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Otherworldly beauty and civilized comforts come together on this Iceland walking tour through a wilderness forged by fire and water.

Talk about a total immersion experience. As you plunge into the steaming water at your hotel’s private thermal baths, you can’t help but be awed by your surroundings. An hour’s hike has brought you to this secluded canyon, where a simple wooden boardwalk ends in two circular hot pools cradled between otherworldly volcanic ridges. Ahead of you are days of exploring Iceland’s waterfalls, lava caves, and volcanic craters. You’ll get to know our local friends, like the family that runs a stable of Icelandic horses. But leaving civilization behind doesn’t have to be uncivilized on this Iceland hiking tour—your hotel is a modern Nordic beauty, waiting to welcome you back with fireside cocktails and a scrumptious dinner of local seafood or Icelandic lamb.

Highlights

  • Marvel at the otherworldly lava formations of Dimmuborgir, a vast landscape of dramatic, twisted pillars and arches located within walking distance of your hotel.
  • Tour Iceland’s largest and most spectacular lava cave, Víðgelmir, home to ice formations, stalagmites, stalactites, and fascinating archaeological remains.
  • Visit a family-run stable where you’ll meet the distinctive Icelandic horse, a delightful, pony-sized animal with a unique gait and a friendly disposition.
  • Discover Iceland’s fascinating history as told through a series of beautiful woodcuts, while visiting a warehouse-turned-museum in Borgarnes.
  • Enjoy a quintessential Icelandic experience—soaking in a geothermal pool in the midst of a dramatic canyon setting.
On all Guided Adventures you can count on...
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Expert local guides to introduce you to the best of your destination
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Off-the-beaten-path places you’d never find on your own
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Delicious multi-course meals—a majority are included
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A maximum of 18 fun-loving fellow travelers to share the journey
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Gracious accommodations that are a clean, comfortable home away from home
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Experts to handle all the details
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Flight + Tour Combos include plane tickets, airport shuttles, and pre- and post-tour accommodations

Itinerary

Sat, Jun 10 to Mon, Jun 19 - 2023

Show Itinerary:

Your vacation is about to begin! Spend your first night aloft and arrive ready for an unforgettable trip.

Start off your first day in Reykjavík right by having a Country Walkers representative greet you at the airport. A complimentary car service will whisk you to your centrally located hotel. From here, you are perfectly positioned to explore this charming city at your leisure.

Mt. Esja; 2-3 miles, easy to moderate. Gufuá farm walk; 1 mile, easy

Enjoy an included breakfast at your hotel before meeting your guides at 8:30 a.m. in the lobby. They‘ll be wearing Country Walkers shirts. Please be dressed for hiking.

After brief introductions, your group will travel approximately 30 minutes north of Reykjavík to begin your first hike, a trail on Mt. Esja. This easy forest path slopes upward through fields of colorful wildflowers and shrubs, offering expansive views of lush valleys and soaring mountain peaks in the distance. Continue to the Settlement Center in Borgarnes, where a lunch of freshly made soups, salads, pasta, and homemade bread awaits. After your meal, visit the Settlement Center’s exhibits, learning about Iceland’s most famous settlers, including the poet-warrior Egill Skallagrímsson.

Depart the Settlement Center and make your way to a nearby historic farm to embark on a walk with a local farmer. As you stroll along the Gufuá River, you notice an abundance of rock cairns called varða. Historically, these cairns were used to help wayward travelers find their way. The cairns are also thought to be home to elves, trolls and “hidden people” or huldufólk. Your host happily regales you with stories about these beings and other Icelandic legends. At the end of the walk, you may have time to meet the resident horses, sheep, and goats who call this fairytale countryside home.

Continue through a magical landscape to your hotel, located in the quaint town of Reykholt. Once settled in, you’ll enjoy a welcome cocktail before dinner in your hotel’s restaurant. On the menu of high-quality, seasonal offerings may be a shellfish soup of langoustine, scallop and blue mussel, fresh fish, or perhaps leg of lamb with local vegetables. End your meal with a touch of sweetness such as warm chocolate cake with caramel, raspberries and raspberry ice cream, or skyr with white chocolate ganache, licorice ice cream, and roasted chocolate and rhubarb.

