Day 1: Arrival - Private Visit to a Local Farm & Food Experience - Barnafossar waterfalls - Into the Glacier
You will meet your guide at the international airport in Keflavik upon arrival.
We will now visit a local family run farm in Hvalfjordur, a beautiful fjord in West Iceland. The fjord is deep and was used by the US Navy to keep warships hidden in WWII. At the farm we will be introduced to farm life and get the chance to meet an Icelandic family. The farm has been in the same family since 1887 and three generations are now living there together. In addition to a great visit we will get a tast of delicious local food produces by the farmers, some of which they have won prices for like the blueberry-cured and smoked mutton, mussels, smoked lamb and home-brewed dandelion wine. You will go home smiling with great memories.
Today we will head up to the ice cap of Europe‘s second largest glacier Langjokull. On our way we will stop by the waterfalls of Hraunfossar (Lava Falls) and Barnafoss (Children’s Falls).
We will travel up to the ice cap in an 8-wheel truck; you might even see big crevasses in the ice. Your driver knows where they are, and will drive you safely around them.
The highlight of the ice cap will be going into a manmade ice tunnel. You will have a new and totally different view of the glacier. Never before has anyone been able to see the beautiful blue ice at the heart of an Ice Cap Glacier; it is not quite a Jules Verne journey to the center of the earth, or even to the absolute center of the glacier, but it feels like an exciting and magical journey, deep within the glacier, and it is deep enough to reach another world, a world of magnificent, stunning blue ice.
Your day ends at your accommodation at Hotel Husafell.
Day 2: Glanni Waterfall - Seal Center Museum - Seal Watching - Wool Factory - Hvitserkur -
Borgarvirki
Today we start by visiting Glanni Waterfall. The waterfall is believed to be a dwelling place of elves and trolls. Now we visit the award winning seal museum in Hvammstangi is an exciting and informative museum before we embark the beautifully restored and preserved old fishing vessel Brimill.
The name of the boat is the name of the male seal in Icelandic. On this sailing you will have the opportunity to watch seals in their natural environment.
Next stop is at the town of Hvammstangi where you will start by visiting a wool factory where you will be shown the how wool from the Icelandic sheep is processed and how garments are manufactured from this unique source.
Now we drive around the Vatnsnes peninsula to get to the majestic Hvitserkur. The 15 meter high monolith has an outlook of some kind of exotic animal or even a dinosaur. It is an Old Icelandic saying that Hvitserkur is a troll that got petrified when the sunlight caught it on its way over the estuary.
According to some legends, the phenomenon Borgarvirki is an agent fortress, where warriors of the bygone days would have the perfect panoramic view over a large part of the region. However, some of the local farmers say it is a place where sheep were gathered before the long winters.
We now head towards your accommodation at Hotel Laugarbakki.
Day 3: Sailing & hiking in Drangey - Private Visit to a horse farm - Dinner at a local home
Today we go for a sailing to explore the island Drangey. The island is a sheer sided Palagonite rock, approximately 180 meters high and provides a wonderful view over the whole fjord. The island is a birdwatching paradise, being a nesting colony for thousands of seabirds, including puffins, guillemots, gannets, kittiwakes, fulmar, shearwaters, ravens and gyrfalcons.
We will spend time hiking, exploring the island and enjoying the nature.
Now it’s time to go for a private visit to a horse farm. We will meet the local farmers who will show you the Icelandic horse and how the training is done, before we go for a private horseback ride for those who will around the country side otherwise it’s a lot to talk about at the farm. Afterwards the farmers will welcome you to enjoy good Icelandic food made by the local family, tell you fun stories and give you a visit you will never forget.
The Icelandic horse is a "five-gaited" breed, known for its sure-footedness and ability to cross rough terrain. As well as the typical gaits the breed is noted for its ability to perform two additional gaits; the tolt and pace, sometimes called the flying pace. It is used in pacing races, and is fast and smooth, with some horses able to reach up to 30 miles per hour (48 km/h).
We now head towards your accommodation in the north at Siglo Hotel.
Day 4: Akureyri city sightseeing - Godafoss - Lake Myvatn - Myvatn nature bath
We will explore the town of Akureyri as well as visit the famous Christmas garden.
