IcelandJourneys: Explore Iceland
Arrive at any time. There is a lot to do in and around Reykjavik - should you wish to take advantage of the many optional activities, such as the Blue Lagoon thermal pools, we recommend booking a pre or post night. Hotel accommodation in Iceland is very limited and rooms/facilities can be fairly simple with few amenities. Hotels are chosen for their location and access to the wonderous landscapes and natural wonders of Iceland. Hotels are often remote, all the better to enjoy the beautiful natural setting.
Your Welcome Moment: Welcome Moment - Meet Your Expedition Leader and Group
Your opportunity to meet your National Geographic Expedition Leader 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.
Accommodation
Below is an example of the hotel we may use in this city. For the actual hotel your specific departure will be using, please check your voucher.
Fosshotel Reykjavik
Discover the beauty of Iceland’s southern coast as we drive towards Skaftafell.Take in views of the infamous Eyjafjallajökull volcano, whose 2010 eruption sent massive clouds of ash into the atmosphere of the North Atlantic. See the stunning Seljalandsfoss waterfall, and follow a hidden path through a canyon to the secluded falls of Gljúfrabúi. Stop in Hveragerði, nicknamed the “hot spring village,” where you will have the opportunity to taste bread baked in a hot spring. Then visit the Lava Center in Hvolsvöllur for a look at how volcanoes and earthquakes have shaped the island.
Private Vehicle
Settle in and scan the scenery from the convenience of a private vehicle.
Hveragerði geothermal garden and hot springs
Visit the geothermal garden of Hveragerði, a hot spring village, where you have the opportunity to taste black bread and eggs baked directly in a hot spring. Learn how locals use the geothermal elements in daily life and have developed the community gardens and greenhouse to grow their town and promote green living.
Seljalandsfoss Waterfall Visit
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.
Lava Centre
Visit this stunning interactive exhibition to learn about all aspects of Iceland's unique geography, including volcanoes, earthquakes and geothermal activity.
Accommodation
Hali Country Hotel
Continue exploring the southern shore, driving through sandy plains and moss-covered lava fields and stopping along the way at historical and geological sites. Visit Diamond Beach, scattered with icebergs that wash up on the black sands, and see iridescent ice formations in the Jökulsárlón glacial lagoon. Consider enhancing your experience by opting for the Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon Boat Ride, or take take some time on your own to soak in the stunning scenery. Hike in Vatnajökull National Park to Svartifoss waterfall, framed by basaltic lava columns, and pause at a historic farmstead in Öræfi, home to one of Iceland’s best preserved turf churches.
Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon Visit
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. Total distance: 3km.
Vatnajökull Glacier Visit
Stop at Vatnajökull Glacier, the largest ice cap in Europe, covering over 8% of Iceland. There are multiple volcanoes underneath the glacier as well as over 30 outlet glaciers that stem from Vatnajökull.
Hike to Svartifoss waterfall
Enjoy a hike in Vatnajökull National Park to view Svartifoss waterfall. Also known as the black falls, the stunning site is surrounded by dark basaltic lava columns.
Private Vehicle
Settle in and scan the scenery from the convenience of a private vehicle.
Optional Activities - Day 3Show
Accommodation
Hali Country Hotel
Embark on a guided walk atop a glacier in Skaftafell National Park, which was incorporated into Vatnajökull National Park in 2008. Strap on a pair of crampons and get close-up views of intriguing ice formations, deep sinkholes, and rugged crevasses. Later, stroll along the black sands of Reynisfjara beach, capturing images of the towering Reynisdrangar sea stacks. Depending on the season and nesting habits of birdlife, we may also visit Dyrhólaey Cape. As well, it is possible to see puffins at Reynisfjara beach, Dyrhólaey Cape or near Vík in the summer months (15 May - 15 August).
Private Vehicle
Settle in and scan the scenery from the convenience of a private vehicle.
Skaftafell National Park Glacier Hike
Glacier Wonders is a superb glacier hiking tour from Skaftafell into the magnificent ice world of Falljökull glacier, a tongue of the mighty Vatnajökull, the largest glacier in Europe. Your certified glacier guide will show you astonishing crevasses which wind through the ice and incredible glistening ice formations. During this tour, you will learn how a living glacier moves and why this magical ice kingdom is constantly changing. Total distance: 6km. WHAT TO BRING -Warm outdoor clothing -Waterproof jacket & pants -Headwear -Gloves -Good hiking boots are essential (rental boots available ISK 1000 extra)
Reynisfjara Beach
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.