After dinner, with daylight lingering well into the night (during the summer months), you may choose to go for a peaceful evening stroll.

Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

3 miles, easy. Hraunfossar and Barnafoss waterfalls; 1 mile, easy to moderate. Afternoon options: Víðgelmir lava cave tour, Húsafell canyon baths or Oddalindir woodland walk; 1-3 miles, easy

Linger over coffee and breakfast this morning then depart on a walk in Borgarfjord, taking in the stunning scenery of mountains, waterfalls, and farmland as you go. You continue to picturesque Hraunfossar (Lava Falls), where you admire the idyllic beauty of its many watery streams cascading over a towering shelf of hardened lava. The nearby Barnafoss (Children’s Falls), is a more dramatic series of twisting rapids, named for a local legend.

This afternoon, you have your choice of several activities. Take an easy walk with your guides through pristine woodlands, and along the Oddalindir and the river Hvítá. For the adventurous, join a tour of impressive Víðgelmir Cave, Iceland’s largest lava cave (at your own cost). With its fantastic lava formations and brilliant colors, colossal Víðgelmir truly deserves its crown as the country’s mightiest cave. If you’re eager to relax, depart for a walk to the nearby environmentally sustainable nature baths, located in a secluded private canyon. Enjoy the quintessential Icelandic experience of soaking and relaxing, while nestled in a scenic spot with stunning views of the surrounding waterfalls within the canyon (at your own cost).

This evening enjoy another sumptuous dinner in the restaurant.

Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

1-2 miles, easy. Skagafjörður

Indulge in a satisfying breakfast, then a 30-minute drive brings you to the trailhead for Grábrók crater. Trek through a lava field to the base of this 3,400 year-old volcanic crater and climb to the top to enjoy stunning views from the rim. Next, head to the peaceful village of Hvammstangi for lunch with a view. Your restaurant overlooks the beautiful Mjoifjord, an inlet that is frequented by numerous species of seals. If you’re lucky, you may even spy one swimming or sunbathing while you dine. Time permitting, you pay a visit to the nearby Icelandic Seal Center to learn more about these curious creatures.

After a delicious lunch, continue to historic Skagafjörður, where an expert guide introduces you to the Glaumbær turf house and timber houses, all dating back to the 18th and 19th centuries. Enjoy an afternoon break with coffee and snacks before departing for Akureyri.

Arriving at tonight’s accommodation, you’ll step out for exploration and dinner on your own. Known as the “Capital of the North,” Akureyri is a hip, cultural center and has wonderful restaurants to choose from. Or, if you prefer, you can dine at your hotel’s stylish restaurant. You may also wish to take advantage of Iceland’s long hours of daylight and stroll through the Akureyri Botanical Garden or visit one of the many art galleries in town.

Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

1 mile, easy. Skútustaðagígar; 1-2 miles, easy. Leirhnjúkur; 2-3 miles, easy

Enjoy a scrumptious buffet breakfast in the hotel restaurant before bidding Akureyri farewell.

Today’s travels take you east to serene Lake Mývatn, in the midst of the geologically active Mývatn/Krafla region, home to volcanic craters, lava fields, and bubbling mudflats. It’s also where you’ll find Europe’s largest migratory-bird sanctuary, with many species of waterfowl feeding on the insects and algae of the lake’s warm, shallow waters.

En route to today’s trailhead, you’ll stop at Goðafoss, which means “waterfall of the Gods,” named for the lawspeaker Þorgeir Ljósvetningagoði who made Christianity the official religion of Iceland. So devoted was Þorgeir, that after his religious conversion, he threw his statues of the Norse gods into the waterfall. After a quick view of (and short walk around) the falls, you’ll continue to your next walk. Trace an easy dirt trail adjacent to Lake Mývatn, with views of the impressive Skútustaðagígar pseudocraters. True craters are formed when lava from the earth’s core pushes through the earth’s surface; Skútustaðagígar was formed when hot lava crossed a cool body of water, and steam from below pushed debris into a crater-like shape. Also called “rootless cones,” pseudocraters are found only in Iceland and on the planet Mars! Along the trail, viewpoints over Lake Mývatn may offer sightings of birds such as Barrow´s goldeneye, wigeon, Slavonian grebe, scaup, and many other waterfowl.
Continue to a nearby farm resort for a (literal) farm-to-table lunch.

