DAY 1: Departure from USA
- Board your international flight from the USA to reach Iceland in the next day. Meals will be served on board of the flight.
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DAY 2: Welcome to Iceland
- Private transfer from the airport to Reykjavik where you spend the night..
- Overnight: Reykjavik
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DAY 3: The Blue Lagoon & Reykjanes Peninsula
- At 09:30 meet your tour guide and fellow group members and travel to the Reykjanes Peninsula with its hot springs, mountains, bird cliffs, lunar landscapes and fishing villages. We warm up in the geothermal mineral-rich waters of the famous Blue Lagoon. In the afternoon we explore Krysuvik, an area with solfataras, fumaroles, mud pots and hot springs. The soil is coloured bright yellow, red and green.
- We continue through lava fields and coastal landscape to Strandarkirkja, a Lutheran parish church on the southern coast of Iceland. This small, beautiful wooden church, has been a beacon for those travelling at sea and is often referred to as the miracle church with the locals longstanding belief that it has profound, divine powers.
- Next stop is the charming fishing village of Eyrarbakki with a large number of preserved houses from the period 1890-1920, and therefore a visit is like a journey 100 years back in time. We visit the local Maritime and Folk Museum.
- In the evening we reach Hella a small village in South Iceland, where we stay for three nights in simple cottages. You might take a walk south alongside the riverbank to experience complete solitude and tranquillity.
- Overnight: Hella
- Meal: Breakfast
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DAY 4: Landmannalaugar & Pjorsardalur
- Note: changes to the itinerary might occur in May or September due to weather & road conditions
- Today we drive the rough unpaved road to Landmannalaugar, an oasis in the barren highlands, surrounded by colorful rhyolite mountains. Group members have the options to explore the area on their own or join the guide for a short hike through a rough lava field and up the slopes with an incredible spectrum of colours. The highlight is a 90-minute round-trip hike up toward Brennisteinsalda, the rainbow mountain of Iceland, which is one of the most spectacular volcanic mountains in Landmannalaugar. The name in English translates to sulphur wave. It comes from the yellow sulphur spots which have coloured its sides. But there are other colours too green from copper, black and blue from lava and ashes, red from iron in the earth and white from silica. It could very well be the most colourful mountain of Iceland, and so its picture is often found in books and calendars. The mountain is still hot where you can see sizzling sulphur springs and vapor at its sides. For this hike, good boots and walking poles are helpful. In Landmannalaugar there is also a natural geothermal stream where you can enjoy a refreshing bath. Have swimwear and towel ready.
- On the way back to our accommodation, we stop at the beautiful waterfall Hjalparfoss in pjorsardalur valley surrounded by unusual basalt rock formations. Nearby we explore the Viking farm ruins at Stöng, which was completely buried in pumice during one of Mt. Heklas bigger eruptions in1104. A leisurely hike brings us to Gjain, a green oasis in an otherwise rocky, barren moonlike landscape. Pjorsardalur is off-the-beaten-path and is dominated by Mt. Hekla and other volcanoes in the vicinity. Hekla is one of Iceland most active volcanoes over 20 eruptions have occurred since settlement in 874. During the Middle Ages, Europeans called the volcano the Gateway to Hell. Please note that in case Landmannalaugar is not accessible we travel only to pjorsardalur valley on that day.
- Overnight: Hella
- Meal: Breakfast
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DAY 5: Golden Circle
- Today, we visit three of Icelands most famous spots pingvellir National Park, Geyser hot springs, and Gullfoss waterfall.
- We start the day at the ancient Viking Parliament area of pingvellir National Park, a UNESCO world heritage site. The pingvellir plain is situated on a tectonicplate boundary where North America and Europe are slowly tearing away from each other. As a result, the plain is scarred by dramatic fissures, ponds, and rivers, including the great rift Almannagja.
- Next stop is at the Geysir geothermal fields with a variety of hot springs and bubbling pools where you see the steam pumping from the ground as if beneath it there were lots of little smoking devils.
- The original geyser is now dormant and has been replaced by Strokkur, the Churn, which erupts at 5-10 minute intervals. Gullfoss, the golden falls, is a double waterfall that tumbles 34 meters into the Hvita river originating from the glacier Langjokull.
- After the three must-see sights on the Golden Circle, we add a little extra. There is a small waterfall called Faxi, the Main. Nearby, we show you a traditional sheep pen, where Icelandic farmers sort the sheep in September after the sheep had been rounded up in the mountains. We continue to Skalholt, which is one of Iceland most historic and holy places.
- Overnight: Hella
- Meal: Breakfast
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DAY 6: Westman Islands: The Pompeii of the North
- A short ferry ride brings us to the Westman Islands, where we explore the town of Heimaey and this extraordinary island by foot and by bus. The volcanic eruption in 1973 is considered the largest natural disaster in Iceland in recent history. The eruption began on January 23 in the outskirt of the town of Heimaey, the only populated island in the Vestmannaeyjar archipelago. After the evacuation of the 5300 inhabitants, and during the 5 months while the eruption lasted, there was much uncertainty as to whether or not the island could ever be repopulated.
- During our tour to the Westman Islands, we explore bird cliffs, walk up a volcano crater and visit Pompeii of the North, a volcanic excavation project. There you observe a house which was dug up from the thick layer of pumice after 40 years. There is also an exhibition about Surtsey Island that was born by volcanic eruptions between 1963-68 and preserved today by UNESCO.
- You have the afternoon free to wander around the town of Heimaey, with its birds and signs of recent volcanic eruptions. We travel with the 5pm ferry back to the mainland and continue to our accommodation near the village of Vik in South Iceland, where we stay for two nights.
- Overnight: Vik
- Meal: Breakfast
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DAY 7: Vatnajokull Glacier & Glacier Lagoon
- Today we travel to Vatnajokull, Europe second largest national park, which has Iceland highest mountains, an alpine environment, and Europe largest glacier. A 5-kilometre round-trip hike takes us through the national park to Svartifoss waterfall, which is surrounded by impressive basalt columns.
- In the afternoon we head over to the famous Jokulsarlon glacier lagoon for a cruise, sailing between the icebergs of all shapes and sizes, which float in the clear blue water. After the glacial lake experience, there is time to go down to the black sand beach, the so-called Diamond Beach, in case we find icebergs that have floated all the way from the glacier lagoon into the Atlantic Ocean.
- Overnight: Vik
- Meal: Breakfast
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DAY 8: The South Coast Glacier Hike & Reykjavik
- We start the day with a walk along the black lava beach and bird cliffs at Reynisfjara. We see interesting basalt columns, and rock formations called the petrified trolls.
- Next, we stop for an easy 1,5 to 2-hour glacier hike in the impressive Solheimajokulll glacier tongue, suitable for beginners. An experienced glacier guide leads you safely through the icy wonderland of strangely shaped ridges, deep crevasses, enormous water cauldrons and different ice formations.
- We continue to the thundering Skogafoss waterfall, which tumbles 62 meters over a rocky scarp, kicking up vast sheets of mist. Further west we reach the high but narrow Seljalandsfoss waterfall where you can follow a slick and wet trail and walk right behind the falls. Come prepared and bring a raincoat and good boots, as you will get wet
- The Best of South Iceland program ends with a short Reykjavík city tour before we reach the hotel in Iceland capital.
- Overnight: Reykjavik
- Meal: Breakfast
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DAY 9: Departure
- Transfer from hotel in Reykjavik to Kelfavik airport.
- Meal: Breakfast
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