Once you land and go through customs and baggage claim you will be met and taken to our van to load up and start the adventure!

We will drive south immediately, heading towards the recent lava flows that filled the valleys north of Grindavik. This highly active geological zone has many hiking trails that have been developed to look down on the lava fields, but we are unlikely to be able to walk amongst the still cooling flows due to both instability and off-gassing of toxic chemicals.

After leaving Grindavik, we will drive about an hour to Hveragerdi where we can stop at a local food hall for lunch before continuing onward. At this point we will do an energy check and decide what is next. We could head to our hotel and rest a bit or keep driving for views of an outstanding volcanic crater, the namesake for all geysers, and the nearby mega-waterfall, Gullfoss.

After breakfast this morning we will pack up for a big day along the southern coast.

Our first stop will be Seljalandsfoss, a unique waterfall that we can walk behind, albeit getting a bit wet. After Selfjalandsfoss, we will head to Skogafoss, one of the largest waterfalls in Iceland. Skogafoss provides an opportunity to do some hiking, climbing the stairs next to the waterfall and then exploring further up along the river that creates the falls.

Departing Skogafoss we will keep heading south and east to Reynisfjara beach. Stacked with columnar basalt and loosely populated by puffins, this beach is a deeply unique area.

Next up for the day is a short visit to the town of Vik where we will join up with a tour for a superjeep drive up to the Katla Ice Cave. This year-round ice cave will allow us to walk under the Myrdalsjokull glacier in a truly special Icelandic experience.

After our Ice Cave tour, we have a two hour drive back to our hotel and a sound night of sleep after such a full day.

After breakfast and checking out, we won’t drive far to our trailhead for the Reykjadalur Boiling river. The 5-mile loop hike will immerse us in the geothermal valley and the hot river that is an excellent soaking opportunity.

After Reykjadalur, we will head 45 minutes north to Thingvellir National Park. The park has many sights to visit but we will focus on the rift between the North American and Eurasian tectonic plates and Law Rock in addition to some hiking.

From Thingvellir, we have an hour drive to the coast and our accommodation for the evening.

We will start our morning with a hike around Glymur Waterfall. Depending on our weather conditions, we could hike as far as 8 miles (round trip) to the source lake of the waterfall.

After tiring ourselves out a bit, we will head north towards the Westfjords. If driving straight through we could expect four hours in the car, but we will break the trip up, stopping for lunch and visiting a few places along the way.

Once we arrive in Flokalundur we have hiking options right out of our hotel door and/or a short walk to a local natural hot pot.

After an early breakfast we will hit the road for Latrabjarg Cliffs, about a 1.5 hour drive. Latrabjarg cliffs are the largest seabird cliff in Iceland and one of the largest in Europe, While there are many types of birds here, puffins are the reason people visit. At Latrabjarg, puffins allow us to get very close to them, watch their daily lives and snap as many photos as we can store.

In addition to puffin viewing, the cliffs offer outstanding hiking and views into the Atlantic. They are the westernmost of Iceland and the views are dramatic to say the least. We will spend most of the morning here, hiking and watching puffins.

Once we are ready to move on, we will have a few options for the day. The red sand beach of Raudasandur and the Dynjandi waterfall complex are both special highlights of the Westfjords and while they require more driving, the roads and views themselves are simply incredible.

We’ll end the day back at our hotel in Flokalundur with an option to soak or walk around the area after dinner.

Driving south today we will point at the large volcano on our southern horizon, Snaefellsnes. This Peninsula will continue to demonstrate the breadth of geology present in such a young island.

Once on the peninsula, we have several coastal hikes and beaches to choose from depending a bit on what the weather is doing. The southern side is a cliffy paradise where seals often cluster on the beaches while the northern side is home to several quaint fishing villages, each with a few unique sites.

Our day will be spent seeing the peninsular from vehicle and foot and we will end the night sleeping near the southern coast.

After breakfast this morning we will drive to the small village of Olafsvik where we will board a ship and head out on a whale watching tour. This area is one of the most reliable spots to see whales but of course it is never a guarantee. Humpbacks, fin whales, orcas, and even blue whales are all possible.

After our morning whale spotting, we have some afternoon hiking in the cards. Heading to the western edge of the peninsular we can do a series of shorter hikes or a big longer excursion. A highlight will likely be a short walk to the top of an old volcanic crater.

After a long day, we’ll head back to our same hotel for a last night in the remote stretches of Iceland.

We are Reykjavik bound today but are in no hurry to get there. We still have a few coastal hikes and beaches that might be calling our name and a visit to the Gerduberg Cliffs, an incredible inland columnar basalt formation. From there, we will weave our way south to Reykjavik, planning on a mid-afternoon arrival.

Once in Reykjavik, we will walk around town a bit to get a feel for it. There are countless museums of interest, restaurants, and sites.

Today is Reykjavik day. The capital city is worth dedicating some time to exploring and we will work together to build a plan to hit your favorite spots. Incorporating a walking tour is a great start and then we can build upon that knowledge as we go.

Folks will depart the group today, on to other adventures or homeward bound.

While hotel checkout is ~ 11 am you will be able to store your bags with the reception and continue to explore the city.