Tour
#: IST 135
Duration: 9 days –
not including US departure day
Tour Dates:
Friday 24 June – Sunday 03 July 2005
(sold out)
Friday 01 July – Sunday 10 July 2005
(sold out)
Friday 08 July – Sunday 17 July 2005
(sold out)
Friday 15 July – Sunday 24 July 2005
(sold out)
Friday 22 July – Sunday 31 July 2005
(sold out)
Friday 29 July – Sunday 07 August 2005
(sold out)
Friday 05 August – Sunday 14 August 2005
(sold out)
Friday 12 August – Sunday 21 August 2005
(sold out)
Minimum/Maximum
Tour Size: 8/30 passengers
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General
Description:
This
tour provides the comfort of hotel-based travel with sightseeing
amidst stunning Icelandic scenery. Highlights in the north include
Europe's most powerful waterfall Dettifoss and the magnificent Lake
Mývatn region. In the South there is the famous hot springs
at Geysir and at the interior Landmannalaugar along with the spectacular
Gullfoss waterfall.
Departure
day - Friday: US
Leave on evening flight from Icelandair gateway (see below).
Day
1 - Saturday: Reykjavík
Arrive in Iceland in the morning. Take the comfortable FlyBus from
Keflavík International Airport to your accommodations. Spend
the day relaxing, shopping or exploring the capital city of Reykjavík.
Optional tours include whale watching cruises or a visit to the
nearby countryside for a horseback ride. Contact IST for your options.
Overnight at a downtown Reykjavík guesthouse.
Day
2 - Sunday: Reykjavík - Hella (B, D)
Spend the day exploring the capital city of Reykjavík or
perhaps take a swim at the nearby geothermal pools. Our tour departs
from Reykjavík in the evening, traveling along route 1 to
the town of Hella where we stay for three overnights.
Day 3 - Monday: Gullfoss - Geysir - Þingvellir - Hella
(B, D)
Gullfoss is known in Iceland as the "Golden Falls" spanned
in sunshine by a beautiful rainbow. Nearby is the fascinating geothermal
area of Geysir. The most active geyser is Strokkur, "the Churn"
which can spout up to seventy feet every five to seven minutes.
From there we travel to the ancient Viking Parliament area of Þingvellir
National Park before returning to Hella.
Day
4 - Tuesday: Landmannalaugar (B, L, D)
Today we travel into the geothermal area of Landmannalaugar, a jewel
in the Icelandic interior. The surrounding rhyolite mountains have
the feel of another planet, ranging in colors from beige to red
and from blue to black. We will have the opportunity to enjoy a
relaxing bath in a natural pool of warm spring water. We then return
to Hella for our overnight.
Day
5 - Wednesday: Hella - Sprengisandur - Eyjafjörður - Þingeyjarsýsla
(B, L, D)
Today we drive north via the highland desert Sprengisandur with
its views of the distant glaciers Vatnajökull and Hofsjökull.
We visit the majestic waterfalls Aldeyjarfoss and Goðafoss.
We stay up north for the next three nights.
Day
6 - Thursday: Dettifoss - Tjörnes (B, L, D)
We visit the high sea cliffs of Tjörnes peninsula, rich in
bird life. Then to Hljóðaklettar, a place with strange
and wonderful rock formations. We visit the canyon of Ásbyrgi
before arriving at Europe's most powerful waterfall Dettifoss.
Day
7 - Friday: Húsavík - Mývatn (B, D)
Today we travel to the coastal fishing village of Húsavík
where we board our boat for a 3 to 4 hour whale watching tour, weather
permitting. Then we enjoy a short drive to Lake Mývatn, a
unique area that features strange lava formations, attractive bays,
pseudocraters and thousands of birds. We stroll through the lava
fields of Dimmuborgir, ending with a walk up to the rim of the ash
crater Hverfjall.
Day
8 - Saturday: Eyjafjörður/Þingeyjarsýsla -
Reykjavík (B)
Today we return south through the thriving town of Akureyri, the
capital of the north. We travel over the Öxnadalur mountain
pass and on through the ever-changing countryside to Skagafjörður
where we will be introduced to the famous Icelandic horse. We also
visit Glaumbær folk museum before returning to Reykjavík.
Overnight at our Reykjavík guesthouse.
Day 9 - Sunday: Reykjavík - Keflavík - US (B)
Enjoy a free morning in Reykjavík and then take the early
afternoon FlyBus to Keflavík International airport for your
return flight to the US. Or pre-book a tour to the Reykjanes Peninsula
and the Blue Lagoon for a relaxing dip with a mid-afternoon airport
drop-off. Contact IST for tour details and price.
Tour
Information:
Rate of Difficulty: Non-rigorous daily walks. There
is an average of 3+ hours of walking each day.
Included:
Round trip flights on Icelandair from US to Iceland (check with
IST for flight schedule from US Icelandair gateways), FlyBus ticket
for transport into Reykjavík upon arrival in Iceland and
back to airport on departure day, tour transport and professional
guidance, accommodations with private facilities including 2 nights
at Reykjavík guesthouse with private bathroom facilities
(optional hotel upgrade available upon request) and country hotels
in the countryside, 8 breakfasts, picnic lunches on days 4, 5 and
6, 6 dinners, whale watching cruise, entrance fee to Glaumbær
folk museum and Northern Iceland horseshow.
Not
Included: Luggage porterage usually not available at accommodations.
Meals not identified by B – breakfast, L – lunch and
D – dinner. Travel insurance is available upon request from
IST’s insurance company – TravelGuard International.
Note:
Some tour departures may feature a reverse itinerary. Some tour
departures may include guidance in a second language such as French.
Prices
(includes all taxes and airport fees)
IST-135
Price: $3340.00 per person staying in a double room
Single supplement: $535.00 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:
