10-Day Winter Small Group Guided Tour of Iceland

Now it is time to begin your journey around Iceland. You will be picked up in the morning by your friendly guide who will show you around this beautiful island over the next eight days.

You will begin by travelling the Golden Circle route, stopping first at Þingvellir National Park, the birthplace of Iceland’s democracy. It is here where the Viking settlers would gather over a thousand years ago to lay the laws of the land. The park also has interesting geology as it is the meeting point of two tectonic plates.

From there, you’ll head to the Geysir Geothermal Area where you’ll see bubbling mud pools, steam rising from the earth, and, most importantly, erupting geysers. The most active of which is Strokkur which goes off every 5-10 minutes, shooting bolts of hot water 15-20 metres into the air.

Lastly, you’ll visit Gullfoss Waterfall where a thundering noise and mist will greet you. This is a wide and powerful waterfall which will surely amaze you. The river Hvítá rushes forth from a nearby glacier before plunging, in two steps, down 32 metres into an ancient canyon. It is quite the spectacle so make sure you have a camera with you.

At the end of the day, you’ll head to your accommodations in the Golden Circle area. If it is not a cloudy night, make sure to check the sky for signs of the elusive Northern Lights before heading to bed.

You will head out to explore South Iceland with all its attractions. Your first stop today will be at two vastly different but equally beautiful waterfalls, Seljalandsfoss and Skógafoss.

The former falls down 60 metres in a narrow stream into a basin of water. In the winter, when the mornings are still very dark, it is illuminated by large spotlights which make the cascade look like it was plucked right out of a fantasy novel.

Skógafoss, on the other hand, is much wider and falls straight down onto the flat land underneath, allowing you to walk right up to its base. However, if you get too close, you will get drenched in the mist which clouds the bottom of the cascade.

On your journey today, you will pass two glaciers, the mighty Eyjafjallajökull glacier volcano and the larger Mýrdalsjökull ice cap. Today, you´ll learn more about glaciers and even scale one yourself on a glacier hiking tour. Armed with a pick axe and strapped in crampons, you’ll ascend the ice giant where you’ll get to look into ice crevasses and glacial moulins.

You will then visit the beach of Reynisfjara where you can see the stark contrasts of the rolling white waves as they hit the jet-black sand. By the beach are the geometric lava pillars which make up the cliffside and in the distance is the strangely shaped rock arch, Dyrhólaey.

You will spend the night near the little village of Vík.

Today’s destination is the stunning glacier lagoon Jökulsárlón. It is a gorgeous body of water, filled with blue and white icebergs which have broken off a nearby glacier. These bergs get caught up in a stream and are gently swept out into the N-Atlantic Ocean.

A few of the smaller icebergs get tossed back onto a beautiful black sand beach, where the contrasting colours and textures make for a great photo. As the ice glistens in the low sunlight, it is reminiscent of precious stones which is how it earned its nickname; The Diamond Beach.

Today you’ll have a unique adventure: visiting an authentic ice cave. If you are travelling between November and March, you will board a large vehicle at Jökulsárlón which will take you up to the Blue Ice Cave in Vatnajökull glacier. If, however, you are visiting outside of these months, you will begin your day with a visit to the Hidden Ice Cave in Mýrdalsjökull glacier. Both caves have their unique charm and are sure to leave you mesmerised.

At the end of the day, you will head to your accommodations in the area. If conditions are favourable for Northern Lights hunting, your friendly guide will let you know.

Now it is time to head out to one of the most stunning but least visited places of the country, the Eastfjords of Iceland. Your view today will be characterised by tall mountains on one side and the open ocean on the other.

East-Iceland is the only place in the country where you can see hoards of wild reindeer, so keep your eyes peeled as you zigzag these frozen fjords.

There are no scheduled stops today but that doesn’t mean you will be sitting in the minibus all day. Your guide knows this area very well and even knows a few secret spots here. They will take you to some of their favourite places in the area where you can marvel at the remote but stunning landscape of the Eastfjords.

If you’d like to spice up your day with an adventure there are two to choose from. The first one is a horse riding tour, and the second one is a dip in the geothermal Vök Baths.

Before you head to your accommodations, you will travel through the forest, Hallormsstaðaskógur, one of the few wooded areas in this mostly treeless country. Here, you will see the lake Lagarfljót, known as the home of the great wyrm-monster, Lagarfljótsormurinn, Iceland’s answer to the Loch Ness monster. Keep a camera ready, you never know if it will show up.

After breakfast, you’ll hop on the bus and head to the Mývatn area in North Iceland, to a region which has been coloured by volcanic and geothermal activity.

