This 5 day tour takes you around Iceland on the popular route one. Explore all the best-known wonders and some of the hidden gems of the Land of Fire and Ice.
If you wish to see all the beauty Iceland has to offer in a shorter period of time, this 5-day tour might be your best option.
Sit back, fasten your seatbelts and let our experienced guide take you on a journey that you will surely remember.
We will be starting this tour by visiting the beloved Golden Circle which is an essential part of every Icelandic holiday, we will drive you to the Þingvellir National Park, the mother of all geysers, Geysir, and the wonderful Gullfoss waterfall.
The following day we will be visiting two famous waterfalls, Seljalandsfoss and Skogafoss. If the conditions are ideal, we will escort you behind the waterfall curtains at Seljalandsfoss, while Skogafoss was featured on "Game of Thrones". One of the highlights of this trip follows, a glacier hike on the breathtaking Sólheimajökull glacier. Next, we wish to show you the idyllic Reynisfjara black sand beach, the surrounding cliffs are the home to hundreds of puffins during the summer season. After a short food break, we will continue to our overnight accommodation.
After the nightly rest, we head to the Jökulsárlón glacier lagoon where you will be able to explore the magnificent Diamond Beach, where the clear ice merges with the black sand, creating an extraordinary view. We will continue our travels with the rich history in the East and discover some breathtaking mountains and canyons and finally a well-earned relaxing swim at Vök Baths.
During our travels in the North, we will see Europe's most powerful waterfall, Dettifoss (only accessible during summer - April to October). We will also visit the Lake Myvatn area which was created during a volcanic eruption 2300 years ago. Lots of interesting sights can be found here, for example, Hverir and its boiling pots, Grjótagjá a small lava cave with a geothermal hot spring, and Dimmuborgir, the "Black Fortress" a natural lava rock formation. After we are introduced to the green energy that is being harnessed in this area, we arrive at our final destination, Goðafoss, the waterfall of the Gods.
We start our last day on this trip in Akureyri, the capital of the North. If we are lucky enough, we can spot some whales in the surrounding area called Tröllaskagi Peninsula. If you read about Icelandic folklore, you will know that "trolls" play a key part in it and we will be visiting one called Hvítserkur. We will conclude the journey with an area of volcanic craters, called Grábrók.
It's time to head on the road. Today we explore the Golden Circle. Our first stop is at Þingvellir, the place of the first Icelandic parliament. The first parliament was established there in 930 AD and it is, therefore, the oldest one in Europe. Besides all the history you can also see the Mid-Atlantic ridge. This is the split of the tectonic plates that divides Europe from North America. After that, we stop at Geysir. This "water puddle" gives its name to all the other Geysers in the world. It erupts every 5-8 minutes and it is truly a big spectacle. After a short ride, we arrive at Gullfoss, the golden waterfall. In the summertime, up to 130 000 liters per second are running down this powerful waterfall. In good weather conditions, we are also able to see Langjökull glacier. Last but not least is Kerið. Kerið is a volcanic crater that is located in the Grímsnes area. It is part of the Western Volcanic Zone, which includes the Reykjanes peninsula and the Langjökull Glacier. The caldera of the crater is well intact and about 55 meters deep and 270 meters wide. Another remarkable feature is the aquamarine blue water of the lake that can be found in the crater.
We have breakfast at the hotel and afterward, we go back on the road. Our first stop is Seljalandsfoss waterfall. If conditions allow we walk behind the waterfall curtains. After a short ride, we arrive at Skogafoss waterfall. Skogafoss was featured in "Game of Thrones" and it is said that one of the first settlers has buried a treasure chest behind it. Now it is time for some action. The guide drives you to Sólheimajökull glacier. We put on our safety gear and step on the glacier. Our glacier is around 2,5 hours long with 1,5 hours spent on the glacier. Next up is Reynisfjara black sand beach. The beach was once rated as one of the ten most beautiful places worldwide. In the summertime, hundreds of Puffins are nesting here and the rock stacks called Reynisdrangar are standing picturesque in the ocean next to the beach. Reynisfjara is also the perfect place to grab something to eat. On our way to our overnight accommodation, we pass the Skaftafell national park and Iceland's biggest glacier called Vatnajökull.
After breakfast, we head to one of the most popular locations in Iceland, the Jökulsárlón glacier lagoon. Big icebergs are breaking apart the main glacier and they are then floating around in the lagoon that is situated in front of the glacier. After some time, the icebergs melted enough to float out to the ocean. Waves bring back the crystal clear ice to the black beach next to the lagoon, creating a special place called the Diamond Beach. We then head to Vestrahorn mountain, probably one of the best spots to take a great landscape photo. The drive continues on narrow roads along the fjords and our next stop will be Djúpivogur, a small fishing village with a long history. Next to the city is Búlandstindur mountain, and it is said that this mountain can make wishes come true during the summer solstice. During the summer months (April to October), we also pay a visit to Stuðlagil canyon. Basalt columns surround the canyon and turquoise water makes it a special place. We end the day in style as we pay a visit to the Vök geothermal pools to relax after a long day
Today we head to a region that is known for its beauty. Thanks to its remote location, places are less crowded and we can enjoy the magic of mother nature. The first stop of the day will be Dettifoss waterfall (please note that Dettifoss is only accessible during summer - April to October). Dettifoss is Europe's most powerful waterfall and on average 193 000 liters per second run down the waterfall. Now it is time for lake Myvatn and its surrounding area. The area was created during a volcanic eruption 2 300 years ago. Many beautiful places can be found here, such as Hverir, where we can see many smoking fumaroles and boiling pots, Grjótagjá, a small lava cave with a geothermal hot spring in its depths, and Dimmuborgir, a lava rock formation known as the "Black Fortress" and a place full of Icelandic folklore. Thanks to the geothermal activity in this area, a big power plant called Krafla can be found here. After learning all about green energy in Iceland, we head to our last stop Goðafoss, the waterfall of the Gods. It is fed by the fourth-biggest river called Skjálfandafljót and is definitely one of the most spectacular waterfalls in the country.
Starting in Akureyri, the capital of the North, we head to a small fishing village called Dalvik. The city is located on the Tröllaskagi Peninsula and with some luck we can spot some whales in the distance while walking along the harbor. The day continues with a stop at Hvítserkur, also known as the Troll of Northwest Iceland. The basalt rock is 15 meters high, standing beautiful in the Húnaflói Bay. We now drive in the direction of Reykjavik and the next stop will be Grábrók volcano. It is the largest of three craters and after a short walk to the top, you will have an amazing view over the surrounding lava fields. Our last stop of the day is Deildartunguhver. The hot spring is the most powerful in Europe and around 180 liters per second of hot and boiling water flow out of the ground.