From Reykjavik: 8-Day Winter Tour Around Iceland by Minibus

Join us on an exceptional, 8 day expedition around Iceland’s most popular destinations. Starting in the capital, Reykjavík and visit Iceland’s most popular and beautiful sites, along with lesser known, hidden gems. 

Day 1 - The Golden Circle

First, visit Þingvellir National Park where the two tectonic plates, the North American and the Eurasian plates, are moving away from each other. Few places in the world offer a better and clearer view of this massive geographic activity. The biggest natural lake in Iceland is also located at Thingvellir National Park and hosts a great variety of fish and bird life. Thingvellir is furthermore an important place for Icelandic national history. At Thingvellir Icelanders founded their parliament in 930 AD where the chieftains had their annual meeting every summer. 

From Þingvellir you will drive for a short time to the next attraction which is Geysir geothermal area. There you can see Strokkur hot spring gushing out boiling water every 5 minutes or so. 

Next up is Gullfoss waterfall (The Golden Falls), one of Iceland's most iconic waterfalls that has a drop of 32 meters over two tocky tiers. On a sunny day, you can see the glacier Langjökull in the distance and enjoy a rainbow in the mist of the waterfall. 

At the end of the day you will visit Seljalandsfoss waterfall, famous for the pathway all around the waterfall. 

After a good day of sightseeing, we retreat to our located in southern Iceland. Throughout this tour you'll mostly be staying in countryside hotels that provide good opportunities for witnessing the Northern Lights if the weather allows.

Day 2: South Coast, Waterfalls and Glacier Hike

Your second day includes the beautiful south coast of Iceland. On this day you'll pass by farmlands, rivers and picturesque waterfalls. Throughout the day you'll have the waves of the Atlantic ocean on your right side and there will be plenty stops for taking photographs and exploring the amazing scenery.  

To make this day even more adventurous, you'll start your day with a glacier hike. This tour gives you amazing scenery through crevasses and jagged ridges, incredible surroundings around the glacier and get up close with the blue ice.  

You'll visit the powerful Skógarfoss Waterfall, where you can either go right up to the waterfall or hike up the 527 steps to witness the amazing view over the South Coast. 

The last stop of the day will be Reynisfjara beach where you can breath the ocean air while exploring the extraordinary basalt stacks. The accommodation of day 2 will be in, or close to, the town of Vík.

Day 3: Jokulsarlon Glacier Lagoon & Ice Caving

This day will very likely be one of the highlights of your trip. You'll travel further east along the South Coast, through the desert of Skeiðarársandur, passing another national park, Skaftafell. 

All the way east, you'll stop at Jökulsárlón glacier lagoon, one of the most iconic locations in Iceland. In Jökulsárlón, marvel at 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. 

On this day you'll have the unique opportunity of exploring ice caves inside on of Icelands glaciers. Visiting the natural blue ice caves of Breiðarmerkurjökull is one of the bucket list experiences in iceland. 

At the end of the day you'll visit the amazing Diamond Beach where the icebergs previously floating in the Glacier Lagoon have washed up to the beach making small diamonds. 

This night is spent in the area of Vatnajökull glacier.

Day 4: The Eastfjords

Today, continue further east towards the East Fjords of Iceland. The East Fjords is one of the most spectacular and untouched regions of the country. In this area, you will feel peace and tranquillity from nature around you. While driving here you might even spot wild reindeer!  

There are loads of interesting stops on this day as you head further east, such as the Djúpivogur forests, Lagarfljót lake, the charming fjords of the East and small fishing villages. At the end of the day you can relax in the VÖK Baths. 

The night will be spent in the Eastfjords area.

Day 5 - Mývatn and the North East

After breakfast, head north towards Lake Mývatn and the nearby geothermal area. You'll 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 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. 

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

Day 6 - The North with Whale Watching

First, we head out to Hauganes, that is the home of only about 140 people, This is a really charming and peaceful village. You can spend some time strolling around the black sand beach or walk on the harbor. Before going on a 3h whale watching tour where you'll 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.   

Day 7 - West Iceland

Now you’ll be heading to the West of Iceland to explore stunning attractions such as Deildartunguhver, Europe’s most powerful hot spring, Hraunfossar and Barnafossar waterfalls and Reykholt, which holds a significant historical heritage. You'll spend the night in Borgarnes.  

Day 8 - Snæfellnes & West

The final day of your 8-day adventure will be spent in the magnificent Snæfellsnes peninsula in West Iceland. First you’ll visit Djúpalónssandur. Then, the unmissable and iconic mountain Kirkjufell awaits with its picturesque features.

At the end of your journey you’ll arrive in Reykjavík in the evening. Expect to be arriving Reykjavik 6.00 to 7.00 pm.

Please note:

You'll be stayin in local guesthouses and countryside hotels throughout Iceland. While the actual hotel for each destination is subject to availability, travelers typically stay in Hotel Drangslid, Hotel Hrifunes, Guesthouse Gerdi, Hotel Valaskjalf and Hotel Nordurland.

Solo travelers 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.

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. We recommend to book one hotel night in Reykjavik before, and one after, the tour.

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.

Welcome to Iceland, and to this 8-Day around Iceland adventure!