11 Days

Iceland Summer Adventure

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Trip Overview

Take advantage of the long daylights in summer to explore incredible landscapes that will get your head spinning, from a glacier lagoon to a magma chamber and eerie black sand beaches. Start by absorbing captivating arts and cuisines in the capital city of Reykjavik with a short day trip to see the interior of a dormant volcano nearby. Then, move on to the Golden Circle, a scenic region of thundering waterfalls, steaming geysers, and some of the purest water on earth.

The second part of the trip will focus on the southern coast. There are endless opportunities for exciting outdoor adventures in this region, from a zodiac boat trip on an icy lagoon to a glacier walk, exhilarating super jeep tours, and ATV rides on volcanic sands. As the journey draws to a close, we will spend our final night pampering in the Blue Lagoon before leaving the land of fire and ice.

Trip Itinerary

Day 1 - 3

Reykjavik

Private Transfer to Reykjavik's Hotel

Guided tour in Reykjavik

Led by a native Icelandic Guide, take a leisure drive around Reykjavik to glimpse the contemporary and traditional sides of this coastal capital. Reveal some history, discover hidden street art, taste delicious Icelandic food, and learn the country’s dos and don’ts. Highlights of the tour include the city’s most prominent Hallgrimskirkja Church, the 360-degree observatory deck at Perlan Museum, and the latest addition to the Icelandic cultural scene, the Harpa Performance Center.

Journey inside a volcano

About 30 minutes away on the outskirts of town, join your hiking guide for an unforgettable tour inside the Þríhnúkagígur volcano. It’s the world’s only volcano you can enter – via a 50-minute hike and an open elevator from its narrow crater. The colors lining the inner walls are remarkable: fantastic shades of red, orange, yellow, and blue, creating a stunning kaleidoscopic effect with the volcanic wall. You can take as many photos as you like before climbing back up and returning to the city.

Road Transfer to Golden Circle

Day 3 - 5

Golden Circle

Classic Golden Circle drive

Considered the most popular sightseeing route in Iceland, The Golden Circle showcases some of the most impressive sights in the country. Here, you can find a geothermal valley with active hot springs spouting water into the air every few minutes and one of Earth’s most incredible water curtains – dropping water from 30 meters over two levels and 200 meters in width. Then, there is the Thingvellir National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, where the Vikings established the world’s first parliament over 1,000 years ago. Today, natural beauty covers the entire park, including a dried magma field with Icelandic moss, waterfalls pouring from ancient cliffs, and some of the purest water you can snorkel in.

Snorkeling at Silfra

Snorkeling at Silfra is one of the most surreal activities you can experience in Iceland. It has transparent, blue glacier water, and the narrow channel allows you to straddle two continents simultaneously: America and Europe. In about 40 minutes, you will explore all the main parts of the fissure while enjoying the clear visibility of the seemingly bottomless bare rock walls.

Road transfer to Glacier Lagoon

Day 5 - 7

Southeast Iceland

Zodiac boat ride in Jokulsarlon

Take an exhilarating boat ride to get close and personal to the floating ice in Jokulsarlon Lagoon. Break loose from Vatnajokull, the largest glacier in Iceland; some icebergs here are over 1,000 years old. When it reflects against the milky glacial water, it creates a spellbinding scenery that will keep your camera clicking. If you are lucky, you will also witness indigenous Arctic wildlife in action: seals lounging on the ice and migrating arctic aviaries.

Glacier hike in Skaftafell

Enter the icy world as you hike in Skaftafell, an extension to Iceland’s largest Vatnajokull glacier. Here, the sceneries show an entirely different world filled with glacial ice sculptures, ridges, deep crevasses, and frozen landscapes as far as the eye can see. Led by an experienced guide, you will learn all about the glacier movement and how it has changed over the years.

Ingolfshofdi Puffin Tour

Cape Ingolfshofdi is a remote headland where thousands of adorable puffins nest and breed during the summer. We will take a tractor ride through waters, marshes, and sands to reach this isolated area, followed by a short hike to the birding spot. Your guide will demonstrate how to get close to the puffins without disturbing their nests and give you plenty of time to walk around the valley and enjoy the stunning views.

Road transfer to Southwest Iceland

Day 7 - 10

Southwest Iceland

Southern Coast tour

The picturesque southern coast is one of the most visited areas in Iceland. It is the epicenter of the island’s vast volcanic terrain that has everything an adventurer could wish for, from dramatic cliffs to black lava beaches, massive waterfalls, and vast glaciers. Depending on your interests, we will tailor your day, but it typically starts with a visit to Skógafoss and Seljalandsfoss waterfalls – both cascading at a whopping 60 meters. Then, you may visit a local stable for an exciting Icelandic horse ride or stop by the lava center for fascinating facts about Iceland’s volcanic activity and earthquakes over millions of years. We will end our day at the hauntingly beautiful Reynisfjara black sand beaches, watching the roaring Atlantic waves crash onto the basalt stacks.

Black beach ATV ride

Set off on a fun ATV ride through the black lava sands with your own quad bike. The landscape is rugged and beautiful along the way, and we occasionally have to ford a small river stream to reach the black sand beach. Once you arrive, please take a moment to absorb the incredible view of the Mýrdalsjökull glacier and the pretty Dyrhólaey peninsula combined together before we continue riding. Our final stop is the site of a famous DC plane wreck, whose fuselage still stands as a lonely reminder of the tragedy in 1973

Thorsmork Superjeep tour

Thorsmork, known as ‘the Valley of the Gods,’ is a fantasy realm for hikers and nature lovers. Surrounded by three incredible glaciers, this pristine and rugged land is only accessible by 4×4 vehicles. Explore confidently as your skilled driver takes you across the rivers and harsh terrain to get to Gígjokull, an outlet glacier of Eyjafjallajokull glacier volcano. From here, continue to find the breathtaking Stakkholtsgja Canyon, one of the filming locations of Game of Thrones. Eventually, we will spend the rest of the day exploring the unspoiled Thormosk, taking a lovely hike around the valley, and enjoying an exquisite picnic lunch over gorgeous views.

Road transfer to Blue Lagoon

Day 10 - 11

Blue Lagoon

Pampering at Blue Lagoon

Dipping in the Blue Lagoon is a great way to end any trip to Iceland. The geothermally heated spa, which holds over six million liters of seawater, has become one of the most important icons of Iceland. The superheated water is rich in blue-green algae, mineral salts, and silica mud, which have a tremendously positive effect on your skin. Enjoy an exclusive spa package in a small secluded section of the lagoon that is inaccessible to most visitors.

Private transfer to Keflavik Airport

More Destinations

Tailor your Holidays

Combine this itinerary with other wonderful destinations in Iceland

Explore Northern Iceland

Venture further up north to find an even more surreal landscape, including the powerful Dettifoss waterfall, Lake Myvatn, and Asbyrgi canyons

Road trip in Snaefellsnes Peninsula

Extend your trip to Snaefellsness Peninsula and inhale the natural wonders that are less exposed from large craters and basalt columns to an underground cave in the lava

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