Iceland extensive
The tour in brief:
Day 1 Arrival, Reykjavik City Tour
Day 2 Reykjavik Folk Museum Arbaer - Peninsula Reykjanes – Blue Lagoon
Day 3 Reykjavik - Thingvellir – Gullfoss – Geysir – Fludir
Day 4 Fludir – Thjorsardalur with ancient Viking farm - Museum of Njal – Vik
Day 5 Vik - Skaftafell – glacier Vatnajökull – Höfn
Day 6 Höfn - East Fjords – Egilsstadir
Day 7 Egilsstadir – waterfall Dettifoss – Lake Myvatn
Day 8 Lake Myvatn – waterfall Godafoss – Akureyri
Day 9 Akureyri – Siglufjördur – Hofsos – Saudarkrokur
Day 10 Saudarkrokur – Glaumbaer – Budardalur – Stykkisholmur
Day 11 Stykkisholmur – Snaefellsnes Peninsula – Reykajvik
Day 12 Departure from the International Airport in Keflavik from where you will fly home
We are also open to your suggestions, both on itinerary and other activities.
For more information please inquire at info@trex.is.
Itinerary
Day 1 Arrival, Reykjavik City Tour.
After your arrival in Iceland on the International Airport in Keflavik the guide will meet you and take you for a City Tour through Europe’s most northern capital: Reykjavik. We see the Parliament Building and the Cathedral as well as the very modern town hall. We visit the busy fishing harbour, the sculpture museum of Asmundur Sveinsson and take a look at the Höfdi-house, where 1986 the president’s Gorbatschow and Reagan met. On top of 6 hotwater tanks is the futuresque view platform Perlan situated. Accommodation in Reykjavik.
Day 2 Reykjavik Folk Museum Arbaer - Peninsula Reykjanes – Blue Lagoon.
In the morning we visit the Open-Air Folk Museum Arbaer before we go to exploring the mountains and vast lava fields of the Reykjanes peninsula, this tour takes us to beautiful lake Kleifarvatn and the colourful hot-spring-area at Krisuvik with its countless steam-vents and bubbling mud-pools. We’ll see Grindavik, a small but prosperous fishing community on the south shores of Reykjanes Peninsula before heading to the nearby Blue Lagoon for a relaxing bath. Accommodation in Reykjavik.
Day 3 Reykjavik - Thingvellir – Gullfoss – Geysir – Fludir.
We leave Reykjavik and drive towards Thingvallavatn a breathtaking beautiful lake in the likewise beautiful National Park of Thingvellir. This geological very interesting area has also been the site of the Old Icelandic Parliament. From there we drive to the world famous (geothermal) Geysir area where we see the gushing hot spring Strokkur, throwing his 20 -30 meters high water fountain every 5 - 10 minutes into the air. And nearby you will see and be fascinated by the magnificent beauty of the waterfall Gullfoss, where the river Hvita falls in two cascades into a deep canyon. Accommodation in Geysir – Flúðir area.
Day 4 Fludir – Thjorsardalur with ancient Viking farm - Museum of Njal – Vik.
The valley Thjorsardalur is known for its beautiful landscape, the volcano Hekla and the ancient Viking farm Stöng which we are going to visit. We get an even better impression on how the old Vikings lived in the Museum of Njal, one of our big heros of the Saga of Njal. The South Coast of Iceland is famous for it’s many waterfalls among which the Seljalandsfoss and the Skogarfoss are the most fascinating ones. We visit the little, private folk museum of Skogar, where we learn how the Icelanders tried to get on under the hard circumstances they had to fight up into this century. At Cape Dyrholaey we can have a look at the thousands of puffins nesting there. Accommodation in or near Vík.
Day 5 Vik - Skaftafell – glacier Vatnajökull – Höfn.
We drive over the endless sanders resulting from the big floodings after volcanic eruptions under the glaciers and get under the spell of Europe’s biggest glacier Vatnajökull. We visit the National Park of Skaftafell, a green oasis in this white world with very special vegetation and fauna. We walk up to waterfall Svartifoss, surrounded by basalt columns. In the glacier lagoon of Jökulsarlon you have the possibility of taking a boat trip on the lagoon getting very close to the icebergs floating about in its murky waters. Accommodation in or near Höfn.
