Iceland Complete WINTER 2023 - 2024 - 9 days

Day 1. Arrival

Arrival at Keflavik International Airport. Transfers to Reykjavik are not included in the tour. We would be happy to arrange shared or private transfers for you, so let us know at booking time.

If you are arriving earlier in the day, you might consider adding a day tour. We would be happy to make suggestions based on your interests. One of our favorite activities after a long flight is to visit one of the neighborhood geothermal pools. It is so refreshing to relax in the warm water, breathing in the fresh Icelandic air. It’s a wonderful way to get to see Icelandic daily life and maybe meet a few locals. It’s also nice to take a stroll in the old city center, perhaps visiting one of the museums or relaxing with a cup of coffee in a cozy café.

Tonight, there will be an information meeting at your hotel. You will meet your guide and travel companions and learn more about the tour.

Dinner this evening is at your leisure. Reykjavik offers a multitude of restaurants and/or coffee-houses, making dinner a wonderful way to get better acquainted with Iceland’s capital.

Please note that hotels in Iceland start check-in around 14:00 (2:00pm), and early check-in is not guaranteed. Most hotels will be happy to store your luggage if you are not able to check in early.

Highlights: Reykjavík

Overnight: Reykjavík.

Day 2. The Golden Circle and The South Shore

Exploding Geysers - Waterfalls - Black Sand Beaches

Breakfast at your hotel. Your guide will meet you in the lobby of the hotel. Start your adventure by visiting the fascinating Aurora Reykjavik Northern Lights Centre. You’ll get a great introduction to northern lights, how they are formed and the folklore surrounding them. You’ll also get tips about how to capture northern lights on film.

Continue to the Golden Circle natural wonders. Explore Gullfoss waterfall, a spectacular sight in winter when frozen mid-cascade. Continue to the geothermal fields of Geysir with bubbling mud pools and the high-spouting Strokkur hot spring (and other geysers). Continue along the south shore and stop to admire the waterfalls Seljalandsfoss and Skogafoss before continuing to Dyrholaey and the black sand beaches of Iceland’s South Shore. Continue to the village of Vik.

Highlights:Geysir Hot Spring - Gullfoss Waterfall - Hekla Volcano - Eyjafjallajokull Glacier - Seljalandsfoss Waterfall - Skogafoss Waterfall - Reynisdrangar Cliffs - Vik i Myrdal

Dinner and overnigh: Vík area

If weather conditions are right, your guide will take you on a northern lights hunt on foot in the area outside your hotel tonight, or on one of the other evenings that you are staying in the countryside.

Approximate distance: ca 325 km / 200 miles

Day 3. Vatnajokull National Park (Skaftafell area)

Lava Fields - Glacial Lagoon with Icebergs - Europe’s Largest Glacier

Breakfast at your hotel. Today, you’ll be visiting the southern area of Vatnajokull National Park, named after Europe’s largest glacier. The total park area covers almost 14% of Iceland, making it the largest national park in Western Europe! Visit the national park’s famous Skaftafell area, a site of outstanding natural beauty dominated by several magnificent glaciers. Visit Jokulsarlon Glacier Lagoon where you can enjoy the breath-taking sight of icebergs floating in the fantastic 180m (591 ft.) deep glacial lagoon (make sure your camera is loaded and ready!) Nearby is the dramatic beauty of the Diamond Beach, where shrinking icebergs settle on the black sands before they drift out to sea.

Highlights: Katla Volcano - Eldhraun Lava Field - Skaftafell National Park - Vatnajokull National Park - Vatnajokull Glacier - Jokulsarlon Glacial Lagoon - Hofn

Dinner and overnight: Southeast Iceland or in the Höfn area

Approximate distance: ca 265 km / 165 miles

Day 4. The East Fjords

Narrow Fjords – Picturesque Coastline – Legendary Lake Monster

Breakfast at your hotel. Get ready to enjoy some amazing views today! Drive through Almannaskard pass, stopping to admire the majestic coastline. Continue to an area of towering mountains plunging vertically into the sea that form the magnificent East Fjords. Keep your hand on your camera and keep an eye out for wild reindeer, which can sometimes be seen in the area during the winter months.

You will also pass villages, each with its own special history and charm. One of these is the tiny village of Breiddalsvik. Here, you’ll visit the local Beljandi microbrewery and sample some of the beer. You’ll meet one of the townsfolk and get a feel for life in a small town. Drive to Egilsstadir town, located near Iceland’s largest forest and a lake said to be home to a legendary (friendly) monster. Egilsstadir is also getting a name for itself for its excellent locally sourced cuisine, and you will surely enjoy some of it at dinner.

Highlights: Egilsstadir - Lagarfljot Lake - Hallormsstadur

Dinner and overnight: The Eastfjords area

Approximate distance: ca 260 km / 162 miles

Day 5. Lake Mývatn Area

Highland Desert – Bizarre Lava Formations – Volcanic Winter Wonderland

Breakfast at your hotel. Explore the empty vastness of the highland desert plateau Modrudalsoraefi, desolate and yet hauntingly beautiful in its winter snows, as you head towards the Lake Myvatn area. On the way, stop at Dettifoss, Europe’s largest and most powerful waterfall. Continue onwards to Namaskard pass with its boiling mud pools and vibrant colors. We often feel like we are visiting another planet when we come here, and you may the same way. It’s such a surreal experience!

