Grand tour around Iceland including the Westfjords self drive 14 days

Self Drive Tour

Grand tour around Iceland including the Westfjords self drive 14 days

Bestseller

Self Drive Tour

The grand tour of self drive Iceland covers all the sights and attractions along the main circular highway around the country, as well as Snæfellsnes and the Westfjords. Enjoy self drive holidays in Iceland with this 2 weeks grand tour of Iceland that promises a great vacation with cheap car hire for Iceland circle.

BP03 Map

BP03 Map

AVAILABLE:
May 1 to September 20

DURATION:
14 days / 13 nights

CAR RENTAL DAYS:
12 Days

DEPARTURES:
Daily

TOUR ID:
BP03

BESTSELLER
 

Included

Not Included

Itinerary

Day 1. Arrival


Upon your arrival at Keflavik airport, you will be met by your private driver who will take you to your accommodation in Reykjavik. You will be free for the rest of the day to explore Reykjavik, visit museums, landmarks etc. Downtown Reykjavík offers excellent restaurants, cafés, bars and clubs. You might want to join an optional tour if you arrive early. You can visit one of the many Reykjavík’s excellent restaurants for dinner.

Highlights of the day:
Reykjavík

Overnight:
Reykjavík

Optional activity:
Reykjavik City Card
Reykjavik Food Tour

Day 2. Snæfellsnes peninsula


Pick up a car in the morning and leave Reykjavík to head to the West. We recommend a visit the famous Settlement Centre at Borgarnes. Continue towards Snæfellsnes Peninsula to explore the countless natural wonders of the area. Enroute you will be passing a number of volcanic craters on both sides of the road, Eldborg being the largest and most beautiful shape. We recommend a visit to Búðir, a pretty site located on a natural inlet. Other sites on the south coast are Arnarstapi and Hellnar with a spectacular coast and interesting birdlife and Djúpalónssandur. Much of interesting geological phenomena and historic sites can be found in the Snæfellsjökull National Park, the most recent one in Iceland. As you continue around the tip of the peninsula you will be met with a few small fishing towns. Just outside of Grundarfjörður you will find Kirkjufell Mountain, the most picturesque mountain in Iceland. Continue to Stykkishólmur town, the main town of the Snæfellsnes Peninsula.

Driving distance
280 kilometers

Highlights of the day:
Borgarnes town
Stykkishólmur Town
Snæfellsjökull Glacier
Hellnar hamlet
Arnarstapi
Lóndrangar rock formation

Overnight:
Stykkishólmur area

Recommended optional activity:
The Settlement Exhibition and The Egil Saga Exhibition

Day 3. Beautiful Breiðafjörður Bay & Látrabjarg Cliff


In the morning, take a ferry across Breiðafjörður Bay with its countless islands to Brjánslækur, a port on the south coast of the Westfjords. Enroute to Brjánslækur, the ferry will make a short stop at Flatey Island to drop off and pick up passengers. Drive from Brjánslækur to Rauðisandur Beach. Continue to Látrabjarg, one of the most crowded bird cliffs in the world. In summer the 444 m high sea cliffs are occupied by millions of Puffins, Gannets, Guillemots, Razorbills and other species of seabirds. Enroute, stop at the interesting folk museum at Hnjótur.

Driving distance
100 kilometers

Highlights of the day:
Breiðaförður Bay
Látrabjarg Cliff

Overnight:
Patreksfjörður / Látrabjarg area.

Day 4. The West Fjords


Continue to the north towards Ísafjörður town. The drive to Ísafjörður, the largest town in the West fjords is characterized by stunning steep sided mountain scenery with narrow and deep fjords in one of the most remote regions of the country. Stop at the waterfall Dynjandi after crossing Dynjandisheiði Pass. Continue through a tunnel from Flateyri to Ísafjörður town. Explore Ísafjörður and its surroundings, the neighboring towns of Bolungarvík and Suðureyri. In summer Kayak tours on the Ísafjörður fjord are available and the Natural History Museum of Bolungarvík is also worth a visit.

