Iceland Self Drive Full Circle 8 days

Iceland Self Drive Full Circle 8 days

Bestseller

The tour covers all the most interesting sights along the main circular highway.

BP12 Map

BP12 Map

AVAILABLE:
All year

DURATION:
8 days / 7 nights

CAR RENTAL DAYS:
6 Days

DEPARTURES:
Daily

TOUR ID:
BP12

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. South coast & Waterfalls


Pick up the car in the morning and leave Reykjavik city and head for Hveragerði and the village Selfoss. Cross the plateau Hellisheiði, with a lot of geothermal activity and plumes of steam rising from the ground. Numerous boreholes have been drilled on Hellisheiði in the last years for hot water and steam, some of the cleanest energy available. Stop at Hellisheiði Geothermal Powerplant where natural hot water and steam pressure from the ground is used for generating electricity. In Hveragerði geothermal water is harnessed to heat greenhouses for cultivation of decorative flowers and vegetables. From Selfoss proceed east along the south shore, heading for Vík. See the Saga Centre at Hvolsvöllur and stop at the waterfall Seljalandsfoss, where a walk behind the falls is possible during summer, which can be a quite a unique experience. A little further east is Skógafoss, another pretty waterfall, the largest on the south coast and don’t miss the interesting Folk Museum at Skógar, close to the waterfall.
The glaciers Eyjafjallajökull and Mýrdalsjökull are towering above, capping the Eyjafjöll mountain chain. On March 20th 2010, a volcanic eruption started on Fimmvörðuháls, a mountain ridge between the glaciers, Eyjafjallajökull and Mýrdalsjökull. The eruption on Fimmvörðuháls lasted a couple of weeks. After this eruption came to an end a new and bigger eruption started underneath the nearby icecap of Eyjafjallajökull Glacier. This eruption came to an end on 23. May 2010.
Make a detour to the glacier Sólheimajökull before continuing to Dyrhólaey natural reserve and a nesting colony of numerous seabirds (closed for all traffic during the nesting period until June 25th).
Make a short detour to the glacier Sólheimajökull (passable only during summer). Continue further east and make a short detour to the headland Dyrhólaey, a natural reserve and a nesting colony of numerous seabirds. Next visit Reynisdrangar with spectacular coast and beautiful rock formations.

Driving distance
190 kilometers

Highlights of the day:
Hveragerði Town
Seljalandsfoss Waterfall
Skógafoss Waterfall
Dyrhólaey Nature Reserve
Vík Town
Reynisfjara beach

Overnight:
Vík area

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

Day 3. Skaftafell National Park & The Great Glacial Lagoon


Drive across the Mýrdalssandur floodplains and Eldhraun, the largest lava field ever to flow on Earth in historical time, and to the small village Kirkjubaejarklaustur. Fjaðrárgljúfur is a narrow and beautiful canyon a few km to the west from Kirkjubæjarklaustur, worth taking a look at. At Kirkjubæjarklaustur, see Kirkjugólfið (the Church Floor), a protected natural monument just east of the village. Kirkjugólfið is columnar basalt, shaped and eroded by water and wind. From Kirkjubæjarklaustur, continue over Skeidarársandur, vast tracts of black sandy desert washed down by numerous torrential glacial rivers. Stop at Skaftafell National Park, an oasis wedged between glacier and sand. Its natural beauty is a result of unusually favorable weather conditions and the interaction of ice and fire. Beneath the Vatnajökull ice cap, towering above Skaftafell is Grímsvötn, one of Iceland’s most active volcano. . In the afternoon of 21. May 2011, a sub-glacial eruption started in the Grímsvötn volcanic system underneath Vatnajökull Glacier. Later the same day, the eruption broke the ice cover of the glacier and started spewing volcanic ash into the air. The amount of ash fall was the greatest close to the village Kirkjubæjarklaustur. The eruption went on for about a week. It ceased on 28. May 2011. See the interesting Visitors Center where you can learn the history of fire and ice in the region and a video of the volcanic eruption and the catastrophic flood in the area in 1996 can also be viewed. An interesting hiking trail takes you to Svartifoss, one of Icelands most picturesque waterfall, framed in by beautiful basalt columns that surround it. In the Skaftafell area are many other interesting hiking trails. Continue to Jökulsarlón, the Glacial Lagoon where huge icebergs, sculptures of nature, float and grind together in the deep blue waters of the lagoon. An interesting cruise among the icebergs on the Lagoon is available in summer. From here, drive further east towards the Höfn area for an overnight stay.

Driving distance
270 kilometers

Highlights of the day:
Kirkjubæjarklaustur town
Skaftafell National Park
Svartifoss waterfall
Jökulsárlón Glacial LagoonHöfn.

Overnight:
Höfn area

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

Day 4 The Tranquil East fjords


Drive from Höfn past the colourful Lónsöræfi District, a mountainous wilderness ringed by extinct volcanoes and traversed by glacial rivers. Drive past towering mountains, and to the magnificent East Fjords, some now deserted. Enroute stop at the small fishing town Djúpivogur and at Stöðvarfjörður the Stone Collection of Petra is an interesting place to visit.

