Country Life

 

Reykjavik	Radisson SAS Saga	1 night
Borgarfjörður	Fosshotel	1 night
Þingeyjarsýsla	Fosshotel	2 nights
Egilsstaðir	Hotel Hallormsstaður	1 night
Vatnajökull	Fosshotel	1 night
Rangárvallasýsla	Fosshotel	1 night

8 days from £1398

excluding international flights

This circle tour gives you the opportunity to travel through the ever-changing scenery of the Icelandic countryside, through mountains and valleys, viewing volcanoes, glaciers, rivers, hot springs and waterfalls. This is an ideal tour for those who want to experience the very best of Iceland in one week.  Visit 4 National Parks: Snæfellsnes peninsula, Skaftafell, Þingvellir and Jökulsárgljúfur. You will have the possibility to do some walking in the beautiful countryside during the tour. Accommodation is provided in hotels with private facilities. The hotels used on these tours are often “summer hotels,” used most of the year as boarding schools or country hotels which are simple and clean.

On some departures this tour may be operated in reverse. 

 

 

DAY 1 - Arrive Keflavik. Drive to Reykjavík.

On arrival at Keflavik Airport take the shuttle bus (not included) to the Reykjavík Bus terminal where you will be met and taken to your hotel. Recommended flight from London:Icelandair from London Heathrow (see below). If you are travelling from a country other than the UK we would be happy to give you guidance on your flight options.

 

DAY 2 - Reykjavík to Snæfellsnes and Stykkishólmur.

Your Iceland holiday begins with a drive to the town of Borgarnes and on to the Snæfellsnes Peninsula with its national park and the dominating glacier where, according to Jules Verne’s book, the entrance to the 'Centre of the Earth' can be found. Visit small fishing towns, drive through lava fields and enjoy the coastal scenery on the way to the town of Stykkishólmur. Your first overnight is in the Borgarfjörður area.
Meals included: Breakfast, dinner.

DAY 3 - Borgarfjörður to Þingeyjarsýsla.

Today you will visit the beautiful waterfalls of Hraunfossar, where water comes running from under the lava and into the river Hvítá.  Continue to Deildartunguhver, one of the most voluminous hot springs in Europe, and on through the fertile farmlands of Skagafjörður and Eyjafjörður with its beautiful town of Akureyri, the capital of the north. You will also visit Goðafoss, the 'Waterfall of the Gods', before reaching your accommodation in Þingeyjarsýsla where you stay for the next two nights.
Meals included: Breakfast, dinner. 

DAY 4 - Húsavík whale-watching.  Lake Mývatn.

Weather-permitting, you will start the day with a 3 hour whale-watching cruise.  The waters around Húsavík contain large numbers of dolphins, porpoises and minke whales, and if you are lucky you should also see humpback whales, renowned for their spectacular 'breaching' leaps out of the water. Blue whales, and orcas (killer whales) are also a possibility, and you will also see a variety of seabirds, including puffins. Afterwards drive to Lake Mývatn (pictured), which is considered one of the most fertile areas in the world so close to the Arctic Circle. This unique area features strange lava formations, attractive bays, pseudo craters and thousands of birds. Stroll through the lava field of Dimmuborgir before returning to your accommodation in Þingeyjarsýsla.
Meals included: Breakfast, dinner.

DAY 5 -  Via Dettifoss to Egilsstaðir.

Start the day viewing the volcanic activity at Krafla and the geothermal area of Námaskarð.  Next visit the magnificent 45-metre high Dettifoss, the most powerful waterfall in Europe, before heading through the uninhabited highlands to the eastern part of the country. Overnight is in the neighbourhood of Egilsstaðir.
Meals included: Breakfast, dinner. 

DAY 6 -Vatnajökull.

Vatnajökull, Europe’s biggest glacier, dominates the landscape with its glacial tongues calving into a glacial lagoon (pictured left). Take a fascinating boat trip on the lagoon among the icebergs, an experience you will never forget. Overnight is in the Vatnajökull area.
Meals included: Breakfast, dinner. 

DAY 7 -Skaftafell National Park.

We visit Skaftafell National Park, nestling below Iceland´s highest mountain, the 2,110m Hvannadalshnjúkur. Then through the sandy desert of the south coast, overlooked by mountainous cliffs, glaciers and waterfalls. Overnight in Rangárvallasýsla.
Meals included: Breakfast, dinner.

DAY 8 - Gullfoss, Geysir, Þingvellir National Park.  Depart for UK.

Drive to the famous Gullfoss waterfall, known in Iceland as the 'Golden Falls', and continue to the geothermal hot springs at Geysir (pictured left).  The most active geyser is Strokkur “the churn” which can spout up to seventy feet every five to seven minutes.  You will also visit the beautiful church of Skálholt and the Þingvellir National Park, site of the Viking Parliament, before returning to Keflavik Airport for your homeward flight.
Meals included: Breakfast.

Hotels

All the hotels outside Reykjavik on this tour have rooms with private facilities and are country or summer hotels, used most of the year as boarding schools.  They are simple and clean but not luxurious. Most of our groups will stay at the hotels mentioned above, although these are subject to possible change.

International Flights.

We recommend the services 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 15:00
Keflavik/Heathrow. Depart at 16.10; arrive Heathrow at 20.10
Icelandair also operates direct flights between Glasgow and Keflavik. 'No Frills' airline Iceland Express also operate flights from London Gatwick.

Iceland Holidays: Country Life (Tour Reference: WDIC005)
2012 Departures
Price per person based on a minimum of two persons travelling together:

Departures on Saturdays	Price
9, 23 Jun; 7, 21 Jul; 4, 18 Aug	£1525
8 Sep	£1398

Single Room Supplements on request.

The price includes:

• Hotel accommodation as listed above in twin-bedded rooms with private facilities.
• 7 breakfasts and 6 dinners as shown in the itinerary.
• All sightseeing as shown (unless indicated as ‘optional’), including entrance fees.
• The services of an English-speaking guide for the included sightseeing.
  

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.
• Transportation from Keflavik Airport to Reykjavík (and v.v.).
• Optional sightseeing.
• International airport taxes.
• Tipping. We will be pleased to give guidance in this often sensitive matter.

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