Iceland: 8-Day Holiday Package Summer Around Iceland by Minibus

Over 8 days and 7 nights, explore Iceland’s Ring Road from Reykjavík. Your journey begins with the Golden Circle at Thingvellir, Geysir, and Gullfoss, continues along the South Coast to Seljalandsfoss, Skógafoss, and Reynisfjara black sand beach, then on to Jökulsárlón glacier lagoon and Diamond Beach, the Eastfjords, Lake Mývatn, North Iceland, and the Snæfellsnes Peninsula, and concludes with West Iceland’s Deildartunguhver hot spring and waterfalls before returning to Reykjavík.

Stay in comfortable hotels with breakfast included and travel in a small‑group minibus with Wi‑Fi and a professional English‑speaking guide. Transportation, accommodation, glacier hikes, Katla ice cave tour, Jökulsárlón amphibian boat ride, and whale watching in Hauganes are arranged as part of the itinerary.

Simply arrive in Reykjavík on your selected date and follow the program. Book your return flight for after the tour ends on Day 8. This guided holiday is suitable for travelers in normal health who enjoy light outdoor activities and scenic travel.

Day 1: Explore the Golden Circle

The first day of your 8 day tour around Iceland will be spent in the Golden Circle. 

First stop is Thingvellir National Park where both the amazing nature and Icelandic history meet. It's located where the two tectonic plates, the North American and Eurasian plate are drifting away from each other. The biggest natural lake of Iceland is located in the National Park with it's variety of fish and bird life. It's also the location where Icelanders founded their first parliament in 930. 

Next up is the geothermal area of Geysir, where you can see mud pools and hot springs all around. The hot spring Strokkur gushes our boiling water every 5-7 minutes. 

Then you will head out to Gullfoss Waterfall (The Golden Falls) one of Iceland's most iconic waterfall dropping 32 meters on two rocky tiers. 

At the end of the day you will visit Seljalandsfoss waterfall, originating from the infamous Eyjafjallajökull Glacier. Here you can hike 360° around the waterfall. 

Your night will be spent in a hotel on the south coast. 

If you are traveling in late August or September you will have the chance of seeing the Northern Lights as the accommodation around Iceland is chosen with Northern Lights sightseeing in mind. 

Day 2: Discover the South Coast & Katla Ice Cave

Your second day includes the beautiful South Coast of Iceland. This day you will pass farmlands, rivers and picturesque waterfalls.

Along the day you will have the waves of the Atlantic ocean on your right side. There will be plenty stops for taking photographs and explore the amazing scenery.

You will start at the powerful Skógarfoss Waterfall, if you have the energy to hike up all 527 steps by the waterfall you will have a great view of the Icelandic coastline.

The next stop of the day will be Reynisfjara beach where you can breath the ocean air while exploring the extraordinary basalt stacks along the black sand beach. 

Last stop of your day will be the amazing Katla Ice Cave. The ice cave is located in Kötlujökull Glacier which is an outlet glacier of Mýrdalsjökull glacier. Underneath awaits the mighty volcano Katla, that names both the glacier and the ice cave.  Once you arrive to the glacier, your guide will hand you all the necessary ice cave equipment and go over a safety briefing and facts about glaciers and ice caves. You’ll take a fun walk on the glacier with your experienced glacier guide before you enter the famous Katla Ice Cave

The accommodation of day 2 will be in or close to the town of Vík.

Day 3: Hike Skaftafell Glacier & Sail Jökulsárlón

This day will very likely be one of the highlights of your trip. You will travel further east along the South Coast, through the desert of Skeiðarársandur, passing another national park, Skaftafell. You will start your day at the glacier, going on a 3 hour adventure on the glacier in Skaftafell. You will meet your expert glacier guide who will equip you with all the glacier gear needed for a safe journey on the glaicer. There you will witness the amazing view on the glacier, the mulans and crevasses. 

Further east you will stop at Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon, one of the most iconic locations in Iceland. In Jökulsárlón you will see big and small icebergs breaking off from Breiðamerkurjökull glacier floating in the lagoon. If you look really well you might spots some seals that live in the lagoon.

You will then take a boat ride on the Glacier Lagoon where you can get up close to the icebergs floating on the lagoon. 

This night is spent in the area of Vatnajökull glacier.

Day 4: Explore the Eastfjords & Experience Local Life

Today, you will continue further east towards the East Fjords of Iceland. The East Fjords are one of the most spectacular and untouched regions in Iceland. In this area you will feel the peace and tranquillity from the nature around you. While driving around this area you might spot some wild reindeers.

