Iceland | Reykjavík to the Highlands

Welcome to “The Land of Fire and Ice!” You’ll be met during your morning arrival at the Keflavík International Airport where a guide will meet and transfer you to the nearby Viking World Museum for breakfast. Head to the famous Blue Lagoon near the town of Grindavík for a dip in the soothing cerulean waters. Don’t forget to give yourself a silica mud facial! Next, we drive to the point where the European and American plates come together ashore, a fusion where the New World meets the Old World, geologically speaking, where many signs of environmental disturbances can be seen. This afternoon, enjoy some time to relax on your own in Reykjavík before you meet up with your guide for a welcome dinner.

About Hlemmur Square

Hlemmur Square is a new and innovative concept of accommodating international travelers in both a luxury hotel and hostel all in one building. It was to create an environment where all walks of life come together and enjoy their new “home away from home” in Reykjavik where all age groups meet and mingle, enjoying each company together at the well-known bar and the restaurant. Located conveniently on Laugavegur, the main and famous street in Reykjavik where most of the shopping, nightlife, restaurants, art galleries, swimming pools and spas are located, the harbor and Parliament Square and all museums are literally a 15 – 20 minute walk away from Hlemmur Square.

Today we take it easy by starting off with a sightseeing tour of the geothermally active valley of Haukadalur along the Golden Circle. Here we  visit the famous Geysir and its neighboring geyser Strokkur, quite the fascinating spectacle when it erupts every 4-8 minutes. Next awaits us the magnificent Gullfoss, the queen of Iceland’s waterfalls, situated on the white colored Hvítá River. Enjoy an outdoor lunch taking in spectacular views. Explore Thingvellir National Park, where the oldest Parliament in the world was founded. A pleasant hike around Thingvellir will show off its amazing landscape and the tectonic plate boundaries of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. Transfer back to the Capital for a nice dinner on your own tonight.

Say goodbye to the city (for now) as we travel to the Geothermal Exhibition in the Hellisheidi area, one of the most powerful and impressive geothermal zones in Iceland located only a stone’s throw from Reykjavík. After learning all about how Iceland produces green, sustainable energy, it’s time to tie our shoe laces and hike an amazing route from the Geothermal Power station in Hellisheidi down to the Reykjadalur valley. After a nice day’s hike, kick back and relax in a geothermally-heated river before heading down to the Hveragerdi village for check-in at Hotel Örk (Arch). Come together for dinner in Hveragerdi tonight.

About Hótel Örk

Hotel Örk is a first class hotel in the town of Hveragerdi, Iceland’s “hottest town”, only 44 km form Reykjavík. The hotel offers friendly accommodation and well-equipped facilities in beautiful surroundings. Be sure to try out the outdoor swimming pool with waterslide, hot tubs and geothermal sauna!

Leave the quaint town of Hveragerdi behind as we set our sights on the coast for a sea kayaking trip near the town of Stokkseyri. After lunch at Fjörubordid Restaurant, we saddle up for a horseback ride on the small yet strong Icelandic horses. After our scenic ride, we drive even further into the quiet and peaceful inlands where we happen upon our accommodation, the Highland Hotel Hrauneyjar, the perfect base to explore the Icelandic highlands. The vastness and lack of human impact on the surrounding area makes it truly one of the last places in Europe where freedom, natural beauty and solitude are combined in a breathtakingly powerful experience.

About Highland Hotel Hrauneyjar

At The Highland Center you will discover accommodation designed with comfort in mind. The modern ensuite rooms feature spacious bathrooms, quality linens and beautiful views across the volcanic landscape. The Highland Center’s restaurant offers excellent home-cooked cuisine in a comfortable and relaxed environment.

Today we head to the Highlands of Iceland to a place called Landmannalaugar, known for its characteristic yellow rhyolite mountains and geothermal activity. We spend the day hiking through a beautiful landscape that will take your breath away around every bend. Add to this scenery the promise of a pleasant hot spring soak and you have a day fit for kings! Transfer to your accommodation for the night in the little town of Kirkjubæjarklaustur. Situated halfway between two picturesque glaciers, Icelandair Hotel Klaustur offers comfortable, modern accommodations in beautiful Southeast Iceland. Designated an Official European Beauty spot, enjoy expansive views, outdoor activities and easy access to Skaftafell National Park and Vatnajokull glacier.

About Icelandair Hotel Klaustur

Icelandair Hotel Klaustur is a comfortable country hotel in spectacular surroundings. Klaustur is renowned for its mild and good weather and there is a magnificent view from the hotel of Vatnajökull glacier, the largest one in Europe, and Sidufjoll mountains. It is a short distance from Icelandair Hotel Klaustur to many beautiful natural wonders of Iceland, like Jökulsarlon glacial lagoon and Skaftafell National Park.

Skaftafell, a part of the Vatnajökull National Park, is a place of great beauty nestled under the enormous Vatnajökull glacier. Embark on a short hike to the beautiful Svartifoss waterfall, dropping from the edge of a wide cliff of basalt columns. We’ll also get out on the ice with a glacier-walk in Vatnajökull National Park with a pro glacier-guide. With crampons on and tips by your guide, you’ll be able to safely walk on and learn about this fascinating “river of ice”. Transfer to the South East of Iceland for dinner and accommodation.

About Hali Country Hotel

Hali Country Hotel is located on the farm Hali in the South East of Iceland Hali offers comfortable and cozy accommodation, a historical museum and a fully licensed restaurant serving primarily local food. Currently there are 35 cows and 120 sheep on the farm. There can also be found an extensive aquaculture, foremost with the farming of arctic char. The museum, Þórbergssetur, bears witness of how people lived through the centuries in the countryside of Suðursveit and on the farm Hali.

After breakfast and packing your bags, spend time at the amazing Glacial Lagoon Jökulsárlón, bordering Vatnajökull National Park in southeastern Iceland. Its still, blue waters are dotted with icebergs from the surrounding Breiðamerkurjökull Glacier, part of larger Vatnajökull Glacier. Zoom around on a zodiac boat ride among the floating icebergs, keeping an eye out for seal heads popping up out of the water. Back on land, we take a walk on the seashore and witness up close how the Glacial Lagoon flows through a short waterway into the Atlantic Ocean, leaving chunks of ice on a black sand beach. Transfer down south back to the little town of Kirkjubæjarklaustur where you can enjoy the evening on your own.

Fjadrárgljúfur Canyon is a 9,000-year-old canyon standing over 300 feet high and more than a mile in length. Explore the canyon’s colors and shapes by foot, being sure to get plenty of photos from many different angles. On our way back to Reykjavík we will stop at the Lava Exhibition Centre for a lovely dinner and to see this ambitious Exhibition on volcanoes and earthquakes in the land of Fire and Ice. After filling our stomachs and our minds, we head to the Capital for a good night rest.

On our last day together, we start by going on a cultural walk around the downtown of Reykjavík exploring the highlights of the city. The rest of the day is yours to enjoy as you see fit. Some of our suggestions: a whale watching rib boat tour, Segway tour in the city, Reykjavík foodie tour, or visiting more nearby geothermally heated pools (afternoon activities not included in trip price). In the evening, we meet back up as a group for a final farewell dinner at a nice restaurant in the city center.

Enjoy a relaxing morning at your hotel. Take a group transfer to the airport in the early afternoon for your departure out of Keflavík International Airport.