Your first stop is the Mars-like area of Námaskarð, where the ground has a reddish hue and fumaroles spew steam into the air. You will also find here grey and blue mud pools which bubble ferociously. It is hard to believe you are still on planet Earth when visiting this site.

From there, you’ll walk amongst the lava stacks and caves of Dimmuborgir. The tall, volcanic rock formations create a sort of natural labyrinth in which you can wander around and look for trolls and elves.

Before going to your accommodations in the town of Akureyri, you will visit the waterfall Goðafoss. This crescent shaped cascade is known in English as “The Waterfall of the Gods” for both its beauty as well as history relating to the Christianization of Iceland, which your guide will tell you all about.

Today, you’ll explore North Iceland a bit further, starting with a visit to the little village of Hauganes.

Here you’ll have free time to wander around the town, seeing its beautiful black sand beach and charming harbour area which are both surrounded by beautiful, blue mountains. You can also have a few unique adventures today.

In the small town of Hauganes, you´ll have an excursion where you’ll set out to the sea in search of whales. Seeing these majestic creatures in their natural habitat is an experience you will surely not forget.

After an eventful day, you’ll return to your accommodations.

You’ll continue your journey around Iceland and make your way west today. The day starts with a trip through the mountainous region of Skagafjörður and although the route is long, it is very scenic.

You’ll head to Gerðuberg, a large cliff made out of columns of geometric patterns. The place might look like a mediaeval fortress, however, it is all natural created by volcanic activity thousands of years ago.

The next stop is Djúpalónssandur, a black pebble beach. In order to get to it, you have to walk through a natural maze of lava pillars. Once at the beach, you’ll see pieces of iron scattered amongst the smooth black pebbles. These are the remains of a British trawler shipwrecked by the shore in the 1940s.

Looking over you today is the mighty Snæfellsjökull glacier. In 1864, Jules Verne published a novel where the main protagonists journey to the centre of the Earth through tunnels inside Snæfellsjökull. Today, you can have your own subterranean journey with a visit to the cave Vatnshellir.

This 8000-year-old lava tube is 200 metres long and lies 35 metres below ground. Although it is unlikely you’ll find prehistoric creatures like the characters of the famous sci-fi novel, you will see amazing colours, lava formations and sparkling walls. You can reserve your spot on this underground adventure during the booking process.

No visit to Snæfellsnes can be complete without a visit to the famous Kirkjufell mountain. It is believed that the feature is the most photographed mountain in Iceland and its popularity has only increased after it was featured in the HBO series, Game of Thrones.

You will then make your way to your accommodation in the area. As always, your guide will let you know if the sky looks like it might be filled with Northern Lights tonight.

Today is the last day of your circle trip but it will be packed with wonderful sights and adventure.

You will make a stop at Europe’s most powerful hot spring, Deildartunguhver. Before you arrive, you’ll see the white billows of steam rising upwards into the air from far away. As you near the hot spring, you’ll see it bubble vigorously and splash boiling water around. Don’t worry, there are rails which will keep you at a safe distance from the scalding water.

From there, you’ll visit the historical place Reykholt where you can learn about the historian, lawmaker and poet, Snorri Sturluson, and a violent period in Iceland’s history known as Sturlungaöld.

Then it is off to see two waterfalls, Hraunfossar and Barnafoss. The former is quite unique. Water which travels underground through holes in the surrounding lava fields emerges at the top of this waterfall in a series of small rivulets. The process makes it look like the waterfall appears from nowhere.

Barnafoss, on the other hand, is vastly different. The river Hvítá rushes fiercely down a narrow gorge. Over time, the power of the water has broken through the surrounding rock face and sculpted it into arches.

At the end of the day, you’ll return to Reykjavík city where you can unwind at your accommodation after 8 fun-filled days on the road.

It is now time to bid farewell to the land of ice and fire. If you have an afternoon or an evening flight, you can squeeze in some sightseeing in Reykjavík before you leave.

You can visit the iconic Hallgrímskirkja church and after seeing the view of the city from the top, walk across the street to admire, for free, the art at the Einar Jónson Museum’s sculpture garden.

After that, you can check out the shops on Skólavörðustígur street. This stretch of road has recently earned the nickname “Rainbow Street” because of the rainbow which has been painted on the pavement. It is a great spot to take photos of the majestic Hallgrímskirkja church.

If you are looking for some pampering today, you can book a visit to the Blue Lagoon on this day instead of your arrival day. It is a sure way to arrive at the airport rested and relaxed.

Then it is time to head to the airport to catch your flight home. We hope to see you again here soon, or as we would say in Icelandic: “Sjáumst seinna!”.