South Iceland Highlands and Lowlands 4 x 4 5 days

AVAILABLE:
June 25 to September 10

DURATION:
5 days / 4 nights

CAR RENTAL DAYS:
3 Days

DEPARTURES:
Daily

TOUR ID:
BP04

• Meet & Greet at Keflavik airport (KEF) and transfer to Reykjavik.
• 4 nights accommodation, in the accommodation category of your choice Cat. 1, 2 or 3.
• Breakfast daily
• Rental car of your choice for 3 days including unlimited mileage, CDW and more.
• Two authorized drivers.
• Unlimited WiFi with the rental car
• Detailed itinerary and road map of Iceland with the route and accommodations marked in.
• Private airport transfer on departure day
• 24 hour Emergency telephone service.
• Taxes and service fees.

• Fuel expense and parking fees.
• Personal travel insurance.
• Flights to and from Iceland
• Anything not specifically stated in Included.

Day 1. Arrival

A meet and greet upon your arrival at Keflavik airport is provided by a TOURIS representative. He will take you to your accommodation in Reykjavik. You will be free for the rest of the day to explore Reykjavik.

Highlights of the day:
Reykjavík

Overnight:
Reykjavík

Optional activity:
Reykjavik City Card

Day 2. South Shore & Waterfalls

Pick up the car in the morning. Drive across Hellisheiði Plateau to the scenic South Shore and see the Saga Centre at Hvolsvöllur. Stop at the waterfalls Seljalandsfoss and Skógafoss and don’t miss the folk museum at Skógar. It is a unique experience to walk behind Seljalandsfoss waterfall in summer. The glaciers Eyjafjallajökull and Mýrdalsjökull are towering above. 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 short detour to the glacier Sólheimajökull before continuing to Dyrhólaey natural reserve and a nesting colony of numerous seabirds. Go to Reynishverfi with a spectacular coast and beautiful rock formations and thousands of nesting seabirds in summer. Then continue to Vik a small village on the coast. Make Vik a turnaround point and return to Hella.

Driving distance
290 kilometers

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

Overnight:
Hella area

Recommended optional activity:
Glacier Walk
Snowmobiling on Solheimajokull Glacier

Day 3. South Iceland Highlands Including Landmannalaugar

Head to Thjórsárdalur valley, a close neighbor of the impressive volcano Hekla, with its landscapes of sharply contrasting birch woods, sandy lava fields, rivers and waterfalls. Drive to the medeval reconstructed Viking Chiftain‘s farm at Stöng that was buried under thick layers of volcanic ash by the 1104 eruption of Mt. Hekla. From the time of settlement of Iceland in the ninth century, until Mt. Hekla erupted in 1104, a flourishing farming community blossomed in the Thjórsárdalur valley. The whole valley was buried in ash after the eruption but the farm Stöng has been excavated. A short hike from Stöng takes you to the beautiful Gjáin ravine, where lush vegetation contrasts with stark rock formations and picturesque small waterfalls.
Stop to take a look at the pretty Hjálparfoss waterfall and Þjóðveldisbærinn, a replica of the Stöng farm, both situated close to Búrfell Hydro Electrical Power Station. Head further inland and make a detour to visit the Landmannalaugar area, only passable by a 4 x 4 vehicle in summer. At Landmannalaugar is a warden station, mountain hut and a popular campsite. Near the hut is a warm water pool created by the confluence of natural hot water and a coldwater springs which issue within a short distance of one another from underneath the edge of the obsidian lava field. Here you can take a relaxing bath in the beautiful and almost surreal surroundings.
The scenic interest in the area is tremendous. The surrounding mountains are perhaps the most varied and colorful in Iceland. On a clear day you can see the snow covered peak of the great Mt. Hekla crowning the magnificent landscape. This area is highly recommended for nature lovers and those interested in geology. It offers numerous hiking trails for long and short hikes.
Leave Landmannalaugar and pass Lake Frostastaðavatn, surrounded by colorful mountains and craters. From a side road near the western end of the lake, a short drive up to the rim of Ljótipollur a lake-filled crater. Visit Landmannahellir, a cave that runs some distance into a hillside. The track passes through a wide variety of canyons, valleys, over rock ridges and black lava, weird plain of lava rocks surrounded by captivating mountains. The mountain track over Landmannaleið offers some of the finest scenic views available throughout this fascinating region.

Driving distance
240 kilometers

Highlights of the day:
Mt. Hekla
Gjáin
Hjálparfoss
Landmannalaugar

Overnight:
Hella area

Day 4. The Great Golden Circle

Drive to the Great Geysir hot spring area with numerous hot springs and erupting geysers. Enroute, stop to see the volcanic crater Kerið and the waterfall Faxi. The most active geyser, Strokkur erupts every few minutes. From here drive to Gullfoss, one of Icelands largest and majestic waterfalls. Make Gullfoss a turnaround point and head to Thingvellir National Park, a unique place from a geological point of view. Research has shown that Thingvellir is a natural wonder on an international scale. The faults and fissures of the area make evident the rifting of the earth's crust. Thingvellir is also the most historical site in the country and a place of exceptional beauty. Thingvellir is the site of the ancient Icelandic parliament that was founded at Thingvellir in the year 930. Cross the plateau Mosfellsheiði to Reykjavik. Drop off the car in Reykjavik.

Driving distance
200 kilometers

Highlights of the day:
Kerið
Gullfoss Waterfall and Geysir Hot Springs
Þingvellir

Overnight:
Reykjavík

Recommended optional activity:
Horse Riding Tour South
LAVA Centre

Day 5. Departure

Private transfer from the hotel to Keflavik International Airport

Cat 1

Rooms in guesthouses with shared facilities but sometimes with washbasins in the rooms. Breakfast is included.

Click For More Info

Cat 2

Rooms in Hotels or quality guesthouses with private shower or bath and WC. Breakfast is included.

Click For More Info

Cat 3

Standard rooms in 4 star hotels combined with deluxe or superior rooms at well appointed 3 star hotels. Breakfast is included.

Click For More Info

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

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

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

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

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

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

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 -

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

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

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

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

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

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 4.

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 in June and due to road conditions some routes may temporarily not be passable without prior notice.

Types of car recommended: Requires a 4 wheel drive vehicle.

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.