Iceland Explorer: Drive & Hike

Arriving at Keflavik International Airport,  you are immediately transported to other-worldly landscapes, as you travel by road through craters and lava fields to reach your hotel in downtown Reykjavik.

The vibrant, quirky city of Reykjavik is wonderfully cosmopolitan and easily explored on foot. Browse the many outdoor and handicraft shops and enjoy a delicious meal from one of the many fantastic seafood restaurants—we recommend the Arctic Char in particular!

Head straight out into the countryside today to the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Thingvellir National Park. Enjoy a walk here between the great rifts of the earths’ crust or if you fancy it you can even try snorkelling between them—an amazing experience!

Continue to the geothermal area of Geysir, where great spouts of boiling hot water shoot up from the ground every 5 minutes.

Finish your day with a visit to the beautiful two-tiered Gulfoss waterfall, where the water often catches the sunlight to throw incredible rainbows across it.

Walk: 3 hours

Total Drive: Approx 190km, 3 hours

Visit another two of Iceland’s most spectacular waterfalls today - Seljalandsfoss and Skogafoss. At Seljalandsfoss take a walk behind the falls to experience the mighty power of nature up close. And walk to the top of Skogafoss falls for a different perspective.

Continue to Kirkjubaelarklaustur via the black sand beaches of Vik. On arrival enjoy a walk to the nearby “church floor pavement”  - a geological phenomenon formed by basalt columns.

Walk from Skogafoss Waterfall: 1.5-3 hours

Walk to Church Floor Pavement: 1.5hrs

Total Drive: Approx 205km, 3 hours

A spectacular drive awaits you today! You cross Eldhraun, a 565 km² field of lava covered in thick luxuriant moss—its like a scene from another planet!

Continue to Skaftafell National Park, part of the Vatnajokull National Park, on the edge of the immense Vatnajokull glacier, which covers an amazing 8% of the country!

We recommend several walks at Skaftafell—from a short 3 hour walk to Svartifoss Waterfall to longer full day walks which overlook the Skaftafellsjokull glacier.

Walk: 3-8hrs, 200m-1000m Ascent/Descent

Total Drive: Approx 70km, 1-2 Hours

We recommend an early start today to enjoy a glacier hike starting from Skaftafell Visitor Centre (optional extra, book in advance). With crampons on and accompanied by expert guides walk through a wonderland of glacial ice sculptures, ice ridges and deep crevasses.

After lunch continue to Jokulsarlon glacial lagoon—one of Iceland’s most photographed places! The incredible icebergs floating in the water, with shimmering hues of blue make it easy to see why many Hollywood directors use this as a filming loctation!

Walk: 2-4 hours

Total Drive: Approx 135km, 2 Hours

The east coast of Iceland consists of  a series of v-shaped, narrow fjords between rugged steel-grey mountains. Continue along the winding coastal road to the village of Djupivogur, a tiny little village on the water’s edge surrounded by peaks. Heading deeper into the east fjords, stop at Lagarfjlot lake, enjoying a walk to the waterfalls Litlanesfoss and Hengifoss, the third tallest in Iceland.

From the top of the fjord drive down into the village of Seydisfjordur with its pretty church and colourful Scandinavian houses.

As today involves quite long driving distances, you may choose to forego the walk and spend longer in Djupivogur if you wish.

Walk: 2 hours

Total Drive: Approx 250km, 4 hours

A day at leisure to explore the East Fjords. We recommend a couple of walks close to Seydisfjordur including a riverside walk with fantastic views or an interesting walk around the nearby Hallormsstadur forest.  Another option would be to explore Skaftfell, a wonderful visual arts centre, or one of the many other artists studios, workshops and boutiques. Kayak tours are also a popular choice (bookable locally).

Riverside Walk: 2.5hrs

Hallormstadur Forest Walk: 2.5hrs

Leaving the east fjords, head inland and north to Lake Myvatn.

Myvatn which offers plentiful birdlife, pseudo craters, bubbling mud pools and the nearby Nature Baths (a quieter version of the famous Blue Lagoon) where you can soak in the geothermal waters. (entrance payable locally).

You can drive via the rugged Asbyrgi peninsula where a couple of great walks are available. Or you can enjoy one of several walks around the lake.

Walks: 1.5-3hrs

Total Drive: Approx 310km, 4-5 Hours

A drive deep into the Jokulsa canyon will take you to the thundering cascade of Dettifoss, reputed to be Europe’s most powerful waterfall.

A popular circular hike will link this with the smaller, but equally as striking waterfall of Selfoss.

Walk: 2 hours

An early start today means you could enjoy a whale watching trip (optional extra, payable locally) from the pretty village of Husavik, known as Europe’s whale-watching capital.

Stop at Godafoss waterfall before continuing to Akureyri, where you will drop off your rental car at the airport before flying back to Reykjavik (included).

Total Drive: Approx 145km, 2 Hours

A transfer (included) will take you back to Keflavik International Airport for your flight home.