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This 5-day tour offers the best of North and West Iceland in only one trip! Explore charming fishing villages, beaches, majestic waterfalls, and historical places. Your guide will be there with you to tell you all the fascinating facts about the places you visit.
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North Iceland has more extremes than the rest of the country. There is more sun in the summer and more snow in the winter. Also, since it’s closer to the Arctic Circle, the daylight is longer than in the rest of Iceland. During this tour in North Iceland, we will go whale watching and sea angling, go geothermal bathing, and experience many other adventures together!
West of Iceland holds many natural treasures, such as lava caves, majestic waterfalls, and black sand beaches. Its most tourist area, often even called ‘Iceland in miniature,’ is Snaefellsnes Peninsula. Here, we’ll see the most photographed mountain in Iceland, Kirkjufell, and take a walk to the shipwreck on Djúpalónssandur black pebble beach. These and many other adventures await you in the West of Iceland!
We'll pick you up from Reykjavik at 09:00 am before we hit Ring Road. The first activity of the day will be a short easy hike around the Grábrók volcanic crater, which formed after a volcanic eruption around three and a half thousand years ago. The hike will not be challenging, but the views we'll be getting will be incredible!
Our next stop will be at the 'Troll of Northwest Iceland' Hvítserkur, a 50-feet-high basalt rock stack. Its natural shape, created by elements, resembles a Rhino standing in the sea!
At the end of the day, we'll drive to Dalvík, a charming fishing village, where we'll rest for the night in a comfortable hotel. We'll watch the forecast for the Northern Lights, and if the conditions are right, we'll be able to admire them!
We'll kickstart our second day with a morning ride to the incredible Goðafoss, 'waterfall of the Gods.' Running at 12 meters tall, this is one of the most incredible sights in Iceland. The waterfall's name, which stands as a tribute to the pagan gods, was given after Iceland converted to Christianity around 1000 AD and threw the statues of the Norse gods into the waterfall.
After admiring the falls, we'll take a short drive to Lake Mývatn, one of the largest lakes in Iceland. Spreading over 36.5 km2, this lake is deceivingly shallow. The diverse volcanic landscape with waterfalls, hot springs, and craters makes this area one of Iceland's most protected nature reserves. Going to the lake, we'll visit the Skútustaðagigar pseudo craters, formed almost 2,500 years ago by natural gas explosions and boiling lava flowing over the wetlands. Today, the grass-covered craters sit quietly along the hiking trails.
Not far from the craters, there's Dimmuborgir, a 2,300-year-old vast area of a unique lava field compiled with lava deposits. This fascinating site is full of incredible rock formations, lava bridges, tunnels, and huge rock pillars. No wonder this area is believed to be inhabited by trolls!
After exploring the lava field, we'll continue our way to an incredible volcanic crater. Víti, which translates to 'Hell,' is a 300-meter-wide crater formed after a massive eruption of the Krafla Volcano that lasted for five years in the 1700s. Today this perfectly safe crater is filled with blue and green water, an incredible sight to see.
After visiting the crater, we won't have to go too far to reach our next destination, Námaskarð Geothermal Area. This volcanically active area is actually a part of the Krafla volcano system, and the land here is poisoned with minerals that paint the site in vivid colors. Even though the new lava doesn't come to the surface, the area is still very much active, with bubbling mud pots, gurgling hot springs, and screeching fumaroles shooting meters into the air.
If you wish, we can make a stop at Mývatn Nature Baths on our way back to the hotel. These baths, often called 'the Blue Lagoon of the North,' is a large water basins containing around 3.5 million liters of water with temperatures ranging from 36 to 40°C. By the way, Mývatn is much cheaper than the famous Blue Lagoon – actually, by even half the price! So don't miss out on this opportunity to sink in these mineral-rich, alkaline waters that are believed to be very beneficial for various skin conditions or even asthma!
After the baths, we'll return to the same hotel in Dalvík village, where we'll spend the second night.
