Iceland in full splendor, Golden Circle to the Westfjords

DAY 1 : REYKJAVĺK

Arrival in Keflavík, Iceland. Pick up rental car at the airport and drive to Reykjavík for an overnight. If time allows, explore the Reykjanes peninsula along the way.

Highlights include Reykjanestá bird cliff, Gunnuhver hot spring, Brimketill rock pool and Krýsuvík hot spring area.

Optional activity: The Blue Lagoon.

DAY 2 : THE GOLDEN CIRCLE

Leave the city in the morning for the UNESCO World Heritage Site and National Park Þingvellir. Take a walk through the Almannagjá gorge to the former parliament site, and continue to the picturesque waterfall Öxaráfoss.

From here your journey takes you farming area to the geysers at Haukadalur.

While the old Geysir is rather quiet, the most active hot spring Strokkur (the butterchurn) is erupting every five to seven minutes.

The impressive waterfall Gullfoss is only a short drive away.

Continue to your accommodation at the South Coast.

Optional activity: Laugarvatn Fontana – Geothermal Bakery Tour.

DAY 3 : THE SOUTH COAST

Today is the day to see waterfalls! Start the day with an unforgettable walk behind the waterfall Seljalandsfoss. Keep on walking along the rock face where in gorge the waterfall Gjlufrabúi, the gorge dweller, hides.

Next stop is Skógar and the impressive waterfall Skógafoss.

A visit to the local folk- and transport museum Skógasafn is reccommended. Head on to the south coast and the bird cliffs of Dyrhólaey and Reynisfjara with its basalt columns and black sand beach. Your journey takes you through the village of Vík, the desert-like black sands of Mýrdalssandur, the lava landscapes of Eldhraun and onwards to the village of Kirkjubæjarklaustur.

Stay overnight in the Kirkjubæjarklaustur area.

Optional activity: Sólheimajökull Glacier Discovery AG101.

DAY 4 : SKAFTAFELL & GLACIER LAGOON

Start the day by visiting the information centre Skaftafell in the National Park Vatnajökulsþjóðgarður. We recommend the easy hike to the Svartifoss waterfall in Skaftafell, which is surrounded by monumental basalt columns.

A drive along the foot of the massive Vatnajökull ice cap, past Iceland’s highest peak, Hvannadalshnjúkur (2114 m/6923 ft), brings you to Jöklulsárlón glacial lagoon.

Take a walk along the shore of the lagoon and to the beach, where often smaller icebergs are washed ashore. Get even closer on a boat trip amidst the drifting icebergs.

You have a good chance of spotting seals in the lagoon and near the coast.

Continue to Höfn area where you will spend the night.

Optional activity: Amphibian Boat Tour – Jökulsárlón.

DAY 5 : TO THE EASTFJORDS

Perhaps visit the Hoffellslón glacier lagoon near Höfn, before heading on to the fjord landscapes of East Iceland characterized by dramatic precipices and narrow coastlines that is rich in birdlife. Visit the sculptures The Eggs of Merry Bay or be impressed by the large mineral collection at Petra´s Stone museum, displayed in her former home.

At the Wilderness Centre, a fascinating exhibition showcasing nature and the life of the early settlers of the area of Lake Lagarfljót.

The popular and easy hike to Hengifoss waterfall rounds up the day. Overnight in Egilsstaðir area.

Optional activity: Vök Baths – Admission.

DAY 6 – DETTIFOSS & MÝVATN

Follow the ring road from Egilsstaðir over the highland heath to Lake Mývatn, with a detour to Europe‘s largest waterfall Dettifoss. Have a stop by the foul-smelling, sulphur mud hot springs at Námaskarð near the volcano Krafla.

A short drive away from the highland scene is the fertile land around Lake Mývatn, one of the largest breeding areas for ducks, waders, and other birdspecies.

Take a walk in the lava labyrinth of Dimmuborgir and around the pseudo craters in Skútustaðir, or hike the crater Hverfjall for an impressive view over the surroundings of Lake Mývatn.

