Best of Reykjavík & South Iceland (Standard Class)

Day 1: Arrival in Iceland

Day 1: Please note: If you have added extra nights in Reykjavik before your tour, the guide will meet your group for the start of the tour on Day 1 according to the standard “Best of Iceland & South Iceland” itinerary. Your tour guide will meet you on Day 1 for your information meeting at your hotel. Your tour guide will meet you on Day 1 for your information meeting at your hotel. The meeting will be at CenterHotel Midgardur at 18:00 (6:00pm) and at CenterHotel Klopp at 19:15 (7:15pm). You can choose to attend the meeting at either hotel. Please note that transfers between hotels are not provided; it is about 10 minutes’ walk between each hotel. If you cannot make the information meeting on Day 1 you will meet your guide on Day 2 in the lobby of your hotel at 08:45 am. Upon arrival, head through passport control, collect your bags and go through customs to the Arrival Hall. The bright orange Airport Direct transfer shuttle is waiting outside the arrival hall. Please show your confirmation information to the attendant on board and let him or her know the hotel you are using in Reykjavik. Important: The Airport Direct is a shared bus transfer. You will not be met directly in the airport by a driver. You will be taken to Airport Direct’s terminal where you will then be taken to your hotel by Airport Direct’s SmartBus. Once in Reykjavik, check into your hotel. If you arrive early in the day, you might want to explore Reykjavik’s old town area, location of many museums and galleries. You might also enjoy visiting one of the city’s outdoor geothermal swimming pools where you can shake off your jetlag. In the afternoon you could take one of our day tours, such as whale watching or horseback riding, both bringing you close to Iceland’s nature and landscape. Dinner is on your own. Reykjavik offers a multitude of restaurants and/or coffee-houses, making dinner a great way to get better acquainted with Iceland’s capital. This evening there will be an information meeting at your hotel. Your locally based guide will go through the week’s itinerary and suggestions of things you can do in Reykjavik during your free time Your guide will let you know about exciting activities and events taking place in the city while you are in Iceland. You’ll get a great insider’s view on how to enjoy the city’s cultural scene. You’ll also find out more about the tour itinerary. You’ll meet your travel companions and enjoy a Welcome Drink at the hotel’s bar. Enjoy a welcome drink and the opportunity to get to know your travel companions. Overnight stay in Reykjavik. Please note that most hotels begin check-in between 14:00 and 16:00 (2:00pm and 4:00pm).

Day 2: Reykjavik- Thingvellir National Park - Gullfoss - Geysir- Reykjavik

Day 2: Legendary National Park - Golden Waterfall - Erupting Glaciers - Geothermal Farm and Horses. Breakfast at your hotel before heading on to the famous Golden Circle route. Iceland’s Golden Circle showcases a trio of celebrated natural attractions. Start with a visit to Thingvellir National Park (a UNESCO World Heritage Site), where Viking settlers established an annual assembly in AD 930. Known as Althingi, this has now become the world’s oldest ongoing parliament. Thingvellir is also a geological masterpiece, as it marks the visible site of the mid-Atlantic Ridge where the North American and Eurasian continental plates meet. You can walk along a path taking you between the canyon marking the location of the ridge. Your guide will tell you about some of the important things that happened in Iceland’s history. It is interesting to imagine what Thingvellir must have been like hundreds of years ago when farmers, chieftains and merchants journeyed from all corners of Iceland to meet here to make laws, settle disputes, arrange alliances and meet old friends. Head through scenic farmlands to the celebrated Gullfoss waterfall, believed by many to be Iceland’s most beautiful falls. Several walking paths take you to different views of the double-ledged waterfall. Nearby is the Geysir hot spring area, alive with boiling mud pits, steam vents, and exploding geysers. The most famous of these is Strokkur, a high-spouting geyser that erupts every ten minutes, but there are many quirky and intriguing little geysers bubbling away. During the day you’ll stop at Fridheimar, an innovative family-run greenhouse farm and horse ranch. You’ll visit the green house and learn how the family uses pollution free geothermal energy and bumble bee pollination to grow their excellent organic tomatoes, cucumbers and peppers. The farm also produces delicious products from their vegetables. You’ll also enjoy a demonstration about the Icelandic horse breed and its unique five gaits, along with a chance to meet some of these friendly animals. After a beautiful day in the Golden Circle area, return to Reykjavik for the evening. Overnight in Reykjavik. Dinner is on your own. (B)

Day 3: Reykjavik - Seljalandsfoss- Skogafoss - Vik - Reykjavik

Day 3: Volcanic and Glacier Views –Scenic Waterfalls Duo - Black Sand Beaches and Thundering Waves. Breakfast at your hotel. Drive along the iconic South Shore. This is one of the main farm regions of the country, and the road will pass by typical Icelandic farms, often with Icelandic horses in the fields. Depending on the weather, you might also get a glimpse of beautiful Mount Hekla, Iceland’s most frequently erupting volcano, and glacier crowned Eyjafjallajokull, the famous volcano whose 2010 eruption halted air traffic worldwide. You’ll certainly see signs of their impacts on Iceland. You might even get a glimpse of the Westman Islands archipelago off the coast of Iceland. Stop at two spectacular waterfalls, each with its own charm and character. Depending on the trail conditions you can walk behind Seljalandsfoss waterfall. Skogafoss is one of the country’s most photographed waterfalls and is said to be the hiding place for ancient treasure. As you drive along the coast, you’ll also get a view of Myrdalsjokull, Iceland’s fourth largest glacier. The road leads to charming Vik, Iceland’s southernmost village. Visit Reynisfjara beach, where you can take a walk on the black sands, admiring the extraordinary rock formations and thundering waves of the Atlantic Ocean. The North Atlantic waves here are very powerful, and the rumbling sound of them crashing against the dark shore is something you will always remember. Far out to sea you can see the Reynisdrangar sea stacks. According to old legends, they were once trolls. During the day, your tour will stop at lovely family-owned countryside café, The Old Cowshed, for a taste of some traditional Icelandic skyr or homemade ice-cream. Return to Reykjavik for another night in the lively capital city. Dinner is on your own. This evening please talk to your hotel front desk staff about tomorrow’s airport transfer. They can advise what time Airport Direct’s SmartBus service will pick you up and where to meet the bus. They also can schedule the SmartBus pick-up time with Airport Direct for you. (B)

Day 4: Reykjavik - Reykjanes - Blue Lagoon - Reykjavik

Day 4: Volcanic Peninsula - Moon-like Lake - Colorful Geothermal Field - Relaxing Lagoon. Breakfast at your hotel. Today you’ll take a beautiful coastal road that leads onto the breath-taking Reykjanes peninsula. Reykjanes was designated a UNESCO Geopark in 2015 because of its many interesting geothermal and volcanic features, and it’s a fantastic place to explore. Drive past the Presidential residence of Bessastadir and to the town of Hafnarfjordur. Take a coastal road to Lake Kleifarvatn, set in fascinating, moon-like surroundings. If you enjoy crime novels, Kleifarvatn is the setting of a famous Icelandic suspense novel, The Draining Lake, by Arnaldur Indridason. Near the lake’s southern end lies Krysuvik, where powerful jets of steam escape from deep below the earth’s crust and sulfurous steam rises from numerous geothermal vents. You can see numerous small hot springs, brightly colored mud pots, boiling pools and other types of geothermal activity. Continue under low mountains along the shoreline to stop by craggy cliffs rising sheer from the sea. This is home to Grindavik, a town with a sizeable fishing fleet. Then head for the world-renowned Blue Lagoon. Set in a black lava field, this geothermal spa is a lagoon filled with warm mineral-rich seawater that provides the ultimate interaction and relaxation with Iceland’s raw nature. Here you can enjoy a lovely soak in the healing waters of the lagoon a unique wonder of nature with pleasantly warm, mineral-rich water in the middle of a black lava field. Return to Reykjavik, where the evening is at your own leisure. (B)

Day 5: Old Town Reykjavik Walking tour - Free time in Reykjavik

Day 5: Breakfast at your hotel. Today is dedicated to enjoying Iceland’s capital city! Meet your local guide for a fun and informative walking tour of the downtown area. Your guide will point out some of the city’s best-known - and local secret - places and fill you in on the history and daily life of the city. You’ll get a real insider’s view! A few of the many places you’ll see on the tour include Hallgrimskirkja Church, the City Hall, Reykjavik Ponds, Harpa Concert Hall, and the Old Harbor. During the tour, your group will stop at a historical downtown bakery for a taste of a typical Icelandic treat. The tour ends in the downtown area, where your guide will say farewell and leave you to enjoy Reykjavik as you please for the rest of the day. Reykjavik has some great museums that highlight the city’s history and its lively art scene. One of our personal favorites is the interactive Reykjavik Settlement Museum, where you can view an excavated Viking longhouse—the oldest known building in Reykjavik—and discover how life was in the early Middle Ages. Or discover Iceland’s hidden wilderness in an unusual way at the new interactive FlyOver Iceland experience. Take a walk along the main shopping street and browse art galleries and Icelandic handicrafts/design shops. Stroll along one of the seacoast footpaths and enjoy the ocean views. Go swimming in one of the city’s famous geothermal pools. Enjoy a cup of coffee at a cozy coffee house. There are many ways to have a great afternoon in the world’s northernmost capital. Return to the hotel at your own leisure (transfer is on your own). Enjoy the last evening on your own in Reykjavik. This afternoon or evening please talk to your hotel front desk staff about tomorrow’s airport transfer. They can advise what time Airport Direct’s SmartBus service will pick you up and where to meet the bus. They also can schedule the SmartBus pick-up time with Airport Direct for you.

Day 6: Departure

Day 6: Breakfast at your hotel. Please note that this might be a light breakfast if you are taking an early morning departure flight. You will be picked up from the hotel by the SmartBus hotel transfer service. Please make sure you are waiting at you’re the pick-up point. You will then be taken to Airport Direct’s terminal where the Airport Direct bus is waiting. Transfer to Keflavik Airport for your flight. (B)