8 Days 7 Nights Iceland Experience

Day 1 Reykjavík
Meet and greet upon arrival at Reykjavik Airport and transfer to your hotel. Check in Hotel. Rest of the day free at leisure. Overnight at Hotel

Day 2 Reykjavík – Akureyri
Breakfast at Hotel. Today morning to Akureyr via Dalvik, enroute enjoy the scenic view. We will arrive at Dalvik where you will go on a 3 hours Whale Watching Tour (Admission Included) from Dalvík you have the best chance to see many of the whales around Iceland like the great humpback whale, minke whale and the majestic blue whale. You will try out sea angling and end the trip by enjoying freshly caught fish Icelandic BBQ-style. A great tour for the family and for those who have ‘seeing a giant whale’ on their bucket list! Later we continue to Akureyri. Arrive in Akureyri and check in hotel. Akureyri is a city at the base of Eyjafjörður Fjord in northern Iceland. In the center, the 1940 Akureyri Church has stained-glass windows portraying scenes from Icelandic Christian history. There are views of the fjord from the forecourt. Nearby, the Akureyri Art Museum displays contemporary art from Iceland and farther afield. To the south are the Botanical Gardens, with specimens from across Iceland. Rest of the evening free to explore this city. Overnight at Hotel.

Day 3 Akureyri – Borgarfjörður
Breakfast at Hotel . Today we will proceed to Borgarfjorour. But first we will visit Goðafoss Waterfall, one of the most impressive waterfalls in Iceland, the Goðafoss Waterfall. Measuring 12m high and 30m wide, the waterfall is a must see and a short drive from Akureyri. While Iceland is famous for its many spectacular waterfalls, Goðafoss is a favourite for visitors because it’s easily accessible by car. (Admission Included). There’s also walking paths all around the falls making it easy to take fantastic photographs from different angles. Later we will visit Myvatn Geothermal Lake. Explore the beautiful scenery around Lake Mývatn. Formed during a volcanic eruption 2,300 yrs ago, the geothermal area is a haven for a massive number of birds. The nutrient rich water also attracts over ten species of migrating ducks to the area. Atlantic salmon and brown trout thrive in the river, feeding on the healthy midge fly population that swarm over the waters in the summer. Then on to visit the Dimmuborgir Lava Fields. Walk the marked pathways to spot arches and pillars or check out lava caves. Meaning ‘dark forts’ in Icelandic, Dimmuborgir is an area of lava fields with black lava formations on display in dramatic fashion. Then on route we will stop at Námaskarð where we will see the bubbling mud pools and steaming fumaroles. There are some wooden pathways around the area but most visitors prefer to get up close to look at the pools, but be careful, the mud in this area is thick and sticky and the residue from the steam can stain clothing. Finally we will visit Dettifoss Waterfall. Detiifoss Waterfall in northeast Iceland, rumored to be the most powerful in Europe, with an average water flow of 193 m3/s. Take in the view of 45m high and 100m wide falls and take some photos to show off back home. Then on to Borgarfjörður. Arrive in Borgarfjorour and check in to a guesthouse. Overnight at Guesthouse.

Day 5 Hofn – Vik
Breakfast at Hotel. We will visit the Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon, with a chance to see seals sun bathing on the bright blue ice. Jökulsárlón is a glacial lagoon, bordering Vatnajökull National Park in southeastern Iceland. Its still, blue waters are dotted with icebergs from the surrounding Breiðamerkurjökull Glacier, part of larger Vatnajökull Glacier. The Glacier Lagoon flows through a short waterway into the Atlantic Ocean,leaving chunks of ice on a black sand beach.. Continue to Skaftafell National Park Skaftafell is a wilderness area in Iceland’s Vatnajökull National Park. Its huge glaciers include Skaftafellsjökull and Svínafellsjökull. Trails lead to Kristínartindar Mountain and to the Svartifoss waterfall, which tumbles over black basalt columns. Morsárdalur Valley and the Bæjarstaðarskógur woodlands lie to the west. East, Öræfajökull Volcano is known for its soaring, ice-capped peak, Hvannadalshnúkur. You may opt to take a glacier hike on your own. Later we continue to Vík. Check in Hotel. Overnight at Hotel

Day 6 Vik – Reykjavík
Breakfast at Hotel. Today we will visit Reynisfjara Beach – Visit Reynisfjara Beach, just outside of Vík. Its black sand and ominous rock formations offshore make for stunning photos. Take some time to watch the foaming white waves crash over the black sand (but don’t get too close, the waves here can be extremely powerful), explore the shallow cave if weather and time permits, and get a photo of the basalt sea stacks. Later visit Seljalandsfoss Waterfall Visit Seljalandsfoss. Seljalandsfoss is a 60m (196 ft) tall waterfall located along the popular ring road. Behind the flow of water is a path, allowing visitors to peek behind the curtain of water cascading over the rocks above. Then on to Skógafoss Waterfall. Visit Skógafoss, one of the largest and most recognizable waterfalls in Iceland. The 60m (200 ft) high falls forms a constant mist that floats in the air, if viewed in the sunlight the mist can create rainbows. The sound and view of the thundering water cutting through the green hills make the falls a must-see on any trip to Iceland. Then on to Gullfoss Waterfall. Discover one of the most impressive waterfalls in Iceland, Gullfoss and complete the tourist circuit known as the Golden Circle. This massive waterfall cascades over three “steps” before spilling into a large crevice. Fed by a glacier lake, the water passing through the falls can be a dark grey depending on how much sediment gets pushed through the river. Finally visit Geysir. See a variety of geothermal pools and the erupting hot spring Strokkur. Geysir is one of the oldest geysers recorded in the world, but is most often dormant. Strokkur erupts a spray of boiling hot water straight into the air about every ten minutes. Another one attraction for the day is Thingvellir National Park . We will take a stop at Thingvellir National Park, a UNESCO world heritage site, to see the tectonic faults created by North American and Eurasian tectonic plates shifting apart. The Oxara river cuts through the largest rift in the valley, Almannagja, and leads to the Oxarafoss waterfall. Iceland’s parliament was also established in the area in 930. The park was later created to protect the remains of the open-air assembly grounds. One of the most-visited sights in Iceland, the park is an excellent spot for camping, hiking and snorkelling between the tectonic plates. Then on back to Reykjavik. Arrive and check in hotel. Overnight at Hotel

Day 7 Reykjavík
Breakfast at Hotel. Today morning Private Guided City Panoramic Tour of Reykjavik. This tour provides an excellent opportunity to discover various things to see or to do in Reykjavík during your stay in Iceland. On this tour you will see the The old Höfði house where the all-important summit between the presidents Ronald Reagan and Mikhail Gorbatsjov took place in 1986. Höfði house is also believed to be occupied by a ghost known as the The White Lady. The tour proceeds to the the Harpa concert hall and conference centre which was the 2013 winner of the European Union Prize for Contemporary Architecture – Mies van der Rohe Award. We will check out the City Centre. You will see Hallgrímskirkja church, whose design was inspired by basalt lava columns – a common volcanic rock formation in Icelandic nature. We will visit the viewing platform at Perlan glass dome which provides a 360° view over Reykjavík. After enjoying the view over Reykjavík from Perlan you will see Bessastaðir the official residence of the President of Iceland. Afternoon free at leisure to explore Reykjavik on your own. Overnight at Hotel

Day 8 Reykjavik
Breakfast at Hotel, Day free at leisure until departure transfer to Reykjavik Airport