Iceland: The Outer Circle Grand Tour
Escorted scenic walking tour and excursions by boat
With such an extraordinary variety of landscapes and geology, the only way to really explore Iceland is by foot. This walking Icelandic adventure holiday takes you on a grand tour of the country, staying in several friendly guest houses along the way and transporting you by bus each day to a new and exciting place. See thundering waterfalls, hot thermal springs, barren wilderness and glaciated valleys. Lava fields stretch on and on and the volcanic rock formations are striking and unusual. It is the rare fusion of glacial and volcanic forces at work that make walking Icelandic adventures so enticing. Boat trips, museum visits and other excursions intersperse this Icelandic trekking vacation, giving your holiday a relaxed pace. No walk is too strenuous and merely serves as a means of letting you immerse yourself fully in the beauty of Iceland. There is also ample free time for you to spend at your leisure during this walking Icelandic adventure. So this summer, pack a pair of comfortable walking boots in your suitcase and join an Iceland trekking tour. Read on to discover all of the fascinating places that this holiday will take you to.
Day 1 -
Arrive Reykjavík
Take a direct flight from the UK to Reykjavík where you will be transferred to the Grand Hotel Reykjavík for the first night of your walking Icelandic adventure. The hotel is ideally located within the city centre, giving you the opportunity to see some of the capital’s sights, sample the local food and experience the Icelandic nightlife.
Day 2 -
Iceland’s Golden Circle
Today your walking Icelandic adventure will take you on a tour of the Golden Circle, so-called because these are some of the most visited sites in the country. See the mighty Gullfoss Waterfall and listen to the thunderous water as it plunges into the canyon below. Travel to the famous Geysir and watch as it shoots hot water high into the air. Visit the Þingvellir National Park, steeped in Viking history, and see the Great Atlantic Rift that scars the terrain. Finally, travel to the Borgarfjörður area where you will spend the next two nights.
Meals included:
Breakfast
,
Dinner
Day 3 -
The Snæfellsnes Peninsula
Your walking Icelandic adventure continues with a tour of the Snæfellsnes Peninsula on the west of the island. Dominated by the Snæfellsjökull Volcano at nearly 1500 metres above sea level, this spectacular part of the country presents some impressive scenery and wildlife and is dotted with charming fishing villages and coastal towns. Volcanic, glacial and coastal geology culminate in dramatic vistas that can be seen as you embark on a boat trip around the Breiðafjörður islands, spotting eider ducks, kittiwakes, puffins and eagles as you sail.
Meals included:
Breakfast
,
Dinner
Day 4 -
Journey to Húsavík
This morning your tour calls at Hraunfossar, a magnificent series of waterfalls that pour over volcanic shelves for some 900 metres. Your walking Icelandic adventure then takes you towards the north of the country, visiting Skagafjörður along the way. This fjord area is notable for its agriculture and horse breeding and we pay a visit to an interesting farm museum. The final leg of today’s journey takes you to your accommodation at Húsavík, a small seaside town where you will spend the next three nights.
Meals included:
Breakfast
,
Dinner
Day 5 -
Whale Watching
Day five of your walking Icelandic adventure takes you on an exciting whale watching trip. Húsavík has become the centre of whale watching in Iceland because of the 23 different species of whale that have been spotted in the bay. Weather permitting, your three-hour boat trip will take you on a tour of the bay with live commentary giving you chance to see whales such as humpback and minke, so make sure you have your camera ready! The rest of the day is yours to spend at leisure.
Meals included:
Breakfast
,
Dinner
Day 6 -
Explore Mývatn
Following some time at Goðafoss, one of Iceland’s most famous waterfalls, continue your walking Icelandic adventure tour at Mývatn where there is a spectacular volcanic lake. Formed during a volcanic eruption over 2000 years ago, the lakeshores are littered with volcanic rock formations and constitute a haven for a wealth of flora and fauna. Take some time to explore the lava fields at Dimmuborgir with its lava tubes and volcanic caves and peep over the rim into the enormous crater of the Hverfjall volcano.
Meals included:
Breakfast
,
Dinner
Day 7 -
Travel to Egilsstaðir
Travelling east on your walking Icelandic adventure visit Europe’s most powerful waterfall, Dettifoss, situated on the Jökulsá á Fjöllum river. The magnificent falls are around 100 metres wide and an average of 200 cubic metres per second of water plunges into the deep canyon below. We then make our way to Egilsstaðir on the banks of the Lagarfljót River and check into the accommodation for the following three nights.
Meals included:
Breakfast
,
Dinner
Day 8 -
Visit Seyðisfjörður
Today your walking Icelandic adventure continues with a trip around Lake Lögurinn towards the east of the country, a place which believers say is home to Lagarfljotsormurinn, a great monster of the lake. Travelling on to Seyðisfjörður take the opportunity to explore this lovely fishing community and its delightful wooden architecture, situated at the end of a stunning fjord and encompassed by towering mountains. Today on your walking Icelandic adventure there may also be the opportunity to walk up Hengifoss, one of the highest waterfalls in the country.
Meals included:
Breakfast
,
Dinner
Day 9 -
Borgarfjörður Eystri
As you make your way down the winding road to the town of Borgarfjörður Eystri you are greeted with picturesque views over the lush green valley and out to the azure blue sea. One of the prettiest places to go walking on an Icelandic adventure holiday, the fjord is also home to a large puffin colony and there is a quaint fishing village situated on the coast.
Meals included:
Breakfast
,
Dinner
Day 10 -
Vatnajökull Glacier
Journeying towards the south east of the country, take a boat trip and get up close to the snout of Iceland’s largest glacier. As you sail the tranquil lagoon your boat will navigate around icebergs of different shapes and sizes that have been calved from the Vatnajökull Glacier itself. Continue your walking Icelandic adventure with a journey to Skaftafell National Park where you will spend the next two nights.
Meals included:
Breakfast
,
Dinner
Day 11 -
Explore Skaftafell
Today is yours to spend either relaxing or walking on your Icelandic adventure on numerous trails in the Skaftafell National Park, which many say resembles the landscapes of the Alps. With green valleys, woodland, colourful flowers, birds and the occasional arctic fox, the park is simply delightful during the summer months.
Meals included:
Breakfast
,
Dinner
Day 12 -
Return to Reykjavík
Enjoy a relaxing drive through beautiful countryside in the south of the country as you make your way by bus to Reykjavík for the final night of your walking Icelandic adventure. Take the opportunity to shop for souvenirs and savour your last night in Iceland.
Meals included:
Breakfast
Day 13 -
Return Home
Following breakfast at the hotel, transfer to Keflavík Airport to catch your return flight to the UK.
Meals included:
Breakfast