The fire glows and crackles in the fireplace. Christmas melodies and aroma in the air. Only ten minutes’ drive from the center of the town of Akureyri, in the Jolagardurinn or Christmas garden you will find the magical world of Christmas. On the outside the fire-engine red house resembles a cookie house but once inside you discover Christmas decorations from all over the world, alongside with traditional Icelandic Christmas items and variations of selected handicrafts from local craftsmen/women.
In the beautiful garden surrounding the houses are benches and tables provided, making this an excellent spot for a picnic. The fairytale tower houses the world’s biggest Christmas calendar worth climbing the stairs for.
In the garden one can also find The Wishing well of unborn children, a place of tranquility and peace.
On our way to Godafoss waterfall we travel through the valley of Fnjoskadalur with its lovely meandering river.
Not only is Godafoss a beautiful waterfall, but it has also played an important role in the history of the country, particularly in connection with the introduction of Christianity. From this scenic waterfall the road takes us to Skutustadir, which is the first site we visit in the district surrounding Lake Myvatn.
We proceed to Krafla Mountain, past the power station bearing the same name. This power project is unique in Iceland because it relies on geothermal steam energy for its operation.
Our stop is at Viti, or Inferno, an explosive crater in the slopes of Krafla. After visiting this volcanic location, we travel on for a view of Hverir, with its sizzling and bubbling Sulphur mud pots. Grjotagja is our next stop, where there used to be a natural, geothermal bathing spot.
When in the north of Iceland exploring the Myvatn area it is a must to do to visit the nature baths. The water supplies for the lagoon run straight from the National Power Company´s bore hole in Bjarnarflag. The water has a temperature of about 130°C when it arrives to the huge basin beside the lagoon itself forming an impressive, man-made hot spring. Altogether, the lagoon and the basin contain around 3.5 million liters of water with a temperature of 36 – 40°C.
The lagoon itself is a man-made construction, its bottom is covered by sand and gravel. The characteristics of the water are unique in many ways. It contains a large amount of minerals, is alkaline and well suited for bathing. Due to its chemical composition, undesired bacteria and vegetation do not thrive in the lagoon making chloride or any other disinfectant redundant.
Your day ends at your accommodation Fosshotel Myvatn.
Day 5: Dimmuborgir - Dettifoss waterfall - Asbyrgi rock formation - Husavik fishing village with whale watching
The Dimmuborgir area consists of a massive collapse lava tube formed by a lava lake. Today it’s visited due to various volcanic caves and rock formations that are well worth seeing.
Next we drive to Dettifoss waterfall. Dettifoss is about 100 meters wide and drop of 45 meters having an average water flow of 193 m3/s making it the most powerful waterfall in Europe. With such a powerful nature phenomenon you feel how small we are against nature.
From Dettifoss we go to Asbyrgi canyon. The horseshoe shaped depression measures approx. 3.5 km length and 1.1 km across. Nicknamed Sleipnir’s footprint as it’s said that the canyon was formed when Odin’s eight legged horse, Sleipnir, touched one of its feet to the ground.
We go from the harbor of Husavik out to the open ocean and back home to port and in-between see one of the biggest animal on the planet, the whale. We are lucky that in Icelandic ocean we have around 20 species of whales as they come here to feed. The whales often surface within few meters from the boat so you can see them up-close.
Your day ends at your accommodation in Akureyri at KEA Hotel.
Day 6: Museum of Prophecies - Tannery visit - Krauma Geothermal Baths
Today we start head back to Iceland’s capital Reykjavik, but not without making a few stops on the way.
The exhibition focuses on Thordis the fortune-teller, the first named inhabitant of Skagastrond, who lived there in the late 10th century. You can examine her gold treasure chest, where various interesting things are hidden. Guests are lead through the exhibition which features interesting information about prophecies and fortune telling. You could even get your fortune read.
We then proceed to Tannery center which is in Saudarkrokur, it is the only tannery in Europe which makes fish leather. Through private guidance you will experience the tannery and its products where fish-skin is expertly processed to make high-quality leather.
Now we experience nature from its core by bathing in warm geothermal baths. The hot water originates in Europe’s most powerful hot spring Deildartunguhver, at a temperature of 100°C (212°F). To achieve the perfect bathing temperature we mix the hot water with cold water from a river which originates in the glacier.
Your day ends at your accommodation in Reykjavik at Canopy Hotel.
Day 7: Departure
Your driver will drive you to the airport aiming to be around 2 hours before departure. You will go home with great memories and experience from Iceland
