A 6 day tour around the ring road, stopping at all of the highlights that Iceland has to offer

Day 1

This 6 day around Iceland adventure starts with a pick-up from your accommodation in Reykjavík. At the beginning of our tour around Iceland we'll visit the famous Golden Circle, which includes Þingvellir National Park where Icelanders founded their parliament in the year 930 A.D., the oldest parliament in the world. The Circle includes Geysir hot springs and Gullfoss waterfall. Next, we will drive to the beautiful South Coast. Our first stop is at Seljalandsfoss, a unique opportunity to experience the power and wonder of nature. Don´t view this one from a distance – the walking path will take you directly behind the waterfall itself. Next, we will stop at the scenic Skógafoss, where the water crashes down over sea cliffs that marked the coastline of Iceland long ago. Watch out for rainbows – the incredible spray from this waterfall makes it an ideal spot to catch one or even two at a time! The final stop of the day is at Reynisfjara Black Sand Beach, the home of the famous Reynisdrangar peaks, rumored to be the figures of two trolls caught in the sun and turned to stone, and a basalt column cave. After that, we will make our way to a country hotel near the charming village of Vík, where we will rest for the night.

Day 2

The 6 day Iceland tour continues along the South coast in the direction of Skaftafell and Vatnajökull National Park. At Skaftafell, another of Iceland´s three national parks, we will take a glacier hike (summer) or ice caving (winter) on one of Vatnajökull outlet glaciers, led by one of our skilled glacier guides. After that bracing experience, we will explore a little further Jökulsárlón glacier lagoon where we can expect to see floating icebergs and the occasional frolicking seal. Beside the glacier lake, we will find another black sand crystal beach, which is usually filled with clear icebergs that have floated back to shore. For the evening, we will lay our heads in accommodations in the pleasant seaside town of Höfn.

Day 3

The scenery continues as we follow the coastline of the East Fjords to Egilsstaðir, a picturesque town on the banks of the Lagarfljót River. On the way there, we will go for a 3-hour hike to Hengifoss, one of the highest waterfalls in Iceland which drops into a striking gorge. Next is Litlanesfoss waterfall – look for the red strata climbing the walls around the waterfall, created by volcanic ash and basaltic lava over thousands of years as the cliff was formed in the heat of many mighty eruptions. We will then make our way to our accommodation for the night.

Day 4

This day is filled with highlights of Iceland. We head to the Lake Mývatn area. Here our first stop will be Námaskarð geothermal area, filled with mud pools and fumaroles, which are an interesting geological feature marking a vent for steam and hot gasses in the Earth´s crust.  We'll then make a stop at Mývatn Nature Baths, where you have the opportunity to bathe in the hot spring pools. The entrance fee can be added when booking or paid on site. For those that don't wish to go in the water, they can stroll around the area and enjoy the views or sit down in the cafeteria. Next up, we will take a walk to the Dimmuborgir, the “dark cities” of lava formations that tower overhead, from there Hverfjall crater can be seen, caused by a volcano eruption 2500 years ago. We will continue our drive around Lake Mývatn before heading in the direction of Akureyri, with a stop on the way at Goðafoss Waterfall. Our accommodation will be at an inviting country hotel near Akureyri, the capital of North Iceland and the second-largest city in Iceland, that we will explore in the evening.

Day 5

We will start the day on a 3-hour whale watching from Dalvík where we go to Eyjafjörður fjord. Take this opportunity to enjoy the wonders of sea life, including humpback whales, white-beaked dolphins, and the occasional blue whale! If fishing interests you, give sea angling a try and taste whatever you catch. Next, we will travel the Tröllaskagi Peninsula, which will take us through a couple of fishing hamlets before we stop in the cozy village of Siglufjörður. Thereafter, we will head to West Iceland, where we will spend the night in a hotel in a small village.

Day 6

On this final day of our Iceland 6 day tour, we will find ourselves in West Iceland – an area which Lonely Planet voted as one of the best destinations in 2016. Borgarfjörður has many splendid sights and we will focus on these today. We stop at Deildartunguhver hot spring, the legendary waterfall, Barnafoss, (the Children´s Waterfall), and the Hraunfossar cascade, the atmospheric very low and wide falls where the water emerges, literally straight out of the lava field. Next on the agenda is the historic and picturesque site of Reykholt, home to Snorri Sturluson, the Icelandic historian, lawyer, politician, poet, and the author of some Icelandic Sagas. See Snorralaug, Snorri´s pool, dabble your fingers and feel the temperature of the water in the place where Snorri is likely to have bathed! We will drive around the scenic fjord, Hvalfjörður (Whale Fjord), on our way to back Reykjavík. We expect to arrive in the city around 5 – 6 pm

For more information about the Arctic Adventures 6 day tour and accommodation click this link or visit Arctic Adventures Iceland website.