Iceland Deluxe Tour

Overview:

2013 departure dates:

Tour Itinerary:

Day 1, Sunday: Welcome to Iceland

Upon arrival in Reykjavik, private airport transfer to Reykjavik, welcome cocktail and overnight in a junior suite at Radisson 1919, in the center of Reykjavík.

Day 2, Monday: Reykjavik City Tour, Blue Lagoon & Reykjanes Peninsula

Meet your tour guide and start with a short city walk through the historic part of Iceland’s capital. Enjoy the view from the tower at Hallgrímskirkja-Church. Continue the Reykjavík city tour by bus and visit a small local art & sculpture museum where you will enjoy your own private concert and get introduced to famous Icelandic folk songs. Lunch is included at a small restaurant at the downtown harbour. Then you‘ll head out to the Reykjanes peninsula, get to soak in the famous Blue Lagoon and enjoy a welcome drink inside the geothermal water. Continue a less traveled route and explore diverse geological features, the hot springs of Krýsuvík, mountains, bird cliffs and fishing villages. Stay two nights in a deluxe room at Hotel Rangá in South Iceland.

Day 3, Tuesday: Natural Wonders of South Iceland & Eyjafjallajökull Volcano

Today will take you out along the south coast. You‘ll start with the Eyjafjallajökull Information Center to learn about living next to a glacier and active volcano. Skógafoss waterfall is 60 meters high and one of the most impressive waterfalls in the country. It‘s near one of Iceland's finest folk museums. This museum contains an outstanding collection of farm and domestic artifacts typical of Iceland’s past, as well turf-built houses. Afterwards we put on crampons and do a short private glacier hike of 45-60 minutes or you can spend the time taking photos of this unique landscape. You will take a stroll on the black lava beach and along the amazing bird cliffs at Reynisfjara near Vík, where also puffins nest in summer. The last stop will be at the high but narrow Seljalandsfoss waterfall which plunges over the mountain. There‘s a trail that goes behind the fall which is interesting – if you are prepared to get wet!

Day 4, Wednesday: Golden Circle, Geothermal Taste & Icelandic Horses

In the morning, you‘ll learn about the Icelandic horse and it‘s history and special qualities, and also visit a geothermal greenhouse. You‘ll continue to Gullfoss “the golden falls“, a double waterfall that tumbles 34 meters into the Hvítá river, and attracts tourists and travelers in summer and winter. You‘ll see steam from the Geysir geothermal fields as you arrive. Here there are a variety of hot springs and bubbling pools including the original geyser, which is now dormant, but which has been replaced by Strokkur „the Churn“, which erupts at 5-10 minute intervals. When you get to Geysir, the chef of the Restaurant Geysir will take you to the geothermal areas were you can taste freshly baked hot spring bread, served with Icelandic butter, geothermally boiled eggs, and herring. It is best served with a small glass of Geysir Schnapps, very cold – nearly freezing. Next stop is Þingvellir National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. After a stop at the park we travel along the scenic coast of Hvalfjörður fjord to our next overnight location, Hotel Glymur. After a gourmet dinner you are invited to a special cultural treat in the small local church and also meet some locals to chat about life and if interested about environmental issues of Iceland.

Day 5, Thursday: 8x8 Glacier Truck & Borgarfjörður Saga Valley

You will start the day with a small surprise treat and then we you‘ll get warmed at Deildartunguhver, Europe's most powerful hot spring which produces 180 liters per second of water that is nearly boiling - 97°Celsius. After lunch at Reykholt, home of the 13th century poet, Snorri Sturluson, we continue onwards through the woodlands of Húsafell and up to the desert highlands by Langjökull glacier. At the roots of the glacier we board the Ice Explorer 8x8 truck which will take you to the top of Europe‘s second largest glacier Langjökull. You will explore the glacier and experience the unique traveling on top of the snow on a thick solid ice. We will learn about its movements and see how the melting water forms rivers and lagoons. Furthermore we will see how the glacier is melting because of global warming. We travel by the Ice Explorer 8x8 from an altitude of 500 m to the top of the glacier, about 1.400 m over sea level where at good weather the view over the glacier and the interior highlands is breathtaking. At some places the ice is between 500-700 meter thick and you will be able to walk on the glacier and spy into the crevasses. We spend about 2,5-3 hours on Langjökull glacier. Nearby, Hraunfossar is a series of waterfalls pouring from beneath a one kilometer wide lava field. Barnafoss “ the Children’s falls” is nearby, with it‘s own tragic tale. You‘ll spend two nights in a deluxe room at Hotel Búðir, one of Iceland’s most scenic hotel locations.