Your last stop of the day in the active Krafla volcanic zone is at Leirhnjúkur, an eerie expanse of still-smoldering lava resulting from the Krafla fires of 1974-1984. Translated as “mud hill,” your trail (fortunately) is along a boardwalk the whole way. Be careful in wet weather, as the boardwalk can get slippery. Geologically active, Krafla’s landscape is teeming with volcanic craters, recent lava fields, and bubbling mudflats. The region is part of the greater Krafla volcanic system, a three-mile-wide and 50-mile-long strip of faults and fissures, which is the center of the country’s geothermal energy industry.

Continue to your hotel to refresh and relax, drink in hand, in front of the cozy firepit outside (or fireplace inside) before savoring another meal that typifies the bounty of the region.

Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Grjótagjá, Hverfjall Crater to Dimmuborgir; 2.5-8 miles, easy to moderate. Höfði; 1 mile, easy OR Kálfaströnd; 2 miles, easy

After a delicious breakfast, you set off for a full day’s exploration of the Lake Mývatn region. The morning’s trail transitions from richly vegetated lava fields to an area blighted by wind erosion. En route, you pass the Stóragjá and Grjótagiá fault fissures, both used for bathing in earlier times. From Grjótagjá, you proceed through sandy plains and lava formations up the northern side of Hverfjall, a classic tephra cone. This near-symmetrical crater appeared 2,500 years ago in a cataclysmic eruption. Rising 1,520 feet from the ground and stretching 3,400 feet across, it is a massive and awe-inspiring landmark in Mývatn. The trail circles along the western edge of the crater, where you enjoy stunning views of the crater itself and the surrounding landscape, before continuing down the southern side into Dimmuborgir. The giant, jagged lava field at Dimmuborgir (literally the “Dark Castles”) is one of the most interesting lava flows in Iceland. These strange lava pillars were created about 2,000 years ago when newly erupted lava flowed across older lava fields and was dammed into a fiery lake. The surface of the lake cooled, and when the dam broke, the remaining lava flowed onward and left behind the cooled, oddly shaped pillars.

Following a lunch of soup or curry in Dimmuborgir, you continue your exploration of the natural wonders of the Lake Mývatn area. Time permitting, a short drive brings you to Höfði and Kálfaströnd for a hike where you’ll see unique (and bizarre) lava formations—craggy pillars and twisted arches surrounded by water. Keep an eye out for the area’s birdlife, including common redpolls, redwings, and Winter wrens.

Mid-afternoon finds you with a few options: you can return to your hotel in Mývatn with time to relax in the hotel’s outdoor hot tub or bar during happy hour. Or, make a visit to the Northern version of Reykjavík’s Blue Lagoon, the Mývatn Nature Baths. Your guides can arrange a visit at your own expense. Lastly, a neighboring farm provides Icelandic horse rides, also at your expense, but with the guide’s assistance. Learn the history and admire the talents of these pony-sized animals with a demonstration of their unique gait followed by an evening trail ride along Lake Mývatn.

Dinner tonight is on your own in the hotel’s dining room or at a nearby restaurant.

Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

Dettifoss and Selfoss; 1.5 miles, easy. Hljóðaklettar; 2 miles, moderate with challenging sections. Ásbyrgi; 4-5 miles, easy with challenging sections

Today’s focus is the Jökulsárgljúfur National Park, which translates as “Glacial River Canyon,” Iceland’s most well known canyon, replete with extraordinary rock formations, waterfalls, and plant life. You walk in three of its main areas, a duo of waterfalls—Dettifoss and Selfoss-in the south, Hólmatungur and Hljóðaklettar along the Jökulsárgljúfur Canyon in the middle, and finally Ásbyrgi, the wooded horseshoe canyon at the park’s northern end. The day begins with a hearty breakfast followed by a 60-minute drive along the west bank of the Jökulsá River, Iceland’s second longest river. Arriving at the park’s southern boundary, an easy, one-mile loop leads to Dettifoss, Europe’s most powerful waterfall (often compared to Niagara Falls). Marvel at the volume of water flowing across the mighty Dettifoss, then follow the cliff upstream to Selfoss, a stunning curtain of water stretching off along a rocky shelf.

