Compare Iceland Discovery Adventure by Adventure Women vs Iceland In-Depth featuring the Northern Lights by Tours of Distinction

Day 1: Depart for Reykjavík, Iceland

Tonight you depart on your flight to the capital of Iceland, Reykjavík.

Day 2: Arrival in Iceland - Reykjavík Sightseeing, Icelandic Horse Show & Riding, and the “Hidden People”

Meals: Lunch

Accommodation: Fosshotel Barón in downtown Reykjavík

Note: All flights on Icelandiair from the U.S.A. arrive at Keflavik Airport at approximately 6:30 a.m. If you arrive at a different time, you will have a voucher to get from the airport to the hotel.

After meeting as a group for the first time at the airport, we are met and welcomed by our Icelandic guide and transferred to the northern-most capital in the world, Reykjavík.

Since we can’t check in to our hotel until later, we spend part of the morning on a walk in Hafnarfjörður town, to visit the home of the “hidden people". Hafnarfjörður was one of Iceland’s most important ports long before Reykjavík was even a village. It is picturesquely located among craggy lava fields, and has a thriving port and fishing industry. Here we learn about the elves and dwarfs, who are so closely knit into traditional Icelandic history. We visit the Viking Village and Hafnarfjörður Folk Museum, and end our stay here with coffee and a taste of traditional Icelandic “snacks.”

Late morning we proceed to the Íshestar Riding Center for a horse show featuring the Icelandic horse, and Íshestar riders. After the show, we have the opportunity to ride along the beautiful trail system around the riding center. This is a wonderful way to get the feel of the Icelandic horse, famous for its smooth gaits and friendly disposition. (This ride is optional, and those who don’t want to ride can rest at the riding center).

After lunch at the riding center, we take a short city sightseeing tour of Reykjavík. The largest city in Iceland, it is home to two-fifths of Iceland’s population (about 280,000 people live in Iceland), and visitors are often not sure if it is a scaled down city, or a scaled up village. It retains a certain slow pace and almost rustic charm that makes it unique among the world’s capitals. There is little crime, virtually no pollution, 100% literacy, and an exciting night life. It is also Europe’s most expensive city (and country!).

After our city tour, we check into our hotel in downtown Reykjavík, freshen up, and take a short rest before dinner.

The Icelandic Horse

Selective breeding for over 1,000 years, free of genetic influence from outside blood lines, has produced one of the purest breeds of horses on earth. Due to Iceland’s harsh environment, only the fittest horses have survived over the centuries. That is why today’s Icelandic horse is strong and sure-footed, has great stamina, and possesses a friendly temperament.

The Icelandic horse has been bred as a five-gaited horse. It has three basic gaits—walk, trot and gallop—and two additional gaits, the tolt and pace. The tolt, a natural gait, is the most popular, and enables riders to comfortably travel 18-30 miles per day!

The tolt is an extremely smooth, four-beat gait that is much like a running walk or rack, and it offers a virtually bounce-free ride at speeds of up to 20 mph. The freedom the Icelandic horse enjoys also helps to explain its special capabilities, temperament, and behavior traits admired by riders. Herds are kept on very large tracts of land, where the horses run unhindered. They are, therefore, attentive and closely attuned to their environment.

This evening is at leisure, or off to bed early. We have plenty of suggestions for good restaurants for dinner.

Day 3: From Reykjavík to Stykkishólmur – Sagas, Ghosts Trolls, and Cruise on Breiðafjörður Bay

Meals: Breakfast and Dinner

Accommodation: Hotel Stykkisholmur

Europe’s second largest island, Iceland is not just an expansive wilderness landscape. It is a proud country, rich in history, literature, and folklore tradition. Its first inhabitants were Irish monks in the 5th century, who were then followed by the venerable Vikings from Norway in the 9th century. The first literary tradition to emerge was poetry. The epic dramas of early Viking settlement, romance, and dispute were recorded during the Saga Age. The Sagas, Iceland’s cherished historic tales, provided a strong sense of cultural heritage for Icelandic commoners and entertaining yarns to pass the long bitterly cold nights of winter. Today’s Icelanders are captivated by their history, and the sagas play a key role in maintaining the strength of the national psyche. The sagas are symbols, not only of the nation’s heroic past and of its literary achievements, but also of its survival.