Please note: The visit to Dettifoss waterfall depends on weather and road conditions and cannot be guaranteed.

Explore the natural beauty of the Lake Myvatn area, including the pseudo craters at Skutustadir and the Laxa Salmon River. You will probably see why this area, especially during the wintertime, has been so popular for movie makers.

Highlights: Hverfjall Crater - Myvatn Lake - Krafla Volcano - Dettifoss Waterfall - Vatnajokull National Park

Dinner and overnight: Mývatn area

Approximate distance: ca 255 km / 158 miles

Optional Activity – You MUST book and pay for this activity in advance to ensure a spot for you on the tour. Let us know during the booking process.

Myvatn Nature Baths – Relax in an azure geothermal lagoon in a peaceful wilderness setting | Duration: Flexible time | Includes: Bathing fee | Not Included: Towel and Swimsuit (rentals available)

Day 6. Akureyri and the Troll Peninsula

“Waterfall of the Gods” – Akureyri – The Beautiful Troll Peninsula

Breakfast at your hotel. Start the day by exploring he peculiar lava formations at Dimmuborgir. The name means “Dark Citadels” in Icelandic, and they certainly look as though were built by fantasy creatures. There are local legends that elves live here.

Visit the magnificent Godafoss waterfall, one of the most important symbols of North Iceland. Afterwards, drive to Akureyri, the colorful northern “capital” of Iceland. The town has charming buildings and a beautiful view of the Eyjafjordur fjord.

After spending some time in Akureyri, continue along the coastal roads of Eyjafjordur and the Troll Peninsula. This is a beautiful drive along steep mountains with amazing views over the Arctic Sea and the black sand coastline. Enjoy a stop in Siglufjordur, a town set in a beautiful fjord of the same name. This town has some of the finest timber buildings in the country, beautifully restored to their original glory.

Visit Siglufjordur’s award-winning Herring-Era Maritime Museum. The museum recreates the atmosphere of the early 20th century, when Siglufjordur was transformed into a frontier-like boom town, thanks to a large migration of herring. The museum will transport you back to that exciting time.

Afterwards, head along majestic mountains and narrow passes to Skagafjordur, considered to be one of the finest places in Iceland for horse breeding.

Highlights: Dimmuborgir Lava Pillars - Godafoss Waterfall - Akureyri - Trollaskagi Peninsula - Siglufjordur - The Herring Era Museum

Dinner and overnight: Northwest Iceland

Approximate distance: ca 235 km / 146 miles

Day 7. Skagafjörður - Borgarnes

Mountain Views – Unique Viking Horse Demonstration

Breakfast at your hotel. Today you will enjoy an introduction to the unique Icelandic horse breed with its special fifth gait, the tolt. Icelandic horses are very important to the country’s history. These gentle horses are known as the Icelandic people’s most faithful servant.

Continue towards the village of Blonduos, built on both sides of the river Blanda. This is a part of Iceland known from the Icelandic literary work Vatnsdaela Saga. Cross the Holtavorduheidi plateau taking you into West Iceland. Drive through Borgarfjordur, a region that has been getting international recognition for its diverse landscapes and its Viking history.

Highlights: Skagafjordur Fjord - Drangey Island - Grabrok Crater - Borgarnes

Dinner and overnight: Borgarnes area

Approximate distance: ca 235 km / 146 miles

Day 8. Borgarfjörður - Þingvellir National Park - Reykjavík

Hot Springs - Picturesque Waterfalls - National Park with Geological Wonders

Breakfast at your hotel. Visit some of West Iceland’s beautiful natural wonders. Drive to Deildartunguhver, the most powerful hot spring in Europe. Stop to admire the beautiful Hraunfossar waterfalls, where brightly blue water rushes through black lava formations. Nearby is Barnafoss, a waterfall with a brilliantly blue color.

Drive through the scenic and mountain lined Hvalfjordur fjord to Lake Thingvallavatn, Iceland’s largest lake, and Thingvellir National Park. This UNESCO heritage site is where the world’s oldest continuing parliamentary government was founded in the 10th century. It is also the place where the North American and European tectonic plates meet. You will have the unusual experience of walking between two continents! Afterwards, head to Reykjavik for a last night in the colorful capital city. Your guide will bid you farewell at your hotel.

Highlights: Deildartunguhver Hot Spring - Barnafoss Waterfall - Hraunfossar Waterfalls - Hvalfjordur Fjord - Thingvellir National Park - Reykjavik

Overnight: Reykjavík. Dinner is on your own.

Approximate distance: ca 205 km / 130 miles

Day 9. Departure

Breakfast at your hotel. Please note that this might be a light breakfast if you are taking an early morning flight. Transfer on your own to the international airport for your departure flight. The airport transfer is not included, but we are happy to help you arrange shared or private transfers.

We recommend you depart your hotel no later than three hours before your departure

Mývatn Nature Baths bathing fee
Price: 6421 ISK (47 USD)