Around Iceland

Reykjavík	Radisson SAS Saga Hotel	1 night
Borgarfjörður area	(see note on hotels)	2 nights
Skagafjörður Valley	(see note on hotels)	2 nights
Lake Mývatn	(see note on hotels)	3 nights
Egilsstaðir	(see note on hotels)	2 nights
Höfn area	(see note on hotels)	1 night
Nesjaellir area	(see note on hotels)	2 nights
Reykjavík	Radisson SAS Saga Hotel	1 night

15 days from £1695

Enjoy the exhilaration of driving through Iceland at your own pace, yet knowing that your accommodation has been pre-booked for you. Click on this link for more details.

Day 1 - Arrive Keflavik. Drive to Reykjavík.

On arrival at Keflavik Airport you will pick up your hire car and drive into Iceland's capital city Reykjavík, a journey of around 40 minutes. Recommended flight from London: Icelandair from London Heathrow (see below).

Day 2 - Reykjavík to the Snæfellsnes Peninsula.

Drive via scenic Whale Fjord and the Saga Valle to the Borgarfjörður region where you will stay for the next two nights.
Meals included: Breakfast.

Day 3 - Snæfellsnes.

A full day to explore the Snæfellsnes peninsula, which is dominated by the glacier where, according to Jules Verne’s book, the Entrance to the Centre of the Earth can be found. There is the possibility of taking a boat trip to visit the islands of Breiðafjörður, home of the puffins and the white tailed eagle.
Meals included: Breakfast.

Day 4 - Skagafjörður.

Drive north to Skagafjörður, an area famous for the Icelandic horse (pictured left), directly descended from the original sturdy breed that came over with the first settlers from Scandinavia in the 9th century. At Glaumbær you will see a fascinating row of wood-fronted turf-walled and turf-roofed dwellings dating from the 18th century which provide an insight into the impoverished lifestyle of rustic Icelanders at that period in history; the cottages were inhabited until the middle of the 20th century but have now been preserved as part of a historic farm. Continue to your accommodation for the next 2 nights.
Meals included: Breakfast.

Day 5 - Siglufjörður, Hólar.

Your visits today will include Siglufjörður, Iceland's most northerly town and once the herring-fishing capital of the North Atlantic, and the historic site of Hólar, which was the country's ecumenical and educational centre up until the Reformation. It is nowadays a remote and peaceful spot with just a small redstone cathedral and an agricultural college to recall its former importance.
Meals included: Breakfast.

Day 6 - Akureyri, Goðafoss.

Travel to Akureyri, Iceland's northern capital, a pleasant tree-lined town which has an attractive Botanical Garden and an excellent small museum whose exhibits include the impressive skeleton of a middle aged woman with a horse, found at nearby Dalvík around 1000 AD. Head for the Lake Mývatn area, visiting en route the superb Goðafoss waterfall (pictured left), literally the 'Waterfall of the Gods'. Accommodation in North Iceland for 3 nights.
Meals included: Breakfast.

Day 7 - Lake Mývatn.

Explore the sights around Lake Mývatn, considered the most fertile area in the world so close to the Arctic Circle. This is one of Iceland's major breeding grounds for birds, and is also an area of spectacular volcanic activity, with fresh lava fields, hot springs and bubbling mud pools.
Meals included: Breakfast.

Day 8 - North Iceland.

For your second day in this area we recommend a visit to the port of Húsavík, one of Iceland's earliest settlements, to take a whale-watching cruise. Minke whales are frequently seen, as are humpbacks (pictured right); fin whales are also seen regularly and there are even the occasional sighting of a massive blue whale or an orca (killer whale). Húsavík also has the unique Whale Centre with its informative collection of models, photos and full-size skeletons of beached or drowned whales.
Meals included: Breakfast.

 

Day 9 - Dettifoss.

Travel around Tjörnes Peninsula and visit the magnificent waterfall Dettifoss, the most powerful in Europe, permanently swathed in spray. Continue towards the east of Iceland for a 2 night stay in the neighbourhood of Egilsstaðir.
Meals included: Breakfast.

Day 10 - Hengifoss.

Explore Lake Lögurinn and Hengifoss, one of the highest waterfalls in Iceland. We also visit the fishing town of Seyðisfjörður or the beautiful mountain scenery around Borgarfjörður Eystri.
Meals included: Breakfast.

Day 11 - The eastern fjords.

Enjoy driving through spectacular scenery today as you travel along the south-eastern coast of Iceland to reach the area of Höfn for an overnight stay.
Meals included: Breakfast.

Day 12 - Vatnajökull, Skaftafell.

Vatnajökull, Europe’s largest glacier (pictured left), dominates the landscape with its glacial tongues calving into a glacial lagoon. Continue into Skaftafell National Park, with its spectacular scenery of mountains and glaciers, before driving onwards to reach the area around Hella, where in the distance can be clearly seen the outline of Hekla, Iceland's second most-active volcano which in medieval times was considered to be the literal entrance to Hell.
Meals included: Breakfast.

Day 13 - Gullfoss, Geysir, Þingvellir.

This morning drive to Gullfoss, known as the 'Queen of Iceland´s waterfalls', before visiting the nearby famous hot spring area of Geysir; there has been geothermal activity here for thousands of years and Geysir has given its name to water spouts throughout the world. Also visit the old Parliament site at Þingvellir (Parliament fields) founded the year 930 A.D. Return to Hella in the afternoon.
Meals included: Breakfast.

Day 14 - Return to Reykjavík.

Today you will return Iceland's capital for an overnight stay.
Meals included: Breakfast.

Day 15 -: Depart for UK.

Drive to Keflavik Airport to return your hired car and board your homeward flight. En route to Keflavik, why not stop off at the world-famous 'Blue Lagoon' hot springs for a dip in the therapeutic waters?
Meals included: Breakfast.

Hotels

Outside Reykjavík, there are no hotels of international standard. Hotels used vary from departure to departure according to availability. The hotels used on this tour are "summer hotels", used most of the year as boarding schools or country hotels. They are simple and clean.

International Flights.

We recommend the daily service of Icelandair from London Heathrow. Flights are non-stop and have a choice of classes. Current timings (subject to possible change) are as follows:
Heathrow/Keflavik. Depart at 13.00; arrive Keflavik at 16:00
Keflavik/Heathrow. Depart at 16.30; arrive Heathrow at 19.30
Icelandair also operates direct flights between Glasgow and Keflavik. British Airways operate daily flights from London Gatwick. 'No Frills' airline Iceland Express also operate flights from London Stansted.

Around Iceland (Tour Reference: WDIC004)
2009 Departures
Price per person based on a minimum of two persons travelling together:

Daily Departures	Price
1 Jun to 31 August	£1695

Single Room Supplements on request.

The price includes:

• Hotel accommodation as listed above in twin-bedded rooms with private facilities
• 14 breakfasts as shown in the itinerary
• Group A Rental Car (upgrade available for supplement)
• Unlimited mileage, tax and CDW
• Map of Iceland and comprehensive route planner, and information about driving in Iceland

Not included in the price:

• International flights (see our recommendation above). We are happy to discuss the flights with you and give you further guidance
• Sightseeing
• International airport taxes
• Tipping

A deposit of £250 per person is required at the time of booking. The balance of the price for your travel arrangements must be paid at least 8 weeks before your departure date.