Classic Express Around Iceland

Days : 7 | Nights : 6

ABOUT THIS TOUR

Description

This vacation package around Iceland is an ideal tour for those who want to experience the Highlights of Iceland but don’t have much time. This tour takes you around Iceland in only 7 days; it offers an amazing variety of places to visit (glaciers, waterfalls and hot springs) with views of volcanos including the famous Eyjafjallajökull. A trip during which you will experience the unique landscapes of this mysterious island, from lava fields to woodlands, from mountains and moors to bird-cliffs and tranquil bays. You visit unique places such as Lake Myvatn, Jokulsarlon Glacier Lagoon, Skaftafell National Park, Geysir hot spring area, waterfall Gullfoss, Thingvellir National Park, the Blue Lagoon, and many more.

Description

This vacation package around Iceland is an ideal tour for…

Description

ACCOMMODATIONS

When we design our tours we book the best accommodation available, in order to make the trip as comfortable and enjoyable for you as possible. We offer a great selection of hotels, farmhouses and guesthouses for our clients. You can be assured of a warm welcome and an enjoyable stay at all the options offered by us. Below you'll find examples of the type of accommodation you could be staying in. Please note that the below accommodation options are shown as examples of the types of accommodation we book. Due to high demand during the summer time and limited accommodation capacity in some regions we cannot always guarantee availability. In these circumstances, we will supply an accommodation of an equal standard in the same region before your travel dates. We highly recommend you book as well in advance as possible.

Comfort accommodation:

Rooms with private shower (or private bath) and WC. Comfort accommodation may be in country hotels (mostly 3-star range) , farmhouses or guesthouses. Most of the facilities booked by Iceland Tours offer dinner during the summer time. Breakfast is included.

Hotel Klettur

Hotel Klettur is a beautiful 3 star hotel located right next to Reykjavik´s main shopping street, Laugavegur. The hotel has 86 brightly decorated and modern guest rooms with free wired internet access, refrigerator, telephone, flat-screen satellite TV and private bathroom with shower. A buffet breakfast is served every morning in the dining room. Several shops, restaurants and cafés are located in the surrounding area. Free public parking is possible on site.

Volcano Hotel

Volcano Hotel is a small family owned Hotel in the southern most area of Iceland. The area around Volcano Hotel is breathtakingly beautiful and many of the best known natural wonders of Iceland are in minutes drive from us; Eyjafjallajökull, Dyrhólaey and Skógafoss. Volcano Hotel offers warm and welcoming rooms, all of them with private bathroom and shower. The rooms are equipped with: open wardrobe, chair, night table, satellite TV,and free WiFi . Breakfast is included in the price. The rooms are modernly designed and themed after the black beaches and the magnificent volcanoes all around us. At the hotel you can book hiking tours, super jeep tours, get advised on bird watching and more, as the hotel is close to some of the most beautiful natural wonders in Iceland. Traditional home made dinners ("fixed meals") are available.

Hotel Edda Akureyri

Hotel Edda Akureyri is perfectly situated near the center of the capital of the north, next to the botanical garden and the public outdoor geothermal swimming pool with hut tub. Activities such as horse riding, whale watching, hiking and climbing, golf and a flight trip are nearby. The hotel offers 120 rooms with bathroom, television and telephone and 70 rooms with in-room washbasins. Further facilities are a café, meeting rooms and wireless internet connection in the lobby area as well as a guest computer.

Budget accommodation:

Rooms without private facilities. Budget accommodation may be in country hotels, farmhouses and/ or guesthouses. All rooms have made-up beds; some of these rooms have washbasins with hot and cold water. Showers and WC in shared facilities. Most of the facilities booked by Iceland Tours offer dinner during the summer time. Breakfast is included.

Snorri´s Guesthouse

Snorri's Guesthouse is a friendly family owned guesthouse in Reykjavik, located only few minutes from the main shopping street in the city center. Only a short walking distance away is a historic and atmospheric public indoor swimming pool with a steam bath and outdoor hot tubs. Other facilities at the guesthouse are free parking at the premises of the guesthouse and free wireless internet connection in the lobby.

Hotel Edda Skógar

Hotel Edda Skogar is situated some footsteps away from Skógafoss Waterfall and the heritage museum Skógar. It is part of the Edda chain with hotels all around the island and a long experience providing comfortable accommodation and outstanding service. Nearby are Eyjafjallajökull glacier, black beaches, Dyrhólaey sea arch, a public swimming pool and possibilities for horse riding. The hotel has 34 rooms with basins and shared facilities. Free parking and wireless internet connection in the lobby as well as a guest computer are provided.

Guesthouse Skjaldarvik

Guesthouse Skjaldarvik is situated close to Akureyri, in a peaceful environment, surrounded by nature. The guesthouse has 27 individual rooms with shared bathrooms and rooms that can accommodate up to 4 persons. During summer, a dinner can be served upon request. The guesthouse has furthermore a lounge, a bar with tv, a library and a hot tub free of charge for guests.

DETAILED ITINERARY

DAY 1

Welcome to Iceland

Your memorable, Iceland adventure begins the very moment you arrive at Keflavik Airport. Once you pick up your rental vehicle, you’ll head directly for Reykjavik and your exciting, first night in Iceland.

If your flight arrives early enough, we have a great suggestion for starting your trip off the right way: Plan a visit to Iceland’s world-famous Blue Lagoon. Be sure to pack your swimsuit, so you can take a relaxing dip in the Lagoon’s soothing, geothermal waters, before heading to your hotel.