Day 6, Friday: Snæfellsnes Peninsula & Bird Watching Fjord Cruise

The Snæfellsnes Peninsula “the peninsula of the snowy mountain“, juts out from Iceland’s west coast, like a long arm with a clenched fist at its tip, and is in many ways a microcosm of the whole island. A rugged mountain chain runs its length, capped by the 1,446m Snæfellsjökull, a mystical cone-shaped strato volcano which Jules Verne’s pictured as the entrance to the centre of the earth.  You‘ll travel to the charming fishing town of Stykkishólmur for a lunch and bird watching cruise in the Breiðafjörður fjord. Afterwards you can stroll around the sheltered harbor which provides a good place for fishing vessels to anchor, and then explore this charming town with its many old wooden houses. A uniquely Icelandic “treat“ awaits you at Bjarnarhöfn, where they make Hákarl - the fermented shark. As you‘ll travel around the Snæfellsnes peninsula through lava fields and along the ocean where you’ll have classic Icelandic photo ops. We visit the most popular sites at the national park where volcanic craters, lava flows, an ice cap, glaciated peaks, fjords, sandy beaches and high cliffs shape its landscapes. The south side of the peninsula is farming country but also has extensive marshlands, which are an important habitat for birds during the summer season. Fringed by golden sand beaches, the wild and windswept coast is pounded by surf as it faces the full onslaught of an unforgiving Atlantic. The north side of Snæfellsnes is more sheltered and has fjords which make a good anchorage for fishing vessels.

Day 7, Saturday: Travel North & Seal Watching Cruise

As you head north, you‘ll get a chance to climb the Grábrók volcano crater. After lunch we take you on a seal watching cruise giving you the opportunity to see seals in their natural environment. We visit the local seal museum. The turf church of Víðimýri has been extensively restored to its original form and is widely considered one of the purest and most beautiful examples of traditional architecture. The timbers of the church were selected from the driftwood spreads of the Skagi peninsula. The churchyard gate with its bells is situated exactly where it was originally built – which is said to have been since Christianity was adopted in Iceland.  We travel along fjords and over mountains to Akureyri - the capital of North Iceland. The 4 star Hotel Kea will be our base for the next two nights.

Day 8, Sunday: Akureyri, Grímsey Island & Farm Gourmet

We start the day with a city tour of Akureyri and a visit to the botanical garden. After lunch you will enjoy a flight excursion to Grímsey Island, located on the Arctic Circle, and home of one hundred people and one million seabirds. Afterwards join an exclusive gourmet tasting tour and discover the very best of local North Icelandic production. During our trail to destinations through the Akureyri countryside and coastline we will meet enthusiastic local food producers, farmers, fishermen and brewers where they will share their gastronomic knowledge with you and we can taste the products. During the tour you sample as we go mouth-watering local treats sourced especially for us and additionally, depending on season, we will be involved in collecting the raw materials. All the producers we visit are small family firms and by some the knowledge has travelled from generation to generation to generation and they will offer us to taste for example blue mussel, beer, cod, beef, lamb and ice-cream.

Day 9, Monday: Lake Mývatn

We will explore Goðafoss waterfall and Lake Mývatn, known for its rich bird life and extraordinary volcanic lava landscapes. After a short walk in the lava field Dimmuborgir, we climb up to the rim of the ash crater Hverfjall, see the hot springs of Námaskarð and travel to the crater lake Víti in the Krafla geothermal fields.  Before heading to our accommodation we relax in Mývatn Nature Bath. Overnight is at Hotel Reynihlíð, the best hotel in the region.

Day 10, Tuesday: Húsavík Whale Watching & Farewell Dinner in Reykjavík

We start the day with a 3 hour whale watching tour from Húsavík, weather permitting. After lunch and a visit to the local whale museum you will get a presentation about whale research and the Icelandic whale conservation program. An afternoon flight brings you back to Reykjavík for the Farewell Dinner at the revolving gourmet restaurant at the Pearl. Overnight in a Junior Suite at Hotel Radisson 1919 in downtown Reykjavík.

Day 11, Sunday: Departure from Reykjavik

Private transfer from your accommodation in Reykjavík to Keflavík airport. Return flight.

Package Includes:

• Direct flights from London to Reykjavik incl. luggage
• Private arrival & departure airport transfer
• Fully escorted 9 day coach tour with English or German speaking guide
• Two seats per person, meaning guaranteed window seat in the motor coach
• 10 nights' accommodation in the best hotels and best located hotels in Iceland
• 10x breakfast, 9x lunch and 9x dinner and several drinks and small treats here and there
• 3 bottles of water per day while touring by motor coach
• Visit to art & sculpture museum with private concert
• Entrance with towel at Blue Lagoon and Mývatn Nature Baths
• Visit with multi media presentation at Eyjafjallajökull Volcano Information Center
• Entrance fee to Skógar Folk Museum and Turf Houses
• Short private glacier hike in South Iceland
• Visit to Icelandic horse stables & geothermal greenhouse
• Hot spring Tasting with geothermally cooked bread and eggs
• Private cultural experiece and 'meet the locals' event at Hvalfjördur Fjord
• 8x8 truck tour on Langjökull glacier
• 3 boat trips for bird watching, seal watching and whale watching
• Admission to seal museum, whale museum and Viðimýri turf church
• Visit to traditional shark curing farm
• Fight excursion to Grímsey island
• Domestic flight Akureyri-Reykjavík
• Farm gourmet tasting tour
• Plenty of small details, little surprises, 'meet the locals' events, some lectures & presentations and unique treats throughout the tour