Year round tour: Travel to Iceland and delve into the ancient land of Vikings and volcanoes on this 8 day in depth cultural Icelandic tour. Discover the unique beauty of this mysterious land visiting the major cities and sights, including the capital city of Reykjavík, the world-famous Golden Circle sightseeing route, and Akureyri, 'the Capital of the North.' Marvel at glacier lagoons, the beautiful Lake Mývatn, waterfalls, volcanoes, rural towns and countless other attractions.
Trip Highlights
Included
Not Included
Itinerary
Reykjavik
Friday. Welcome to Reykjavik! On arrival at Keflavík International Airport, you'll be transferred by Flybus shuttle to our accommodation. The remainder of the day is at leisure.
Overnight: Reykjavik
Grabrok Volcano Crater
Reykjavik - Grabrok - Akureyri. This morning we meet our tour guide and depart from the hotel. We travel west, passing the town of Borgarnes and stopping to climb the Grábrók volcano crater. Further north we stop at the turf church of Vídimýri which has been extensively restored to its original form and is widely considered one of the purest and most beautiful examples of traditional Icelandic architecture.
We continue along scenic fjord landscapes and over several mountain passes until we reach Akureyri, the capital of North Iceland.
Overnight: Akureyri | Breakfast
Lake Myvatn
Akureyri - Lake Myvatn. This morning we explore Akureyri, a charming town of 17,000 inhabitants and enjoy the panoramic view over Eyjafjördur fjord. From April-October optional whale watching tours are available from 09:00-12:00.
In the afternoon we visit spectacular Godafoss, the waterfalls of the Gods and Lake Mývatn, which is known for its geological wonders and active bird life during summer. Next stop is the bizarre lava formations at Kálfaströnd to walk around the many pseudo craters. End an exciting day with a relaxing soak at Mývatn Nature Baths - the waters here contain a unique blend of minerals, silicates and geothermal micro-organisms. The warm soothing waters benefit both skin and spirit alike.
Overnight: Lake Myvatn | Breakfast
Namaskard hot springs
Lake Myvatn - Namaskard - Egilsstadir. In the morning we hike in a lava labyrinth at Dimmuborgir “the dark castles”, hoping to get a glimpse of the trolls who are said to live there. Afterwards we visit the hot spring area of Námaskard with bubbling mud pools and steaming solfataras. Continue through the uninhabited highlands and moonlike surrounding to East Iceland. With some luck we might spot an Arctic fox or see reindeer.
From June to August the tour includes a detour to Dettifoss, Europe's most powerful waterfall in the northern part of Vatnajökull National Park.
Overnight: Egilsstadir | Breakfast
Vatnajokull NP
Egilsstadir - Vatnajokull - Today we admire the dramatic fjord landscape, twisty roads and tiny fishing villages in the East Fjords. En route we visit an interesting stone and mineral collection. This afternoon we see Vatnajökull - Europe’s biggest glacier that is visible all over Southeast Iceland.
We travel along the southern part of the giant Vatnajökull glacier and spend time exploring the stunning scenery of Europe’s largest national park, which has Iceland’s highest mountains and a beautiful alpine environment.
Overnight: Hofn | Breakfast
Icebergs & Waterfalls
Jokulsarlon - Skorgar - Hvolsvollur. We start the day with a stop at Jokulsarlon, a glacial lagoon filled with floating icebergs, and explore the extraordinary site where you might see seals swimming in arctic waters. From May through September, a boat tour between floating icebergs is included in the program. Just across the street, you can walk on the so-called Diamond Beach, where icebergs wash up along the shore. We then continue along to the southern part of the glacier Vatnajokull and glimpse Europe’s second-largest national park, which has Iceland’s highest mountains, an alpine environment, and Europe’s largest glacier.
In the afternoon, a beautiful drive with many natural wonders awaits us as we head across the Eldhraun lava field, cross the sandy desert of the south coast, overlooked by mountainous cliffs, glaciers and waterfalls. Stroll along the black lava beach of Reynisfjara near Vík. In the small village of Skogar, there is Skogafoss waterfall which is 60 meters high and is one of the most impressive waterfalls in the country. Iceland’s past comes alive at one of Iceland’s finest museums, the Skógar folk museum with its turf houses assemblage of traditions of territorial relics on display. Continue to the high but narrow Seljalandsfoss waterfall which plunges over the mountain.
