Glacial Adventure

GLACIAL ADVENTURE

6-Day Self-Drive Independent Tour

Period of validity:  October 1, 2024 – April 30, 2025

HIGHLIGHTS
Visit Reykjavik, the famous Golden Circle, and the South Coast • Time to explore waterfalls, glacier lagoons, volcanoes and hot springs

ITINERARY INCLUDES

• 5 nights accommodations, double occupancy with private facilities
• Daily breakfast [B]
• Rental car for 5 days with unlimited mileage, CDW, theft protection and VAT**
• Free in-car unlimited Wi-Fi to help you navigate with your personal mobile device
• Car pick-up/drop-off at Keflavik International Airport
• Authorization for two people to drive the rental car during your trip
• Our Iceland Travel App
• 24-hour Iceland Travel emergency line assistance while you are in Iceland
• Service fee and taxes

NOTES ABOUT THIS TOUR

• Must be 20 years of age to rent a car and 23 years of age to rent a 4WD car.
• The driver must present a valid driving license held for a minimum of one year at the time of rental.
• A valid automobile driver’s license from the US, Canada or the European Economic Area is required to drive in Iceland. A license from other countries can be used if it: a) has a valid license number, b) shows the license holder’s photograph, c) is printed in Latin alphabet characters and d) is valid at the time of travel. Otherwise, an international driver’s license is required.
• Optional activities are not included in price.

ITINERARY – 6 DAYS

DAY 1     ARRIVE REYKJAVIK
Once you have landed at Keflavik Airport in Iceland, please pick up your luggage and head through customs. Collect your rental car at the airport and proceed to your hotel in Reykjavik. Spend the afternoon exploring the city center of Reykjavik, perhaps visiting a few museums or just enjoying a drink with the locals in one of the many pubs in the down town area. Overnight in Reykjavik.

Please note that hotels in Iceland start check-in around 14:00 (2:00pm), and early check-in is not guaranteed. Most hotels will be happy to store your luggage if you are not able to check in early.

DAY 2     REYKJAVIK – GOLDEN CIRCLE – HELLA                                                 [B]
Head for the UNESCO-listed Thingvellir National Park, where the world’s oldest parliament met for centuries on the shores of Iceland’s largest lake. This is also the meeting point of the tectonic plates dividing the North American and European continents. You’ll have that rare chance to take a walk between two continents! Visit the quirky geothermal fields of Geysir. Stroll along a footpath around colorful bubbling mud pools and spouting geysers. The most famous of these is Strokkur, which erupts about every ten minutes. Then visit the dramatic, two-tiered Gullfoss waterfall, a spectacular sight in winter when frozen mid-cascade. You can get great views of the waterfall from different angles on a variety of paths. Afterwards drive along winter country roads to your overnight in South Iceland. If nature co-operates, you might glimpse some northern lights! Overnight in the Hella or Hvollsvollur area.

Travel idea: The Golden Circle area is full of hot springs, and there are two great local favorite bathing pools. Laugarvatn Fontana is built on top of a hot spring, and its steam baths are good for your skin and joints. The Secret Lagoon is a lovely historical stone-lined natural geothermal pool with its own tiny geyser nearby. Why not take a break and indulge in some hot spring relaxation? We’re happy to book a visit to either (or both!) hot springs for you.

DAY 3     HELLA – EYJAFJALLAJOKULL – KIRKJUBAEJARKLAUSTUR             [B]
Breakfast at your hotel. Today you’ll explore the iconic South Shore, a region lined with volcanic mountains and glacier views. We suggest a visit to the LAVA Centre in Hvollsvollur town. Here you’ll enjoy interactive exhibits about the volcanoes and earthquakes that helped create Iceland. Visit two spectacular waterfalls that have a special beauty of their own in the winter. Seljalandsfoss is a ribbon-like fall that drops gracefully down a cliff. If trail conditions are safe, you can walk behind the waterfall. Majestic Skogafoss has become one of Iceland’s most photographed waterfalls – make sure you have your camera ready for a selfie! As you drive, you’ll also see Myrdalsjokull glacier, one of our favorite places to enjoy guided glacier hiking or snowmobile tours. Continue to Reynisfjara beach and its striking black sands. You can really feel the power of nature in this area of thundering waves and extraordinary rock formations. Continue onwards, passing Eldhraun, the largest known single lava flow, as you head to your overnight. Overnight stay in the Kirkjubaejarklaustur area.