Day 6 Höfn - East Fjords – Egilsstadir.
Today is the day of the fjords with their mountain sides falling steeply down to the sea. We see eider ducks and perhaps seals off shore. The East Fjords are famous for their minerals such as Zeolithes and others. In Stödvarfjördur we visit a semi-precious stone museum where Petra, whose lifelong hobby it was to collect all the stones herself, can tell you about the different minerals. In the evening we enter the area of Egilsstadir on the river Lagerfljot.
Day 7 Egilsstadir – waterfall Dettifoss – Lake Myvatn.
Driving westwards, our journey leads through some fascinating landscapes, over the vast barren Jökuldalsheidi to Mödrudalur, an isolated farm, where we will stop to see the small charming church. To our south lies Odadahraun, a desert of lava and moraines after the last ice age cut through by the powerful glacier fed river Jökulsa a Fjöllum. We visit Icelands mightiest waterfall Dettifoss. The lake Myvatn fascinates with its different types of volcanic phenomenon and a very rich birdlife. We will probably feel like in the devils kitchen when we visit the sulphur fields of Namaskard. Close to the geothermal power plant Krafla we do find one of Iceland’s youngest lava stream from 1984. Overnight stay in the Lake Myvatn area.
Day 8 Lake Myvatn – waterfall Godafoss – Akureyri.
We go for an easy walk at Dimmuborgir (The Dark Citadels), where strange formed lava columns remind of churches for elves. And we will visit the pseudo craters at Skutustadir before we leave Lake Myvatn behind us, heading for Akureyri, the capital of the North. On our way we stop at the waterfall Godafoss (The Waterfall of the Gods) which is split into two arms by a small island. Akureyri is beautifully situated on the fjord Eyjafjördur and here we will take a breath of “City Air” again. Accommodation in or near Akureyri
Day 9 Akureyri – Siglufjördur – Hofsos – Saudarkrokur.
From Akureyri we head even further north along the peninsula to the fishing village of Siglufjördur which was the center of the “Golden Herring Adventure” of Iceland. We visit the “Herring Museum” to learn more about this time. Another great museum is in the village of Hofsos and here we get to know, what drove thousands of Icelanders to emigrate to Canada in the years 1850 - 1900. In the evening we reach the fertile farmland of the Skagafjördur district and its “capital” Saudarkrokur.
Day 10 Saudarkrokur – Glaumbaer – Budardalur – Stykkisholmur.
We start the day with a visit to the Open-Air Museum Glaumbaer with its historical turf houses where we see under what circumstances the Icelanders had to live just 100 years ago. Nearby stands the turf church Vidimyri that we can visit. Heading eastwards we drive over the pass Laxardalsheidi and reach Westiceland. Close to the village Budardalur is the birth place of the Viking explorer Leif the Lucky, which was rebuilt just short ago. The village Stykkisholmur is situated on the shore of the Fjord Breidafjördur, an ideal spot for an optional evning boat tour to see part of the fjords vast archipelago with its rich marine and birdlife.
Day 11 Stykkisholmur – Snaefellsnes Peninsula – Reykajvik.
Snaefellsnes Peninsula is said to offer “Iceland in a nutshell”. The glacier Snaefellsjökull rises majestically above the peninsula National Park and soon you will understand why it is believed to be one of the seven eregy centres of the world. We visit Arnarstapi on foot of Snaefellsjökull where we go for an easy walk along the shore with its caves, strange lava formations and places inhabited by elves and trolls. At this point an optional tour to explore the Snaefellsjökull by snow-scooter or snow-cat is possible. Back to Reykjavik, we check into our hotel. In the evening farwell dinner at the Viking Restaurant Fjörukrainn (viking feast).
Day 12 Departure.
2 ½ hours before the departure of the plane the transfer bus will get you from the hotel to drive you to the International Airport in Keflavik from where you will fly home.
Services
Included:
Almost the complete circle of Iceland as described in one of TREX’s modern tourist coaches.
Accommodation in hotels or guesthouses – service level and facilities on request.
Dinner from day 1 to day 11 – breakfast from day 2 to day 12.
Tourist guide from day 1 – day 11 – language of your request – depends on availability.
Boat tour on Jokulsarlon lagoon.