A short drive north arrives at the park center and the trailhead at Hólmatungur, with its luxuriant cascades and vegetation. Hólmatungur is a soft green oasis where underground springs and cascades feed astonishingly verdant vegetation, streams and rivers. Northernmost Hljóðaklettar (Echo Rocks) is a maze of fantastic rock formations and castle-like cliffs and caves of varying sizes along the Jökulsá River. Birdlife en route are snipes, ptarmigans, and snow bunting, with gyrfalcon, merlin, and ravens nesting on cliffs and rock pillars.

A subsequent 30-minute drive brings you to the visitor center at Ásbyrgi where there is a choice of walks based on conditions and group preference. The broad, forested U-shaped canyon contains the rock “island” of Eyjan in its center, formed by a series of floods thousands of years ago. The island’s rare woodlands of birch, willow, and rowan are framed by cliffs colonized by fulmar.

In the later afternoon, you return to the hotel via a 90-minute drive along the scenic Icelandic coast and continue through the quaint town of Húsavík.  You arrive with time to freshen up before a celebratory farewell dinner tonight featuring local cuisine. Perhaps a Mývatn specialty—hot spring bread, which is baked in the local underground bakery using geothermal heat and traditional methods, and topped with butter and smoked arctic char. Your main course may be wild thyme-crusted roasted leg of lamb or pan-fried Lake Mývatn trout accompanied by craft beer, wine, or local aquavit!

Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

The final day of your tour begins with a 40-minute drive to the town of Akureyri for your flight back to Reykjavík. After your 55-minute flight, you arrive into Reykjavík’s domestic airport where complimentary transportation is provided to the Canopy by Hilton Hotel in Reykjavík for your post-tour night. You have the remainder of the day to enjoy the city. (Lunch and dinner are on your own.)

Included Meals: Breakfast

After an included breakfast this morning, complimentary transportation is provided to the Keflavík International Airport in time for your departure flight.

Included Meals: Breakfast

Mon, Jun 12 to Sun, Jun 18 - 2023

Show Itinerary:

Mt. Esja; 2-3 miles, easy to moderate. Gufuá farm walk; 1 mile, easy

Your guides will meet you at the Canopy by Hilton Reykjavík City Centre Hotel, Reykjavík, at 8:30 a.m. in the lobby. They‘ll be wearing Country Walkers shirts. Please be dressed for hiking.

After brief introductions, your group will travel approximately 30 minutes north of Reykjavík to begin your first hike, a trail on Mt. Esja. This easy forest path slopes upward through fields of colorful wildflowers and shrubs, offering expansive views of lush valleys and soaring mountain peaks in the distance. Continue to the Settlement Center in Borgarnes, where a lunch of freshly made soups, salads, pasta, and homemade bread awaits. After your meal, visit the Settlement Center’s exhibits, learning about Iceland’s most famous settlers, including the poet-warrior Egill Skallagrímsson.

Depart the Settlement Center and make your way to a nearby historic farm to embark on a walk with a local farmer. As you stroll along the Gufuá River, you notice an abundance of rock cairns called varða. Historically, these cairns were used to help wayward travelers find their way. The cairns are also thought to be home to elves, trolls and “hidden people” or huldufólk. Your host happily regales you with stories about these beings and other Icelandic legends. At the end of the walk, you may have time to meet the resident horses, sheep, and goats who call this fairytale countryside home.

Continue through a magical landscape to your hotel, located just outside the quaint town of Borgarnes. Once settled in, you’ll enjoy a welcome cocktail before dinner in your hotel’s restaurant. On the menu of high-quality, seasonal offerings may be a shellfish soup of langoustine, scallop and blue mussel, fresh fish, or perhaps leg of lamb with local vegetables. End your meal with a touch of sweetness such as warm chocolate cake with caramel, raspberries and raspberry ice cream, or skyr with white chocolate ganache, licorice ice cream, and roasted chocolate and rhubarb.

