Spend three days exploring the Golden Circle and South Iceland coast in fall, spring, or winter on this short Iceland adventure. First visit the Golden Circle Route including Thingvellir National Park, Geysir, and Gullfoss. Continue south where you stop to visit Jökulsárlón Lagoon with its many icebergs and Vatnajökull Glacier, the largest ice cap in Iceland. Wander the many black beaches and spend the night in a country hotel as you spend time hunting for the Northern Lights. In winter months, hike inside the Crystal Caves, or glacier caves for a look at the inside of a glacier. This three-day Iceland tour is a perfect addition to any Arctic cruise or Iceland hiking tour for those wanting to see the main sites of the South Coast.
Highlights
Visit Thingvellir National Park and the fissure between two tectonic plates
Tour Geysir, Gulfoss Waterfall, and main attractions of the Golden Circle
Hunt for the Northern Lights if here in shoulder seasons or winter months
Admire the stunning Jökulsárlón Lagoon and Vatnajökull ice cap
Moderately active but not overly strenuous. This level includes activities like casual cycling, yoga, or excursions/activities that typically last 3-5 hours total each day.
Be ready in the lobby of your Reykjavik hotel this morning. You are picked up and start out on the Golden Circle Route, stopping first at the UNESCO World Heritage site of Thingvellir National Park. This location sits atop the rifting between two tectonic plates. Walk along the fissures in the crust and learn about the historic significance of the site. Continue on to nearby Geysir geothermal area and watch the spouting Strokkur geyser which erupts almost every 8 minutes. Visit the majestic Gullfoss waterfall which lies in the canyon of the Hvita River. This afternoon drive your way further south towards the coast to your country hotel for the next two nights. Spend some time tonight hunting for the Northern Lights!
Drive further east along the coast today towards Vatnajökull, Europe's largest glacier. Stop first at Jökulsárlón lagoon, which sits in between the Breiðamerkurjökull outlet glacier and the sea and is filled with large floating icebergs that have calved off its feeder glacier. Explore the area before continuing on to your afternoon adventure, touring the crystal ice caves! Explore these fascinating man-made caves inside the glacier for an insider's look at glaciology*. Return to your hotel for dinner and spend time looking for the northern lights tonight if weather permits.
*This excursion can be substituted with another excursion in the area for tours in the summer months.
Day 3: South Coast & Waterfalls
1 Breakfast
Start the journey back towards Reykjavik today, traveling west along the South Coast of Iceland. Take time to stop and admire highlights along the way, including the black beaches of Vik and Reynsfjara Beach, and the Skógafoss and Seljalandsfoss waterfalls. Stop as well for a chance to walk on the Sólheimajökull glacier before returning by late afternoon. Continue on with the rest of your Iceland travels, or return home.
Apologies for the inconvenience. Prices for not yet published. Below per person rate based on previous season. Contact us to confirm upcoming season pricing.
Prices for are estimated based on inflation. Contact us to confirm pricing and availability for your desired departure date.
Notes
Select a Date
Rates based on small group departure with maximum 16 people.
Private Departures available, starting at $2095 based on a Group of 4.
Rates are based on the current exchange rate with the Iceland Krona and may fluctuate.
Initial deposit is 25%, and most travelers will call our office and pay the deposit with a credit card.
Final payment is due 70 days prior to departure by bank transfer, check, or credit card. Final payments by credit card may be subject to surcharge and a maximum $20,000 charge
The trip might have been the absolute best of our lifetime (thus far). We particularly want to commend our guide Peter in the Guilin area-he was so incredibly attentive, energetic, enthusiastic-and absolutely dedicated to ensuring that our meals were 100% vegetarian.
Jack Charney
TrustScore 4.8 | 254 reviews
TrustScore 4.8 of 5
Based on 254 reviews on
3 days ago
The holiday of a lifetime. The company is Alaksa-owned and thhat makes a big difference to the experineces you get i.e. meet genuine First Nations tribes people. The amount of wildlife was beyond my expectation, and seeing everything on sucha small, intimate boat made it even more spoecial and unique.
Liz O
3 days ago
Adventure Life covered all the details in planning our trip to Ireland. Any questions we had were answered immediately. Any trip glitches, which always happen when traveling, were resolved immediately. There were no worries, just fun!
Kathleen Weller
3 days ago
It was an outstanding, up-close, educational vacation of nature, culture, history, animals and geology! It was everything they promised! Binoculars were plentiful on the boat, but I'm glad I brought my own. Food was excellent. Rooms had black-out shades. Pack/wear multiple layers of clothing (I carried a small backpack when off the ship). Crew were delightful and very accommodating! Remember to jump FEET FIRST first when taking the optional polar plunge! Spend as much time outdoors as you are able and ENJOY!!!
Janet Dutton
1 week ago
Excellent travel advice and service
This is my second experience working with Adventure Life. I’m sold. Jess Heuermann is an experienced traveler and provides a lot of useful information when planning a trip. These are the questions I like to ask at the outset - What’s it like to go here, there, what would you suggest, what do people report, can we add any additional side trips? Jess took the time to answer my questions and seek additional information to share with me. Petchie Colina is outstanding in helping with travel logistics and final preparations. Adventure Life has excellent guides and offers private guides and small group adventures. We enjoyed the opportunity to talk with the guides and drivers to learn more about their countries, cultures and histories. A highlight was having the guides pick local restaurants where we could share meals together. Highly recommend.
Claire Cordon
1 week ago
Our six-day tour in Iceland went smoothly with one exception. We had asked for two rooms each night. Somehow we were booked with one room with three beds. It could not be fixed at the first hotel in Reykjavik because the hotel was fully booked. Once informed of the problem, however, Adventure Life rebooked for two rooms for the remainder of the trip. As an 85-year-old traveler, I appreciated that one could participate at different physical levels at many of the stops. Iceland is a great place to visit but on the expensive side.