Hidden Powers & the Midnight Sun

Breakfast at your hotel. Your guide will meet you in the lobby of the hotel. Depart Reykjavík and head onwards to Þingvellir National Park (UNESCO World Heritage site) where the world’s oldest parliament met for centuries on the shores of Iceland’s largest lake. This place makes us Icelanders enormously proud of our heritage. You might even have a rare chance to walk between two continents!

Head onwards to the geothermal fields of Geysir with bubbling mud pools and the high-spouting Strokkur hot spring. A short drive away is the dramatic two-tiered Gullfoss waterfall, the Golden Falls. A series of footpaths lets you view the falls from different angles.

Enjoy a taste of local culture in Laugarvatn. This town is built around three hot springs, and the residents have cleverly harnessed the hot springs for power and hot water. You’ll visit a unique outdoor geothermal bakery where sweet Icelandic rye bread is baked in hot sands. You can taste some of the freshly baked bread, hot from the ground. It’s especially delicious eaten with Icelandic butter and smoked Arctic trout.

Drive along the scenic South Shore, one of Iceland’s main farming areas. Drive by typical family farms, often with colourful herds of horses grazing in the fields. If the skies are clear, you might see the area’s two most famous volcanoes in the distance: Mount Hekla (last eruption 2000) and Eyjafjallajökull (last eruption 2010).

Stop at the spectacular waterfalls Seljalandsfoss and Skógafoss. Each waterfall is unique and makes a perfect subject for a photo.

Visit the nearby Reynisfjara beach, where you can take a walk on the black sand, admiring the extraordinary rock formations and thundering waves of the Atlantic Ocean. The South Shore is home to many varieties of seabirds, including the popular and charming puffin. (Puffins are generally in Iceland between mid-May and mid-August).

End the day in Vík, Iceland’s southernmost town. Summer nights in the countryside are peaceful, and the light from the midnight sun burnishes the landscape with a golden glow. The sun descends toward the horizon, but it never completely sets. During sunny evenings, the sky is often filled with glorious shades of pink and gold.

Dinner and overnight in the Vík area.

Approximate Distance: 340 km / 211 miles

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!

Start your day by crossing Eldhraun, a vast and surreal lava field created from a very destructive 18th-century eruption. Eldhraun is the largest recorded single lava flow in Earth’s history.

Visit Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon where you can enjoy the breath-taking sight of icebergs floating in the fantastic 180m (591 ft.) deep glacial lagoon. You’ll get an even closer look with a boat tour that takes you among the drifting icebergs. During the trip you’ll learn about the lagoon and perhaps taste some of the glacial ice.

Near Jökulsárlón is the dramatic beauty of the Diamond Beach, where shrinking icebergs settle on the black sands before they drift out to sea.

Visit the national park’s famous Skaftafell area, a green oasis of outstanding natural beauty surrounded by several magnificent glaciers and volcanoes.

Head back to Vík village. This evening, we invite you to enjoy several Icelandic summer traditions. Meet some Vík locals at Smiðjan Brugghús Icelandic brewpub, where you’ll learn how the delicious beer is made and sample some of the brews.

Smiðjan is known for its tasty Icelandic-style barbecue cuisine, which you’ll get to enjoy at dinner. Grilling and barbecues are summer traditions every family in Iceland has enjoyed, whether at home or in a countryside holiday cottage.

This evening, join your group for a night walk in the beautiful Vík area (subject to weather conditions). Many Icelanders enjoy late evening walks in the midnight sun, a time of the day known as the “magical hour.” Several Icelandic folktales actually describe magical things that have happened on bright summer evenings. During your walk you’ll try some tasty Icelandic refreshments. You might even have a chance to listen to and learn some beloved Icelandic summer songs.

Dinner and overnight in the Vík area.

Breakfast at your hotel. Head back along the beautiful South Coast, enjoying a different view of the summer landscapes. Visit the village of Hveragerði, which is one of the few sites in the world located directly in the middle of a geothermal area. Hveragerði is often called “The Flower Village” because of its geothermal greenhouses.

Next, you’ll visit a horse farm to meet some locals: Icelandic horses. This Viking horse breed played a pivotal role in Icelandic history. Enjoy petting these friendly horses and snapping a few selfies with them. You’ll also taste some sweet refreshments that are traditionally served on Icelandic farms.

Turn onto a southern coastal road and follow alongside the shoreline with its breathtaking sea waves. The road takes you through the surreal landscapes of the Reykjanes peninsula, where you can enjoy a dip in the famous Blue Lagoon, a unique wonder of nature with pleasantly warm, mineral-rich water in the middle of a black lava field. Return to Reykjavík, where your guide bids you farewell at the hotel. The evening is open for you to enjoy your own activities. Dinner is on your own.

Overnight in Reykjavík.

Approximate Distance: 295 km / 183 miles

Breakfast at your hotel. Please note that this might be a light breakfast if you are taking an early morning departure 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.

We recommend you depart from your hotel no later than three hours before your departure flight. We wish you a pleasant trip back to your homeland and hope to see you in Iceland again!