ICELAND DAY TRIPS​                               ​

Our tour starts with the amazing Golden Circle. We will stop at all the major stops on the way as well as stopping whenever we feel like stopping. That´s the beauty of it - we just do what we feel like doing on the way. The Golden Circle has always been and still is the most popular tourist route in Iceland, covering about 300 km looping from Reykjavik into central Iceland and back.

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The three primary stops on the route are the national park Thingvellir, the waterfall Gullfoss and the geothermally active valley of Haukadalur, which contains the geysers Geysir and Strokkur.
 

Our first stop is at Geysir. Though the Great Geysir itself is now more or less inactive, the area surrounding it is geothermally very active with many smaller hot springs. The attraction of the area is now Strokkur (another geyser 100 meters south of the Great Geysir) which erupts at regular intervals every 10 minutes or so and its white column of boiling water can reach as high as 30 meters. The whole area is a geothermal park sitting on top of a vast boiling cauldron. Belching sulphureous mud pots of unusual colors, hissing steam vents, hot and cold springs, warm streams, and primitive plants can all be found here.

From there to Gullfoss, one of Iceland's most beautiful waterfalls where the mighty river Hvítá plunges into a narrow dark canyon. On sunny days a rainbow glitters in the spray above the raging torrent. When approaching the falls, the crevice is obscured from view, so it appears as if the mighty river simply vanishes into the earth.

After these majestic sights we go to Friðheimar farm for lunch. The theme of Friðheimar´s cuisine is tomatoes, in many different forms. And that’s not surprising, as four different varieties of tomato are cultivated in the greenhouses where lunch is served among the plants. It is a rare food experience.

 

From there we go to an old power plant called Ljósafossvirkjun and from there to Nesjavellir, next to Hengill volcano, with a stunning view over our last stop at Thingvellir national park.

Thingvellir national park is a site of historical, cultural, and geological importance. It is the site of a rift valley that marks the crest of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. It is also home to Thingvallavatn, one of the largest lakes in Iceland. Thingvellir is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and a special place to all Icelanders.

From there we will head your privare accommodation, a cozy little house in the heart of the Golden Circle, for a nice meal and a dip in the hot tub.

After a nice breakfast we drive along the south coast of Iceland, one of the country´s most scenic regions. On the way we stop at regular intervals to view many of Iceland´s beautiful waterfalls and get up close and personal with one of the glaciers visible on the way. Taking a ride along the south coast of Iceland is a great day trip; beautiful scenery, impressive rock formations, waterfalls, mountains and glaciers. This day is a long one but very enjoyable and filled with great sights and scenery. A trip along the south coast really gives you a good glimpse of Iceland in a day. After a long refreshing day we head back to base for a nice relaxing evening and a dip in the hot tub.

Among the sights you will enjoy this day is one of Iceland's most famous waterfalls, the picturesque Seljalandsfoss. Photos of it can be found in many books and calendars. Here you have the opportunity to walk behind the waterfall or walk around it, and observe from all angles. To stand behind it and listen to the water slam in to the pool is amazing. In certain weathers the spray from the fall ends up in your face when you are making your way behind the waterfall, but when you are right behind it you won't feel a drop.

One of the biggest waterfalls in the country, Skógafoss, with a width of 25 meters and a drop of 60 meters is close by. Due to the amount of spray the waterfall consistently produces, a single or double rainbow is normally visible on sunny days.

According to legend, the first Viking settler in the area, Þrasi Þórólfsson, buried a treasure in a cave behind the waterfall. The legend continues that locals found the chest years later, but were only able to grasp the ring on the side of the chest before it disappeared again. 

We will then visit the glacier snout Sólheimajökull Glacier, the southwestern outlet of the Myrdalsjokull icecap. An experience not soon to be forgotten.

Close by we have the black sand beach of Reynisfjara. From the beach you will witness the power of the north Atlantic ocean and the beautiful rock formation of the basalt columns there is amazing. On a clear day you can see the big glacier Mýrdalsjökull to the north. To the east, the black lava columns of the Reynisdrangar stand out of the sea, and to the west a vast black sand coastline in the direction of the small peninsula Dyrhólaey, which was formerly an island of volcanic origin but is now fast ashore. A great place to visit. 

One of the main characteristics of Dyrhólaey is the arch shaped hole underneath the cliff. Dyrhólaey is rich with bird life, including species such as fulmar, guillemot, and if we are lucky we might spot puffins nesting on the cliff faces of the peninsula.

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A visit to the southernmost part of the country, the town of Vík is next on our schedule before we take you back to your residence in Reykjavik or to the airport.