Overnight stay in Reykjavik.
Driving Distance: Approximately 50 km (30 miles)

HIGLIGHTS

Blue Lagoon
Reykjavík

DAY 2

Waterfalls and Akureyri the capital of the north

Start your roundtrip of Iceland by heading towards Borgarfjörður, an interesting area, rich with cultural and historical heritage. You pass the splendid waterfalls of Hraunfossar, where the water flows out of the lava into the river below. Continue and make a stop at Deildartunguhver, Iceland’s largest hot spring (in terms of water production per second). From Borgarnes, continue to the North of Iceland through the Skagafjörður, which is known for horse breeding and many Icelandic horses can be seen on the way. Take some time to visit the museum at Glaumbær, a beautifully restored turf farmhouse, one of the few that has been properly preserved in Iceland.

Overnight stay in the Akureyri area.
Driving Distance: Approximately 420 km (260 miles)

HIGLIGHTS

Borgarnes
Hraunfossar and Barnafossar
Deildartunguhver
Glaumbær
Akureyri

Breakfast

DAY 3

Waterfall and Lake Mývatn

The whole day is dedicated to the marvels of Lake Myvatn Nature Reserve known as one of Iceland’s most fascinating areas of natural beauty. On the way to Myvatn you must make a stop at the impressive waterfall Godafoss “The fall of the gods”. One of its main attractions near Myvatn is the Námaskarð geothermal area where you will find bubbling mud pools and hissing steam vents. You must not miss the Krafla area with the crater Víti and the Leirhnjúkur area. Later on you can venture a walk up to the top of Hverfjall crater or dip into the geothermal water of the natural baths located east of the Lake.

Overnight stay in Mývatn or Húsavik area.
Driving Distance: Approximately 120-200 km (75-125 miles)

HIGLIGHTS

Akureyri
Godafoss Waterfall
Lake Mývatn (Lake Midge)
Dimmuborgir
Krafla and Leirhnjúkur

Breakfast

DAY 4

The East Fjords

Today you will discover the East Fjords. Continue your drive through the the lunar landscape of Mödrudalur highlands until you reach the fertile valley of Hérað where the village of Egilsstadir lies. As you continue you might want to make a stop in the village of Djúpivogur, located in a charming setting. Now you continue along the fjords towards Southeast Iceland; at times the road hangs precariously high on the mountain slopes. Finally you drive through the tunnel of Almannaskard to arrive in the Höfn town.

Overnight in Höfn area.
Driving Distance: Approximately 410-430 km (254-267 miles)

HIGLIGHTS

Egilsstaðir
Petra´s stone collection
Reyðarfjörður
Djúpivogur

Breakfast

DAY 5

Skaftafell National Park , Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon and Waterfalls

After passing various outlet glaciers of Vatnajökull, Europe’s largest ice cap, you will arrive at the Glacial Lagoon, Jokulsarlon. You can walk along the banks of the lagoon or take a 30-40 min boat trip to admire the fantastically-shaped icebergs. Skaftafell National Park is another natural wonder: an oasis surrounded by glaciers and black sand plains which has many hiking possibilities. Continue through Kirkjubaejarklaustur village, the Eldhraun lava field and the Mýrdalssandur plain before you arrive in the Vík. We recommend you stop at Reynisfjara beach; a black sand beach famous for the Reynisdrangar rock stacks that rise from the sea just off the shore and for its basalt columns. You can also stop at Dyrholaey cape, which is the southernmost point of Iceland. Continue westbound; the village of Skogar is the next place of interest with its beautiful waterfall and the local folk museum. As you continue towards Hella you can stop at Seljalandsfoss waterfall, where you can actually walk behind the waterfall. You then follow the main road to arrive in Hella.

Overnight stay in Hella area.
Driving Distance: Approximately 365 km (226 miles)

HIGLIGHTS

Vatnajokull glacier
Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon
Skaftafell National Park
Kirkjubaejarklaustur
Eldhraun lava field
Vík

Breakfast

DAY 6

The Golden Circle

Now it is time to visit some of the most interesting and famous areas of Iceland. You drive through the village of Flúðir to reach the famous geothermal area of Geysirwhere the Strokkur hot spring ejects its water column high into the air every 5 – 10 minutes and where numerous small springs boil and bubble. Close by is Gullfoss, surely the country’s most famous waterfall. Continuing towards Thingvellir (Þingvellir) consider one of the geological wonders of the world where you can see the effects of the tectonic plate movements which have opened various cracks and fissures in the earth’s crust. It was here that the Icelandic Parliament was founded in the 10th century. Continue to Reykjavik for your overnight stay.

Overnight stay in Reykjavik.
Driving distance approx. 220 km 136 miles)

HIGLIGHTS

Skógarfoss Waterfall
Seljalandsfoss Waterfall
Geysir Hot Spring
Gullfoss Waterfall
Thingvellir National Park

Breakfast

DAY 7

Departure from Iceland

It seems as if your journey to fabulous Iceland only began a moment ago, but now it is time to head back home, driving back to Keflavík Airport for your flight. Depending on your flight’s time, you may be able to squeeze in a last day in Reykjavík or an extra night in there to experience all the amazing things that the city has to offer.

Driving Distance: Approximately 50 km (30 miles)

HIGLIGHTS

Blue Lagoon
Reykjavík