3rd September: Depart Malta
Meet at Malta International Airport for our flight to Iceland. According to the current flight schedule we are expected to depart Malta at 12.45hrs, transit in Frankfurt for 6hrs, arriving in Reykjavik at 23.30hrs. Upon arrival we will transfer to our hotel for our first night in the Land of Fire & Ice. We will overnight in Reykjavik for the next night. Accommodation: Hotel Klettur or similar.
4th September: Heading North (B)
After breakfast we will start our journey to the North of Iceland. We will drive through the peaceful farmlands and coastal views as we head to the beautiful Skagafjör›ur district, a place where many important historical events have occurred since Viking times. Since we are in one of Iceland’s best regions for horse breeding it’s time to meet some horses! We will visit a farm and horse breeding centre where we will get to know more about the Icelandic horse breed and its distinctive gaits. We will also have a chance to meet a few friendly Icelandic horses and get
some pictures.
Afterwards, we will continue to Akureyri, the ‘capital’ of the North located inside the beautiful Eyjafjörður Fjord. Akureyri is also the gateway to the north´s spectacular beauty, most notably the Myvatn region, Dettifoss waterfall, Godafoss waterfall, and Asbyrgi canyon, highlights we will be exploring in the next few days. Upon arrival in this charming town we will enjoy a brief sightseeing tour before we check-in our accommodation. This evening, join us as we head to the town square to meet locals and spend our evening doing as the Icelandics do!
For the next night we will overnight in Akureyri. Accommodation: Norourland Hotel or similar.
5th September: Volcanic Nature Paradise (B)
Breakfast will be served then get ready for a very interesting day!
This morning we will drive along the scenic shores of Eyjafjörður fjord. We will first start by walking to the impressive Godafoss waterfall located in the fourth largest river in Iceland. Godafoss is one of Iceland’s true pearls and one of the most spectacular waterfalls in the country, falling from a height of 12m over a width of 30m. We will then continue to Lake Mývatn, a paradise for nature lovers. The day’s discoveries include the curious Dimmuborgir lava formations and a look at the Skutustadir pseudocraters. We will also visit the ring wall crater of Hverfjall and central volcano Krafla, where a series of volcanic eruptions took place from 1975-1984.
Later in the afternoon we will take a walk in the surreal Námaskar geothermal field with its bubbling mud pools, hissing steam vents and multi-colored solfataras. If the landscape seems familiar, it was used as a filming location for productions such as Game of Thrones and Star Wars. We will finish off at the fishing village of Húsavík, a pleasant place to spend an evening enjoying the friendly village life and beautiful views towards the Arctic Circle.
This evening we will experience some of the most beautiful hot springs in the world, the Husavik GeoThermal Sea Baths. Sitting in the hot water, whilst admiring the snow-capped Kinnarfjöll
mountains and the North Atlantic, is already a breathtaking experience. The geothermal bath is a rare union of mineral-rich seawater and heat from the Earth’s core. A great way to make the
most of this gem is to spend our evening relaxing at these nature baths. So get ready to reconnect, decompress, and enjoy Icelandic nature in a unique way. For the next night we will overnight in Husavik. Accommodation: Husavik FossHotel or similar.
6th September: National Parks (B)
Today we will be exploring the largest national park in Western Europe: Vatnajökull National Park. This park covers 14% of Iceland and takes its name from Europe’s largest glacier. We will continue along the fossil rich Tjörnes peninsula to the northern part of Vatnajökull, where glacial floods and volcanic eruptions have created a unique landscape of canyons and bizarre rock formations. Here we will witness Ásbyrgi canyon, a beautiful horse-shoe-shaped gorge, and we will walk on pretty forested trails to a secret canyon lake.
We will discover the magnificent basaltic formations of Hljóðaklettar, the Echo Rocks, a strange columnar rock formations that have been eroded for centuries and echo till today, and
the thundering glacial river, Jökulsá á Fjöllum. Further south, the glacial river cascades into the canyon creating 4 extraordinary waterfalls, amongst them the most powerful waterfall in Iceland, Dettifoss waterfall, which thunders 44 meters into a deep gorge. Standing near the falls and feeling the rumbling power of the water is a special experience. Late in the afternoon we continue our trip through the desert highlands and to the village of Egilsstaðir on the banks of Lake Logurinn, in the centre of Eastern Iceland. If you are lucky you might catch a glimpse of the Lagarfljótsormurinn, a large creature that lives in Lake Lögurinn….
Our journey ends in Egilsstadir, where we will stay for one night. Accommodation: Hallormsstadur Hotel or similar.
7th September: East Fjords (B, D)
Today we will compare the East Fjords with the Westfjords, two regions that are very different. First, we will drive along Fáskrú›sfjör›ur, a fjord and village that has very interesting historical connections. We continue towards the charming farm and fishing villages where we will make several stops to enjoy the scenery. One of which will give us the chance to sample local brews at a tiny community microbrewery built in a former warehouse in Breiodalsvík. Next is Álftafjör›ur, where we might see thousands of whooper swans which have given the fjord its name.