The Icelandic Saga

The Icelandic saga is one of the world’s most astonishing literary achievements. The anonymous 13th-century saga authors were the first Europeans to write prose in their own language rather than in Latin. No one knows why the sagas were written, whether they are history or fiction, and who composed them. Icelanders will tell you that the greatest of the sagas contain everything you need to know about life. No other ancient literature can match them for gripping, laconically-told tales of individuals caught in inexorable, often terrible fates. Getting acquainted with them also reveals more about the Icelandic people, their culture, and the history of Iceland.

Today we drive past places of importance in the Egilssaga (Egill’s saga). This saga, the tale of the rogue warrior-poet and hero, Egill Skallagrímsson, is generally acknowledged to have been written by the chieftan Snorri Sturluson, one of the greatest of the early Icelandic poets. The bulk of the story tells of his often bloody and unforgiving adventures as a Viking, how he saves his life by reciting a poem called “Head Ransom,” and how he is persuaded by his daughter at the end of his life to put his grief into the composition of a poem, Sonnatorrek, one of the greatest poems of early modern times in Europe.

On our way to Stykkishólmur, one of Iceland’s most picturesque villages and the principal town on the SnaefellsnesPeninsula—a rugged yet beautiful arm of the Icelandic west coast that juts out into the Atlantic Ocean—we visit Bjarnarhöfn Farm, where shark meat is processed. Here we are greeted with the “specialty” of the house, fermented shark and homemade Icelandic schnapps, called “the Black Death”!

Just outside Stykkishólmur, we stop to hike up Mt.Helgafell. According to local folklore, those who climb Helgafell for the first time will have three wishes come true, provided a few conditions are observed: you must not look back or speak on the way; you must make your wishes facing east, and tell no one what they were. Also, only benevolent wishes are allowed. Even if your wishes are not fulfilled, Helgafell is worth the climb for the views of BreiðafjörðurBay and the mountains of the west fjords.

After check-in at the Hotel Stykkishólmur, we board a boat for an unforgettable trip on BreiðafjörðurBay where we cruise between countless islands populated by millions of birds. On our way back to shore, we see fishermen returning with their catch of the day.

Before dinner we may take a dip in the swimming pool near the hotel. A “swimming pool” in Iceland is usually heated by the nearest hot springs, and almost always has an attached outdoor spa or “hot pots”. Swimming pools are a great Icelandic institution, and extremely popular year-round. This area of Iceland is also known for its stories about heroes, villains, ghosts, and trolls, who are an extremely important part of the Icelandic heritage.

Day 4: Lava Fields, Snæfellsjökull Glacier, Europe’s Biggest Hot Spring, and Haafell Goat Farm

Meals: Breakfast and Dinner

Accommodation: wonderful country hotel, Fosshotel Reykholt

We begin this morning with a drive through the fishing villages of the Snæfellsnes Peninsula. Heading west, we marvel at the fantastic landscapes of Arnarstapi and Búðir and their unique rock formations, lava fields, and craters.

Búðir is a romantic, windswept location at the head of a sweeping expanse of white sand along the bay. The town, consisting of only a church and a hotel, is surrounded by the Budahraun lava field, rumored to be home to countless leprechauns.

While traveling, our guide tells us stories about the major focus of the peninsula, the Snæfellsjökull Glacier, and how it affected people’s lives through the ages. When we reach the town of Arnarstapi we view the magnificent glacier-covered cone volcano, Snæfellsjökull in the distance. It's mythical atmosphere became well known through the legendary French writer Jules Verne's characters, who started their Journey to the Center of the Earth at this volcano.

Many of the famous Icelandic sagas also unfolded in this spectacular area, home to elves, trolls and ancient sorcerers of Icelandic lore. Today rich bird life attracts visitors from all over the world. The Snæfellsnes Peninsula itself is often called "Iceland in a nutshell" because of its diversity of landscape.

