This tour focuses on the premier sights of the beautiful South Coast and Golden Circle areas. Admire striking waterfalls, magnificent geysers, black sand beaches, glaciers and more along the way. Additional nights can be added in Reykjavik at the end of the tour.
Itinerary
Day 1 Keflavik Airport - Hveragerði* 100km
Geothermal Lagoon - Greenhouses - Flower Village
Pick up the car at the airport and start your Iceland experience. We recommend driving the Southern coast of the Reykjanes peninsula, towards your first overnight stay in the charming village of Hveragerði. The village is one of the few sites in the world located directly on top of a geothermal area, and because of its many greenhouses heated by hot water from nearby springs it is often called the flower village. Overnight in Hveragerdi. *Note: For departures from October to April you will stay overnight in Reykjavik, instead of Hveragerdi. Distance from Keflavik Airport to your Reykjavik hotel will be approx. 52km.
Day 2 Hveragerði - Vik: South Coast 215km
South Coast - Seljalandsfoss and Skógafoss waterfalls - Black Sand Beaches
Drive along the scenic South Shore and the area near Eyjafjallajokull volcano. We recommend a stop at the interactive LAVA Centre where you’ll learn about the powerful volcanic and tectonic forces that shaped both Iceland and Earth. The centre has interesting exhibits for all age groups. Then visit the highlights of the South Coast such as Seljalandsfoss and Skógafoss waterfalls. Stop by the seafront village of Vik to explore a dramatic stretch of coastline poised between glacier-topped mountains, rugged sea cliffs and black- sand beaches. Dyrhólaey* is a rocky headland where thousands of sea birds and puffins nest during the summer. *Please note: Dyrhólaey is closed during nesting season mid-May to late June. Overnight in the Vik area.
Day 3 Vik - Golden Circle area 285km
Thjórsárdalur Valley - Gullfoss & Geysir - Hekla Volcano
Explore Thjórsárdalur valley and its landscape of sharply contrasting birch woods, sandy lava fields, rivers and waterfalls, huddling below the impressive Hekla volcano. In this valley during Summer you can also visit the excavated site of a viking aged farm long since destroyed by one of Hekla's eruptions. Continue to the amazing sites of Gullfoss waterfall and the Geysir hot spring area. Gullfoss is considered by many visitors to be Iceland’s most beautiful waterfalls. Geysir is an active geothermal field with many bubbling steam vents and spouting hot springs, including the famous Strokkur geyser. Overnight in the Golden Circle area.
Day 4 Golden Circle area - Reykjavik 300km
National Park with Geological Wonders (UNESCO) - Picturesque Fjords - Waterfalls
Visit Thingvellir National Park, site of the ancient Icelandic parliament and a jewel of nature. Here you can see the meeting point between the North American and Europe continents. Many important historical events happened in this area. Then travel via Hvalfjörður fjord continue to the beautiful Borgarfjörður region and Reykholt, home of the 13th century scholar and saga author, Snorri Sturluson. Within the area are also two scenic, impressive waterfalls. Hraunfossar, the Lava Falls, appear as though glacial water is bursting through lava formations. The nearby Barnafoss falls has brilliantly blue waters. Visit Deildartunguhver, the most powerful and fastest hot springs in Europe. You can’t bathe in these springs, but the nearby Krauma natural geothermal baths uses water from Deildartunguhver combined with cool mountain springs to create the ideal temperature for relaxation.Visit the beautiful Lava Falls waterfalls before heading to Reykjavik for overnight stay.
Day 5 Reykjavik - Keflavik Airport 50km
Your tour concludes with car drop-off at Keflavik International Airport.
2024 departures: daily 01 January - 31 December
Notes:
During the months of May - September your first night of your tour is spent in the Hveragerdi area, a small town about 45km from Reykjavik, to enable you to then head off into the countryside the next day without having to go through Reykjavik. Additional nights can be added in Reykjavik at the end.
Choose from three different levels of accommodation:
Budget (avail May-Sep only):
- Shared facilities
- Standard rooms in budget hotels, guesthouses and farmhouse accommodation
- First night in Hveragerdi includes private facilities
Comfort:
- Private facilities
- Standard rooms in comfort hotels, guesthouses and farmhouse accommodation
Quality:
- Private facilities
- Standard rooms in quality hotels and guesthouses
- Superior rooms in comfort hotels and guesthouses
The names for individual accommodations are not available prior to booking, as the tour package is based on specific hotel/price categories and not on specific hotels/accommodations. The exact location of the countryside hotels will vary according to availability- the itinerary indicates the region for each overnight stay (with the exception of the last night which is always in Reykjavik itself).
The price is based on 4 x 24-hour rental days starting at the time of car pick up and finishing at the same time. Additional use of the car beyond this time frame will incur additional days rental fee.
Please note that Winter departures (October - April), rental car must be a 4WD.
For other car types and accommodation prices please enquire.
If you would like to have dinner in the hotel restaurant, we recommend making a reservation with the hotel reception desk at the time of check-in at each hotel en-route.