Driving distance
220 kilometers

Highlights of the day:
Dynjandi Waterfall
Ísafjörður Town

Overnight:
Ísafjörður / Suðureyri area

Day 5. The West Fjords


In summer an interesting boat tour to the picturesque Vigur Island is available from Ísafjörður. This is a great experience. Drive along the shores of the numerous and some uninhabited, fjords of Ísafjarðardjúp with beautiful coastlines, teeming with seals and bird life and towards Hólmavík. At Drangsnes, a small fishing village at Steigrímsfjörður fjord is a hot outdoor pool with natural hot water, - popular for bathing, where you can take a dip and relax after a day of driving through the Westfjords.

Driving distance
240 kilometers

Highlights of the day:
Hólmavík town

Overnight:
Strandir area

Day 6. North West Iceland


Continue to the fertile valley of Skagafjörður, renowned for horse breeding. The Icelandic Seal Center at Hvammstangi town is an interesting place to visit. It is a research and exhibition center investigating the lives of seals found in and around Iceland. Around Vatnsnes peninsula you have a unique opportunity to watch both harbour seals and grey seals in their natural habitat. Continue and cross Vatnsskað pass to the Skagafjörður district. Popular horse riding tours for beginners and experienced riders are available in the Skagafjörður district. Some of the best White Water Rafting in Iceland is available there too. See Glaumbær Folk Museum, open during the summer and the old church at Víðimýri. Hólar is an interesting historical place to visit and the town Hofsós with its old buildings and the Emigration Center.

Driving distance
300 kilometers

Highlights ofn the day:
Hvítserkur Cliff
Vatnsdalshólar mounds
Glaumbær Folk Museum

Overnight:
North-west Iceland

Recommended optional activity:
Horseback Riding

Day 7. Akureyri The Capital of The North


Continue to Akureyri, the largest town in the North. Explore the fascinating town on the shores of the Eyjafjörður Fjord. One of the most extraordinary aspects of the town is its mild climate. Although Akureyri is situated only about 60 miles south of the Arctic Circle, it enjoys some of the best weather in the country. See the Botanical Gardens and some of the many museums and art galleries. Overnight in the Eyjafjörður area.

Driving distance
130 kilometers

Highlights of the day:
Akureyri

Overnight:
Eyjafjörður area

Recommended optional activity:
Beer Spa
Forest Lagoon

Different options:

Explore Tröllaskagi Peninsula. Drive along the eastern shore of Skagafjörður Fjord to Hofsós and further to the north to Fljót District. Continue to Siglufjörður, a remotely located fishing town that during the herring boom in early 20th century used to be the most prosperous fishing town in Iceland. Visit the award-winning Siglufjörður Herring Era Museum. It charts the rise and decline of the former "Herring Capital of the World" and the great Herring Adventure that lasted until 1968. Take the Lágheiði Pass to Ólafsfjörður, a fishing town on the shores of Eyjafjörður Fjord. A short (15 min.) ferry ride is available several times daily (every 1-2 hours) during summer from Árskógssandur to the small Island Hrísey. Hrísey has earned a reputation as a bird watching destination. There are no natural predators on the island, making it an ideal bird sanctuary.

Day 8. Lake Mývatn´s Amazing Landscape


Leave the Akureyri area and head for Lake Mývatn. Stop at the pretty waterfall Goðafoss. Spend the day exploring the numerous natural wonders of the Lake Mývatn area and its surroundings. The lake area is known worldwide for abundance of birdlife and great number of duck species, breeding in one place in summer. The lake's surroundings show amazing formations of geological interest and great variety of landscapes. Visit the numerous highlights of the area: Dimmuborgir lava formations, Námaskarð geothermal area, Skútustaðagígar pseudo craters, the Nature Baths, the volcano Krafla, and numerous other interesting and scenic spots.
Proceed to Húsavík, sometimes called "The Whale Watching Capital of The World". Húsavík was the first place in the country to offer very successful Whale Watching cruises. The Whale Museum in Húsavík is an educational centre on marine wildlife.