The third day of the tour and the last day in Iceland's North will start with an exhilarating whale-watching tour by boat. These tours have over 90% chance of seeing marine wildlife, such as whales, dolphins, and porpoises! The most common animal seen here is a humpback whale, as they usually stay near the bay. While-beaked dolphins, harbor porpoises, and minke whales are also frequent visitors.
While staying in Dalvik bay, you'll be able to try some sea angling, an activity that is very liked among locals. Later, we'll organize a barbecue and share the fresh catch!
After delicious lunch, we'll stop at the Glaumbær turf farm before heading to Reykjavik for the night. This farm comprises 13 recreated traditional turf houses built from earth and layered in a herringbone pattern. The original farm was built around 900 AD, during the earliest settlements.
After visiting the turf farm, we'll return to Reykjavik for the night.
After exploring North of Iceland, we will head west. West Iceland offers a plethora of attractions and adventure activities that we will explore during the tour.
Once everyone is boarded on a minibus, we will drive to one of the greatest gems of Iceland, the Snæfellsnes Peninsula. The first stop of the day will be the charming fishing village of Arnarstapi. Here, we can appreciate an incredible landscape with dramatic cliffs and lava fields.
After a scenic walk in Arnarstapi, our path will take us to the Snaefellsjokull National Park, where you'll have an option to step into the underground world of Vatnshellir Cave (at extra cost). Vatnshellir is an 8,000-years-old lava tube that lies 35 meters (115 feet) below the surface. You'll get the impression as close to Jules Verne's novel 'A Journey to the Center of Earth as possible. If you decide not to join a lava caving tour, your guide will walk you through some of the most interesting places in the area.
The next stop is at Hellnar, an ancient fishing village where we will be able to grab some lunch before continuing our way to the picturesque Djúpalónssandur Beach.
Djúpalónssandur, meaning 'Deep Pool Pearls,' is known for several reasons. First of all, the black pebbles that cover the beach. We'll take a short walk to explore another attraction on this beach – the ghostly remains of a shipwreck dating back to 1948. Here you can also find the big lifting stones which fishermen used to test their strength back in the day. Will you be able to lift them?
After enjoying the many attractions of Djúpalónssandur, we will head to the most photographed mountain in Iceland, Mt. Kirkjufell. The image of this cone-shaped peak can be seen in every souvenir shop across the country! No wonder this picturesque mountain was also featured in the epic HBO series Game of Thrones.
After such an eventful day, we'll go to a country hotel in Borgarnes where we will spend the last night of our 5-day trip. If the forecast is favorable, your guide will show you the best spot to see the magnificent Northern Lights!
After enjoying breakfast, we'll go to the gorgeous location in West Iceland – Borgarfjörður area. The day's first stop will be at Deildartunguhver, the most powerful hot spring in Europe. This hot spring provides 180 l/sec (48 gals) of 100°C (212°F) of hot water, which is also used for central heating in the neighboring areas. Here you'll have an opportunity to soak in the brand-new Krauma baths if you choose (at extra cost).
After that, we'll head to the historical site of Reykhold, home to the famous saga writer Snorri Sturluson. Today it is a research center where scholars come to research medieval history.
Think you've seen everything? Think again! Get ready to dive even deeper into the rich world of Icelandic legends. We'll continue our trip with two impressive waterfalls, Hraunfossar and Barnafoss. After admiring the serene beauty of the Hraunfossar waterfall, we'll go to Barnafoss, also known as 'Children's Falls.' The waterfall's name is associated with the disturbing story of two young children falling into the waterfall, and your guide will be there to tell you all about the unsettling details.
Pick-up: You will be picked up from your preferred Reykjavik location at 9:00 a.m. Picking everyone up can take up to 30 minutes, and your patience is much appreciated.
Available pick-up points: Arctic Adventures’s pick-up list.
Drop-off: After the tour, we will drop you off at your hotel or nearby authorized meeting point around 19:00, depending on weather and road conditions.
