Spurting geysers, ice-dappled black beaches, lava flows, waterfalls and glaciers abound, and Iceland’s surreal landscapes make for a riveting adventure. Exclusive activities take you closer as you land a helicopter on a bubbling geothermal area. Luxurious retreats surround you with nature, such as your spa that is surrounded by lava fields. By traveling privately, you will be able to stop and take in places that other people rarely get to experience.
Customizable Itinerary
Day 1
Reykjavik – A Gourmet City Tour Introducing Icelandic Culture
In the shadow of the snowy mountains and draped along the water, Reykjavik is Europe’s most charming capital city. The city feels more like a village with blocks of whitewashed houses with colorful roofs and church spires that seem so insignificant against the height of nature. Touch down in the morning, and it will be a quick transfer to a waterfront hotel. Check in and check out the view, as well as the crisp outside air. Settle in, and then set off on a walk through the city alongside your guide to learn about Icelandic culture as you go.
Stop in a cafe and gaze across the water, or visit a small pub and try Iceland’s beer, while asking the questions you have always wondered about Icelanders. Continue through the city, checking out rows of color-laden houses then the church which is visible from almost all of Reykjavik. It will not take long to walk the entire city, but how long it actually takes depends on how many little pubs and cafes you stop in. End your tour at a traditional restaurant, sampling some of the delicacies you will soon come to love during this tour. As you will be on a private tour, there are many options for customization and your guide will naturally tailor the afternoon to your interests.
What's Included:
Day 2
Golden Circle – Iceland’s Most Iconic Natural Highlights and Snowmobiling on a Glacier
Day 3
Seljalandsfoss to Vik – Waterfalls and Beaches of the South Coast
Day 4
Vik – Glacier Lagoon and Ice Beaches on Iceland’s Southeast Corner
Day 5
Gigjokull to Reykjavik – Off Road Jeep Tour to Glaciers and Volcanoes
Day 6
Reykjavik – A Luxurious Spa Retreat Surrounding by Lava Fields
Day 7
Reykjavik – Helicopter Over the Geothermal Area and Departure
Trip Highlights
- Spend a day at a spa retreat surrounded by lava fields and a lagoon
- Ride by helicopter above lava fields and boiling mud pots, and then touch down in raw volcanic nature
- Snowmobile on Langjokull Glacier, feeling the solitude as the wind rushes past your ears
- Feast your senses on Iceland’s famous waterfalls on the South Coast, Seljalandsfoss and Skogafoss
- Tour Reykjavik with your local guide, learning about Icelandic culture while trying out the local food, beer and wine
- Ride in a jeep around Eyjafjallajokull volcano, and then across glacier rivers to a hidden canyon and waterfall
- Take a boat tour around Glacier Lagoon and admire the glistening ice on black beach sands
- Explore Iceland’s famous Golden Circle, home to the original geyser and another that is even more impressive
Detailed Description
Geysers spurt in a dramatic show of power and sound as waterfalls gush from cliffs where roads have no place. Ice shimmers like diamonds on the black sands of a distant beach, and of course, there are volcanoes as well, unruly giants that pockmark the landscape as if sentinels to another world. Welcome to Iceland, an island where nature takes over, and not just any nature, as here you will find landscapes crafted by the earth’s raw power with lava fields, glaciers, bubbling streams, and lagoons so translucent they never appear real. This best-of Iceland tour will show you the full variety of highlights in seven days and reveal what nature can create when it is left to its own devices in the middle of the Atlantic.
Landscapes always set the scene in Iceland. The environment overwhelms people so even when there are many others around, it is impossible not to be awed. However, it’s always more impressive when there are no other people around, so this handcrafted tour is private to give you the opportunity to stop in places that tour buses cannot reach or do not visit. Exclusive activities showcase remote tracts of wilderness, taking you far away from any semblance of civilization. Taking a helicopter over a geothermal is one, where you touch down on lava flows far removed from the tourist trail. Snowmobiling over a glacier is another, chance to feel the solitude that exists in Iceland’s remote corners.
This private tour has been handcrafted to incorporate Iceland’s range of natural highlights. With only seven days, it is best to focus on the south of the country. Highlights in the south are more popular as they are most easily accessible from Reykjavik, which is where the advantages of a private tour really come in. Even so, you will still spend a lot of time actually traveling from days two to four, but the journeys here are the experience with a chance to rove across the wilderness and really appreciate what nature can create. Day six then provides the downtime, a full-day lagoon spa experience surrounded by lava flows.
Your Iceland tour starts in Reykjavik, the country’s only real city, though it is more like an oversized village in reality. Spend your afternoon exploring with your local guide to get a sense of Icelandic culture while also trying out the food and beer. Day two will follow Iceland’s most iconic route, the Golden Circle. Travel to waterfalls and spurting geysers, and then onto a glacier where you can snowmobile into the distance. Head to the South Coast on day three, where rainbows circle in misty waterfalls and rock formations provide surreal photos. You will spend this and the next night in Vik, where Atlantic waves crash against black sand in Iceland’s southernmost village.
Day four will be a bumpy ride to and from the country’s southeastern corner. Experience the Glacier Lagoon on a boat tour, and then walk across Diamond beach, where ice glistens on black volcanic sands. It will likely be just as bumpy as you go off road on day five as your guide takes you around the slopes of Eyjafjallajokull volcano, where hidden canyons are reached by splashing over glacial rivers. It will be quite an adventure, and by the time you reach Reykjavik, you will probably be ready for some quiet time. Spend the next day in the spa, and then helicopter over Iceland’s high geothermal area on day seven, touching down in places few others venture for the crowning highlight to seven days in Iceland. Consider learning more about our travelers’ best Iceland vacation experiences by reading their Iceland travel reviews.
Starting Price
$4,600 per person (excluding international flights)
Your Zicasso trip is fully customizable, and this sample itinerary is a starting place for your travel plans. Actual costs are dynamic, and your selection of accommodations and activities, your season of travel, and other such variables will bring this budget guideline up or down. Throughout your planning experience with your Zicasso specialist, your itinerary is designed around your budget. You can book your trip when you are satisfied with every detail. Planning your trip with a Zicasso travel specialist is a free service.
What's Included
- Accommodations
- In-country transportation
- Some or all activities and tours
- Expert trip planning
- 24x7 support during your trip
Your final trip cost will vary based on your selected accommodations, activities, meals, and other trip elements that you opt to include.
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