Accommodation
Hotel Dyrholaey
This morning, learn about Icelandic cultural heritage at the Skógar Folk Museum and visit the awe-inspiring Skógafoss waterfall, opting to climb 400-odd steps to the viewing platform for spectacular vistas. Then set out on a tour of the celebrated Golden Circle. Stand in awe before the steaming Geysir, from which the English word “geyser” derives, and visit the mighty Gullfoss waterfall.
Private Vehicle
Settle in and scan the scenery from the convenience of a private vehicle.
Skógasafn Museum
Skogar Museum, is a cultural heritage collection of 15,000 regional folk craft artifacts exhibited throughout 6 historical buildings.
Skógafoss Waterfall Visit
Visit Skógafoss, one of the largest and most recognizable waterfalls in Iceland. The 60m (200 ft) high falls forms a constant mist that floats in the air, if viewed in the sunlight the mist can create rainbows. The sound and view of the thundering water cutting through the green hills make the falls a must-see on any trip to Iceland.
Geysir Visit
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.
Gullfoss Waterfall Visit
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.
Accommodation
Hotel Ork Selfoss
Begin the day with a walk in Thingvellir National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage site, where we’ll see the meeting point of the North American and Eurasian tectonic plates. Continue to a traditional Icelandic farm—located in the narrow fjord of Hvalfjörður—to learn about rural Icelandic life and enjoy a farm-to-table lunch. We’ll then make our way to the stunning Snæfellsnes Peninsula in western Iceland. Thingvellir National Park is the meeting place of the two tectonic plates on which America and Europe rest. This rift is clearly visible in the huge fissures that scar the landscape surrounding the lake and lava fields.
Thingvellir National Park Visit
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.
Private Vehicle
Settle in and scan the scenery from the convenience of a private vehicle.
Your Journeys Highlight Moment: Icelandic Farm Experience
Visit a traditional Icelandic farm in the narrow fjord of Hvalfjörður or ‘Whale Fjord‘. Enjoy a visit and learn about local farming practices and daily life then sit down for a local lunch from the farmers‘ own produce, including Icelandic lamb.
Accommodation
Fosshotel Stykkisholmur
Spend the day exploring the peninsula, including Snæfellsjökull National Park and its mystical glacier-topped volcano, which Jules Verne wrote about in his novel Journey to the Center of the Earth. See Búðir church, a tiny black church perched in the middle of a lava field; the Lóndrangar sea stacks; the iconic peak of Kirkjufell, featured in Game of Thrones; and the black pebble beach at Djúpalónssandur.
Explore Snæfellsnes Peninsula
Explore the Snæfellsnes Peninsula, visiting places such as Kirkjufell, or 'Church Mountain', on the north shore, Ólafsvík and Arnarstapi villages, and Djúpalónssandur pebble beach.
Snaefellsjokull National Park
Established in 2001 to protect the area's unique landscape, indigenous plants and animal life as well as the important historical relics, the park is the only Icelandic national park that stretches to the sea. Within the park is the Snæfellsjökull Glacier, a 700,000-year-old glacier-capped stratovolcano which Many believe is one of the seven main energy centres of the earth. Surrounded in myth, the glacier also plays a big role as "the Center of the Earth" in Jules Verne’s famed novel Journey to the Center of the Earth.
Accommodation
Fosshotel Stykkisholmur
Venture to Borgarfjörður, a picturesque fjord that has provided the setting for many of Iceland’s sagas. See the Hraunfossar and Barnafoss waterfalls; and step into Reykholt, the homestead of the 12th-century writer Snorri Sturluson. We’ll also visit Deildartunguhver, Europe's most powerful hot spring, whose water heats most buildings in western Iceland. In the afternoon we'll take some much-needed time to relax at Krauma Spa and Geothermal Baths before continuing on to Reykjavík for our final evening.
Private Vehicle
Settle in and scan the scenery from the convenience of a private vehicle.
Sagaland
Explore the Borgarfjörður region which was the setting for most of the Icelandic sagas. The area's landscape, nature and culture heritage seemingly bring history to life.
Deildartunguhver Hot Spring
Visit Deildartunguhver hot spring, the most powerful hot spring in Iceland whose water heats most buildings in the West of Iceland.
Your Wellness Moment: Krauma Spa and Geothermal Baths
Unwind at Krauma Spa, which offers five natural geothermal baths for a relaxing soak.
Accommodation
Fosshotel Reykjavik
Depart at any time.
