Iceland Complete Winter
Tour Itinerary
Arrival at Keflavík International airport. Transfers to Reykjavík are not included in the tour. We would be happy to arrange shared or private transfers for you, so let us know at booking time.
If you arrive earlier in the day, you might consider adding a day tour. We’d be happy to make suggestions based on your interests.
Tonight, there will be an information meeting at your hotel. You’ll meet your guide, travel companions, and learn more about the tour.
Dinner this evening is at your leisure. Reykjavík offers a multitude of restaurants and/or coffee-houses, making dinner a wonderful way to get better acquainted with Iceland’s capital.
Please note that hotels in Iceland start check-in around 14:00 (2:00pm), and early check-in is not guaranteed. Most hotels will be happy to store your luggage if you are not able to check in early.
Berjaya Iceland Reykjavík Natura
Exploding Geysers – Waterfalls – Black Sand Beaches
Your guide will meet you in the lobby of the hotel. Start your adventure by visiting the fascinating Aurora Reykjavík Northern Lights Centre. You’ll get a great introduction to northern lights, how they are formed and the folklore surrounding them. You’ll also get tips about how to capture northern lights on film.
Continue to the Golden Circle natural wonders. Explore Gullfoss waterfall, a spectacular sight in winter when frozen mid-cascade. Continue to the geothermal fields of Geysir with bubbling mud pools and the high-spouting Strokkur hot spring (and other geysers). Continue along the south shore and stop to admire the waterfalls Seljalandsfoss and Skógafoss before continuing to the black sand beaches of Iceland’s South Shore. Continue to the village of Vík.
If weather conditions are right, your guide will take you on a northern lights hunt on foot in the area outside your hotel tonight, or on one of the other evenings that you are staying in the countryside.
Breakfast / Dinner- Katla Hotel KEA
325 km / 201 miles
Lava Fields – Glacial Lagoon with Icebergs – Europe’s Largest Glacier
Breakfast at your hotel. Today, you’ll be visiting the southern area of Vatnajökull National Park, named after Europe’s largest glacier. The total park area covers almost 14% of Iceland, making it the largest national park in Western Europe! Visit the national park’s famous Skaftafell area, a site of outstanding natural beauty dominated by several magnificent glaciers. Visit Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon where you can enjoy the breath-taking sight of icebergs floating in the fantastic 180m (591 ft.) deep glacial lagoon (make sure your camera is loaded and ready!) Nearby is the dramatic beauty of the Diamond Beach, where shrinking icebergs settle on the black sands before they drift out to sea.
- Breakfast / Dinner
- Hotel Höfn
- 265 km / 165 miles
Narrow Fjords – Picturesque Coastline – Legendary Lake Monster
Breakfast at your hotel. Get ready to enjoy some amazing views today! Drive through Almannaskarð pass, stopping to admire the majestic coastline. Continue to an area of towering mountains plunging vertically into the sea that form the magnificent East Fjords. Keep your hand on your camera and keep an eye out for wild reindeer, which can sometimes be seen in the area during the winter months.
You will also pass villages, each with its own special history and charm. One of these is the tiny village of Breiðdalsvík. Here, you’ll visit the local Beljandi microbrewery and sample some of the beer. You’ll meet one of the townsfolk and get a feel for life in a small town. Drive to Egilsstaðir town, located near Iceland’s largest forest and a lake said to be home to a legendary (friendly) monster. Egilsstaðir is also getting a name for itself for its excellent locally sourced cuisine, and you will surely enjoy some of it at dinner.
- Breakfast / Dinner
- Valaskjálf Hotel
- 260 km / 162 miles
Highland Desert – Bizarre Lava Formations – Volcanic Winter Wonderland
Breakfast at your hotel. Explore the empty vastness of the highland desert plateau Modrudalsoraefi, desolate and yet hauntingly beautiful in its winter snows, as you head towards the Lake Mývatn area. On the way, stop at Dettifoss, Europe’s largest and most powerful waterfall. Continue onwards to Námaskarð pass with its boiling mud pools and vibrant colours. We often feel like we are visiting another planet when we come here, and you may the same way. It’s such a surreal experience!
Please note: The visit to Dettifoss waterfall depends on weather and road conditions and cannot be guaranteed.
Explore the natural beauty of the Lake Mývatn area, including the pseudo craters at Skútustaðir and the Laxá Salmon River. You will probably see why this area, especially during the wintertime, has been so popular for movie makers.