There are loads of interesting stops on this day as you head further east such as Djúpivogur, Lagarfljót lake, the charming fjords of the East and the small fishing villages.

On this day you will have the option on adding a horseback riding tour from Galdrahestar farm.

At the end of the day you will also have the option of relaxing in the VÖK Baths close to Egilsstaðir.

The night will be spent in the Eastfjords area.

Day 5: Discover Mývatn & Akureyri

After breakfast on day 5 you will head north towards Lake Mývatn and the nearby geothermal area. First you will visit the Stuðlagil Canyon, one of the new phenomenon of Iceland. Where the blue water meets with the basalt columns.   

Then you will head out to Dettifoss the second most powerful waterfall in Europe. You will visit Dimmuborgir (Dark Castles) an area that is known for its strange rock formations, some look like a dark fort but others may look like a church.

Next stop is Námaskarð, a geothermal area with bubbling mud pools. Icelanders often place dough of bread and bury it in the ground allowing it to bake overnight.

The last stop of the day before heading to the overnight accommodation in Akureyri is Goðafoss waterfall. Goðafoss is very rich with beauty and history. When driving to Akureyri you will pass Víkurskarð mountain pass you can take in the beautiful surroundings of Eyjafjörður fjord.

At the end of the day you can walk around the Akureyri the capital of the north.

Day 6: Watch Whales & Explore North Iceland

Today you will make your way to the west part of Iceland with a detour around the northern area of Hauganes. Hauganes is the home of only about 140 people, it's really charming and peaceful village. You can spend some time strolling around the black sand beach or walk on the harbour. You will start your day with a whale watching tour where you have the opportunity of seeing Humpback Whales, Minke Whales, Harbour Porpoise and White Beaked Dolphins. These species are the most commonly spotted in this area.

This night is spent in the area of Borgarnes.

Day 7: Explore Snæfellsnes Peninsula

On this day of the Iceland Circle you will explore Snæfellsnes Peninsula with its great surroundings. The first stop of the day will be Gerðuberg cliffs, from there you will go to Ytri-Tunga white sand beach. White beaches are not common in Iceland so this is a really interesting stop.

Next stop will be Djúpalónssandur, black pebble beach. Yo get to the beach you will have to walk through a maze of free standing lava pillars.

Throughout the day you will have Snæfellsjökull glacier watching over you. Snæfellsjökull was used as the entrance to the center of the earth in Jules Verne's classic sci-fi novel.

The last but not at all least stop of the day is the most photographed mountain in Iceland, Kirkjufell.

You will spend the night in the town of Stykkishólmur.

Day 8: Discover Borgarfjörður & Historical Sites

On the final day of your 8 days around Iceland you will explore the valley of Borgarfjörður in West Iceland. The first attraction of the day is Europe's most powerful hot spring, Deildartunguhver, where bailing water is bubbling from the ground, you will feel the heat from the hot steam.

Next stop is Reykholt, one of the most important historical locations in Iceland. This was the home of Snorri Sturluson who was one of the most significant figures of the Middle Ages.

After leaving Reykholt you will see two waterfalls, Hraunfossar and Barnafoss. Hraunfossar is a series of rivulets that stream through the dark lava field. Barnafoss waterfall is a light blue waterfall that rushes through a narrow gorge.

You will have the option of going under the ground and visit the lava cave of Víðgelmir one of Icelands largest lava cave.

After exploring Borgarfjörður this 8-day tour has come to an end. You will end the tour in Reykjavík in early evening. We do not recommend flying from Iceland in the evening of the last day in case of any delays due to weather. We rather recommend exploring Reykjavík, the northernmost capital in the world.

Please note

• Customers travelling on their own will receive a single room. Reservations for 2 people will be allocated a double room. For bookings of 3 or more, triple rooms will automatically be allocated. For example, a group of 8 will receive 2 triple rooms and 1 double. If these arrangements do not meet your requirements, please contact the provider.

• It can happen, in the case of extreme weather, that an activity is cancelled. If your chosen activity is cancelled, we will assist you with rearranging or booking other activities when possible, and any potential price difference will be refunded to you.

• Please note that only pick up and drop-off from designated pick up locations in the greater capital area is available, not from Keflavík International Airport. Therefore, we do not recommend attempting to start this tour on your arrival day in Iceland. Arrival time back to Reykjavík at the end of your tour can vary depending on weather and traffic.

• It is highly recommended that you do not book your flight home the same night as bad weather or delays could affect your journey. Please be sure to arrange accommodation for this evening and an airport transfer the next day to take you to Keflavík International Airport for your departure.