Day 1

 

You arrive individually at Keflavik Airport and have the possibility take a first look at the capital of Iceland.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Day 2

 

From our accommodation we will start the round trip from Reykjavik heading to Snaefellsnes. On our way we will pass Arnarstapi, where the ocean created surreal rock sculptures and blowholes on the shoreline. Also Dritvik is on our way, a lava field created in an earlier eruption of Snaefellsnes volcano, which escorts us with its majestic shape, known from Jules Verne‘s ,Journey to the centre of earth‘. We take a walk on the black lava beach before we go on to circumnavigate the peninsula to visit our next stop: Kirkjufjell. If a photographer, keep your tripod ready! A small waterfall, where the river cascades in front of a characteristic mountain. Here we will spend some time to enjoy the scene. 

 

After an optional stop at Grundarfjörður for a snack we end this day in Stykkisholmur, a charming town in Snaefellsnes peninsula for accommodation. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Day 3

We start our tour after breakfast and head north. On our way we will pass Reykjanes museum where we see how the shark was caught and handled, optional to go into the museum.

The highlight of our day will be Hvitserkur, a rock on the northern coast, rich of bird life. We will have some time to relax and enjoy the beautiful coast and surrounding area.

Arrive at Akureyri in the afternoon, this wonderful clean town, known as the capital of the north, where we stay the next two nights.

After checking in we may go to Jólagarðurinn, the all-year open lovely Christmas House.  Smell of cookies and a sweet decorated Santa‘s house will welcome and abduct you into the warm Christmas time.

 

Day 4

From our guesthouse we will have access to the pearls of the north. We will go over to Husavik, one of the main northern towns - and the whale watching capital. Here you will have the possibility to explore the nice town, the whale museum or go whale watching to meet the gentle giants.

After that we visit Asbyrgi, the Abode of the Gods, one of Iceland‘s treasure wonders, where mythology and science meet. Formed from two cataclysmic floods that took place thousands of years ago, Asbyrgi was formed like a horseshoe.

The high cliffs in contrast to a little lake embedded in a birch grove creates a lovely, peaceful scene. After a short walk here we will drive back to our accommodation in Akureyri.

 

Day 5

Today we leave Akureyri and continue our tour heading to the eastern part of Iceland. Our first stop will be Godafoss - „Waterfall of the Gods“. This magnificent waterfall is a perfect scene for dramatic or long exposure photos.

We then head on through Myvatn with its pseudo-craters, which are existing uniquely on earth in Iceland and Hawaii.

Walk along the shoreside of Myvatn = “Midges lake” and take a look a the unusual rock formations within the lake.

Our journey goes on with a visit of Krafla, where we will go for a hike to explore the volcanic system. It will be topped by Namafjall, a colorful hot spring area with fumaroles, mud pools and mud pots that all seem to be boiling with relentless energy. The grey to blue shading mud pools and light grey to orange shaded ground with its steam and hissing fumaroles creates a dramatic a contrast.

Optional is a bath in a nature bath near Namafjall. Enjoy naturally heated water with healthy minerals.  On we go to the mighty waterfalls Dettifoss and Selfoss. If time allows we may walk over to the third one in this area, Hafragilsfoss.

Today our accommodation will be in Egilsstadir the next two nights.

 

Day 6

Today we head towards the coast to visit Seyðisfjörður. On our way are little waterfalls right beside the road where we stop for a short while. A stroll around this small and nice town is great.

We will also take the gravel road  to go up on the mountain, to take a great look into the fjord of a bird‘s eye view - if the weather is suitable.

 

Day 7

On we drive the eastern fjords. We continue ring road number one in the direction of the southern part.  Driving along the coast will give us a nice view of the cliffs and some unplanned stops, either for photos or view. On the way to the town of Höfn we will pass Eystrahorn, from two sides.  Höfn, a fishing town which is well known for it‘s lobster restaurant „Humarhofnin“.

At the end of the day we will arrive in our accommodation in Hali, which lies at the foot of Vatnajökull, Europe‘s biggest glacier to give a suggestion of the next amazing day

 

Day 8

This is the day of the real Icelandic symbol: Ice!

 

From our hotel we only have to drive 10 min to reach the amazing Jökulsárlón, a place you must see once in your lifetime.

The majestic Vatnajökull icebergs break off into the lagoon, where giant icebergs sail around and flow through a small river into the Atlantic ocean.

We will take a walk around the lagoon and you can go on an amphibian boat (included in the price), an unforgettable trip over the lake between the icy rocks.

After that we will go down to the shore, where the contrasts of the black beach and the blue sea to white shading icebergs, which are lying on the shore is amazing. Depending on the weather and tide  icy rocks are scattered along the shore. To walk between them is unforgettable and a highlight for photographers. Keep your tripod and ND filters available.

We continue by visiting another lagoon of ice named Fjallsarlon. Here we can go closer to the glacier ridge than in Jökulsárlón and feel the old ice.

Route no 1 takes us along the wonderful south coast to Skaftafell National Park, here we can go on a 45min hike to the black waterfall Svartifoss, where the river plunges 20 m into the deep. On we drive the south coast, visit a black pebble beach in Reynisfjara in the hope to see the puffins, a wreck of a plane DC3 is on the black sand, stop for a visit there before heading towards the two waterfalls Skogafoss and Seljalandsfoss. Here you can walk behind one and try to grab the chest full of gold behind the other. On we drive beneath the infamous Eyjafjallajokull (eruption 2010).

Today we slow down in our accommodation in Hvolsvöllur.

 

Day

The day of the Golden Circle!

Visiting Iceland you have to do the Golden Circle with Thingvellir National Park, Gullfoss waterfall and Geysir area.

Our trip takes you over to Gullfoss - the „Golden Waterfall“. Here the water falls in 2 cascades into the canyon it has carved through the centuries. You can explore this waterfall from different view points. If luck is with us a rainbow will appear over the waterfall.

Then we head over to Geysir, the well known hot spring which named all others in the world. The hot spring within the geothermal area offers some mud pools and little boiling water spots, topped by Strokkur that is spouting every 7-12 min at least 20-30m high water column into the air.

At Thingvellir you can take an easy walk into the rift valley between the Eurasian and the North American tectonic plates. Historically this place is important. Here at Thingvellir the Althingi general assembly was established in 930 and continued to convene there until 1798.

Our tour ends this day with the accommodation in Reykjavik.

 

Day 10

transfer to airport.