After dinner, with daylight lingering well into the night (during the summer months), you may choose to go for a peaceful evening stroll.

Included Meals: Lunch, Dinner

3 miles, easy. Hraunfossar and Barnafoss waterfalls; 1 mile, easy to moderate. Afternoon options: Víðgelmir lava cave tour, Húsafell canyon baths or Oddalindir woodland walk; 1-3 miles, easy

Linger over coffee and breakfast this morning then depart on a walk in Borgarfjord, taking in the stunning scenery of mountains, waterfalls, and farmland as you go. You continue to picturesque Hraunfossar (Lava Falls), where you admire the idyllic beauty of its many watery streams cascading over a towering shelf of hardened lava. The nearby Barnafoss (Children’s Falls), is a more dramatic series of twisting rapids, named for a local legend.

This afternoon, you have your choice of several activities. Take an easy walk with your guides through pristine woodlands, and along the Oddalindir and the river Hvítá. For the adventurous, join a tour of impressive Víðgelmir Cave, Iceland’s largest lava cave (at your own cost). With its fantastic lava formations and brilliant colors, colossal Víðgelmir truly deserves its crown as the country’s mightiest cave. If you’re eager to relax, depart for a walk to the nearby environmentally sustainable nature baths, located in a secluded private canyon. Enjoy the quintessential Icelandic experience of soaking and relaxing, while nestled in a scenic spot with stunning views of the surrounding waterfalls within the canyon (at your own cost).

This evening enjoy another sumptuous dinner in the restaurant.

Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

1-2 miles, easy. Skagafjörður

Indulge in a satisfying breakfast, then a 30-minute drive brings you to the trailhead for Grábrók crater. Trek through a lava field to the base of this 3,400 year-old volcanic crater and climb to the top to enjoy stunning views from the rim. Next, head to the peaceful village of Hvammstangi for lunch with a view. Your restaurant overlooks the beautiful Mjoifjord, an inlet that is frequented by numerous species of seals. If you’re lucky, you may even spy one swimming or sunbathing while you dine. Time permitting, you pay a visit to the nearby Icelandic Seal Center to learn more about these curious creatures.

After a delicious lunch, continue to historic Skagafjörður, where an expert guide introduces you to the Glaumbær turf house and timber houses, all dating back to the 18th and 19th centuries. Enjoy an afternoon break with coffee and snacks before departing for Akureyri.

Arriving at tonight’s accommodation, you’ll step out for exploration and dinner on your own. Known as the “Capital of the North,” Akureyri is a hip, cultural center and has wonderful restaurants to choose from. Or, if you prefer, you can dine at your hotel’s stylish restaurant. You may also wish to take advantage of Iceland’s long hours of daylight and stroll through the Akureyri Botanical Garden or visit one of the many art galleries in town.

Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

1 mile, easy. Skútustaðagígar; 1-2 miles, easy. Leirhnjúkur; 2-3 miles, easy

Enjoy a scrumptious buffet breakfast in the hotel restaurant before bidding Akureyri farewell.

Today’s travels take you east to serene Lake Mývatn, in the midst of the geologically active Mývatn/Krafla region, home to volcanic craters, lava fields, and bubbling mudflats. It’s also where you’ll find Europe’s largest migratory-bird sanctuary, with many species of waterfowl feeding on the insects and algae of the lake’s warm, shallow waters.

En route to today’s trailhead, you’ll stop at Goðafoss, which means “waterfall of the Gods,” named for the lawspeaker Þorgeir Ljósvetningagoði who made Christianity the official religion of Iceland. So devoted was Þorgeir, that after his religious conversion, he threw his statues of the Norse gods into the waterfall. After a quick view of (and short walk around) the falls, you’ll continue to your next walk. Trace an easy dirt trail adjacent to Lake Mývatn, with views of the impressive Skútustaðagígar pseudocraters. True craters are formed when lava from the earth’s core pushes through the earth’s surface; Skútustaðagígar was formed when hot lava crossed a cool body of water, and steam from below pushed debris into a crater-like shape. Also called “rootless cones,” pseudocraters are found only in Iceland and on the planet Mars! Along the trail, viewpoints over Lake Mývatn may offer sightings of birds such as Barrow´s goldeneye, wigeon, Slavonian grebe, scaup, and many other waterfowl.
Continue to a nearby farm resort for a (literal) farm-to-table lunch.

