Astounding Iceland

A Borton Overseas Scandinavia Specialist will meet the group at Minneapolis/St. Paul International Airport. Our flight with Icelandair departs at 7:20pm. Borton Overseas can assist with departure arrangements from other US locations – please inquire!

Early morning arrival at Keflavik Airport at 6:30am. After collecting our luggage, our group will transfer to Viking World for a welcome breakfast. Following breakfast, we will transfer into Reykjavik to our hotel for check-in. Because we arrive so early, our rooms may not be ready but the hotel will keep our luggage so we can begin exploring Reykjavik. Early afternoon we will combine sightseeing with a late lunch/early dinner experience as we sample authentic Icelandic cuisine on a food tour. This is one of the best ways to get acquainted with the city and its culture. In addition to having a small group walking tour of Reykjavík with a local guide, you also stop at various dining establishments across the city and sample some of the best native Icelandic treats.
Overnight at Hotel Reykjavik Saga

After breakfast at the hotel, we will depart Reykjavik and travel the famous Golden Circle. This tour takes you on a wondrous circular journey through the heart of Iceland’s Southern Region, stopping at some of Iceland’s most iconic sites. Þingvellir National Park is an attraction of great historical, geological, and cultural significance.
Located in a rift valley where the Eurasian and North American tectonic plates meet, the UNESCO designated world heritage site is also the birthplace of the Althing—Iceland’s parliament founded in 930 AD—where the nation’s most powerful leaders would meet to decide on legislation and carry out brutal Viking-age justice. The tour continues across an area of picturesque scenery to the mighty Gullfoss waterfall. Once there, you can take several paths around the two tiers of cascading water to explore several vantage points. Extra time is allotted at this location for a lunch break at Gullfoss Café. Our next stop is home of “The Great Geysir” hot spring, which all geysers are named after. This area is an impressive collage of bubbling mud pools, hissing steam vents, and colorful algae deposits. Strokkur geyser puts on quite the show every few minutes, blasting boiling water high up into the air.

Tonight, our group will hunt for the northern lights from the water on a cruise to Faxaflói Bay. You can escape the city lights and enjoy the views from open-top decks. There is also an indoor lounge if you need a break to warm up from the cold.

Overnight at Hotel Reykjavik Saga

Today is free to sightsee independently in the city or you can choose to participate in an additional tour.

Optional Day Tours

• Snæfellsnes Peninsula: This tour takes you west from Reykjavik on a scenic route to Borgarfjörður and the village of Borgarnes to Arnarstapi village where you‘ll take a walk through extraordinary landscape along the precipitous shoreline before making a lunch stop (not included). The tour continues past Djúpalónssandur, across striking landscapes, making a stop at Saxhóll crater, and on to the north coast of Snæfellsnes peninsula to Grundarfjordur, one of the peninsula‘s most iconic and photographed landmarks, the symmetrical mountain Kirkjufell that towers 1500 ft. up from the shoreline. Out of Grundarfjörður the route lies across Berserkjahraun lava fields with a stop for a short walk down to a beautiful waterfall. Heading back to Reykjavik, the last, but by no means the least impressive, attraction on the tour is the Natural Heritage Site of Gerðuberg, home to a beautiful belt of basalt columns. (Duration: 11 hours / $169 per person)

• Lava Cave Tour: Visit the lava tunnel, Raufarhólshellir, located only 30 minutes from Reykjavík. Walk the path of lava that flowed thousands of years ago and witness the inner workings of a volcanic eruption. The lava tunnel is one of the biggest in Iceland! The lava tube ceiling has caved in near the entrance, which creates beautiful columns of light and a fantastic range of colors inside the tunnel. Scenes from the Hollywood movie Noah, with Anthony Hopkins, were shot in this lava cave. (Duration: 3 hours / $130 per person)

• Wonders of Iceland with Hop On Hop Off Bus Tour: Take a bus tour with City Sightseeing and explore Reykjavík at your leisure, with the opportunity to hop on and off at conveniently located bus stops near the top tourist attractions of Reykjavik. Tour includes admittance to the Wonders of Iceland exhibit at Perlan where visitors will feel the power of earthquakes and volcanoes. (Duration: 4 hours / $83 per person)

• Sky Lagoon Geothermal Spa: The Sky Lagoon is a breathtaking geothermal spa in the Reykjavik capital area. Relax and unwind in the great outdoors and experience the 7-step ritual for mind and body. While overlooking the great North Atlantic Ocean, your experience at the Sky Lagoon is based on the traditional Icelandic bathing culture to rejuvenate and inspire. (Duration: 2-3 hours / $130 per person)

• Northern Lights by Mini Bus: Tonight, you will be taken out of the city, away from the light pollution that can ruin chances of seeing the Northern Lights. The destination is not determined until that evening so your guide can take the weather into account and locate the best chance of a sky dance. Wherever you go in Iceland, will be sure to wow you with its natural beauty. If you are so lucky to see the Northern Lights, your guide will be taking pictures so you can be sure to have your own photo of you with the Aurora Borealis. (Duration: 3-4 hours / $115 per person)

Overnight at Hotel Reyjkavik Saga

Today we will venture out to the south coast of Iceland. Here we will visit amazing sights using a unique and exciting mode of transportation – the super jeep! We will see the lava fields and Eyjafjallajökull, a volcano last erupting in 2010. We will also visit Seljalandsfoss and Skógafoss waterfalls, Sólheimajökull glacier, and the black sand beaches and basalt column cliffs of Reynisfjara, which are rich in bird life.

After a long day of sightseeing, we will return to Reykjavik for an evening free to relax or sightsee independently.

Overnight at Hotel Reykjavik Saga

Today is a free day to do whatever you want to do for your last day in the Land of Fire and Ice. Shop, walk, re-visit places of interest, grab an Icelandic Hot Dog, or find a museum – this is your last day to spend as you wish!
We will gather tonight for a farewell dinner and enjoy our memories together, sharing photos and remembering our finest times in Iceland.

Overnight at Hotel Reykjavik Saga

Partake in one last Icelandic breakfast this morning.

We then depart the city for the famous Blue Lagoon to enjoy a relaxing soak in the geothermal waters before our flight home. The mineral rich water is a milky shade of blue and the soothing and healing effects on the skin have been experienced by visitors for over 40 years.

Your entrance includes the self-applied silica mud mask to soften and clean the skin, towel usage, and your first drink in the lagoon. You will leave the lagoon feeling clean, relaxed, and satisfied!

We then board our coach to the airport in connection with our flight with Icelandair, departing at 4:45pm.