Iceland: Land of Fire & Ice

What's Included

• Accommodation

  Stay at the Centerhotel Plaza in Reykjavik, Fosshotel, and Dyrhólaey Hotel, offering comfortable accommodations throughout your Icelandic adventure.

• Transport

  Travel through Iceland's stunning landscapes with a combination of guided tours and cruises, including a Breiðafjorður Bay nature cruise and an amphibian boat cruise on the Jokulsárlón Glacial Lagoon.

• Meals

  Enjoy an Icelandic lunch at a popular local restaurant and a light lunch at a family-run dairy farm, including farm-to-table beef soup and ice cream.

• Guided Tours

  Gain a local's perspective of Reykjavík on a walking tour and explore Icelandic life at the Skógar Museum.

• Nature Experiences

  Witness the impressive Skógafoss waterfall, the black sand beaches of Reynisfjara, and glide past icebergs on a cruise of the ice-strewn Jokulsárlón Glacial Lagoon.

• Cultural Experiences

  Visit the Lava Exhibition Center to learn about Iceland's volcanic activity and explore the Skógar Museum.

What's Not Included

• Personal Expenses

  Personal expenses such as souvenirs, additional meals, and optional activities are not included.
  
  

• Travel Insurance

  Travel insurance is not included and is recommended for all travelers.
  
  

• Optional Activities

  Optional activities such as visiting the Sky Lagoon or the Perlan Center in Reykjavik are not included.
  
  

Experiences

Savor Viking sushi aboard a Breiðafjordur cruise.Explore Icelandic life at the Skógar Museum.Glide past icebergs on a cruise of the ice strewn Jokulsárlón Glacial Lagoon.

Culinaries

Taste Icelandic cuisine at a popular local restaurant.Relish Iceland’s local farm-to-table specialty during a visit to a family-owned dairy farm.

Must See

Travel to the Golden Circle, one of many of Iceland's natural wonders.Gain a local's perspective of Reykjavík on a walking tour.Journey to the spectacular Gullfoss waterfall.

Choice Highlights

Reykjavík Located in southwestern Iceland, the capital and largest city of Iceland is said to be the location of the first permanent settlement. It is believed that the city was established around AD 870. Until the 18th century, there was no urban development, but the city was founded in 1786 as an official trading town and grew steadily over the next decades. Soon Reykjavík became the national center of commerce, population, and governmental activities. The city is rated among the cleanest, greenest, and safest cities in the world.

Golden Circle The Golden Circle is the most popular tourist route from Reykjavík in South Iceland. Two main stops on the route are the national park Thingvellir and the waterfall Gullfoss (Golden Falls). The route covers about 300 kilometers looping from Reykjavík into central Iceland and back.

Thingvellir National Park Around 930, the Althing general assembly was established in Thingvellir. A law passed in 1928 protecting the area, which shall remain the property of the Icelandic nation under the preservation of the Althing. Thingvellir National Park was officially founded in 1930, marking the 1,000th anniversary of the Althing. In 2004, the park became a World Heritage Site. Throughout the park, visitors can travel among the many hiking trails.

Gullfoss One of the most popular tourist attractions in Iceland is the Gullfoss, an incredible waterfall located in the canyon of Hvita river in southwest Iceland. As one first approaches the falls, the crevice is obscured from view, so that it appears that a mighty river magically vanishes into the earth. The falls offer a spectacular view of the forces and beauty of the untouched nature in Iceland. On a sunny day, a rainbow can be seen over the falls. In 1907, Gullfoss was owned by a local farmer. He was approached by an Englishman who wanted to buy it to produce electricity. Although the farmer declined the Englishman’s generous offer, he leased it to him. After the farmer’s passing, his daughter went to great lengths to save Gullfoss by stopping construction that would have damaged it. She is often called Iceland’s first environmentalist. In 1979, Gullfoss was designated as a nature preserve and permanently protected for the public to enjoy.

