Icelandic Adventure: Exploring Iceland’s Legendary Natural Landscapes 8 DAYS / 7 NIGHTS — GROUP TRAVEL SUGGESTED ITINERARY — CAN BE CUSTOMIZED This 7-night itinerary was intentionally designed to highlight Iceland’s most picturesque INCLUSIONS (and out-of-this-world) locations. It will show you the black volcanic sands of South Hotel accommodations: Iceland’s scenic coast, a winter wonderland of dazzling glaciers, and beautiful botanical Reykjavík 2 nights, gardens located within sixty miles of the Arctic Circle. If your group is waiting to experience Kirkjubæjarklaustur waterfalls, whales, geysers, hot springs, Icelandic horses and relaxation, this is the itinerary area 2 nights, Flúðir for you. area 1 night, Hveragerði 1 night, Lake Mývatn Please note that while most visitors travel to Iceland in the summer, there are advantages to coming at other times of the year. The Northern Lights (Aurora Borealis) for example area 1 night cannot be seen in summer, and in spring and fall you’ll find fewer crowds. That being said, Meals: Continental the following itinerary has sightseeing activities that can be adapted depending on the time breakfast daily. Lunch of year your group intends to travel to Iceland. and dinner as noted in itinerary DAY 1 ~ ARRIVAL TO will travel east over the Hellisheiði lava Air-conditioned, private REYKJAVIK plateau through the greenhouse town of coaching Hveragerði (Hveragerdi) to the South English-speaking Upon arrival to Keflavík assistants and guides Shore, an area characterized by black International Airport, your Admission tickets as sands, hot springs, waterfalls, glaciers and group will travel by private coach to one of outlined in the itinerary Iceland’s most beautiful (and relaxing) classic Icelandic sagas. En route you will When selecting this sightseeing attractions, the Blue Lagoon, pass fertile farmlands, mountains, quaint itinerary for your group, villages and glacial rivers, and if your group please let us know which whose striking, blue color results from the flight segments you is up for it; it can decide to stop and kayak area’s high levels of silica and minerals. would like us to provide. in Stokkseyri (equipment, guiding and After a long flight, spend some time in the HIGHLIGHTS lagoon, soaking in its warm, mineral-rich instruction is provided) before visiting the impressive Skógar Folk Museum and Whale watching in geothermal waters. (Please note that Iceland’s longest fjord Skógafoss waterfall. facilities include modern changing rooms, Soak in the mineral- showers, an indoor geothermal pool, a Afterwards continue traveling east to the rich, bright blue waters of Iceland’s famed Blue winter garden and dining facilities). scenic Dyrhólaey promontory, which is Lagoon home to a notable Atlantic Puffin colony After some well-deserved relaxation and “Glacier walk” on the (please note that the reserve is closed free time to eat, your group will travel by Svínafellsjökull glacier private coach along the beautiful Faxaflói during nesting season). Your group will pass Explore Thingvellir through the lovely village of Vík en-route to National Park, a Bay to remarkably pristine city of Reykjavík. UNESCO World tonight’s destination: Kirkjubæjarklaustur, a After checking in, enjoy some free time Heritage Site village best known for being the site of a See the Great Geysir in before tonight’s group dinner. th 12 -century Catholic convent. the geothermal Haukadalur Valley DAY 2 ~ A group dinner will take place tonight in Icelandic Horse riding KIRKJUBÆJARKLAUSTUR Kirkjubæjarklaustur. tour After breakfast and check DAY 3 ~ out, your group will set out KIRKJUBÆJARKLAUSTUR on a Nordic adventure (by private coach) into the spectacular countryside of South After breakfast in the hotel, Iceland’s scenic coast. From Reykjavík you your group will set out in search of some incredible scenery. itinerary, followed by a relaxing dip in the Icebergs, Europe’s largest glacier, and its hot springs; so don’t forget to bring your largest national park are on today’s menu! bathing suit. Please kindly note that should You’ll begin by traveling east to Skaftafell the road to Landmannalaugar happen to be National Park, one of Iceland’s most closed (possible in spring or early summer) beautiful natural areas and home to the we have plenty of wonderful alternatives to impressive Vatnajökull, Europe’s largest suggest. The tour will finish up in the glacier. While there you and your fellow village of Flúðir. After checking in to the travelers will enjoy a once-in-a-lifetime hotel and taking some time to relax, your “glacier walk” on the Svínafellsjökull group will dine in Flúðir this evening. glacier, a beautiful outlet glacier of DAY 5 ~ GULLFOSS - Vatnajökull. GEYSIR - ÞINGVELLIR - HVERAGERÐI Experience the out-of-this-world scenery for yourself as you hike and climb through a After breakfast and check- winter wonderland of glacial crevasses, out, prepare yourself for another day of sculptures and dramatic ridges. (Note: an incredible Icelandic landscapes! Today’s experienced guide will be on hand to teach sightseeing will begin with one of