Stay overnight in the Mývatn area.

Optional activity: Mývatn Nature Baths – Admission.

DAY 7 – HUSAVIK & ÁSBYRGI

Drive to Húsavík traditional fishing village and now Iceland’s whale watching capital.

Whale-watching tours are offered from the harbour and within the village a whale museum is to be found. From Húsavík continue along the Tjörnes peninsula to Ásbyrgi national park.

Ásbyrgi is a canyon in the shape of a horse shoe with a little pond in the bottom.

If you are interested you can also visit Hljóðaklettar, a distinctive cluster of columnar rock formations standing at the entrance to Vesturdalur, down by the Jökulsá á Fjöllum river.

Return to the Mývatn area for a second overnight.

Optional activity: Whale Watching NS-1 (Húsavík).

DAY 8 – TRÖLLASKAGI & HVAMMSTANGI AREA

Picturesque Goðafoss waterfall is located on the way to Akureyri, the so-called capital of North. The charming city centre has kept its danish style while Akureyri was long a danish trading centre. The women of the danish merchants did miss trees from their homeland, and started to plant them at the hill next to the harbour, this became one of the most northernly located botanical gardens. From Akureyri you have the option of driving along the coast of Tröllaskagi peninsula or throught the mountains.

The Icelandic Seal Centre in the fishing village of Hvammstangi, emphasis on the Seals of the North Atlantic and Arctic, showing the Seals in Icelandic culture and tradition, a documentary and the research, as well as wildlife and marine life of northern Iceland.

Along the Vatnsnes peninsula, seals can be spotted at the coast.

Stay overnight in Hvammstangi area.

Optional activity: Seal and Nature Watching Boat Tour.

DAY 9 – STRANDIR

Drive along the coast of the Hrútafjörður fjord until you reach the village of Hólmavík, where we recommend a visit to the Museum of Icelandic Sorcery and Witchcraft.

Afterwards you continue your journey into the Strandir area. In the village of Drangsnes you shouldn‘t miss the opportunity to take a bath in the pools, located just by the roadside. Take a day tour as far as the road takes you into the desolate, and very sparsely populated Strandir area. Drive along the coast of the fjord Bjarnarfjörður, along the mountains of Balafjöll and into the fjord Reykjarfjörður.

There you should stop by the deserted herring processing station in Djúpavík, where you can visit an exhibition about the herring era at the station.

In recent years, artists, musicians such as Sigur rós, and theater groups have used this peculiar location for their art and performances.

Almost at the end of the road, in Krossnes in the fjord Norðurfjörður, you come across a gem, the very basic outdoor swimming pool of Krossneslaug, located right on the coast of the Atlantic Ocean.

Stay overnight in the Strandir area.

DAY 10 – ÍSAFJARÐARDJUP

Again your journey takes you through the village of Hólmavík but now you head for the high plateau of Steingrímsfjarðarheiði into the area of Ísafjarðardjúp.

Follow the winding coastline of the many side fjords. In Skötufjörður fjord, you might want to stop by at the old farm Litlibær, where a small café is operated in the summer time. Just a few minutes drive away from the farm you might want to stop again and watch the seals that can normally be found lazing around on the rocks between the road and the sea.

You might be interested in taking a tour from the harbour in the town of Ísafjörður to the island Vigur, where you can experience eider duck farming and see how the down is harnessed.

Drive further up north to visit the village of Bolungarvík and the Maritime museum in Ósvör. In the town of Ísafjörður, you have a choice of several good restaurants.

Overnight stay in Ísafjörður area.

DAY 11 – DYNJANDI & ARNARFJÖRÐUR

Halfway along the tunnel from Ísafjörður, the tunnel forks (You‘ll find a crossing in the middle of the tunnel that lead from the village Ísafjörður.)