Driving distance
260 kilometers

Highlights of the day:
Egilsstaðir town
Hallormsstaðaskógur Forest

Overnight:
Egilsstaðir / Hérað area

Day 5. The Stunning Landscape of Lake Mývatn and Akureyri City


Continue across the highland plateau towards Lake Mývatn. Make a detour to Dettifoss, the largest waterfall in Europe. Stop at Námaskarð pass where boiling mud pools and flashing colors of the pass merge with ash and lava from nearby volcanoes. Explore the phenomenal natural beauty of the Lake Mývatn area. The lake area is known worldwide for its exceptionally many breeding duck species and the abundance of other birdlife. Visit its highlights Dimmuborgir, Mt. Hverfjall, the pseudocraters of Skútustaðir and Krafla volcanic system where the most recent eruptions were 1975 - 1984. In summer visitors can have a guided tour through the Kröfluvirkjun Geothermal Power Station where steam pressure is harnessed for generating electricity (admission is free of charge). The explosion crater Víti is near Krafla and the Mývatn Nature Baths are an outstanding attraction too not to be missed. Continue to Akureyri, the capital of the North and stop enroute at the beautiful waterfall Goðafoss, the waterfall of the gods.

Driving distance
270 kilometers

Highlights of the day:
Lake Mývatn
Nature Baths
Dimmuborgir
Goðafoss waterfall
Akureyri

Overnight:
Akureyri/Eyjafjörður area

Recommended optional activity:

Nature Baths
Forest Lagoon

Day 6. North West Iceland


Drive through the majestic mountains and narrow passes of Öxnadalur Valley and Öxnadalsheiði Pass, which leads to the district of Skagafjordur, renowned for horse breeding. Popular horse riding tours for beginners and experienced riders are available here. In the upper reaches of Skagafjordur, you will also be able to join some of the best white water rafting in Iceland. We strongly recommend that you see Glaumbær Folk Museum where you can learn how Icelanders used to live in the past. The museum is open during the summer and the tiny old church at Víðimýri, is also worth a visit. Hólar is an interesting historical place to visit. At Hofsós town, see the interesting Emigration Center and museum. 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. The main watching locations are Svalbarð and at Illugastaðir on the west coast and and at Ósar on the east coast. The Icelandic Seal Center at Hvammstangi gives more information about these locations and how to approach the seals with care. It is usually best to see the selas at low tide since seals usually rest ashore during low tide but feed during high tide. Drive to Borgarfjörður district and visit Deildartunguhver, the largest hot spring in Europe. Continue a short distance further to the historic site Reykholt. Visit the interesting museum at Reykholt and see the hot pool Snorralaug. Further inland are the beautiful Hraunfossar and Barnafossar Waterfalls. Make the waterfalls a turnaround point and head back to Borgarnes

Driving distance
390 kilometers


Highlights of the day:
Glaumbær Folk Museum
Vatnsdalshólar mounds
Hvítserkur Cliff
Reykholt town
Deildartunguhver
Hraunfossar
Borgarnes town

Overnight:
Borgarfjörður area

Recommended optional activity:
Horseback Riding
The Settlement Exhibition and The Egil Saga Exhibition
Krauma Baths
Into the Glacier - Langjökull Ice Tunnel

Day 7. The Great Golden Circle


Drive towards Reykjavik before heading to Þingvellir National Park, a unique place from a geological point of view. Research has shown that Thingvellir is a natural wonder. 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. Head on to explore the great Geysir hot spring area and see the famous Great Geysir and Strokkur, a hot spring that spouts every few minutes. The Geysir Service Center consists of a restaurant, hotel, swimming pool, souvenir shop, snack bar, gas station, a geo-center multimedia show, horse rental, quad bike tours, and a camping area. From here, drive to the majestic waterfall Gullfoss one of Icelands most beautiful waterfall. Head back to see Faxi, a pretty waterfall, situated a few steps from the road. Drive further to the volcanic crater Kerið for a picture stop. Continue to the main circular highway, and head for Reykjavík across the plateu Hellisheiði. Before crossing Hellisheiði, stop for a drive around the small town Hveragerði where geothermal water is harnessed for heating greenhouses for cultivating decorative flowers. There is a lot of geothermal activity on Hellisheiði, where numerous boreholes have been drilled in the last years for hot water and steam under high pressure, currently harnessed for generating electricity. Continue to Reykjavik and drop off the car.
Optional detour for those who plan on taking a bath at the Blue lagoon: From Hveragerði drive the South coast of the Reykjanes peninsula to Blue Lagoon before ending the day in Reykjavik. Another option is to drive into Reykjavik check in to you hotel and visit the Blue Lagoon in the evening

Driving distance
290 kilometers


Highlights of the day:
Þingvellir
Geysir
Gullfoss Waterfall
Kerið
Hveragerði Town

Overnight:
Reykjavík

Recommended optional activity:
Snorkeling in Silfra Fissure

Day 8. 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


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

    Drop off is in Reykjavík the day prior to your departure – day 7. 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 early 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, driving conditions can occasionally become difficult and we strongly recommend 4x4 during winter.


    During winter, road conditions can quickly change. Information on weather and road conditions are available at http://www.vegagerdin.is/english/road-conditions-and-weather/

    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 kilometres if applicable, extra insurance, parking fines, damages or any costs due to the car rental company as a result of the hirer'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.

    Please note that some activities described may only be available during summer.

    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.

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