Winter Iceland Delights

Day 1 : Reykjavik

Make your own way to your hotel. Today is at leisure. Take a stroll in the old city centre or visit museums and charming stores.

Day 2 : Reykjavik > Golden Circle > Iceland’s South Shore

Your tour starts with a visit to the Aurora Reykjavik Northern Lights Centre, where you can learn about how the lights are formed and the folklore surrounding them. You can also get tips from the staff on how to adjust your camera’s settings for northern lights photos. Depart Reykjavik and head onwards to the UNESCO site Thingvellir National Park. Continue to the geothermal fields of Geysir with bubbling mud pools and the high-spouting Strokkur hot spring.

Last but not least, you’ll visit the dramatic two-tiered Gullfoss waterfall, a spectacular sight in winter when frozen mid-cascade. Stop at Skalholt, Iceland’s capital “city” during the Middle Ages and now a culture centre with a beautiful church. During the day, you will also stop in the town of Laugarvatn and visit a unique outdoor geothermal bakery where sweet Icelandic rye bread is baked in hot sands. You’ll have the chance to taste some of the freshly baked bread, hot from the ground. It’s especially delicious slathered in sweet Icelandic butter.

Day 3 : Iceland’s South Shore

Today drive along the South Shore, an area of Iceland that is especially beautiful in the winter. This is one of the main farm regions of the country, and the road will pass by typical Icelandic farms, often with Icelandic horses roaming in the fields. Stop at the wonderful LAVA Centre, an interactive educational exhibition, as well as the spectacular waterfalls Seljalandsfoss and Skogafoss.

Head onwards to visit Reynisfjara beach. Take a walk on the black sand, admiring the extraordinary rock formations and thundering waves of the Atlantic Ocean. Dinner and overnight stay in the Kirkjubæjarklaustur area.

Day 4 : Iceland’s South Shore

Today you’ll be in the southern area of Vatnajokull National Park, named after Europe’s largest glacier. The entire park covers almost 14% of Iceland’s landmass, and it’s considered the largest national park in Western Europe.

Start with a visit to Jokulsarlon Glacial Lagoon, where you can enjoy the breathtaking sight of icebergs floating in the deep glacial waters. Next you’ll see Svinafellsjokull, one of the most beautiful of the glacial outlets emerging from Vatnajokull. Visit the national park’s famous Skaftafell area, a site of outstanding natural beauty dominated by several magnificent glaciers, before returning to Kirkjubæjarklaustur area.

Day 5 : Iceland’s South Shore > Hveragerdi > Blue Lagoon > Reykjavik

Head back along the beautiful South Coast, enjoying a different view of the winter landscapes. Visit the village of Hveragerdi, which is one of the few sites in the world located directly in the middle of a geothermal area. Hveragerdi is often called “The Flower Village” because of its many flower greenhouses heated by hot water from nearby springs.

Next you’ll visit a horse farm to meet some locals: Icelandic horses. Known as the Icelanders’ most faithful friend and servant, this Viking horse breed played a pivotal role in Icelandic history. Enjoy petting these friendly horses and tasting some sweet refreshments that are traditionally served on Icelandic farms. Turn onto a southern coastal road and follow alongside the shoreline with its breathtaking sea waves, passing through a deserted community that once was a flourishing centre for the region.
The trip then takes you through the surreal landscapes of the Reykjanes peninsula, where you can enjoy a dip in the famous Blue Lagoon, a unique wonder of nature with pleasantly warm, mineral-rich water in the middle of a black lava field. Return to Reykjavik, where your guide bids you farewell at the hotel.

Day 6 : Reykjavik

After breakfast transfer on your own to the airport where arrangements end.