5-Day Snæfellsnes Peninsula And South Iceland Tour

We’ll pick you up at 9:00 A.M. at your hotel or your chosen pickup point in Reykjavik. Please be aware that the entire pick-up process might take up to 30 minutes.

Your first stop of the day will be at Borgarnes, a village that’s famous for its rich Viking history. Before making your way to the golden-sand beach in Ytri Tunga, you’ll also visit the majestic basalt columns of Gerðuberg.

Your day will continue with a stop at Búðir – a hamlet with breathtaking landscapes of Snæfellsnes Peninsula. Next on the agenda is Arnarstapi, the small and charming fishing village where you’ll be having lunch.

After lunch, you’ll have a chance to wander through Vatnshellir Cave (an optional activity with extra cost), which lies under the ground in Snæfellsnes National Park. The cave is a lava tube tunnel around 8,000 years old. Your certified caving guide will explain its formation and the fascinating features that lie in hidden spots. This experience takes you about as close as you can get to the story of Jules Verne’s book A Journey to the Centre of Earth.

A free alternative to Vatnshellir Cave is the Malarrif visitor center and its lighthouse which is free of charge.

The last attraction of the day is the black sand beach – Djúpalónssandur, where you can see the remains of the shipwreck that dates back to 1948. After adventures here, you’ll be taken to the Hellissandur Adventure Hótel (or a similar hotel).

If you’re traveling from late September to early April, you'll get a chance to look for the Northern Lights if the conditions are suitable.

After breakfast, you’ll start your day with a bang by visiting probably the most “photogenic” mountain – Mount Kirkjufell. The fans of the TV show “Game of Thrones” will recognize this place as it was one of the locations where the show was filmed.

Next will be a short stop at Grundarfjörður, a town in Iceland, where you’ll have a break and a possibility to buy some snacks or other necessities. 

The agenda follows a stop at Hraunfossar and Barnafoss Waterfalls. Hraunfossar (“the Lava Waterfalls”) is a vast collection of smaller waterfalls cascading through the cracks of lava formations. Barnafoss (“Children’s waterfall”) is known for a folk legend as the site where two children tragically drowned once upon a time.

After this, you’ll head out to the historic site of Reykholt, where you will find a hot spring pool, Snorralaug, treasured as the bathing spot of Iceland’s most famous poet and politician, Snorri Sturluson.

Next stop is Sturlureykir horse farm—a cozy place where friendly Icelandic horses are the stars. You can pet them, feed them, and snap a few photos while learning how the farm runs on geothermal energy. It’s a fun and relaxed way to see how farm life works in Iceland, with a warm welcome from both the animals and the people. 

Afterwards, you’ll visit Deildartunguhver – the most powerful hot spring in Europe.The hot spring keeps at a constant 206 degrees Fahrenheit (97 degrees Celsius) and pumps out a whopping 47.5 gallons (180 liters) of water every second. The hot spring is used to provide heating and hot water to neighboring areas. 

Your day will end with a trip back to the capital at around 6 P.M.

First on our agenda for today is the Golden Circle. We’ll start with Thingvellir National Park, one of UNESCO World Heritage Sites because of its complex geological nature and history. The unique landscape of the rift valley was created over time by continual turbulent interactions between the two tectonic plates underneath: the North American and the Eurasian plates.

It’s also home to the world’s longest-running parliament, the Althingi, established in 930 c.e. Don’t forget to look out for the largest natural lake in Iceland, Thingvallavatn.

After exploring this marvelous rift valley, we’ll continue southwest toward Haukadalur Valley and the geothermal area of Geysir. We’ll spot Strokkur, a still-active geyser, which still erupts up to 25 meters every few minutes without fail.

Next, we’ll visit the majestic waterfall, Gullfoss (the Golden Waterfall). At the beginning of the 20th century, a few Englishmen sought to acquire the waterfall and build a hydroelectric plant, taming the power of the Hvita River. Fortunately for everyone, due to lack of funding their plan fell through and to this day the waterfall remains untouched and in all of its natural glory.

Seljalandsfoss

As we continue along the Ring Road, a view to the infamous volcano Hekla opens up as we drive to our next stop, Seljalandsfoss Waterfall. The path leading up to the waterfall is brief and it takes us right behind it. There, breathtaking views of the surrounding areas are exposed and on a sunny day, a rainbow can be seen encircling the waterfall. Seljalandsfoss drops for about 196 feet (60 meters), so waterproof clothing is recommended.

We’ll finish the day off with the Northern Lights if the forecast is good and continue to our hotel close to a small town, Kirkjubæjarklaustur.

After breakfast, we head east through farmland and moss-covered lava fields to Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon and the neighboring Diamond Beach. Icebergs of every shape drift through the lagoon toward the sea, and many wash up on the black sand, where they glitter in the light. Keep an eye out for bathing seals.

From the lagoon, we continue to Skaftafell Nature Reserve, part of Vatnajökull National Park, for the ice cave portion of our day. What you do here depends on the season; both versions end inside a natural ice cave.

From October to April, a certified glacier guide leads you onto Vatnajökull, Europe's largest glacier, for a guided hike to a natural ice cave. You'll pull on crampons and step into a chamber where daylight filters through in deep shades of blue.

In summer, we go instead to the Katla Ice Cave near Vík, the only natural ice cave you can enter year-round. The exact cave is chosen based on the season and the conditions on the day. Cave temperatures stay well below freezing, so dress warmly in layers.

You'll spend the night at Adventure Hotel Geirland (or similar) near Kirkjubæjarklaustur. From September to April, if the forecast cooperates, it's a good base to watch for the Aurora Borealis, well away from town lights.

Please note: ice cave and glacier activities depend on weather and access. If conditions aren't safe, your guide will swap in a comparable activity.

After nourishing breakfast, we’ll slowly make our way back to Reykjavik by visiting the main highlights on the south shore of Iceland. If the road conditions allow it, we’ll make a small detour to Fjaðrárgljúfur Canyon first. After that, we’ll stop at the iconic Elhraun lava field before heading to Reynisfjara Black Sand Beach.

Here at Reynisfjara, you’ll be able to witness the immense power of the Atlantic Ocean. You’ll also be able to visit a black basalt cave and admire Reynisdrangar basalt stacks rising from the sea. According to the legend, it’s nothing else than trolls who were turned into rock by the rising sun.

After that, our tour takes us to Skógafoss, an amazing 60-meter tall waterfall falling into the pool below. It is believed that deep into this pool, below the waterfall, lies the Viking treasure. You’ll also be able to take 527 steps leading to a panoramic view above the falls.

After the South Coast tour, we’ll begin the journey back to Reykjavík. We’ll have a chance to visit more sites as we travel through the south back to the city. We’ll get back to Reykjavík between 16:00 (4:00 p.m.) and 19:00 (7:00 p.m.).

Proper hiking boots are essential for glacier hiking, as crampons won’t fit on other footwear. If you don’t have the necessary gear, you can rent hiking boots, a waterproof jacket, and waterproof pants during the booking process. These items can also be rented on location at the Glacier Guides Booking Center for the glacier hike. If you wish to rent gear for the entire duration of the tour, make sure to add it to your booking at least 48 hours before your tour starts.

We cannot guarantee that the actual view during your visit will match the photographs since ice caves are a natural phenomenon that undergoes constant change. How they look may vary depending on the season, time of day, lighting, and other factors.