South Iceland Glacier Vistas

SOUTH ICELAND GLACIER VISTAS

Select departures between November 7, 2024 – March 6, 2025

Please note this tour is not operated by Brekke Tours, but by one of our Icelandic Travel Partners.

HIGHLIGHTS
Gullfoss Waterfall • Geysir hot spring • Thingvellir National Park • Langjökull Glacier • Vatnajökull National Park • Jökulsárlón Glacial Lagoon

ITINERARY INCLUDES

• 4 nights accommodations, double occupancy, with private facilities (please note hotels listed in itinerary are subject to change)
• Daily breakfast [B] and 2 dinners [D]
• 1st-class touring coach per itinerary
• Roundtrip transfers via Flybus Shuttle (no guide)
• Souvenir Icelandic Search and Rescue keyring
• Entrance to Kerið crater
• Guided tour to Langjökull in a special glacier truck (day 2)
• Visit to a natural ice cave on Langjökull glacier (day 2)
• Visit to a local microbrewery for light lunch and beer sampling (day 4)
• Entrance to Hvammsvík hot spring pools and towel rental (day 4)
• Use of crampons/cleats (if needed) for walking on snow/ice covered surfaces
• Great photo stops
• Seat rotation during the tour
• Northern Lights guided hunt on foot one selected evening
• Northern Lights hunting kit (use of blanket and headlight)
• Tour Director for Days 2 – 4

 

ITINERARY – 5 DAYS

DAY 1     ARRIVE REYKJAVIK
Upon arrival, head through passport control, collect your bags and go through customs to the Arrival Hall. The FlyBus airport buses wait for passengers outside the Arrival Hall. Show your FlyBus Plus transfer information to the attendant on the bus and let him or her know which hotel you’re staying at in Reykjavik. Please note that this is not a guided transfer and you will not be met at the airport. Once in Reykjavik, check into your hotel. If you arrive early in the day, you might want to explore Reykjavik´s old town, location of many museums and galleries. One of our favorite activities after a long flight is to visit one of the neighborhood geothermal pools. It is so refreshing to relax in the warm water, breathing in the fresh Icelandic air. It’s a great way to get to see Icelandic daily life and maybe meet a few locals. Dinner this evening is at your leisure. Reykjavik offers a multitude of restaurants and/or coffee-houses, making dinner a great way to get better acquainted with Iceland’s capital. Overnight at Hótel Skuggi or Fosshótel Reykjavík.

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 – LANGJÖKULL GLACIER – HELLA                [B,D]
Breakfast at your hotel. Your guide will meet you in the lobby of the hotel. Depart Reykjavík and drive to the world-famous Golden Circle area. Your day’s adventure starts with a visit to Kerið, a visually stunning volcano crater lake. The combination of distinctive red volcanic rock and the vibrant blue lake make Kerið one of Iceland’s most recognizable craters. Next, drive to the geothermal fields of Geysir with bubbling mud pools and the high-spouting Strokkur hot spring. After some time to walk around this quirky geothermal area, you’ll head to the area of Gullfoss waterfall. Here, your group will board a highland bus for a drive on a mountain track deep into the highland wilderness. The vast views of black sand desert and rock formations lend an air of mystery to the day. (Expect some bumpy roads, which are a part of the adventure.) The destination is the magnificent Langjökull, Iceland’s second largest glacier. Now it’s time to meet Sleipnir, an enormous red glacier truck. Named after Óðinn’s eight-legged stallion, “our” Sleipnir has eight wheels (each as huge as a person) and an 800-horsepower engine. Sleipnir’s design enables it to handle the rugged glacial terrain in relatively smooth comfort. The trusty monster truck takes you up Langjökull to experience the glacier’s beauty up close. During the trip, your glacier guides will share interesting glacier facts and tales of the highlands. The guides will take you on a short ice hike to a mystical and enchanting natural ice cave hidden deep on the glacier. There is something special about standing close to one of those glacial formations that only appear during the winter months.  After returning to “civilization” you’ll have time admire the dramatic two-tiered Gullfoss waterfall, a spectacular sight in winter when frozen mid-cascade. Relax after the day’s adventure with a peaceful drive to your accommodation in South Iceland. If the weather conditions are just right, you might even glimpse northern lights dancing in the sky! Dinner and overnight stay in Southwest Iceland at Hótel Stracta or Aurora Lodge. If weather conditions decide to cooperate you might even spot northern lights in the area around the hotel!