Here you might want to take a detour to the fishing village of Suðureyri in the fjord of Súgandafjörður before heading futher south to the fjord Önundarfjörður, where you can visit the fishing village of Flateyri.

Then drive over the Gemlufallsheiði plateau to the fjord of Dýrafjörður. In the village of Þingeyri, you should stop by at the old blacksmith‘s shop by the harbour for a visit and the belgian waffles at the Café Simbahöllin are extremely tasty.

Cross Hrafnseyrarheiði plateau into the beautiful fjord of Arnarfjörður. An absolute must-see is the picturesque waterfall Dynjandi, just next to the road at the bottom of the fjord.

From there the road lies over the Dynjandisheiði plateau but midway you will be taking a turn to the right and start descending into the fjord of Trostansfjörður, one of the sidefjords of Arnarfjörður.

Don’t miss the outdoor swimming pool just by the roadside in Reykjarfjörður.

You will find your accommodation in the Látrabjarg area.

DAY 12 – LÁTRABJARG & RAUÐASANDU

You can spend the morning driving to the Selárdalur valley, where farmer and artist Samúel

Jónsson decorated his home with his sculptures.

On the way back you can find many good places for a walk along the coast. Drive again through Bíldudalur and over the mountain Hálfdán, through the fjord of Tálknafjörður to Patreksfjörður fjord. Follow the coast to Örlygshöfn, where you will find the folk- and transport museum Hnjótur to be worth a visit before continuing over the mountain Hafnarfjall and the Breiðavík bay to the bird cliff Látrabjarg.

Iceland‘s (and therefore Europe‘s) westernmost point, Látrabjarg is home to a vast number of birds that nest in this 14 km stretch of cliffs that reach a height of over 400 m in places. Amongst the many bird species to be found here are the easygoing puffins (May to Mid-August). One of the gems of the Westfjords is located in the Látrabjarg area, Rauðasandur beach. Make sure to pay this 10km red sand strip a visit before you leave.

Second overnight in Látrabjarg area.

DAY 13 – FERRY TO THE SNÆFELLSNES PENINSULA

You catch the car ferry Baldur at 12:15 pm (summer schedule) at the harbour in Brjánslækur. On the way over Breiðafjörður bay, the ferry stops on the island of Flatey.

If the weather is nice you can enjoy a magnificent view of the bay’s countless islands as well as the glacier Snæfellsjökull.

After your arrival in Stykkishólmur we recommend you proceed to the farm Bjarnarhöfn for a visit at a privately-owned museum dedicated to the tradition of shark catching in Iceland.

Tonight’s accommodation is in the vicinity.

Optional activity: Shark Exhibition Admisson.

DAY 14 – SNÆFELLSNES & BORGARFJÖRÐUR

Today you will travel on the Snæfellsnes peninsula, often referred to as Iceland in a nutshell. Highlights include colourful mountains, rugged beaches, sandy beaches, lava fields, a national park and a glacier.

Move on to the Borgarfjörður area and visit Reykholt medieval site, Deildartunguhver hot spring and Hraunfossar waterfall. Once in Borgarfjörður area consider dipping in to recently opened Krauma baths, situated just by Deildartunguhver hot spring, or taking a monster truck tour from Húsafell Into the Glacier, a man made 600 m / 2000 ft tunnel into Langjökull glacier.

Stay overnight in the Borgarfjörður area.

Optional activity: Cave Explorer Tour – Víðgemlir cave.

DAY 15 – REYKJAVĺK

From Borgarfjörður you will drive to Reykjavík for a final overnight. Explore the most northerly located capital in the world.

A must see are the city hall at the lake Tjörnin, the old harbour area, Harpa concert hall and the city centre with its colourful buildings.

Optional activity: FlyOver Iceland – Admission.

DAY 16 – REYKJAVĺK

Breakfast at the hotel. Drive to Keflavík International Airport, return your rental car, and board your Icelandair flight to Paris.

End of your Iceland self-drive tour, filled with spectacular landscapes and unforgettable memories.