Driving distance
150 kilometers

Highlights of the day:
Goðafoss waterfall
Lake Mývatn
Dimmuborgir
Nature Baths
Hverfell Crater
Skútustaðagígar Pseudo Craters
Námaskarð
Húsavík Town

Overnight:
Húsavík/ Lake Mývatn area

Recommended optional activity:
Nature Baths
Whale Watching From Húsavík

Day 9. Jökulsárgljúfur National Park


Leave Húsavík and drive to the north towards the Öxarfjörður Bay to Ásbyrgi canyon is a strange and spectacular horseshoe shaped canyon by the main road, - not to be missed. Head back to Vesturdalur and Hljóðaklettar, the Echo rocks, an extremely beautiful canyon carved by the river Jökulsá á Fjöllum. This area offers many interesting hiking trails to explore the many wonders of the Jökulsárgljúfur National Park. Continue to the south to Dettifoss waterfall, the largest waterfall in Europe. From Dettifoss proceed across the highland plateau to Egilsstaðir town, the largest town in east Iceland. Near Egilsstaðir is Hallormsstaðaskógur, the largest forest in the country and the legendary Lagarfljót River. A short and scenic drive from Egilsstaðir across Fjarðarheiði Pass is Seyðisfjörður, a small and picturesque fishing town and a ferry port, certainly worth a visit.

Driving distance
310 kilometers

Highlights of the day:
Hljóðaklettar rock formations
Ásbyrgi Canyon
Jökulsárgljúfur National Park
Dettifoss Waterfall
Egilsstaðir town
Hallormsstaðaskógur Forest
Seyðisfjörður town

Overnight:
Egilsstaðir / Seyðisfjörður area

Day 10. The Tranquil East Fjords


Drive to the scenic East Fjords, each of them a world of its own. The stone collection of Petra at Stöðvarfjörður is interesting to visit to see beautiful stones collected in this area. Continue to the south and past Lónsöræfi and to top of Almannaskarð pass for a great view over the surrounding area. Continue through a tunnel to Höfn, a blooming fishing community in the realm of Vatnajökull, the greatest glacier in Europe. The fishing town Höfn, famous for its lobster catch is located at the foot of Vatnajökull, and the scenery is breathtaking.

Driving distance
250 kilometers

Highlights of the day:
Egilsstaðir town
Höfn

Overnight:
Djúpivogur / Höfn area

Day 11. The Glacier Lagoon & Skaftafell National Park


Drive to the famous Glacier Lagoon, where huge icebergs, true sculptures of nature, broken off Breiðamerkurjökull glacier, float and grind together in the blue waters of the lagoon. You can also go down to the Diamond Beach. Continue along the South Coast to Vatnajökull National Park. As you reach the Vatnajökull area, you won’t miss Skaftafell National Park with its great views. There you can also find many hiking trails, for example to the beautiful Svartifoss Waterfall. Continue to Vík where you will stay for the night. On your way you will pass Fjaðrárgljúfur Canyon and Kirkjubæjarklaustur Village.

Driving distance
280 kilometers

Highlights of the day:
Höfn
Jökulsárlón Glacial Lagoon
Skaftafell National Park
Svartifoss waterfall
Kirkjubæjarklaustur town
Kirkjugólf Basalt Columns
Vík town

Overnight:
Kirkjubæjarklaustur / Vík area

Recommended optional activity:
Amphibian boat Tour on Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon
Glacier Lagoon Kayaking
Zodiac Boat on Glacier Lagoon

Day 12. The Beautiful South Coast, Gullfoss Waterfall & Geysir


Drive to Reynisdrangar with spectacular coast and beautiful rock formations. The promontory at Dyrhólaey is a massive natural arch carved by the relentless pounding of the winds and surf with rich birdlife in summer. Head west towards Reykjavík and stop at the beautiful waterfall Skógafoss and don’t miss the Folk Museum at Skógar. Next up is the Seljalandsfoss waterfall. There you can take an walking path behind the waterfall in the summer which is a unique experience. Continue further along the South Coast before going to the Golden Circle with stops at the Kerið Crater and the waterfall Faxi before arriving at the Geysir area. There you can see the famous Great Geysir and Strokkur, a very active geyser that spouts every few minutes, as well as numerous other hot springs. From Geysir, continue a short distance further to the majestic waterfall Gullfoss, one of Iceland’s largest and most beautiful waterfalls. Make Gullfoss a turnaround point and head back to Geysir area.