Geysir Sometimes known as The Great Geysir, this geyser located in southwestern Iceland was the first geyser described in a printed source and the first known to modern Europeans. The name Geysir itself is derived from the Icelandic verb geysa, “to gush.” Research suggests that Geysir has been active for approximately 10,000 years. The oldest accounts of hot springs date back to 1294 when earthquakes in the area caused significant changes in local neighboring landscapes, creating several new hot springs. Until 1894, the Geysir was owned by a local farmer who then sold it to James Craig, a whiskey distiller and future Prime Minister of Northern Ireland. Later, Craig’s nephew inherited the site, and in 1935 he sold it to a film director who subsequently donated it to the Icelandic people. Visitors can see the amazing Geysir spout water 100 feet into the air every few minutes.

Akranes

Breiðafjorður Bay Cruise Enjoy a nature cruise in Breiðafjorður Bay. Experience countless birds like puffins, cormorants, kittiwakes and the majestic white tailed eagle soaring amongst basalt rock columns. While cruising, try delicious fresh scallops and sea urchin roe straight from the ocean. Seafood simply doesn´t come fresher than this!

Lava Exhibition Center Visit the Lava Exhibition Center to learn about Iceland’s historic eruptions and current lava flows that make Iceland a showcase of volcanic activity.

Vík The picturesque village of Vík is the southernmost village in Iceland, and despite its small size, it is the largest settlement around and an important staging post. Vík's black sand beaches are some of the wettest places in Iceland. The cliffs of the beaches are home to many beautiful seabirds, most notably, the colorful puffins. The village lies directly beneath the Myrdalsjokull glacier, which sits atop the Katla volcano.

Skógar Museum The Skógar Museum was founded in 1949 and preserves the interesting cultural heritage of South Iceland in the form of tools and equipment used at land and sea, crafts and buildings. The museum was originally housed in Skógar Regional School and in 1968 moved to its own facilities. Visitors can see how Icelanders lived in the past in small turf houses and learn the history of Icelandic inhabitants.

Skógafoss Skógafoss is a waterfall situated on the beautiful Skóga River, in southern Iceland at the cliffs of a former coastline. It’s one of the biggest waterfalls in the country. Here’s a fun fact: Due to the amount of shower the waterfall consistently produces, a single or double rainbow is normally visible on sunny days! Legend has it that the first Viking settler in the area buried a treasure in a cave behind the waterfall. Many years later, the locals found the chest, but were only able to grasp the ring on the side of the chest before it disappeared. The ring was allegedly given to the local church. Today, that old church door ring is now in a museum.

Jokulsárlón Glacial Lagoon A majestic glacial lake in southeast Iceland, Jokulsárlón Glacial Lagoon is on the edge of Vatnajokull National Park. The lagoon is situated at the head of the Breioamerkurjokull glacier. It developed into a lake after the glacier started receding from the edge of the Atlantic Ocean. The lake has grown since then at varying rates because of the melting glaciers. Today it is considered one of the natural wonders of Iceland and a major attraction for tourists. Several animals including various fish, seals and seabirds can be seen in or by the lagoon.

Vatnajokull National Park & Glacier Also known as the Vatna Glacier, Vatnajokull is the largest and most voluminous Icelandic ice cap. It is one of the largest in Europe. It is located in the southeast area of the island, covering more than 8 percent of the country. Vatnajokull in Icelandic translates to “water glacier.” Amazingly, under this ice cap are several volcanoes, some of which are still active. According to the Guinness Book of World Records, Vatnajokull supposedly has the longest sight line from Slættaratindur. A definite must-see!

Seljalandsfoss Arguably Iceland’s most famous waterfall, the cascade drops 200 feet from rocks above into a serene pool below. One of the most unique features of Seljalandsfoss is that visitors can hike through the back of the falls and view them from the inside out. Seljalandsfoss offers a one of a kind view, where tourists can see the Northern Lights from inside a waterfall.

Choice on Tour: Sky Lagoon or Perlan Center

Mode of Transport

Travel through Iceland's stunning landscapes with a combination of guided tours and cruises, including a Breiðafjorður Bay nature cruise and an amphibian boat cruise on the Jokulsárlón Glacial Lagoon.