Your last stop of the day in the active Krafla volcanic zone is at Leirhnjúkur, an eerie expanse of still-smoldering lava resulting from the Krafla fires of 1974-1984. Translated as “mud hill,” your trail (fortunately) is along a boardwalk the whole way. Be careful in wet weather, as the boardwalk can get slippery. Geologically active, Krafla’s landscape is teeming with volcanic craters, recent lava fields, and bubbling mudflats. The region is part of the greater Krafla volcanic system, a three-mile-wide and 50-mile-long strip of faults and fissures, which is the center of the country’s geothermal energy industry.

Continue to your hotel to refresh and relax, drink in hand, in front of the cozy firepit outside (or fireplace inside) before savoring another meal that typifies the bounty of the region.

Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Grjótagjá, Hverfjall Crater to Dimmuborgir; 2.5-8 miles, easy to moderate. Höfði; 1 mile, easy OR Kálfaströnd; 2 miles, easy

After a delicious breakfast, you set off for a full day’s exploration of the Lake Mývatn region. The morning’s trail transitions from richly vegetated lava fields to an area blighted by wind erosion. En route, you pass the Stóragjá and Grjótagiá fault fissures, both used for bathing in earlier times. From Grjótagjá, you proceed through sandy plains and lava formations up the northern side of Hverfjall, a classic tephra cone. This near-symmetrical crater appeared 2,500 years ago in a cataclysmic eruption. Rising 1,520 feet from the ground and stretching 3,400 feet across, it is a massive and awe-inspiring landmark in Mývatn. The trail circles along the western edge of the crater, where you enjoy stunning views of the crater itself and the surrounding landscape, before continuing down the southern side into Dimmuborgir. The giant, jagged lava field at Dimmuborgir (literally the “Dark Castles”) is one of the most interesting lava flows in Iceland. These strange lava pillars were created about 2,000 years ago when newly erupted lava flowed across older lava fields and was dammed into a fiery lake. The surface of the lake cooled, and when the dam broke, the remaining lava flowed onward and left behind the cooled, oddly shaped pillars.

Following a lunch of soup or curry in Dimmuborgir, you continue your exploration of the natural wonders of the Lake Mývatn area. Time permitting, a short drive brings you to Höfði and Kálfaströnd for a hike where you’ll see unique (and bizarre) lava formations—craggy pillars and twisted arches surrounded by water. Keep an eye out for the area’s birdlife, including common redpolls, redwings, and Winter wrens.

Mid-afternoon finds you with a few options: you can return to your hotel in Mývatn with time to relax in the hotel’s outdoor hot tub or bar during happy hour. Or, make a visit to the Northern version of Reykjavík’s Blue Lagoon, the Mývatn Nature Baths. Your guides can arrange a visit at your own expense. Lastly, a neighboring farm provides Icelandic horse rides, also at your expense, but with the guide’s assistance. Learn the history and admire the talents of these pony-sized animals with a demonstration of their unique gait followed by an evening trail ride along Lake Mývatn.

Dinner tonight is on your own in the hotel’s dining room or at a nearby restaurant.

Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

Dettifoss and Selfoss; 1.5 miles, easy. Hljóðaklettar; 2 miles, moderate with challenging sections. Ásbyrgi; 4-5 miles, easy with challenging sections

Today’s focus is the Jökulsárgljúfur National Park, which translates as “Glacial River Canyon,” Iceland’s most well known canyon, replete with extraordinary rock formations, waterfalls, and plant life. You walk in three of its main areas, a duo of waterfalls—Dettifoss and Selfoss-in the south, Hólmatungur and Hljóðaklettar along the Jökulsárgljúfur Canyon in the middle, and finally Ásbyrgi, the wooded horseshoe canyon at the park’s northern end. The day begins with a hearty breakfast followed by a 60-minute drive along the west bank of the Jökulsá River, Iceland’s second longest river. Arriving at the park’s southern boundary, an easy, one-mile loop leads to Dettifoss, Europe’s most powerful waterfall (often compared to Niagara Falls). Marvel at the volume of water flowing across the mighty Dettifoss, then follow the cliff upstream to Selfoss, a stunning curtain of water stretching off along a rocky shelf.

A short drive north arrives at the park center and the trailhead at Hólmatungur, with its luxuriant cascades and vegetation. Hólmatungur is a soft green oasis where underground springs and cascades feed astonishingly verdant vegetation, streams and rivers. Northernmost Hljóðaklettar (Echo Rocks) is a maze of fantastic rock formations and castle-like cliffs and caves of varying sizes along the Jökulsá River. Birdlife en route are snipes, ptarmigans, and snow bunting, with gyrfalcon, merlin, and ravens nesting on cliffs and rock pillars.

A subsequent 30-minute drive brings you to the visitor center at Ásbyrgi where there is a choice of walks based on conditions and group preference. The broad, forested U-shaped canyon contains the rock “island” of Eyjan in its center, formed by a series of floods thousands of years ago. The island’s rare woodlands of birch, willow, and rowan are framed by cliffs colonized by fulmar.

In the later afternoon, you return to the hotel via a 90-minute drive along the scenic Icelandic coast and continue through the quaint town of Húsavík.  You arrive with time to freshen up before a celebratory farewell dinner tonight featuring local cuisine. Perhaps a Mývatn specialty—hot spring bread, which is baked in the local underground bakery using geothermal heat and traditional methods, and topped with butter and smoked arctic char. Your main course may be wild thyme-crusted roasted leg of lamb or pan-fried Lake Mývatn trout accompanied by craft beer, wine, or local aquavit!

Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

The final day of your tour begins with a 40-minute drive to the town of Akureyri for your flight back to Reykjavík. After your 55-minute flight, you arrive into Reykjavík’s domestic airport and are driven to your departure point, either the bus terminal (arrival by 12:00 p.m.), an easy trip on your own to the city center or Keflavík International Airport, or to the Canopy by Hilton Reykjavík City Centre Hotel (arrival by 12:15 p.m.). You have the remainder of the day to enjoy the city on your own or depart for onward travels.

Please note that we recommend spending an additional night in Reykjavík in case your domestic flight is delayed. However, if you choose to depart Iceland on the last day of the tour, please schedule your international departure flight from Keflavík International Airport no earlier than 3:00 p.m.

Included Meals: Breakfast

Accommodations

Linger Longer with a Tour Extension

Iceland: Reykjavík, Borgarfjord & Lake Mývatn 6
Post-Tour
Flight + Tour Combo Only
2023

2023 Post-Tour Extension - The Golden Circle

  • One night at Canopy by Hilton Hotel
  • Airport car service for arrival and departure
  • Full-day guided tour of The Golden Circle attractions
  • Daily breakfast and one lunch
  • City information

1 Night From $945
per person, double occupancy

Single Supplement: From $245

After breakfast, depart from Reykjavík with your small group and expert guide to visit some of the most iconic attractions in Iceland: Gullfoss waterfall, the Geysir geothermal area, and Þingvellir National Park.

At your first stop, Þingvellir National Park, you set off on an invigorating and scenic walk. The park is a UNESCO World Heritage site and was the location of Iceland’s ancient parliament, first established in 930 AD and convened continuously until 1798. In addition to being a gathering place for chieftains establishing law, it was an open-air meeting place for games, feasts, marriages, and trade. The park is situated on the dramatic rift valley where the North American and Eurasian tectonic plates pull apart, clearly visible at the great Almannagjá (Everyman’s) Gorge which extends almost continuously from Lake Þingvallavatn north to Mt. Ármannsfell. Your hiking trail continues to Lögberg (Law Rock), from which important speeches and announcements were made.