DAY 3     HELLA – VATNAJÖKULL NATIONAL PARK – KIRKJUBÆJARKLAUSTUR      [B,D]
Breakfast at your hotel. Drive along the South Shore, an area of Iceland that is especially beautiful to view in the winter. If the skies are clear, you might get a glimpse of two famous volcanoes: Hekla (Iceland’s most frequently erupting) and Eyjafjallajökull (famous for the 2010 eruption that impacted international air traffic). Stop at the spectacular Skógafoss, a beautifully shaped waterfall that makes a perfect backdrop for a selfie. The road leads to the southern area of Vatnajökull National Park, named after Europe’s largest glacier. The total park area covers almost 14% of Iceland, making it the largest national park in Western Europe! Visit the national park’s famous Skaftafell oasis, a site of outstanding natural beauty dominated by several magnificent glaciers. Visit Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon, where you can enjoy the breath-taking sight of icebergs floating in the fantastic 180m (591 ft.) deep glacial lagoon. Nearby is the dramatic beauty of the Diamond Beach, where shrinking icebergs settle on the black sands before they drift out to sea. After this beautiful day of glaciers, head to your hotel for the evening. Dinner and overnight at Hunkubakkar Guesthouse or Fosshótel Nupar near Kirkjubæjarklaustur.

DAY 4     KIRKJUBÆJARKLAUSTUR – REYKJAVIK                                                                     [B]
Breakfast at your hotel. Head back along the beautiful South Coast, enjoying a different view of the winter landscapes. Stop in Vik, Iceland’s charming southernmost village. Close by is Reynisfjara beach. Take a walk on the black sand, admiring the extraordinary rock formations and thundering waves of the Atlantic Ocean. Next, stop at the graceful, ribbon-like Seljalandsfoss falls, where you’ll have time to admire this beautiful cascade. Now it is time to drink in some of Iceland’s local culture, literally. Visit the geothermal greenhouse town of Hveragerði, home to a microbrewery that is a local favorite hangout. Here, you’ll learn about Icelandic microbrewery culture and, of course, have the chance to sample some of the local brews. No trip to Iceland is complete without a visit to Þingvellir National Park (UNESCO World Heritage site) where the world’s oldest parliament met for centuries on the shores of Iceland’s largest lake. This place makes us Icelanders enormously proud of our heritage. Þingvellir is also geologically important: it’s the meeting point of the North American and Eurasian tectonic plates. This means you might even have a rare chance to walk between two continents! Today’s last stop is a relaxing farewell to your adventure. Enjoy the authentic Icelandic tradition of bathing in hot spring fed pools at Hvammsvík nature resort. Hvammsvík sits right near the Atlantic Ocean, with water levels and temperatures of the natural pools fluctuating with the tides. You’ll surely enjoy the unique experience of relaxing in a choice of eight natural hot springs surrounded by majestic mountains and black beaches. Return to Reykjavík, where your guide bids you farewell at the hotel. The evening is open for you to enjoy your own activities. Dinner is on your own. Overnight at Hótel Skuggi or Fosshótel Reykjavík.

DAY 5     REYKJAVIK – DEPART                                                                                                          [B]
Breakfast at your hotel. FlyBus Transfer to Keflavik International Airport. You should arrange to depart your hotel approximately 3 hours before departure time of the flight from Keflavik.

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.