Iceland in a Nutshell (7 days)

Welcome to Iceland! Your flight from N-America arrives in Iceland in the morning. A driver from our car service will meet you at the airport and take you to Reykjavik, where you check into your centrally located hotel. Spend today exploring the world’s northernmost capital city at your own pace with recommendations from us.

Geysir, Gullfoss, Thingvellir: We start the day with a 10:00 AM pick-up from your hotel and a drive to Thingvellir National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and the location of Iceland's Parliament between the years 930 and 1798. Thingvellir is also one of the few places in the world where you can see the effects of the North American and Eurasian tectonic plates pulling apart. After lunch, we explore the Geysir hot spring area and Gullfoss waterfalls. We overnight at a hotel in the countryside located next to one of Iceland's premier salmon rivers.

Thorsmork Wilderness Area: Travel via 4x4 vehicle to the wilderness area known as Thorsmork or Thor's Forest on the north side of Eyjafjallajokull volcano. Take a short hike across otherworldly landscape leading to the site where floodwaters gushed out from under the glacier during the eruption of April and May, 2010. Later in the day, and depending on conditions, we'll either hike up to one of many viewpoints in the area or explore one of the countless gullies and ravines that dissect the north face of the volcano.

South Coast Exploration: After breakfast, we start our adventure along the south coast of Iceland. First we stop at beautiful Seljalandsfoss waterfall, where you can walk behind the waterfall. Then it's on to neighboring Myrdalsjokull glacier, where you have the option of going on a 1-hr. guided snowmobile ride. We'll have lunch in the town of Vik, where we will visit a woolen goods store and explore the black-sand beaches. In the afternoon, we continue across one the world's largest lava fields to the town of Klaustur.

Vatnajökull Glacier: Today we´ll explore the area surrounding Vatnajokull glacier, Europe´s largest ice-cap (and the fourth largest glacier in the world after the polar ice-caps and Greenland). We'll begin by heading to Skaftafell National Park, where we'll go for an easy 1-2 hour hike. If conditions are favorable, we may spot Iceland's highest peak, Hvannadalshnjukur. After one or two other stops, we'll head to the spectacular Jökulsárlón glacier lagoon, where icebergs drift out to sea. Two James Bond movies were filmed in this fantastic location and floating among the ice you may spot seals, eider ducks, and, even witness the glacier calving into the crystal turquoise waters. Return to your hotel in the town of Klaustur.

Return to Reykjavik: As we make our way West along the South Coast of Iceland, we'll make a variety of scenic stops, including the headlands of Hjorleifshofdi and Dyrholaey, Reynisfjara beach, the Folk Museum at Skogar, Skogafoss waterfalls, and more.

Departure: Flights to Europe departs Keflavik Airport in the early morning; flights to N-America depart in the afternoon. Our car service will pick you up at your hotel three hours prior to the scheduled departure of your flight. Along the way, you may opt to stop at the Blue Lagoon geothermal spa to enjoy the healing warm waters for an hour or two.