Iceland’s your group how to use basic glacier most popular natural attractions: the equipment, and the glacier walk is suitable spectacular Gullfoss waterfall. Afterwards for all experience levels). Another beautiful your group will travel to the nearby spot featured on today’s tour is the Haukadalur Valley, a geothermal area that Jökulsárlón Glacial Lagoon, where you will is home to boiling mud pools and erupting enjoy a magical setting of massive, floating hot springs including the Great Geysir and icebergs. the Strokkur geyser (which spouts 98 feet every 10 minutes). A group dinner will take place tonight in Kirkjubæjarklaustur. Also featured on today’s tour is Thingvellir National Park. This UNESCO World DAY 4 ~ Heritage Site fascinates visitors to Iceland LANDMANNALAUGAR VALLEY for several reasons. It is home to the beautiful Þingvellir Lake, the largest natural After breakfast in the hotel, lake in the country. It is also the site of the board your coach. On today’s sightseeing incredible Almannagjá fault, and visitors tour your group will explore South Iceland’s can actually walk along the Mid-Atlantic gorgeous interiors; complete with ridge, where the North American and multicolored mountains, waterfalls, lava Eurasian tectonic plates meet. Lastly fields and hot springs. Start by visiting the Þingvellir National Park is home to the incredibly picturesque Fjaðrárgljúfur gorge, Althing (the Icelandic Parliament), which a place which seems so otherworldly that having been founded in 930 AD is one of you will almost feel like you’re on a movie the oldest national legislative assemblies in set! Then continue through the the world. Fjallabaksleið highlands to Landmannalaugar, a truly spectacular, Before arriving to the hotel in Hveragerði, geothermal area characterized by its your group will have the opportunity to yellow, green and red rhyolite mountains. experience Iceland from an entirely different perspective: on horseback. The If interested, your group could decide to Icelandic Horse breed that you will see include an invigorating hike on today’s today evolved from horses that the original Viking settlers brought to Iceland from DAY 7 ~ HÚSAVÍK - Scandinavia over a thousand years ago. AKUREYRI - REYKJAVIK Today these beautiful creatures have After breakfast and check- become symbolic of Iceland. Depending on out, your group will drive a your group’s preferences, you can opt to short distance to see the astonishing simply observe Iceland’s “Viking Horses” up Goðafoss, which literally translates to close, or we can arrange for your group to “waterfall of the gods.” After time to marvel have a relaxing horseback riding tour. at this natural phenomenon, continue Afterwards continue to the town of traveling west to the lively port city of Hveragerði, and after checking in, enjoy an Akureyri. Home to great restaurants, evening at leisure. museums and festivals, as the largest northern city in Iceland, Akureyri has a Why Should You DAY 6 ~ HVERAGERÐI pretty great cultural scene. And despite its Encourage Your - AKUREYRI - MÝVATN proximity to the Arctic Circle (roughly 60 Travel Agent to After breakfast and check- miles), Akureyri is surprisingly warmer than many other cities of Iceland. Book Your Group out, your group will travel Through Us? by private coach to Reykjavík Domestic Your guided sightseeing tour of Akureyri will Airport to board its short flight to North tell you about its past and present. You will Iceland. It’s time to get a little nearer to see the Lutheran Akureyrarkirkja Church, the that mysterious Arctic Circle! Upon arriving numerous art studios on Listagil Street and Ease of Use to Akureyri, immediately travel east by the beautiful and remarkably-diverse private coach to the beautiful area of Lake Botanical Gardens. And a visit to Akureyri Mývatn. While the lake’s surrounding area would be incomplete without a little whale Experience is generally volcanic or geothermal, this watching! The conditions in Eyjafjörður extremely shallow lake is actually teeming (Iceland’s longest fjord) are ideal for white- Flexibility with life! It is considered one of the best beaked dolphins, minke whales and places in Iceland for bird watching. humpback whales. Your tour will conclude at the Akureyri Airport where your group Today’s sightseeing will take place in the will catch a short flight back to Reykjavík. Peace of Mind nature reserve that encompasses the lake and will feature some of the extraordinary After checking in to the hotel in Reykjavík, a geology that can be found in North Iceland group dinner will take place in the hotel’s including the pseudocraters at Skutustadir, restaurant. Enjoy your last evening in the Dimmuborgir lava formations (dark Iceland. (Note: groups with particularly castles), the Hverfjall crater, and the hot- early flights may want to consider using a springs-filled Grjótagjá cave. Your group hotel near Keflavík International Airport). will also visit the Krafla volcanic area and DAY 8 ~ DEPARTURE walk amongst the sulphurous mud springs and steam springs of the volcanic mountain After breakfast and check- Námaskarð.