After winding around the East Fjords, we will head into South-east Iceland and the town of Höfn, also known as the lobster capital. Here we will enjoy views of the magnificent Vatnajökull glacier. We will overnight in Höfn for 1 night. Accommodation: Lilja Guesthouse or similar.
8th September: Iceberg-filled Lagoon, glacier-ringed National Park, Black Sand Plains (B, D)
This is a day with views of some of the country’s most spectacular landscapes. We will start with a drive along the southern side of Vatnajökull, Europe’s largest ice-cap, to the glacial lagoon Jökulsárlón, where we can observe numerous icebergs that fill the lagoon drift away to the sea. Here we will sail out on an amphibian boat between the numerous icebergs that fill the lagoon. We will also take time to walk around in the beautiful surroundings.
Nearby is Diamond Beach. Glittering bits of ice from the glacier lagoon drift to rest on the black beach before they eventually float to sea. Next we explore Skaftafell National Park, a breathtaking area right under Vatnajökull Glacier and known for its unique natural features. Many wild flower species thrive in the shelter of the birch forest found on the lower slopes of the mountains. We will go on an exciting but easy hiking trail through the park and visit beautiful Svartifoss waterfall. Our journey then takes us across the vast Skeiðarársandur desert with its vast stretches of black sand formed by mighty glacial rivers. Our destination is Kirkjubæjarklaustur town, named after a 12th century convent that once stood in the area.
We will overnight for 1 night in Kirkjubæjarklaustur. Accommodation: Skaftatell Hotel or similar.
9th September: From Fire to Ice: Lava Fields to Glacier Hikes (B, D)
This morning’s drive takes our group across the enormous and strange Eldhraun lava field – the largest single lava flow recorded in history. We will then head to the black desert sands of Mýrdalssandur before arriving in Vík, Iceland‘s southernmost village. We will visit the area’s breath-taking black sand beach with thundering waves, either at Reynisfjara beach or Dyrhólaey promontory, a nature reserve and home to thousands of seabirds.
Next comes two photogenic waterfalls: Skógafoss Waterfall with Mýrdalsj.kull glacier towering above it, and ribbon-like Seljalandsfoss Waterfall. This is a small but a very picturesque waterfall, special not only for its beauty but also because it is actually possible to walk behind it.
Today we will also join an exploration of a stunning outlet glacier. We will go on a glacier hike on Sólheimajökull Glacier, an icefall or glacial tongue which extends down from Iceland’s fourth
largest glacier, Mýrdalsjökull ice cap. During this easy glacier exploration, you will find blue ice, crevasses, and incredible ice formations that will leave you in awe. You’ll see a rugged, raw, and ever-changing terrain full of blue ridges, mesmerizing labyrinths, giant sinkholes called “moulins,” and little waterfalls. Our adventure starts off with with an introduction on how to use the basic and required glacier equipment provided, like crampons and an ice axe. Once we step onto the ice field it will feel as if we have been transported to an icy, foreign planet. As we walk through a wonderland of glacial ice sculptures, ice ridges and deep crevasses on the glacier, we will witness stunning scenery as far as the eye can see. We will overnight for 1 night in Hella. Accommodation: Stracta Hotel Hella or similar.
10th September: Golden Circle (B, L, D)
Today we will experience the Golden Circle Route. We will visit three of the most famous sites in Iceland; Geysir area, Gullfoss waterfall and Thingvellir, and then our day ends at our hotel in
the capital Reykjavik. The Geysir area where the hot spring Strokkur ejects its water column high into the air every 5–10 minutes and where numerous small springs boil and bubble. Then we continue to Gullfoss, surely one of the country’s most beautiful waterfalls. Later, we drive to Thingvellir National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage site considered one of the geological wonders of the world where you will see astonishing fissures and lava fields. Today is also a perfect area to discover how Icelanders harness volcanic energy in a creative and delicious way. We will visit Fridheimar, a family-owned greenhouse where organic vegetables and flowers grow year-round. We will learn about this important and organic way unique to Iceland, whilst having a chance to sample some of the sweet tomatoes from the greenhouse and enjoy the delicious tomato soup for lunch.
Once we reach Reykjavik we will go on a walking tour around Iceland’s capital city exploring iconic landmarks such as the Hallgrimskirkja church, Harpa Concert Hall, the old harbour and quaint shops. We will finish off with a farewell dinner at a local restaurant. After our dinner and a full week of heartfelt experiences, exciting adventures and so much more, we will head to the airport for our flight back home. According to our current flight schedule we are expected to depart at 00.25hrs, arriving in Malta at 11.55am.
