Best of Iceland

Location: Reykjavík

Accommodation: Hotel

Accommodation Name: Hotel Cabin (or similar)

Meals: No Meals

Arrive at any time.

There are no activities planned until an evening welcome meeting.

Additional Information: There are pre-bookable activities available for this tour. Check out the "Available Extras" section of the Overview page for more information on these activities, and cost-saving bundles.

ACTIVITY: Your opportunity to meet your CEO and fellow travellers, and learn more about your tour. Opt to join the group for a local meal afterwards. Don't forget to see the notice in the lobby (or ask reception) for the official time and place to meet up with the group.

Location: Reykjavík, Akureyri

Accommodation: Hotel

Accommodation Name: Sveinbjarnargerdi Country Hotel (or similar)

Meals: Breakfast

Drive to Akureyri, stopping for lunch at a local cantina. Explore the town or opt to go on a whale-watching tour.

Eyjafjörður is a scenic spot to enjoy the local wildlife and small villages in the area. Opt to go on a whale-watching excursion.

Additional Information: If you have pre-booked whale watching, you will be going on the excursion this evening.

TRANSPORT: Settle in and scan the scenery from the convenience of a private vehicle.

FREE TIME: AFTERNOON Take some time to roam around this quaint town.

Location: Akureyri, Borgarfjörður

Accommodation: Alfheimar Guesthouse (or similar)

Meals: Breakfast

Stop at Goðafoss waterfall en route to Mývatn lake. Explore lava formations of Dimmuborgir and the geothermal area of Námaskarð. Visit Dettifoss waterfall before arriving in Borgarfjörður for a night in a local guesthouse.

Head to Mývatn lake, stopping en route at Goðafoss waterfall. In Mývatn, explore lava formations of Dimmuborgir and the geothermal area of Námaskarð. Visit Dettifoss waterfall, one of the most powerful waterfalls in Europe. Reach Borgarfjörður in the East Fjords region for a night in a local guesthouse.

TRANSPORT: FULL DAY Settle in and scan the scenery from the convenience of a private vehicle.

ACTIVITY: Take an excursion to one of the most impressive waterfalls in Iceland, the Goðafoss waterfall. Measuring 12m high and 30m wide, the waterfall is a must-see and a short drive from Akureyri. While Iceland is famous for its many spectacular waterfalls, Goðafoss is a favourite for visitors because it's easily accessible by car. There are also walking paths all around the falls making it easy to take fantastic photographs from different angles.

ACTIVITY: Explore the beautiful scenery around Lake Mývatn. Formed during a volcanic eruption 2,300 yrs ago, the geothermal area is a haven for a massive number of birds. The nutrient rich water also attracts over ten species of migrating ducks to the area. Atlantic salmon and brown trout thrive in the river, feeding on the healthy midge fly population that swarm over the waters in the summer.

ACTIVITY: Walk the marked pathways to spot arches and pillars or check out lava caves. Meaning 'dark forts' in Icelandic, Dimmuborgir is an area of lava fields with black lava formations on display in dramatic fashion.

ACTIVITY: Stop at Námaskarð to see the bubbling mud pools and steaming fumaroles. There are some wooden pathways around the area but most visitors prefer to get up close to look at the pools, but be careful, the mud in this area is thick and sticky and the residue from the steam can stain clothing.

ACTIVITY: Stop at the Detiifoss Waterfall in northeast Iceland, rumored to be the most powerful in Europe, with an average water flow of 193 m3/s. Take in the view of 45m high and 100m wide falls and take some photos to show off back home.

Location: Borgarfjörður, Höfn

Accommodation: Hoffell Glacier World Guesthouse (or similar)

Meals: Breakfast

Leave beautiful Borgarfjörður behind and travel down the coast driving through the beautiful and majestic eastern fjords. En route to Hofn, catch a glimpse of Vatnajokull glacier, the largest ice cap in Europe.

TRANSPORT: Settle in and scan the scenery from the convenience of a private vehicle.

Location: Hofn, Vik

Accommodation: Hotel,

Accommodation Name: Hotel Dyrholaey (or similar)

Meals: Breakfast

Visit the Jökulsárlón glacier lagoon and nearby Diamond Beach, with a chance to see seals sunbathing on the bright blue ice. Opt to check out the lagoon by boat. Continue to Skaftafell National Park and opt to take a glacier hike. Continue to Vík.

Marvel at the Jökulsárlón glacier lagoon, with a chance to see seals sunbathing on the bright blue ice. The massive icebergs floating towards shore tower over visitors. Opt to check out the lagoon by boat. Stop by Diamond Beach, which gets its name from chunks of the Breiðamerkurjökull glacier that float to shore. As these blocks of glacier ice melt, they develop a crystal clear sheen, set against the black sand of the beach. Continue on to Skaftafell National Park with time to explore before continuing on in the evening to the small town of Vík.

Additional Information: Opt to pre-book the Skaftafell National Park Glacier Hike activity on the checkout page. If you have pre-booked glacier hiking on Skaftafell, this activity will take place today.

TRANSPORT: Settle in and scan the scenery from the convenience of a private vehicle.

ACTIVITY: Visit the Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon with views of the ice cap. The lake is the lowest point in the country and filled with icebergs drifting towards the sea, often with seals lounging on top. The blocks of ice coming off the glacier are typically 30m high, in dramatic shades of white and bright blue. Stop by Diamond Beach, which gets its name from chunks of the Breiðamerkurjökull glacier that float down to the coast's black sand shores.

Location: Vik, Reykjavík

Accommodation: Hotel,

Accommodation Name: Hotel Cabin (or similar)

Meals: Breakfast

Visit Reynisfjara beach. Continue along the Golden Circle to Drumbo. Stop at the waterfalls of Seljalandsfoss and Gullfoss. Explore the Gullfoss waterfall, Geysir Hot Springs and Þingvellir National Park. Arrive to Reykjavík in the early evening.

TRANSPORT: Settle in and scan the scenery from the convenience of a private vehicle.

ACTIVITY: Visit Reynisfjara Beach, just outside of Vík. Its black sand and ominous rock formations offshore make for stunning photos. Take some time to watch the foaming white waves crash over the black sand (but don’t get too close, the waves here can be extremely powerful), explore the shallow cave if weather and time permits, and get a photo of the basalt sea stacks.

ACTIVITY: Seljalandsfoss is a 60m (196 ft) tall waterfall located along the popular ring road. Behind the flow of water is a path, allowing visitors to peek behind the curtain of water cascading over the rocks above.

ACTIVITY: Discover one of the most impressive waterfalls in Iceland, Gullfoss and complete the circuit known as the Golden Circle. This massive waterfall cascades over three “steps” before spilling into a large crevice. Fed by a glacier lake, the water passing through the falls can be a dark grey depending on how much sediment gets pushed through the river.

ACTIVITY: See a variety of geothermal pools and the erupting hot spring Strokkur. Geysir is one of the oldest geysers recorded in the world, but is most often dormant. Strokkur erupts a spray of boiling hot water straight into the air about every ten minutes.

ACTIVITY: Stop at Thingvellir National Park, a UNESCO world heritage site, to see the tectonic faults created by North American and Eurasian tectonic plates shifting apart. The Oxara river cuts through the largest rift in the valley, Almannagja, and leads to the Oxarafoss waterfall. Iceland’s parliament was also established in the area in 930. The park was later created to protect the remains of the open-air assembly grounds. One of the most-visited sights in Iceland, the park is an excellent spot for camping, hiking and snorkelling between the tectonic plates.

Location: Reykjavík

Meals: Breakfast

Depart at any time.