Then we head to the small settlement of Reykholt, stopping on our way at the largest natural hot spring in Europe, Deildartunguhver. Drawing on the geothermal reserves of the area, it pumps out a staggering 180 liters of boiling water each second, and the billowing clouds of steam created by this mighty fissure are truly impressive. Hot water from the hot spring is piped about 35 miles away to heat nearby towns. The water is also used to speed up the growth of plants and vegetables by heating up surrounding greenhouses.

We'll also stop for a visit with Johanna Bermann at her Icelandic goat farm. In the year 2000, Johanna secured the last 4 hornless goats in Iceland, then on the brink of extinction, and bred them back to a sustainable population. She established the Icelandic Goat Conservation Center, and there are now over 800 Icelandic goats in the country! Her farm also has a large and beautiful garden, and many goat products. We will learn from Johanna about the Icelandic goat preservation center and the story about how she has brought back this rare species.

Arriving in Reykholt, we visit the Snorrastofa Museum, named after Snorri Sturluson, a poet and historian, and one of the most important characters of the 13th-century Sturlunga Saga. This fascinating and excellent museum is the best place to learn about Iceland’s rich history of saga events, characters, and writing.

The town of Reykholt—a little hamlet set in the wide open spaces of a fertile, pastoral valley—is a highlight of any visit to the west coast.

Day 5: From the Kaldidalur Valley to Thingvellir - Snowmobiling on a Glacier, Hot Springs, Geysers, and Rafting

Meals: Breakfast and Dinner

Accommodation: Icelandair Hotel Fludir

This morning we drive through the haunting and barren beauty of the Kaldidalur Valley along the “notorious” mountain road. Not only do we see four glaciers, but we’ll hop on snowmobiles (two persons per snowmobile) for an exhilarating ride. It’s a remarkable experience! Back on the bus we pass through a vast grey desert where ferocious sandstorms can appear in seconds, transforming what was once a clear vista of majestic ice caps and volcanic sands into an impenetrable cloud of grit and dirt. As the route climbs along the ridge, it affords spectacular views of the glaciers. Through the ages, this route has been known as a graveyard, haunted by the people who tried to cross it in bad weather.

Our destination from here is historic Thingvellir National Park, where the first Viking Parliament (the world’s first parliament) was held in the year 930 A.D., and then remained the seat of Iceland’s government for the next eight centuries. Almost every important moment in Iceland’s history has taken place here, in this spectacular natural amphitheater, which sits right in the middle of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. When Iceland declared its independence in 1944, the field of Thingvellir was the obvious place for the ceremony. Today Thingvellir is still regarded with reverence by Icelanders, its historical weight reinforced by a serene natural beauty.

We continue on to the Great Geysir hot spring area and Gullfoss Waterfall (the Golden Waterfall), two of Iceland’s most famous sights. Although the Great Geysir itself has been inactive since the 1960s, its neighbor geyser, Storokkur, fires off a 30-meter-high spout every few minutes. “Geysir” is the namesake for all “geysers” found around the world.

Gullfoss waterfall is where the River Hvítá tumbles 105 feet into a 1½-mile ravine—an awesome flow by any standards. And as long as we are on the majestic Hvítá River, a whitewater raft trip is something not to be missed! We head for our outfitter and an easy whitewater raft trip that is fun for all (class 2 and 3 rapids).

Day 6: Hot Springs, Craters, Hiking, and an Early Viking Farm

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner

The beautiful area of Landmannalaugar, famous as a hot springs oasis and for its green and lush highlands, is today’s highlight. Make sure to take your bathing suits and towel for a swim in natural warm hot springs at the end of our hike!

We spend the entire day walking in the geothermal area of Landmannalaugar, often referred to as a jewel in the landscapes of Iceland. Surrounded by many-hued mountains and lava circa 1480 A.D., it feels like we are on another planet, with colors that range from beige to red and from blue to black, and gaudy green and yellow mosses that coat the ancient rhyolytic rocks. Without a doubt, a fascinating day, and one of great geologic interest.