Mývatn Nature Baths – Relax in an azure geothermal lagoon in a peaceful wilderness setting | Duration: Flexible time | Included: Bathing fee and towel | Not Included: Swimsuit (rentals available)
- Breakfast / Dinner
- Laxá Hotel/Fosshotel Mývatn
- 255 km / 158 miles
“Waterfall of the Gods” – Akureyri – The Beautiful Troll Peninsula
Breakfast at your hotel. Start the day by exploring the peculiar lava formations at Dimmuborgir. The name means “Dark Citadels” in Icelandic, and they certainly look as though were built by fantasy creatures. There are local legends that elves live here.
Visit the magnificent Goðafoss waterfall, one of the most important symbols of North Iceland. Afterwards, drive to Akureyri, the colourful northern “capital” of Iceland. The town has charming buildings and a beautiful view of the Eyjafjordur fjord.
After spending some time in Akureyri, continue along the coastal roads of Eyjafjörður and the Troll Peninsula. This is a beautiful drive along steep mountains with amazing views over the Arctic Sea and the black sand coastline. Enjoy a stop in Siglufjörður, a town set in a beautiful fjord of the same name. This town has some of the finest timber buildings in the country, beautifully restored to their original glory.
Visit Siglufjörður’s award-winning Herring-Era Maritime Museum. The museum recreates the atmosphere of the early 20th century, when Siglufjörður was transformed into a frontier-like boom town, thanks to a large migration of herring. The museum will transport you back to that exciting time.
Afterwards, head along majestic mountains and narrow passes to Skagafjörður, considered to be one of the finest places in Iceland for horse breeding.
- Breakfast / Dinner
- Hofsstaðir Country Hotel
- 235 km / 146 miles
Mountain Views – Unique Viking Horse Demonstration
Breakfast at your hotel. Today you will enjoy an introduction to the unique Icelandic horse breed with its special fifth gait, the tolt. Icelandic horses are very important to the country’s history. These gentle horses are known as the Icelandic people’s most faithful servant.
Continue towards the village of Blönduós, built on both sides of the river Blanda. This is a part of Iceland known from the Icelandic literary work Vatnsdæla Saga. Cross the Holtavörðuheiði plateau taking you into West Iceland. Drive through Borgarfjörður, a region that has been getting international recognition for its diverse landscapes and its Viking history.
- Breakfast / Dinner
- Hotel Hamar
- 235 km / 146 miles
Hot Springs – Picturesque Waterfalls – National Park with Geological Wonders
Breakfast at your hotel. Visit some of West Iceland’s beautiful natural wonders. Drive to Deildartunguhver, the most powerful hot spring in Europe. Stop to admire the beautiful Hraunfossar waterfalls, where brightly blue water rushes through black lava formations. Nearby is Barnafoss, a waterfall with a brilliantly blue colour.
Drive through the scenic and mountain rimmed Hvalfjörður fjord to Lake Þingvallavatn, Iceland’s largest lake, and Þingvellir National Park. This UNESCO heritage site is where the world’s oldest continuing parliamentary government was founded in the 10th century. It is also the place where the North American and European tectonic plates meet. You will have the unusual experience of walking between two continents! Afterwards, head to Reykjavík for a last night in the colourful capital city. Your guide will bid you farewell at your hotel.
- Breakfast
- Berjaya Iceland Reykjavík Natura
- 205 km / 130 miles
Breakfast at your hotel. Please note that this might be a light breakfast if you are taking an early morning flight. Transfer on your own to the international airport for your departure flight. The airport transfer is not included, but we are happy to help you arrange shared or private transfers.
- Breakfast
Customer reviews
With many thanks for a very well organized tour, I would like to encourage those who are still doubting if this tour is worth your attention. I can say that during this trip to Iceland I had the experience of my lifetime. It was exciting with the unexpected experiences and fantastic views. Most of the hotels we stayed at were nice and comfortable. The food was good , the guides helpful and very friendly, but nothing can compare to the unseen landscapes, glaciers, hot pools and Northen lights. We were so lucky to see Aurora in all splendor. This cannot be forgotten soon. Now when I look at the photos I cannot believe I experienced all this with my own eyes.
I highly recommend this tour if you look for something unusual ans exciting.
Margarita and Paul
Everything worked as planned.
I want to thank Dora for her exceptional service.
Everything worked as planned.
I want to thank Dora for her exceptional service.
I wanted to let you know I enjoyed the Northern Lights tour we took March 20 - 27 immensely. We were so lucky to have Helgi as our tour guide. That man is a walking encyclopedia!! He is also very accommodating, and has a great sense of humor. All important traits when giving a tour to a bunch of people who have never been to Iceland before. I had no idea Iceland was so geologically phenomenal!!
Thanks a million!!
Cathy Hill
