Country Life - Circle Tour of Iceland 2010
7 days / 6 nights Reykjavik - Borgarfjörður - Snæfellsnes - Eyjafjörður - Lake Mývatn - Gullfoss - Geysir - South Coast - Skaftafell National Park - Reykjavik |
This Iceland circle tour gives you the opportunity to travel through the ever-changing scenery of the Icelandic countryside, through mountains and valleys, viewing volcanoes, glaciers, rivers, hot springs and waterfalls. An ideal tour for those who want to experience the very best of Iceland in one week.
Visit 4 National Parks: Snæfellsnes peninsula, Skaftafell, Þingvellir and Jolulsargljufur. We will have the possibility for some walking in the beautiful countryside during this tour. Accommodation is provided in hotels with private facilities. The hotels used on tours are often "summer hotels", used most of the year as boarding schools or country hotels which are simple and clean.
On some departures this tour may be operated in reverse.
| Departure | Departures Sundays: May 16th June 13th, 27th July 11th, 25th August 8th, 22nd September 19th |
| Price | May & September $2,445 per person in double room $2,830 single room June - August $2,735 per person in double room $3,285 single room |
| Included | 6 nights hotels and country guesthouses* based on double room Rooms with private facilities Scandinavian breakfast buffet daily 3-course dinners daily from day 1 All museums entrance fees |
| Not Included | International airfare Gratuities Personal insurance / personal items Alcoholic beverages $25 Service fee |
| Please Note | Fitness Requirements Tour includes daily walking of about 1 - 2 hours. There are few proper hiking paths and you will be walking over moraine lava and snow. Good walking shoes are required. * Accommodation is provided in hotels with private facilities. The hotels used on tours are country and "summer hotels" used most of the year as boarding schools or country hotels and are simple and clean. On some departures this tour may be operated in reverse. Lunch stops at restaurants of coffee-shops en route. Good walking boots are needed on all activity tours as well as waterproof clothing. Group size: from 8 - 30 passengers |
| Tour Options | Add-ons: Tour Options Additional nights in Reykjavik Blue Lagoon with transfer to Keflavik Airport Greenland Excursion 1-3 days |
Day 1 REYKJAVÍK - SNÆFELLSNES (D) We drive to the town of Borgarnes and on to the Snæfellsnes peninsula with its National Park and the dominating glacier. Visit small fishing towns, drive through lava fields and enjoy the coastal scenery on our way to the town of Stykkishólmur. Our first overnight is in the Borgarfjörður area.
Day 2 BORGARFJÖRÐUR - ÞINGEYJARSÝSLA (B, D) We visit the beautiful waterfalls of Hraunfossar, where water comes running from under the lava and into the river Hvítá, and Deildartunguhver, one of the most voluminous hot springs in Europe. Continue through the fertile farmlands of Skagafjörður and Eyjafjörður with it's beautiful town of Akureyri, the capital of the north. Continuing to Þingeyjarsýsla where we stay for the next two nights.
Day 3 HÚSAVÍK WHALE WATCHING - LAKE MÝVATN (B, D) The day begins with a 3-hour whale watching cruise from the coastal town of Húsavík (weather permitting). Drive to Lake Mývatn , considered one of the most fertile areas in the world so close to the Arctic Circle. This unique area features strange lava formations, attractive bays, pseudo craters and thousands of birds. We stroll through the lava field of Dimmuborgir and tqake qa bath at Myvatn Nature Baths, before returning to our accommodation.
Day 4 ÞINGEYJARSÝSLA - FLJÓTSDALSHÉRAÐ (B, D) We start the day visiting the volcanic activity at Krafla and the Geothermal area of Námaskarð. Visit Dettifoss waterfall before heading through the uninhabited highlands to the eastern part of the country. Overnight is in the neighborhood of Egilsstaðir.
Day 5 EGILSSTAÐIR - VATNAJÖKULL (B, D) Vatnajökull Europe´s biggest glacier dominates the landscape with its glacial tongues calving into a glacial lagoon. We take a boat trip on the lagoon among the icebergs. Our overnight is in the Vatnajökull area.
Day 6 SKAFTAFELL NATIONAL PARK - THE SOUTH (B, D) We visit the Skaftafjell National Park nestling below Iceland's highest mountain, the 2110 meter Hvannadalshnjúkur. Then through the sandy desert of the south coast, overlooked by mountainous cliffs glaciers and waterfalls. Overnight in Rangárvallasýsla.
DAY 7 GULLFOSS - GEYSIR - ÞINGVELLIR NATIONAL PARK (B) We start the day with an introduction to the Icelandic horse and drive on to Gullfoss, known in Iceland as the "Golden Falls", nearby the fascinating geothermal area of Geysir. The most active geyser is Strokkur "the churn", which can spout up to seventy feet every five to seven minutes. Continue to the ancient Viking Parliament area of Þingvellir National Park before returning to Reykjavík.