Arrival in Iceland

Flight to Keflavík. Transfer to the centrally located Hotel Reykjavík Natura with a one night stay. 45 minute driving time from Keflavik to Reykjavik.

National Park Þingvellir & the Hot Springs at Geysir

Meet up with your tour guide. The day starts with a sightseeing tour of the vibrant city of Reykjavik. You will visit the panorama platform Perlan, the town hall and the church Hallgrímskirkja. We then drive to the high-temperature geothermal area of Nesjavellir, around Lake Þingvallavatn and arrive at the National Park Þingvellir. A walk through Almannagjá canyon places you between the tectonic plates of Europe and America and takes you back in time to the medieval parliament site of the the Saga period (3 hrs). From Þingvellir the excursion continues over the mountainous terrain of Lyngdalsheiði to the hot springs in Haukadalur. Walk among the steaming, spurting hot springs and see Geysir, the grandfather of all geysers and the active spring source Strokkur. 1 night in a farmhouse near Gullfoss waterfall.

Waterfall Gullfoss & the Highlands

Start the day with a hike along the Hvítá gorge and a drive to the beautiful waterfall Gullfoss, the “Golden waterfall” (1-2 hrs walk). The journey takes us northward through Iceland´s rugged interior over the highland route Kjölur between the glaciers Hofsjökull and Langjökull. Halfway through this wilderness we make a short stop at the geothermal area of Hveravellir where we take a walk among the hot springs and have an opportunity to bathe in a natural warm pool. We next head to the valley of Skagafjörður on the North coast. 1 night in the horse region of Skagarfjörður.

The Tröllaskagi Peninsula, Akureyri Town & Goðafoss Waterfall

We drive around the massive mountains of Tröllaskagi, the peninsula of the Trolls, to the center of the former herring town Siglufjörður. Here, in a lively museum, we learn everything about this enormously important economic activity of Iceland in the last century. We continue along the picturesque Eyjafjörður fjord to the capital of Northern Iceland, Akureyri. There we take a guided tour of the city with a visit to the botanical garden. On the way to nature paradise Lake Mývatn, we make a short stop at Goðafoss, the “Waterfall of the Gods”. 2 nights in the Mývatn area.

.

Mývatn & active volcanos

We start the day with a visit to the old turf houses in the local museum Grenjaðarstaðir. We continue to Lake Mývatn with easy walks along the lake and the pseudocrater in Skútustaðir with ornithological observations (1 hr). Afterwards we walk through the “dark castles” Dimmuborgir with outlandish lave formations and take another easy hike along the bubbling mud springs of Námaskarð. On the way back to the hotel you have the opportunity to take a bath in a warm lagoon with a view over Lake Mývatn.

Whale Watching & National Park Jökulsárgljúfur

The day starts with a drive along the North coast to the picturesque fishing village Húsavík. Here you will have the opportunity to do a 3-hour whale watching tour in an oak boat. Those who are less keen on the boat trip should look at the sights of Húsavík; the old harbor, the nature museum or the whale museum. We continue around Tjörnes peninsula to the National Park Jökulsárgljúfur where we walk in the great canyon of the glacial river, Jökulsá á Fjöllum and in Hljóðaklettar, the “Sounding Cliffs”, famous for their assorted basalt column rock formations. We also take a walk in the horseshoe-shaped gorge Ásbyrgi. We drive to the mightiest waterfall in Europe, Dettifoss (1-2 hrs walk). From there we drive East through the barren glacial valley Jökuldalur to our accommodation. 1 night in a guesthouse near Egilsstaðir town.Fahrt in das malerische Fischerdorf Húsavík. Hier haben Sie die Gelegenheit eine 3-stündige Walbeobachtungsfahrt mit einem Eichenboot zu unternehmen. Diejenigen die weniger Lust auf die Bootsfahrt haben, sollten sich die Sehenswürdigkeiten von Húsavík ansehen; den alten Hafen, das Naturkundemuseum oder das Walmuseum. Weiterfahrt um Tjörnes, die Halbinsel am Polarkreis,  in den Nationalpark Jökulsárgljúfur. Spaziergang in der hufeisenförmigen Schlucht Ásbyrgi. Weiterfahrt zum gewaltigsten Wasserfall Europas Dettifoss. Anschließend fahren wir weiter in den Osten durch das Gletschertal Jökulsárdalur zur Unterkunft. 1 ÜN im Gästehaus bei Egilsstaðir.

The Minerals of the East Fjords & Vatnajökull Glacier

Drive along the sheer coastline of the Eastern fjords, known for their rocks and minerals. A visit to the largest private mineral collection in Iceland in fishing village Stöðvarfjörður gives you a unique opportunity to view those beautiful minerals in detail. We continue through the varied fjord landscape among imposing, perpendicular rock faces. In the former Danish trading center Djúpivogur we take a tour of the harbor. You will experience the surf on a leisurely coastal walk and at the same time observe different seabird species. We drive alongside Europe´s largest glacier, Vatnajökull, to the cool blue shades of the Breiðamerkurlón glacier lagoon. 1 night in Smyrlabjörg farmhouse near Vatnajökull glacier.

Glacier Lagoon with Icebergs & National Park Skaftafell

Drive to Jökulsárlón glacier lagoon, where you have the opportunity to take a boat trip among the icebergs. Continuing along the glacier, we come to the settlement Hof, where we visit an old turf church. In the National Park Skaftafell, we take a hike to the waterfall Svartifoss, famous for its basalt column rock formations.From there you will have a magnificent view of Iceland´s highest mountain, Öræfajökull. In this green oasis, surrounded by glaciers and black sand deserts, you will experience a diverse plant world before going directly to the rugged glacier tongue of Svínafellsjökull at the foot of Öræfajökull. For those interested, we can organize a guided glacier walk on glacier Svínafellsjökull (2 hrs.) We continue through the “fire lava” Eldhraun covered with moss, via glacial rivers and sand areas to Iceland´s southernmost town, Vík. 1 night in Vík.

The South Coast & Puffins at Bird Rock Reynisfjall

At Vík we take an easy hike and marvel at the surf on the rock Reynisdrangar at one of the most beautiful coasts in the world. There you will encounter puffins at their nesting sites. At the volcano Eyjafjallajökull we will visit a museum featuring the devastating eruption in 2010. On the way to Reykjavík we will reach the beautiful waterfalls, Skógafoss and Seljalandsfoss. 1 night at Icelandair Hotel Reykjavík Natura.

Reykjavík

Transfer to the airport and return flight.