South Iceland’s Veiled Treasures

Upon arrival in Iceland, take the included airport coach into city center, and onward to your hotel. Rest of the day is at your leisure to explore the capital of Iceland. Reykjavík is a city that is always growing and adding unique shops, world-class restaurants, and attractions that bring the beauty of Icelandic nature into the city. Overnight at Reykjavík hotel

Meet your tour guide, who will show the group the highlights of Iceland’s exciting capital, including the church of Hallgrímskirkja and the harbor area with the concert hall Harpa. Learn about life in the city from the very beginning of settlement in Iceland to the present day. In the afternoon, enjoy a whale watching excursion, getting as close as possible without disturbing the animals. You might see dolphins, humpback, orca, blue, and minke whales during this 3-hour cruise. Let a guide direct your attention as we travel across Faxaflói Bay, where a blend of warm and cold ocean currents creates spectacular whale-watching opportunities. Afterwards, visit the Whales of Iceland exhibition with life-sized whale models and a virtual reality experience. Next is a visit to Sky Lagoon, Iceland’s latest geothermal lagoon spa experience, where the ocean meets the sky. Immerse yourself in the warm and rejuvenating waters of an oasis near Reykjavík city center. Enjoy this authentic and remarkable place through an unforgettable and inspiring spa experience. Overnight at Reykjavik hotel

Departing from Reykjavik, the tour heads south. 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 considered the largest natural disaster in Iceland in recent history, and during the tour you will learn about the eruption which began on the island of Heimaey, the only populated island of the Vestmannaeyjar archipelago. We explore bird cliffs, walk up the volcano crater, and visit “Pompei of the North“, a volcanic excavation project. You have the afternoon free to wander around the town of Heimaey, with its birds and signs of recent volcanic eruptions. We return by ferry to the mainland and onward to Hella. Overnight in South Iceland

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 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 Iceland 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 Skogar, 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 walk through a frozen wonderland of different shades of glacier ice. Overnight in South Iceland

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 Brenninsteinsalda, the rainbow mountain of Iceland, which is still “hot” and where you can see sizzling sulfur springs and vapor at its sides. It could very well be the most colorful and spectacular volcanic mountain of Iceland. After a picnic lunch, you have free time to enjoy a relaxing bath in the natural geothermal stream. Next, we take a short stop at the beautiful waterfall Hjálparfoss, surrounded by unusual basalt rock formations. Then the tour heads back to the capital. Overnight in Reykjavík

Transfer to Keflavik international airport by scheduled airport coach for your return flight to the US – or extend your stay in Iceland!