A short drive from Þingvellir takes you to a local tomato farm for a delicious lunch featuring homemade soup and fresh-baked bread and a warm fruit pie for dessert. After lunch you’ll visit Geysir, which gives its name to the worldwide phenomenon, and Strokkur, or the “churn,” which spouts every five minutes. From here, a 10-minute drive takes you to Gullfoss, or Gold Falls; Iceland’s most-famous and most-visited waterfall and a national monument. From Gullfoss you continue (approximately 100 minutes) back to Reykjavík.

Dinner is on your own tonight and hotel staff can assist you with reserving a variety of activities for the following day.

Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

After an included breakfast this morning, complimentary transportation is provided to the Keflavík International Airport in the morning or afternoon in time for your departure flight.

Included Meals: Breakfast

What's Included

Flight + Tour Combo
Tour Only
Exceptional boutique accommodations Check Check
16 on-tour meals: 6 breakfasts, 6 lunches, 4 dinners Check Check
Local guides with you throughout tour Check Check
Local wine and/or beer with dinner Check Check
Internal flight from Húsavík to Reykjavík Check Check
Entrance fees and special events as noted in the itinerary Check Check
Telescopic walking sticks provided on tour Check Check
Roundtrip airfare Check
Two extra nights in Reykjavík, Iceland Check
Airport car service for arrival & departure Check
Pre-and post-tour breakfasts Check
Business-class upgrades available Check
Morocco: Marrakesh, Foothills of the High Atlas & Essaouira

Dates & Prices

Departing Airport :

Select Year :

Flight + Tour Combo

10 days, includes round-trip international airfare , airport shuttle, and additional hotel nights with included breakfast.

Single Supplement: From $1,245

Limited Spaces Left

Sat, Jun 10 - Mon, Jun 19, 2023

Air Included

From
$7,548

Per person, double occupancy

Reserve Online

Sat, Jun 24 - Mon, Jul 3, 2023

Air Included

From
$7,548

Per person, double occupancy

Reserve Online
Limited Spaces Left

Sat, Jul 29 - Mon, Aug 7, 2023

Air Included

From
$7,548

Per person, double occupancy

Reserve Online
Currently Full

Sat, Aug 19 - Mon, Aug 28, 2023

Air Included

From
$7,548

Per person, double occupancy

Join Waitlist
Limited Spaces Left

Sat, Sep 2 - Mon, Sep 11, 2023

Air Included

From
$7,398

Per person, double occupancy

Reserve Online

Select Year :

Tour Only

7 Days. Includes walking vacation only.

Single Supplement: From $795

Limited Spaces Left

Mon, Jun 12 - Sun, Jun 18, 2023

From
$6,398

Per person, double occupancy

Reserve Online

Mon, Jun 26 - Sun, Jul 2, 2023

From
$6,398

Per person, double occupancy

Reserve Online
Limited Spaces Left

Mon, Jul 31 - Sun, Aug 6, 2023

From
$6,398

Per person, double occupancy

Reserve Online
Currently Full

Mon, Aug 21 - Sun, Aug 27, 2023

From
$6,398

Per person, double occupancy

Join Waitlist
Limited Spaces Left

Mon, Sep 4 - Sun, Sep 10, 2023

From
$6,398

Per person, double occupancy

Reserve Online

For more information, call: 800-245-3868

Reviews
13 out of 19 (68%)
4.7 out of 5 stars.
Read More Reviews

The tour went extremely smoothly, from pickup at the airport to comfortable hotels, and excellent walks to fantastic sights. Our guide Sori was gracious, engaging and very knowledgeable. We had an interesting group of like-minded travelers. Wonderful trip!

Eric,

Iceland: Reykjavík, Borgarfjord & Lake Mývatn

The trip was wonderful! We had great weather and a wonderful guide. Sori was knowledgeable about all aspects of Icelandic life and culture. He was very accommodating to every request. My only complaint concerns the Icelandic Hotel Myvatn. The location was beautiful but the room was small. There was no available space to put the travel gear for two people.

Me757, Washington DC

Iceland: Reykjavík, Borgarfjord & Lake Mývatn

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