DAY 4     EXCURSION TO VATNAJOKULL & JOKULSARLON LAGOON         [B]
Breakfast at your hotel. Today you will be in the southern area of Vatnajokull National Park, the largest of its kind in Western Europe. It’s dominated by Vatnajokull glacier, Europe’s largest ice cap. Start with a visit to Jokulsarlon Glacier Lagoon, where you can enjoy the breath-taking sight of floating, blue-tinted icebergs on this 180-meter (591-foot) deep glacial lagoon. Nearby is the Diamond Beach, where silvery icebergs rest on black sands. Both the lagoon and the beach are great areas to spend some time catching perfect photographs. Depending on your schedule and sense of adventure, you might join a guided SuperJeep tour to visit a mystical crystal ice cave hidden deep in the glaciers. The tour departs from Jokulsarlon parking lot and must be booked in advance. We can help with that! If you want a different glacial lagoon photography experience, the Fjallsarlon Iceberg Lagoon is beautiful and often has fewer visitors. Vatnajokull National Park’s glacier ringed Skaftafell is an outstanding area of natural beauty that also has great winter hiking opportunities. The park’s visitor center can fill you in on which trails are open for hiking during your visit. You can get closer to a glacier – and learn great facts about them – on a guided hiking tour that takes you onto the ice itself. Overnight in the Kirkjubaejarklaustur area.

DAY 5     KIRKJUBAEJARKLAUSTUR – BLUE LAGOON – REYKJAVIK                [B]
Breakfast at your hotel. Head towards the village of Hveragerdi, one of the few communities in the world located directly on top of an active geothermal area. Hveragerdi is often called ‘the flower village’ because of its many greenhouses that use hot water from nearby springs. It’s a charming town worth a stop. There are several charming restaurants and shops, as well as a small geothermal park. Turn onto a coastal road known for its breath-taking views of powerful sea waves slamming against the shoreline. The road leads to Reykjanes peninsula, a UNESCO Geopark with many intriguing geological wonders, including the bubbling Krysuvik geothermal area and the lunar landscapes of Lake Kleifarvatn. You can also opt to enjoy a relaxing soak in the famous Blue Lagoon, a unique wonder of nature with pleasantly warm and mineral-rich geothermal water located in a middle of a black lava field. (Please note that admission to the Blue Lagoon must be booked in advance. We would be happy to help you with booking admission). If you’re interested in culture and history, we recommend a visit to the Viking World exhibit where you can discover facts about Viking life and see Islendingurinn, a replica of a Viking ship that sailed from Iceland to North America in the year 2000. Return to Reykjavik; the evening is open to enjoy Iceland’s capital city. Overnight in Reykjavik.

DAY 6     REYKJAVIK – DEPART                                                                                             [B]
Return to Keflavik International Airport.** We recommend departing the hotel approximately 3 hours prior to the departure of your international flight. If you did not visit the Blue Lagoon earlier but have some free time today, you might want to use the opportunity en route to the airport. For this detour, please be sure to allow for at least 2-2.5 hours additional time to enjoy the Blue Lagoon. Your rental car should be returned to the airport service area, which is located only 2 minutes from the airport building. A shuttle will then transport you to the departure hall. End of services.

** Please note that the package price is based on 5 x 24-hour rental days starting at the time of rental. If your flight arrives early on day 1 and departs late on day 6, an additional supplement will be charged unless you choose to return the car in Reykjavik when the 5-day rental is up and use our FlyBus plus departure transfer.

NORTHERN LIGHTS: The Northern Lights are visible in the northern sky from September through April when the sky is clear and free of clouds. Like many natural wonders, it is an ephemeral spectacle – the Northern Lights may be visible, they may appear for a bit and then be gone (it is not a TV show that you can just turn on and off). But it is worth the patience which is much required. Because they are a winter event, you need to be prepared to wait outside while looking for them. It is best to dress very warmly, in layers, with good footwear, gloves, hats and whatever else makes you comfortable while you await this truly outstanding event. For the best photos we recommend using a tripod.