Iceland Explorer

Today we drive inland to the Thingvellir World Heritage Area, where the world’s first ’democratic parliament’ meeting took place – the area became Iceland’s first National Park in 1928 and a World Heritage area in 2004. Sitting right on top of a major fault line it is the best place in Iceland to see the continental drift – the movement of the Eurasion and North Amercian tectonic plates. Here they are literally pulling the earth apart as they inch away from each other causing the land between to subside. Not surprisingly the area abounds with waterfalls, immense fissures and the largest lake in the country. We then carry on to see the world famous geysers. The most reliable eruption comes every 5-10 minutes from one called ’Strokkur’; the 30-metre jet of water and steam is spectacular. To round off the day we drive a short distance on to Gullfoss, a huge dramatic waterfall located in a 70m deep canyon of River Hvita (White River).

We head east to the foot of the infamous Eyjafjallajokull Ice Cap; this area was heavily affected by ash fall during the eruption of 2010 and a great deal of ice was melted by the boiling lava. The glacier feeds many beautiful waterfalls and we visit two of them. Seljalandsfoss Skogafoss. Both have rushing water dropping 60m, and in the case of Skogafoss, this wall of water rushes down in a 25m wide sheet, providing quite a spectacle.Continuing east, we cross the black flood-plain of Solheimasandur, before reaching the green valley of Myrdalur and continuing to Dyrholaey. This dramatic 120-metre high promontory is the southernmost point in Iceland. It is rich in birdlife, and a nesting site for Puffins and Arctic terns in spring. If we are lucky we might see whales and seals from the promontory on calm days. We continue further east to our accommodation in Vik, Iceland’s southernmost town, a great place from which to see the Reynisdrangar needles.

We begin with an excursion into Skaftafell on the edge of Europe’s largest ice cap, Vatnajokull. Here we have the option to climb the low hills overlooking the ice where we will be rewarded with vistas of the contrasting landscapes of mountainous icy peaks, volcanic floodplains and the distant Atlantic shore. Leaving the area we travel east to one of Iceland’s most famous highlights – the Glacier Lagoon at Jokulsarlon where thousands of icebergs are separating from the country’s largest glacier and are floating in the pale green sea-level lagoon. We take a walk beside the lagoon for excellent views and if conditions allow can head down to the black sand beach where chunks of ice are washed back up onto the shore by the sea, creating some wonderful shapes and formations. We then continue further east with the steep mountains of Vatnajokull on one side and the exposed south coast on the other, to the fishing village Hofn.

A day of scenic driving, with a number of stops as we travel through fjord country. We start by crossing the Almannaskard Pass and leave the flat south coast as we climb into the alpine landscape of the Eastern Fjords. This stunning mountain region has been sculpted as much by glaciers as volcanic activity. The spectacular road winds from one fjord to another, passing a few farms in each fjord where there is enough flat land  for hayfields. The birdlife is rich and in late summer thousands of moulting whooper swans feed in the sheltered lagoon of Alftafjordur (Swan fjord). We then continue to the town of Egilsstadir.

Heading inland and west we pass through the starkly contrasting desert scenery of the North East Highlands and follow the track that takes us north to the enormous Dettifoss Waterfall. This is Europe’s most powerful waterfall, bizarrely set in an arid area of sand and rock formations. Further north is the Asbyrgi Canyon; a phenomenal dry canyon thought to have been carved out in a single day by an immense flood wave caused by an eruption underneath the Vatnajokull Ice Cap. We walk into Asbyrgi to have a closer look at the strange lava-cliffs and view the nesting fulmars. We continue west to our guesthouse, which stands on the north border of the inland lava field, where countless springs and crystal clear streams flow from subterranean channels to the lowland of Axarfjordur.

From Axarfjordur we drive west to the steep ’fracture zone’ of the eastern Tjornes Peninsula. West of Tjornes is the lively fishing village Husavik at the east side of Skjalfandi Bay. From Husavik we continue towards Lake Myvatn. We explore the fascinating geology of the area. Sitting on the mid-Atlantic ridge it has a striking appearance thanks to the countless small crater-like islands. Furthermore its position in the rain shadow of the Vatnajokull Ice Cap makes it statistically the driest place in Iceland. We explore the pseudo craters of Skutustadir, the mysterious lava towers and arcs of Dimmuborgir and climb (optional) the 160 metre high crater Hverfjall which was formed in a steam explosion some 2500 years ago. After the crater traverse we head to the Godafoss Waterfall en route to Akureyri. On arrival in Akureyri we take a sightseeing tour around this interesting town, nicknamed the Capital of the North.

A free day in Akureyri. Akureyri is a town of some 17,000 inhabitants and is the biggest town outside the capital. It is the cultural, commercial and educational centre for northern Iceland and is 60 km south of the Arctic Circle. This northerly town is remarkably green and has the northernmost botanical garden in the world. For those who want an active day there are many optional activities available that can all be booked locally through our guide.

Our journey back to Reykjavik is a final opportunity to enjoy Iceland. It is a long drive (approximately 5 hours) but there’s no need for in-car entertainment, we have everything we need right outside. Heading towards Reykjavik there are various options for stops, depending on conditions. We will try to head out to the beautiful Snaefellsness Peninsula, on the western tip of Iceland, and see some of the lovely old fishing villages such as Stykkisholmar, as the landscape unfolds and we near the capital.

Our trip ends in Reykjavik after breakfast. Flybus transfers are available to the airport.