Encompassing Glaciers and Canyons: Trekking in Iceland Tour

Your flight will land at Keflavik International Airport, and your private transfer will await your arrival. Outside of the airport, the lush grass spreads to the Atlantic Coast along the peninsula. Your introduction to Iceland will be warm and welcoming, beginning at one of the most famous national sites known as the Blue Lagoon. The facilities are pristine, and as you change into your bathing suit, you will find steam rising from the lagoon outside. A wooden platform leads away from the shoreline into the water, and the surface of the lagoon shines milky blue. The steam sweeps across slopes of the surrounding foothills as rich minerals fill the water, earning the area a reputation for helping cure people of certain skin ailments.

The minerals rise from the geological layers that are pushed to the surface by the heated water, which reaches a temperature as high as 102 degrees. A nearby lava flow super heats the water at a nearby geothermal power plant. After the water runs through the turbines and heat exchanger, the power plant feeds the water into the lagoon. Your muscles will immediately feel relaxed. After your flight, the heat of the lagoon and the surrounding greenery bring a friendly welcome to the natural beauty of the island nation.

You will rinse the waters of the lagoon in the beautiful changing rooms and then continue to your luxurious hotel in the heart of Reykjavik.  Once settled in, take some time to tour the National Museum of Iceland.  The museum opened its doors in the 1860s but settled in its current location in the 1950s, and the main exhibit depicts Iceland’s evolution as a country, providing insight into the history of settlement, tradition, and a context for the global world. The hardwood floor guides you along the opulent white interior as more than 2,000 artifacts create a portrait of the past. A typical Icelandic fishing boat sits at the heart of the exhibit with its sails spread open as if catching an imagined breeze.

In the morning, the aroma of coffee slips through the doors of a well-loved coffee shop frequented by the loyal locals of the city. The sound of roasting beans adds to the ambiance of the old chairs and wooden tables. Your private transfer will meet you at your hotel after breakfast and escort you to Landmannalaugar as the region is known for its explosive multicolored mountains and calming hot springs. You will reach the trailhead and then venture out to explore the distinct landscape with a delicate aroma of blossoming wildflowers will blend with the scent of minerals that drift from the mountains.

Ryholite, a volcanic rock, shapes the colors of the countryside that rise above the vast field of flowers. The snow on the mountaintops is slow to melt and adds a bleached layer of white that sparkles in the sunlight. The foothills glow caramel with streaks of purple, green, and red and it almost looks as though someone tie-dyed sections of the range. You can hear birds chirping around the meadow as the warm rivers cut along the ridges with a small wisp of steam rising from the surface water.

The region is a virtual color palette made even more beautiful because of its natural richness. Your guide will lead you into the natural pool that is created by the hot spring, and the volcanic activity makes a perfect spot to sit and relax in the water. The verdant plain reaches the craggy rocks that frame the natural spring, and the rugged ridge has a lunar quality. The black obsidian lava stream contrasts with the rainbow sherbet colors that emanate from the mountains. The lava that forms the foothills and peaks once cooled unusually slowly, which accounts for the unique coloration of the sweeping landscape.

Wake the next morning in the cozy confines of your mountain cabin as outside, the caramel hues of the foothills will bring an inviting shine that will accompany your breakfast. After your meal, your guide will lead you along the trail to set out for Hrafntinnusker. You will trek more than seven miles and find an increase in elevation from nearly 2,000 feet above sea level to more than 3,600 feet above sea level.

Your driver will bring your luggage ahead to Alftavatn, so you will grab your daypack and venture out onto the path. The obsidian lava field breaks through the soft mossy grass over the hills. The black rocks create a fantastical landscape that will bring your imagination to a kingdom suited to a novel by J.R.R. Tolkien or George R.R. Martin. The volcano erupted in the 15th century, and the sherbet colors of Mount Brennisteinsalda glow wildly as you pass closely to the foothills and find the black and blue from the ash and lava, green from mosses, and red from natural iron that streaks through the caramel soil.

You will arrive at the geothermal hot springs at Storihver, and then descend the hillside to find thick puffs of steam that rise from the water as the surface bubbles from the heat. The greenery swells closer to the water and then dissipates at the higher elevations of Hrafntinnusker. You can take your time to rest before continuing to Lake Alftavatn to venture into the valley and take in the sweet aroma of the ravine as patches of lingering snow often cover the hillsides.

In the clear sky, you can see the summit of Mount Haskerdingur as it reaches a height of more than 4,200 feet above sea level. If time permits, your guide can lead you up the western slope for a view of Iceland from the top. You will continue on the trail and find the full colors of the rhyolite mountains changing to the dark, textured surface of palagonite mountains. Blue ice will shimmer from the stunning glaciers as the steep trail levels out to the flatland of Lake Alftavatn.

