Itinerary

A day-by-day plan to guide your journey.

• Day 1: Welcome to the North

  On arrival to Keflavik International Airport, you will be greeted by a driver who will bring you to your accommodation in Reykjavík. After settling in, the rest of the day is free for you to explore the vibrant city centre with its abundance of museums, restaurants and bars to suit all tastes. If you're interested in checking out Icelandic design or experiencing the city's thriving coffee culture, head to the main street, Laugavegur, and enjoy its various shops and cosy cafes.

  Spend the night in Reykjavik.

  Attractions Optional Activity

• Day 2: From Reykjavik to Ilulissat

  Depart from Reykjavik Domestic Airport for your flight to the Arctic village of Ilulissat. If it’s a sunny day, you can enjoy wonderful views over the Greenland ice cap from the plane. On arrival, you will be transferred to your accommodation, and in the evening you will be treated to an included dinner.

  Spend the next two nights in Ilulissat.

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• Day 3: Choose Your Own Adventures

  Today you have the entire day to spend at your leisure. Perhaps you would like to relax around town and enjoy the view over the large chunks of calved ice floating by. Or you could get a different—or closer—view of the icebergs by boat, land or air with one of the many optional guided activities available today. In the evening, enjoy an included dinner.
  
  Note: We strongly recommend booking optional activities well in advance with your travel consultant at Nordic Visitor. Please note that some activities are subject to a minimum number of participants along with having specific travel departure dates. Contact your travel consultant for more details.

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• Day 4: Free Time & Afternoon Return to Reykjavik

  Before saying goodbye to this majestic island, you will have the entire morning to join a short optional excursion or do some last-minute souvenir shopping. During your flight back to Reykjavík in the afternoon, enjoy the stunning views once again over the Ilulissat Icefjord and surrounding landscapes. Spend the evening at your leisure in Reykjavik, perhaps with a dinner of fresh seafood or grilled Icelandic lamb at one of the city’s many fine restaurants.
  
  Spend the night in Reykjavik

• Day 5: The Golden Circle

  Collect your rental car in the morning and begin your journey on the classic “Golden Circle” route, home to some of Iceland’s most popular attractions. Start with a visit to Þingvellir National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site where you can walk on a path in the rift valley between the North American and Eurasian tectonic plates. Next is the Haukadalur geothermal area, the location of Geysir—the original “geyser”—and its more active neighbour, Strokkur, which spouts water every few minutes. End the circle with visits to the majestic Gullfoss waterfall and the old implosion crater of Kerið.  

  Spend the night in the Hvolsvöllur area.

  Driving distance approx. 250 km / 155 mi. 

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• Day 6: Waterfalls and Volcanic Beaches

  Start with visits to the Seljalandsfoss waterfall, where you can experience walking behind the misty cascade, and the gorgeous Skógafoss waterfall just a short drive down the road. Further ahead at Vík, you can make a stop at the black volcanic beach south of the village to see the dramatic rock formations of Dyrhólaey and Reynisdrangar. If you have time today, you can also make a stop at the stunning Fjaðrárgljúfur canyon or even join an exciting guided excursion by foot or snowmobile on a glacier.

  Spend the night in the Kirkjubæjarklaustur/Skaftafell area.

  Driving distance approx. 220 km / 137 mi. 

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• Day 7: Glaciers and Floating Icebergs

  Enjoy Skaftafell, part of the immense Vatnajökull National Park and a place of great natural beauty with many interesting hiking trails, including a scenic path (3 km round-trip) to the beautiful Svartifoss waterfall. This area is also full of opportunities for more adventurous pursuits, such as guided glacier-walking or ice-climbing excursions. Then, head to the amazing Jökulsárlón glacier lagoon, where you can join a boat ride among the maze of floating icebergs (optional).

  Spend the night in the Höfn or Djúpivogur area.

  Driving distance approx. 210 km / 130 mi.

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• Day 8: Fjords and Fishing Villages

  Your drive along East Iceland today is characterised by spectacular fjords, tranquil fishing villages, rugged tundra and sweeping landscapes. Today’s destination is the otherworldly Lake Mývatn in North Iceland, where you will have many unusual natural wonders to explore, like the Krafla volcano, the Námaskarð pass, the massive Hverfell crater and the lunar-like pseudo-craters at Skútustaðir.

  Spend the next two nights in the Lake Mývatn area. 

  Driving distance approx. 290 km / 180 mi. 

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• Day 9: Lunar Landscapes of Lake Mývatn

  Use this day to discover the wonders beyond Lake Mývatn. You can start the day with an optional whale-watching trip from the village of Húsavík, “The Whale Watching Capital of Europe”. From there you can drive through Jökulsárgljúfur—part of Vatnajökull National Park, visiting such sights as the hoof-shaped Ásbyrgi canyon and the most powerful waterfall in Europe, Dettifoss. For a perfect ending to this day, we highly recommend bathing under the glow of the midnight sun in the warm geothermal waters of the Mývatn Nature Baths. 

  Return to your accommodation in Lake Mývatn for the night.

  Driving distance approx.200 km / 124 mi.

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• Day 10: Explore North Iceland

  Spend the first half of the day around Lake Mývatn as you wish. We recommend a visit to Goðafoss (“The Waterfall of the Gods”) on your way to the charming town of Akureyri, where you will find many interesting little shops and museums as well as the world's most northerly botanical garden.

  After your break in Akureyri, you can either head straight to the Skagafjörður area or take a detour on the way there to Tröllaskagi (“The Peninsula of the Trolls”), where you can enjoy fantastic scenery of mountains, cliffs and fjords. Then, continue through Siglufjörður, which was once the centre of Iceland’s herring fleet, and make a stop at Hofsós to relax in the thermal pool (optional) before arriving to Skagafjörður, an area known for its abundance of purebred Icelandic horses.

  Spend the night in Northwest Iceland.

  Driving distance approx. 250 km / 155 mi.

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• Day 11: Journey to Snæfellsnes Peninsula

  On your way to Snæfellsnes Peninsula today, you’ll pass by the countless mounds of Vatnsdalshólar and the beautiful Þingeyrarkirkja church. You may also wish to make stops to the Eiríksstaðir, the reconstruction of Erik the Red’s early Viking homestead, and the hot geothermal pool of Guðrúnarlaug. Or, pay a visit to the picture-perfect fishing village of Stykkishólmur overlooking the Breiðafjörður Bay. Here, you can take a walk up to Súgandisey, the small hill overlooking the harbour with panoramic views over the town, sea and mountains.

  Spend the night on the Snæfellsnes Peninsula.

  Driving distance approx. 260 km / 162 mi.

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• Day 12: Snæfellsjökull National Park and Glacier

  Experience the natural magic around Snæfellsjökull National Park, with its great bird-watching opportunities, lava fields and small villages on the coast. An ideal option today is to drive around the whole peninsula, stopping to explore sights like the Dritvík Cove, Hellnar and the dramatic cliffs of Lóndrangar and Arnarstapi. Or why not test your strength, likes sailors did in the old days, with the “lifting stones” on the black volcanic beach of Djúpalónssandur.

  The Snæfellsnes Peninsula also offers a variety of optional activities such as horse riding, hiking and boat tours (seasonal) if you have time before your return to Reykjavik later in the afternoon.

  Spend the night in Reykjavík.

  Driving distance approx. 290 km / 180 mi.

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• Day 13: Departure

  Transfer by bus to Keflavík Airport in time for your departure flight. If your flight is in the afternoon, you can fit in a relaxing visit to the Blue Lagoon geothermal spa or even take a short guided tour of the volcanic Reykjanes Peninsula (optional; not included).

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