Overnight: Hvolsvollur | Breakfast
Horses & Golden Circle
Hvolsvollur - Golden Circle - Reykjavik. Today we explore Iceland's famed Golden Circle. We begin the day at Fridheimar learning about the special qualities and history of the Icelandic horse and visit a geothermal greenhouse. Later on we visit the Geysir geothermal fields to see a variety of hot springs, bubbling pools and the mighty Strokkur, "the Churn", which erupts at 5-10 minute intervals. We continue to Gullfoss, “the golden falls“, which is a double waterfall that tumbles 34 meters into the Hvítá River. Continue inland to Thingvellir National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage site. As we return to Reykjavík, we take you for a short city tour of the highlights of the world's northern-most capital.
Overnight: Reykjavik | Breakfast
Reykjavik
Today our Icelandic experience comes to an end with included FlyBus transfer to Keflavik Airport.
Breakfast
Winter departures
Although this tour has winter departures please note that it is not a Northern Lights tour. Most hotels used on this tour are located in towns and villages and therefore not ideal for Northern Lights viewing due to light pollution. From some of the hotels it might be easy to walk to a darker location nearby to search for the Northern Lights but this cannot be guaranteed.
Prices & Dates
Departure dates are guaranteed with a minimum of 4 persons. 'Twin Share' prices are per person when there are 2 people sharing a room. 'Single Room' prices are applicable to those who don’t have anyone to share a room with or anyone wanting the privacy of a single room.
Extra Prices
Hotels
The hotels listed below are ones which we frequently use on this tour. We reserve the right to substitute these hotels to ones of a similar standard.
Icelandair Hotel Natura, Reykjavik
The newly refurbished Icelandair Hotel Natura offers comfortable accommodation and excellent amenities. Guest rooms are simple and stylish with parquet flooring and impressive new interiors. Complimentary Wi-fi is available and the hotel also boasts a delicious restaurant - Satt as well as luxurious onsite Soley Natura Spa. Look out for daily special activities at the hotel including Bedtime Stories and cinema nights in both Icelandic and English!
Icelandair Hotel Akureyri, Akureyri
Opened in 2011, Icelandair Hotel Akureyri is a tastefully decorated hotel with magnificent views of the city. Guest rooms are tastefully decorated with bright and airy rooms and excellent facilities. A delicious array of meals are served at the onsite restaurant - choose form local and international cuisine including Artic Char, Lamb Shank or Wild Goose from Eyjafjordur! The hotel is located just a short drive from the Hlidarfjall ski resort.
Sel Hotel Myvatn, Lake Myvatn
Situated by Lake Myvatn, the hotel is ideally located to experience the wild beauty of the lake and its surroundings. The restaurant at Sel Hotel Myvatn is famous for its lunch and dinner buffets during the summer months, and for its evening scrumptious a la carte menu which combines local and seasonal Icelandic ingredients with a twist. The cosy en suite rooms are furnished with mahogany armoires, smooth wooden flooring and quaint furniture.
Icelandair Hotel Herad, Egilsstadir
Opened in 2000, the Icelandair Herad has recently undergone extensive renovations. Guest rooms are beautifully designed with comfy beds and excellent amenities. The hotel boasts an excellent restaurant serving a great selection of local dishes including reindeer steak! The onsite bar is also a great place to sit and relax in and sip on a delicious Icelandic beer! Well located in the heart of East Iceland's growing capital, Egilsstadir.
Hotel Hofn, Hofn
Located in Hofn on the south eastern coast of Iceland, this charming hotel boasts beautiful views of the Vatnajökull glacier, the largest glacier in Europe. Its modern, ensuite guestrooms benefit from free WiFi and luxury organic toiletries made in Iceland. The a la carte restaurant serves local specialties such as langoustine, which the fishing village of Hofn is famous for, as well as plenty of vegetarian dishes. During the summer, guests can dine out on the terrace and enjoy a drink or two during happy hour.
Hotel Eyjafjallajokull, Hvolsvollur
Surrounded by stunning Icelandic countryside, Hotel Eyjakjallajokull is a peaceful retreat after a busy day of sightseeing. Bright, modern rooms all come with private bathrooms and flat screen televisions. Free WiFi can be accessed in the hotel whilst the hotel bar is a great place to socialise in the evening.