Your cabin at Alftavatn will look over the glassy water of the lake as the mountains reflect in the placid surface. Rivers cut across the sweeping plains and the scent of grass will add a layer of earthy notes to your morning coffee. The slightly bitter flavor will help to reinvigorate you as the cold air pinches at your cheeks. You will look over the steep slopes of the mountains and notice the lengths you have traveled the previous day. Your guide will lead you along the trail en route to Emstrur and you will travel over nine miles to your next cabin. The mostly flat terrain will be welcomed after the undulating path of the previous day.

You will pass over the Bratthals Ridge and into Hvanngil Ravine. At the Kaldaklofskvis River, you will take the wooden bridge from bank to bank, and you will not be able to help stopping now and again to take in the natural wonders all around you. The water will rush against the rocks below and the summit in the background will remind you of the region’s remoteness. You will come to a fork in the trail and then head southwards towards Emstrur before coming to the banks of another river that breaks the trail in two. This river does not have a bridge, and your guide will lead you through the water to the opposite bank.

Once your feet are firmly planted in the riverbed, you will take your walking stick and nudge the pebbles and rocks on the ground before you take each step, gauging the depth and sturdiness. You can then level your feet and let the water rush around your waist at an angle of least resistance. The water will be cold and refreshing on your skin as the adrenaline rushes through you. When you reach the opposite side of the river, you will be smiling at accomplishment and as you pass the final body of water, the Nyrori Emstrua Glacial River, you will be able to see the huts of Emstrur in the distance.

Patches of lush greenery will surround your colorful cabin and from your small deck, you will be able to see the snow-covered peak rising behind the hills. After breakfast, you will begin your trek and venture nearly nine miles to Thorsmork. The mossy grass sprouts from the black rocks alongside the trail and the air is crisp and clean. The cabins fade behind the hills, and you can hear the rushing water splash against the rugged banks below. The trail meanders next to a canyon, following the natural contours of the canyon.

You will soon reach a wooden bridge that connects the canyon cliffs, and you can stop for a moment to look over the rails. Sparks of blue emanate between bouts of the river’s whitewater and the mixture of colors ranging from white to green and blue to black, will remind you of the mountains at the beginning of the trail. The hues spread across the water, the cliffs, and the hills and as you descend the steep, sloped trail, you will grab hold of the coarse rope that guides you steadily down the path to the hilly region known as Almenningar.

At the banks of Thronga River, you will step once more onto the banks to wade through the rushing water. You have practiced stepping through the riverbed throughout your trek and will feel comfortable crossing the deepest waterway on the trail. The landscape and vegetation change from the rugged, steep cliffs to a small forest as the scent of the trees encourages you to move forward. Suddenly, you will reach an intersection on the trails and find your cabin waiting for you.

In the morning, you will set out once more along the trail, but this time your guide will lead you to the top of Valahnjukur, the hill that overlooks the path you took the previous day. The peak reaches an altitude of 1,503 feet as rivers roam across the valley floor. Grass and moss blanket the thick and protruding mountain ridges and in the distance, the snowcaps of stunning glaciers glint in the sunlight. Iceland has breathtaking, yet contrasting, landscapes and this region will not disappoint.

You will descend the hill into Stakkholtsgja Canyon, which stands more than 328 feet deep and reaches a length of more than one mile. The narrow riverbed leads to a remarkable waterfall as the moss clings to the jagged cliffs that rise above your head. The water trickles over the pebbles and rocks of the riverbed and the canyon narrows the closer you get to the waterfall. You can hear the water cascading down the cliffs before you see it as the boulders and narrowing canyon walls hide the waterfall from your view.

You can amble up the boulders for a full view of the cascade. The rocks are wet and slippery at first, but soon the canyon opens up and it looks more like a waterfall slipping through a cave opening and thundering into the rocks below. The image is sensational and perfectly embodies the entire trek. You will return from the trail and your transfer will take you back to Reykjavik where you will have the remainder of the afternoon to relax in the luxuries of Iceland’s largest city.

In the morning, you will wake up in the plush comforts of your hotel to find the city coming to life. The white concrete structure of the Hallgrimskirkja Church will remind you of the soaring glaciers you saw from the trail. The tower stands 244 feet tall and is the largest church in Iceland. A statue of the Viking Leif Eriksson adorns the stairway that leads into the church, and the United States gifted the artwork to Iceland for the 1,000th anniversary of the country’s first parliament assembling at Thingvellir in the 10th century AD. After a leisurely morning and breakfast, your private transfer will meet you in the lobby and escort you to Keflavik International Airport for your journey home.