Tour
#: IST
126
Duration: 14 days –
not including US departure day
Tour Dates:
Sun 20 July – Sun 03 August 2008
Minimum/Maximum
Tour Size: 10/12 passengers
______________________________________________________
General Description:
This
is an ideal small group tour with a focus on Iceland’s unique
natural wonders. You will gain an in-depth impression of the breadth
of Iceland’s geological diversity. Iceland’s top natural
sites of Þingvellir, Skaftafell and Mývatn are visited
during this comprehensive tour of the Icelandic countryside. Each
day offers spectacular natural sights and insights into the life
and culture of the Icelanders. Accommodations at top country-side hotels are part of this special tour. This tour is designed for lovers
of nature and “students” of geology. Iceland Saga Travel
and Ísafold are pleased to bring you this private tour.
Departure
day – Sunday: US
Leave US on evening flight from Icelandair gateway (see below).
Day
1 – Monday: Reykjavík
Arrive in Iceland in the morning. Take the comfortable FlyBus from
Keflavík International Airport to your accommodations. Spend
the day relaxing or exploring the capital city of Reykjavík.
Optional tours include a city tour, whale watching cruise or visit
to the nearby countryside for a horseback tour. Contact IST for
tour options. Overnight in Reykjavík.
Day
2 – Tuesday: Reykjavík – Þingvellir –
Hella (B,D)
Pick up from your Reykjavík accommodations at 9:00 AM by
our driver-guide. We take a short sightseeing tour of the city as
we head east to Þingvellir (Thingvellir) National Park; the
village Laugarvatn with its famous steam bath facility and the cultural
highlight Skálholt, the former bishopric and center of administration
in Iceland. By mid-afternoon we come to the little town of Hella,
where we stay for three nights at our country hotel in the center
of South Iceland.
Day
3 –Wednesday: Þórsmörk day tour. (B, D)
We devote this day to the beautiful wild-romantic glacier valley
of Þórsmörk /Thorsmork (the Wood of Thor), with
its terrific and easy hiking possibilities, and the saga surroundings
of Hvolsvöllur, where the most renowned Icelandic saga (Njal’s
Saga) took place.
Day
4 – Thursday:
Landmannalaugar day tour. (B, D)
This is a day devoted to the volcano Mt. Hekla and Landmannalaugar
hot spring area. There is plenty of time for exploring and photographing.
Day
5 – Friday: Skaftafell National Park. (B, D)
Heading east we visit the picturesque waterfall Skógafoss
and the remarkable farm museum at Skógar. We pass south of
the glacier Mýrdalsjökull to the town of Vík
and visit some interesting sights close to the village Kirkjubæjarklaustur.
Before we arrive at our accommodation close to the Skaftafell National
Park we take a refreshing walk to the Svartafoss waterfall in the
park.
Day
6 – Saturday: Ingólfshöfði – Vatnajökull.
(B, D)
In the morning we will take the unique and adventurous "hay
wagon tour" with the farmer of Hofsnes and his tractor and
hay wagon out to the birds paradise on Cape Ingólfshöfði.
In the afternoon we will drive to 800 meters altitude to the edge
of Skálafellsjökull, a glacial tongue of Europe’s
largest glacier Vatnajökull, where we can take an optional
snowmobile ride (at additional cost). On the way back to the hotel
we stop at the glacial lagoon Jökulsárlón at
Breiðamerkursandi, for a boat tour among the icebergs floating
on the lagoon. Accommodation in selected guesthouse/hotel in the
southeast.
Day
7 – Sunday: East Fjords – Egilsstaðir. (B, D)
On a clear day we will have an unforgettable view of the glacier
from the pass Almannaskarð, before we drive around numerous
fjords and finally come to the town of Egilsstaðir, commercial
center of the Eastern Fjords region of Iceland, where we stay two
nights in a hotel.
Day
8 – Monday: Egilsstaðir and the surroundings. (B, D)
This day we spend in the beautiful natural environment of Egilsstaðir,
with a drive around the peaceful Lake Logurinn including an easy
hike to one of the highest and most beautiful waterfalls in Iceland,
Hengifoss. Towards the end of the day you can relax on your own
or go on an excursion to the colorful mountains surrounding Borgarfjörður
Eystri, visiting the Puffin colony there.