We always recommend booking a multi-day tour starting at least one day after arriving in Iceland. If you’re flying in from the US or will be landing early (4-6:30 am) you should be able to join the tour, but some risks would follow (i.e if the flight gets delayed) and could, therefore, miss out on the tour.
Most of the hotels we use during our tours are remotely located and therefore ideal for spotting the northern lights. If the forecast is in your favor, then it is more than likely that you will be able to see the magical show put on by the dancing northern lights during your tour with us. Most of the hotels offer a Northern Lights wake-up call-up on request if the lights are spotted.
The Northern Lights are a natural phenomenon; therefore, we can unfortunately never promise they will be seen. Their appearance depends upon atmospheric and weather conditions. The best time to see them is between September and March when it’s dark and clear. The sky needs to be as dark as possible, so the best places to see them are well away from city lights (that’s where we are going!).
For more information on the Northern Lights, please look at our blog about Northern Lights.
If you are not sure that you have suitable gear for your tour, we offer some necessary items for rent. For most of our multi-day tours, we rent out waterproof jackets and pants as well as hiking boots. You can book these items and more under the selection “Extras” in the booking widget when booking your tour on our website.
If you have already booked the tour and wish to add some rental gear to your booking, you can do so at least 24 hours prior to your tour starting by using our customer portal - My Adventures, or contacting our customer care.
We drive on average around 300 km (186 miles) per day on our multi-day tours. You will be spending approximately 4-5 hours in the car each day. We do of course stop on multiple locations throughout the tour for sightseeing, activities, bathroom breaks and lunch stops.
We do welcome participants of all ages older than the listed minimum age for each tour. We have people of ages ranging from 8-99 years joining our multi-day tours. Our average group usually consists of participants between the age 20-55 years. We do get a lot of solo travellers joining our tours, as well as families and friends.
If you have difficulties participating in any of the activities included in the tour, for example, a glacier activity, you are more than welcome to skip it. You can explore your surroundings in the meantime or wait elsewhere. Our guide should be able to drop you off at a nearby place where there are some services available.
For multi-day tours, each participant is allowed to bring a small backpack and 1 piece of luggage weighing a maximum of 20 kg (44 lbs). If you have more or heavier luggage with you, you will need to book storage for the surplus luggage before you arrive, there is a small fee for using this facility. Luggage storage in Reykjavík can be added during the booking process of your order in the extras section.
* The combined dimensions of each bag must not exceed 158 cm (62 in).
Breakfast is included at all the hotels we stay in during the tour. The breakfast will be a typical breakfast buffet, offering bread, toppings, cereal, yogurt, fruits, coffee, and tea etc.
Your guide will also find a good place for the group to eat lunch. We always try to choose places that have a wide selection of dishes on the menu, so there will be options available for everyone. The dinner is usually at the hotels we stay at for the night.
If your tour includes accommodation, breakfast is always included during the tour at the hotel/guesthouse restaurant.
Meals and beverages are otherwise not included on your tour. (Unless it’s specifically stated in the description of the tour)
On our multiday tours, we will be making stops at restaurants and convenience stores where you will be able to purchase all necessities. Cash is not necessary, as credit cards are almost always accepted. Having a small amount of cash doesn’t hurt though.
A single supplement is available if you want to have your own room, but you are not required to pay a single supplement. If you are a single traveler and do not wish to book a single room, you’ll be roomed with another traveler of the same gender.
When booking with Arctic Adventures, you are guaranteed an accommodation at a nice country hotel and/or a guesthouse. The hotels we have partnered up with are all of the same standard and offer nice rooms with made-up beds. The rooms come with private or shared bathrooms, depending on your booking. The standard room is a twin room but it’s possible to request a double room or a triple room, with no extra charge.
If you are traveling solo, you will have to add the single room fee if you wish to have a single room.
All hotels have free Wi-Fi. Towels, a hairdryer and a kettle are accessible at all of the hotels. Hotel breakfast is included!