Holiday was absolutely great if you didn't need a special diet. I am coeliac and can't eat gluten, (it makes me very ill), however I had a hard time in 2 of the hotels which really did n't cater for me at all. One of the hotels had nothing to give me for my breakfast and had to send out for some gluten free bread, unfortunately it arrived too late for me to enjoy it. It was very hit and miss regarding food for the whole holiday and the Guide didn't appreciate how important it was for me and failed to offer us any help with the Hotels. Excluding that the holiday was amazing, scenery is different from anything we have experienced before.The Group got on very well and the minibus was comfortable. Itinerary covered just about all you neded to see in Iceland. So I would recommend this holiday but only if you do not suffer from Coleiac disease. Great Tour if you don't need a special diet. The whole experience was good, efficient and I got exactly what I was expecting and wanted. ”
The guide was terrific!!! He was funny, knew a lot about Icelandic history, geology, wildlife and shared with us a lot of "sociological" elements that make the Icelandic identity/psyche I think. He gave a lot of information and anecdotes throughout the tour. and was always available to discuss things we wanted to know/understand either in the group setting or on an individual basis.
As for the tour, we were awestruck by the scenery and the sites that were visited - we even got to view a bit more waterfalls than expected.
Simply a fantastic experience and a tour/guide/Booking agency we would gladly recommend to anyone. The next guided tours will surely be booked through OTG from now on1 :0)”
The tour was wonderful! Highly recommended. One of the best trips I've ever taken. Thanks.
Our guide Martina was awesome and very personable. Very knowledgable about Iceland's people and the land, including history, geology, culture, folklore, flowers, birds, Iceland's economy, and, of course, volcanoes and glaciers. She knew when to plan a waterfall visit so we'd see a rainbow. She knew old roads and side trips. She could recommend shops for hand-knitted goods, and restaurants for particular food preferences. ”
This tour takes you around to all the spots plus more that I wanted to see in Iceland. We had enough time to see everything and learned so much about Iceland. I really enjoyed every moment of the trip.”
We really loved the tour. The pace was good. The hotels & meals were good. We enjoyed seeing the smaller towns and villages. Of course the sights were amazing.”
We absolutely loved the tour. Our tour guide, Freyja was fantastic. She was extremely knowledgeable & was great to be with.
We have told our friends how much we enjoyed ourselves & how much we loved seeing such a wonderful, beautiful country. ”
Thor was extremely knowledgeable and personable.
He ensured that everyone was comfortable, happy, and achieving all that they wanted to on their tour.
I loved this trip! Being in a small group and travelling around the entire country, was both enlightening and exhilarating.
Our transport, accommodation, guide, and daily 'excursions' made this trip a dream come true. ”
Absolutely first class tour. The guide, itinerary, transport arrangements excellent. Katherine the guide is an absolute GEM. So knowledgeable and helpful, really helped to make the tour a wonderful experience. Thanks to Sarah Bansgrove, who made booking the holiday so simple and easy. Be prepared to budget for food which like everything in Iceland is expensive. However Iceland is a unique country. It has so much to offer and is so diverse it's unbelievable. One of the best holidays i've ever had. We will be going back.”
Wonderful tour. Really appreciated the planning that went into this tour.”
We had an absolutely fabulous trip. The guide and drive were great, as was accommodation and having a smaller party of 28 was great.”
In Brief
Extra Tour Info
Holiday was absolutely great if you didn't need a special diet. I am coeliac and can't eat gluten, (it makes me very ill), however I had a hard time in 2 of the hotels which really did n't cater for me at all. One of the hotels had nothing to give me for my breakfast and had to send out for some gluten free bread, unfortunately it arrived too late for me to enjoy it. It was very hit and miss regarding food for the whole holiday and the Guide didn't appreciate how important it was for me and failed to offer us any help with the Hotels. Excluding that the holiday was amazing, scenery is different from anything we have experienced before.The Group got on very well and the minibus was comfortable. Itinerary covered just about all you neded to see in Iceland. So I would recommend this holiday but only if you do not suffer from Coleiac disease. Great Tour if you don't need a special diet. The whole experience was good, efficient and I got exactly what I was expecting and wanted. ”