Driving distance
200 kilometers

Highlights of the day:
Vík Town
Reynisfjara beach
Dyrhólaey Nature Reserve
Skógafoss Waterfall
Seljalandsfoss Waterfall
Kerið
Geysir
Gullfoss Waterfall

Overnight:
Golden Circle area

Recommended optional activity:
Glacier Walk
Snowmobiling on Solheimajokull Glacier
Horse Riding Tour South
LAVA Centre
Katla Ice Cave
ATV Black Sand Beach and Plane Wreck

Day 13. Þingvellir National Park & The Blue Lagoon


Head to Þingvellir National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The faults and fissures of the area are evidence of the rifting of the earth's crust. Thingvellir is one of the most historical sites in the country and a place of exceptional beauty. From the National Park head back to Reykjavík. After a short stop in Reykjavik, head to the famous Blue Lagoon. There you can end your trip relaxing in the mineral waters of the Blue Lagoon. Return to Reykjavik where you will drop off the rental car.

Driving distance
160 kilometers

Highlights of the day:
Þingvellir
The Blue Lagoon

Overnight:
Reykjavík

Recommended optional activity:
Snorkeling in Silfra Fissure
Blue Lagoon Comfort Admission

Day 14. Departure


Private transfer from the hotel to Keflavik International Airport

ACCOMMODATION

CARS

01.A - Hyundai I10 or similar - Manual - manual

01.A - Hyundai I10 or similar - Manual -  manual

Transmission: Manual
Seats: 4
Suitcases: 1
Doors: 5

02.D - Hyundai I10 or similar - Automatic -

02.D - Hyundai I10 or similar - Automatic -

Transmission: Automatic
Seats: 4
Suitcases: 1
Doors: 5

03.N - VW Polo or similar - Manual -

03.N - VW Polo or similar - Manual -

Transmission: Manual
Seats: 5
Suitcases: 2
Doors: 5

04.O - VW Polo or similar - Automatic -

04.O - VW Polo or similar - Automatic -

Transmission: Automatic
Seats: 5
Suitcases: 2
Doors: 5

05.B - VW Golf or similar - Manual -

05.B - VW Golf or similar - Manual -

Transmission: Manual
Seats: 5
Suitcases: 2
Doors: 5

06.L - VW Golf or similar - Automatic -

06.L - VW Golf or similar - Automatic -

Transmission: Automatic
Seats: 5
Suitcases: 2
Doors: 5

07.E - Hyundai I30 station or similar - Manual -

07.E - Hyundai I30 station or similar - Manual -

Transmission: Manual
Seats: 5
Suitcases: 4
Doors: 5

09.M - Skoda Octavia Station AWD or similar - Automatic -

09.M - Skoda Octavia Station AWD or similar - Automatic -

Transmission: Automatic
Seats: 5
Suitcases: 4
Doors: 5

10.P - Suzuki Vitara 4WD or similar - Manual -

10.P - Suzuki Vitara 4WD or similar - Manual -

Transmission: Manual
Seats: 5
Suitcases: 3
Doors: 5

11.H - Kia Sportage 4WD or similar - Automatic -

11.H - Kia Sportage 4WD or similar - Automatic -

Transmission: Automatic
Seats: 5
Suitcases: 3
Doors: 5

12.J - Kia Sorento 4WD or similar - Automatic -

12.J - Kia Sorento 4WD or similar - Automatic -

Transmission: Automatic
Seats: 5
Suitcases: 3
Doors: 5

13.K - Toyota Landcruiser 4WD or similar - Automatic -

13.K - Toyota Landcruiser 4WD or similar - Automatic -

Transmission: Automatic
Seats: 5
Suitcases: 4
Doors: 5

14.C - Land Rover Discovery 4WD - Automatic - Limited Availability -

14.C - Land Rover Discovery 4WD - Automatic - Limited Availability -

Transmission: Automatic
Seats: 5
Suitcases: 4
Doors: 5

15.I - Land Rover Defender 4WD - Automatic - Limited Availability -

15.I - Land Rover Defender 4WD - Automatic - Limited Availability -

Transmission: Automatic
Seats: 5
Suitcases: 3
Doors: 5

17.XE - VW Transporter 2WD or similar - Manual - Limited Availability

17.XE - VW Transporter 2WD or similar - Manual - Limited Availability

Transmission: Manual
Seats: 9
Suitcases: 4
Doors: 4

18.XG - VW Transporter 4WD or similar - Manual - Limited Availability

18.XG - VW Transporter 4WD or similar - Manual - Limited Availability

Transmission: Manual
Seats: 9
Suitcases: 4
Doors: 3

Optional Extra: Would you like to do some extra activities? Below activities can be added to this tour.