Day
9 – Tuesday: Möðrudalsoræfi - Herðubreið
- Askja - Mývatn. (B, D)
From our accommodation the road takes us across the plateau Möðrudalsoræfi,
with a detour to the restored 19th century’s heath cottage
Sænautasel. There we taste some traditionally cured food while
being informed about the life on such an isolated farm in former
days. Next, we head for the “interior of the interior”.
The highlights are Mt. Herðubreið, which is often named
the queen of Icelandic mountains and Askja, for a walk to the impressive
and geologically interesting volcanic calderas. This is the location
where the early US astronauts practiced for future moon walks. After
a long and adventurous day we reach our hotel accommodation in the
Lake Mývatn area for the coming three nights.
Day
10 – Wednesday: Mývatn– Húsavík –
Jökulsárgljúfur – Mývatn. (B, D)
After breakfast we head north to the quaint fishing village of Húsavík
for a whale watching tour in the morning. In the afternoon we visit
the National Park of Jökulsárgljúfur with Ásbyrgi,
Hljóðaklettar (Echo Cliffs) and the imposing waterfall
Dettifoss. Back to Lake Mývatn, at Hotel
Sel, we will enjoy a very nice buffet dinner with all kinds of Icelandic
food.
Day
11 – Thursday:
Mývatn and the Surroundings. (B, D)
This day is entirely devoted to the nature paradise of Lake Mývatn
and its surroundings, the geology of the young lava at the volcano
Mt. Krafla, the steaming solfatars at Námaskarð, not
to forget the birds and the fish of the lake.
Day
12 – Friday: Mývatn – Akureyri – Skagafjörður.
(B, D)
In the morning we visit the famous waterfall Góðafoss,
and make a detour to a second one, Aldeyjarfoss, which is considered
by some people to be the most beautiful falls in Iceland, because
of the unique formations of hexagonal basaltic columns that surround
it. We move onto the "Capital of the North", Akureyri
and then further west in the afternoon to the valley of the horse
breeders, Skagafjörður. Here we will enjoy a demonstration
of the Icelandic horse and an option to ride one (at additional
cost). Our accommodation is in Skagafjörður valley.
Day
13 –Saturday: Kjölur – Gullfoss – Geysir –
Reykjavík. (B)
From Skagafjörður we drive on to the interior Kjölur
Trail. We will stop at Hveravellir, one of the most beautiful hot
spring sites in Iceland with the possibility of bathing in the natural
warm water there. We continue our drive south with stops at the
famous nature sights of Gullfoss waterfall and Geysir, and in the
evening we arrive in Reykjavík, for a pleasant evening in
the city at your own disposal.
Day
14 – Sunday: Blue Lagoon – Reykjanes – Keflavík
International Airport (B)
After a free morning you’ll be picked up at your accommodations
at 11:00 AM for a direct drive to the famous Blue Lagoon, where
we can bathe in the mineral rich geothermal water. At approximately
2:00 PM we will drive directly to Keflavík International
airport in time to check in for your return flight.
Tour
Information:
Rate of Difficulty: Active pace. Non-strenuous, though
some lengthy walks and hikes.
Included:
Includes round trip US flights from East Coast Icelandair gateways. Call
for pricing from non-East Coast gateways. Round trip flights on Icelandair,
FlyBus ticket for transport into Reykjavík upon arrival in Iceland,
tour transport and professional guidance in a large minibus suitable and
comfortable for use on Iceland’s interior highland roads, accommodations
with private facilities – 11 nights at country hotels/guesthouses,
2 nights at downtown 4-star Reykjavík hotel, 13 breakfasts, 11 dinners, hay wagon tour, glacial
lagoon boat tour, whale watching cruise, horse riding exhibition, entrance
fees to heath cottage at Sænautasel and entrance to the Blue Lagoon.
Not
Included: Luggage porterage usually not available at accommodations.
Meals not identified by B – breakfast and D – dinner. Travel
insurance is available upon request from IST’s insurance company
– TravelGuard International.
Note:
Feel free
to add a day or two before and after the tour in Reykjavík or for
a Greenland or Faroe Islands add-on. Contact us for more information.
Prices
(Includes air, all taxes and airport fees)
IST-126
Price: $7,916.00 per person staying in a double room
Single supplement: $1,395.00 add-on for single room occupancy
Includes round trip US flights from East Coast Icelandair gateways.
Call for pricing from non-East Coast gateways.
Route
Map:
