name to all other erupting hot springs. From there visit the most impressive waterfall in Europe, Gullfoss (Golden Waterfall). Thousands of tons of icy water thunder majestically down in a double-fall into a deep gorge. Then we head to Thingvellir, the site of the original Althing, considered the oldest democratic parliament in the world. This area is noted for its spectacular lava formations, and for being the only place in the world where you can see the separation of the North American and European tectonic plates. Proceed to ATV/Quad “super-sized” biking where you are able to choice of challenging terrain or a “tamer” route. This area is the motor head’s ultimate dream. Then go Caving, discovering the marvels that volcanic activity has created in the past in a trip that everyone can enjoy.

Day 12

Start the day by trying Horseback riding in Icelandic nature. The unique Icelandic horses are often called ponies, and have been a part of the Icelanders life since the Viking age, it is unique because the Icelandic hose is a “five-gaited” breed, known for its sure-footedness and ability to cross rough terrain. Afterwards, drive in a sightseeing tour of Reykjavik and its immediate vicinity. See the old town center, the Parliament, the Cathedral, the harbor, the National Museum and Hofdi house, site of the 1986 Reagan-Gorbachev summit. Drive past the city’s local Salmon River and take in the Arbaejarsafn outdoor folk museum. It provides an interesting contrast to the most recent part of Reykjavik.

Day 13

Start the day by going self-driving in a super jeep/SUV tour, led by your guide, a true exotic adventure in your around Iceland in luxury tour. Your guide will go over how to drive the vehicle, teaching you all the safety rules. The excursion continues after lunch. The locations visited depend on weather conditions. Early evening arrival back at your hotel in Iceland.

Day 14

The morning starts by going to the Blue Lagoon, a natural geothermal spa surrounded by lava fields and black sandy beaches. Have “the swim of your life”, enjoying the comfort of the warm lagoon water. Suggested lunch at the Blue Lagoon Iceland. After lunch, head to the airport for your flight with loving memories of Iceland after your private guided luxury journey in Iceland. Bless, bless!