Simply put, South Iceland is a paradise of natural splendors. This region packs in a bounty of fantastic landscapes and sights, each more spectacular than the other. You see gorgeous waterfalls, black sand beaches, grand glaciers, active volcanoes, towering mountains and lively bird cliffs. If this is your first trip to Iceland, the South is the perfect area to fall in love with natural wonders as you experience the most varied and breathtaking land. For return visitors, this tour shows you a striking region to remind you how mind-blowing this country is. There is simply no shortage of impressive spots to explore in South Iceland, and it is a photographers’ dream.
Meet your guide at the pickup location at 08:00. We start the day by travelling from Reykjavík to South Iceland, where we take a short ferry ride to the Westman Islands. There is a bus and walking tour of the village of Heimaey and this extraordinary island. The volcanic eruption in 1973 is, without doubt, considered the largest natural disaster in Iceland in recent history. The eruption began on January 23rd on the island of Heimaey, the only populated island of the Vestmannaeyjar archipelago. After the evacuation of the inhabitants and during the 5 months while the eruption lasted, there was much uncertainty as to whether the island could ever be repopulated. We explore bird cliffs during our tour to the Westman Islands, walk up the volcano crater, and visit, Pompei of the North “(Eldheimar museum), a volcanic excavation project. You have the afternoon free to wander around the town of Heimaey, with its birds and sign of recent volcanic eruptions. Finally, we return to the mainland and stay for 2 nights in South Iceland.
Hotel: Stracta Hotel, Hella or similar, South Iceland.
Meal: No Meal
Our first stop of the day will be at the high but narrow Seljalandsfoss waterfall, which plunges over the mountains and where you can follow a slick and wet trail right behind the falls. We pass the glaciers Mýrdalsjökull and the infamous volcano Eyjafjallajökull on the way to the village of Vík, where we attend the stunning Icelandic Lava Show, the only exhibition in the world where you can experience actual flowing lava! By melting lava and pouring it on ice in a room full of people, you will be able to see the lava flowing, hear it sizzling, and feel the heat that radiates from it. We walk along the black lava beach and bird cliffs at Reynisfjara and see exciting basalt columns and rock formations. In the afternoon we visit Skógar, the folk museum with its turf houses and the thundering Skógafoss waterfall, which is 60 meters high and belongs to the most impressive waterfalls in the country or join an optional glacier hike at Sólheimajökull glacier tongue. It‘s an informative and easy glacier walk through a frozen wonderland of different shades of glacier ice.
Hotel: Stracta Hotel, Hella or similar, South Iceland.
Meal: Breakfast
Today we drive the rough unpaved road to Landmannalaugar, an oasis in the barren highlands surrounded by vivid rhyolite mountains. The highlight is a 90-minute round-trip hike up toward Brennisteinsalda, the rainbow mountain of Iceland, which is still “hot” and where you can see sizzling sulphur springs and vapor at its sides. It could very well be the most colourful and spectacular volcanic mountain of Iceland, and so its picture is often found in books and calendars. After a picnic lunch, you have free time to enjoy a relaxing bath in the natural geothermal stream. We take a short stop at the beautiful waterfall Hjálparfoss, surrounded by unusual basalt rock formations.
Breakfast & packed lunch included. (300km / 186mi)
Meal: Breakfast and Lunch
• 2 nights accommodation, in rooms with shower/WC
• 3 days escorted tour with English-speaking guide/driver-guide
• 2x breakfast
• 1x packed lunch
• Return ferry trip to Westman Islands
• Entrance to Eldheimar exhibition
• Entrance to Lavashow
• Entrance to Skógasafn Folk museum
• Return transport in a highland vehicle to Landmannalaugar.
Complementary
• Free Wi-Fi on the bus.
Any private expenses
Any additional services
Meals that are not listed under “included”
Single supplement (mandatory when in a single room)
International / Domestic Airfare
Optional activities
Drinks, tips and other personal expenses or services not specified on the program
Travel insurance
Gratuities
Voluntary tips for guides or drivers
Travel and medical insurance
Personal expenses