Useful Information: Here you will find other information for this tour.

Why book your Self Drive Tour with Tour.is?
  • Highly competitive prices
  • We include more
  • Outstanding response time and customer care
  • Knowledgeable and motivated team of travel agents
  • Great reviews from visitors
  • We offer cancellation insurance


  • Please note that the tour can not start on Thursdays in September

    Pick up of rental car is the morning of day 2.

    Drop off is in Reykjavík the day prior to your departure – day 13.

    An extra day will be charged if the car is returned later.

    Due to road conditions routes may have to be altered without prior notice.
    The highland tracks of Iceland are usually not expected to be open until the middle of June and due to road conditions some routes may temporarily not be passable without prior notice.

    Types of car recommended: Any. During winter, usually September through May, snow and ice can be expected. Although the route of this tour is usually passable by any car type, we strongly recommend 4x4 during May and September
     
    Accommodation is according to your choice in farmhouses, guesthouses or hotels, cat. 1, 2 or 3. including breakfast. Due to limited availability of accommodation in the Icelandic countryside and a great demand for summer, we are only able to confirm specific category but not a specific hotel in each locality until booking has been made and confirmed.


    Early morning arrival: Check in time at hotels is usually between 14:00 - 16:00. If you arrive early morning, you may not be able to check in immediately on arrival.
    A credit card imprint will be taken at the start of all rentals for security reasons, even when a voucher covers the cost of the rental. Cash and debit card deposits will not be accepted. This credit card imprint may be used to pay all extra charges, including extra driven kilometers if applicable, extra insurance, parking fines, damages or any costs due to the car rental company as a result of the hire's use of the car.

    Self Drive tours can often be modified according to the client’s wishes. If you want to change or extend the tour, add days etc, please contact our office.

    Travel Insurance: To avoid dispute in case of cancellation, we strongly recommend that our clients purchase a comprehensive travel insurance in their home country, that covers your cost should you have to cancel your tour. This kind of travel insurance is usually not expensive and it frequently covers other risks too.

    Price Calculator: There are several factors that determine the price of self drive packages:

    1. Time of the year.

    2. Number of people traveling together

    3. Type of car (we offer more than 15 different types of cars)

    4. Type of accommodation (we offer 3 different categories of accommodation)

    There is a special Price Calculator button at our website with every self drive tour package where you can enter your choice of type of accommodation and car, number of people and when you want to begin the tour (arrival date) and the Price Calculator will calculate and display the price of different options.

    Note: Day(s) can be added before and / or after if your arrival and departure does not fit the itinerary of this tour. Additional day tours can be added for the additional day/s. If you have any questions please don´t hesitate to contact us by email to tour@tour.is and we will be more than happy to advice.
    Please note: In all cases, if you are traveling alone and if you would like to add Snowmobiling, you need to add a single ride fee. This is obligatory for single travelers. If you would like to have your own snowmobile when traveling with other people, you also need to add a single ride fee if you would like to have your own snowmobile.

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