Next we make our way through the fertile valley of Thjórsárdalur and stop at “Thjóðveldisbærinn,” a replica of a large Viking farm from the 12th century. This reconstruction of an early medieval Viking farm began in 1974 to celebrate the 1,100th anniversary of the country’s settlement. It is a fascinating turf-covered reconstruction with interior details provided by artists and historians using information gleaned from digs in Iceland and Greenland as well as descriptions of living conditions in the Sagas.

Tonight we return to our accommodation at Hotel Fludir, after an exciting day in this great area.

Day 7: From Icelandic Wool to Sea Kayaking, and Back to Reykjavík

Meals: Breakfast and Dinner

Accommodation: Fosshotel Baron in downtown Reykjavík

This morning we begin our journey back to Reykjavík. But first, we make a stop at Thingborg, a community center where we see how Icelandic wool is worked.

The fleece of the Icelandic sheep, which varies in color from white through grey and brown to near-black, is made up of two layers. The inner layer of short, fine fibers (thel) was used for knitting delicate laces, while the coarser, longer outer fibers (tog) made warm, water-resistant winter garments. Today, soft half-spun lopi wool is used in traditionally-patterned hand-knitted sweaters, which are some of the most popular and useful items to buy in Iceland. Today is a good opportunity to buy woolen products directly from the people who make them.

Our next stop is Stokkseyri village, where the house Þuríðarbúð was built in 1949 in memory of Þuríður Einarsdóttir. Born in 1777, Þuríður Einarsdóttir went on her first fishing trip on her father’s boat at the age of eleven, and at 17 years old she became a fully-qualified mate on her brother’s boat. For most of her fishing life Þuríður was a captain, but she gave up seamanship in 1843 due to ill health after a long and happy captainship. She died in 1863. It was unique for a woman to be captain of a fishing boat, but Þuríður was considered a good captain, practical and cautious, yet daring and very popular among her mates. She usually wore men’s clothing and had permission from the province’s sheriff to do so. Houses or cottages similar to Þuríðarbúð were very common in Stokkseyri in the 19th century. Made from stones and turf, bunks lined the walls of these abodes, and the seamen slept, ate, and dwelt there during their days ashore.

After our visit to Þuríðarbúð, we hop into sea kayaks and paddle along the shore, where curious seals might follow us for part of our adventure. Since the friendly village of Stokkseyri is famous for great lobster soup and old houses, a stroll through town and fish soup for lunch isn’t a bad idea before continuing our trip back to Iceland’s capital city.

After lunch, we have a brief stop at Krýsuvík with its bubbling mudpools and steaming geysers. Our next stop is check-in at the Fosshotel Baron in Reykjavík.

For our last night together, we celebrate with our Farewell Dinner at the beautiful Ristorante Kolabrautin, where Icelandic freshness meets Italian tradition. Says the chef... "We consider ourselves lucky, Icelanders, to live amongst such abundance of fresh produce that nature provides. The constant supply of fish swimming in clear sea and pure freshwater all year round, lamb grazing on herbs in the highlands and seasonal wild game are among the things we almost take for granted. We also pride ourselves of one of the city’s best bars, voted the best cocktail bar in Reykjavik by the Reykjavik Grapevine magazine."

An evening at Kolabrautin is truly a feast for all the senses

Day 8: The Blue Lagoon and Departure

Meals: Breakfast

This morning we have plenty of leisure time to shop, walk, and sightsee in Reykjavík. At noon, we depart Reykjavík and spend the rest of our afternoon at the famous Blue Lagoon, for a soak in the warm, mineral rich waters of this surreal outdoor spa. (For those on Icelandair flights, which leave early evening, you will be transferred to the airport late afternoon from the Blue Lagoon Spa. If you are on a Delta flight, which departs in the morning, you will be transferred to the airport from our hotel in Reykjavik on the morning of July 25, unless you decide to stay longer in order to do the Blue Lagoon Spa experience).

Lunch is available at the Blue Lagoon, optionally served in the lagoon on floating tables, or in the dining room. The pale blue geothermal waters are known for their healing effects, and smoothing the white silica mud on your body is said to gently cleanse the skin. You can also book a massage. Now THIS is a great way to end our adventure before boarding our international flight back to the U.S.A.!Transfer to the airport for morning Delta flights, or late afternoon Icelandair flights, with arrival home this same day.