Once you have landed at Keflavik Airport, please pick up your luggage and head through customs.

Collect your rental car at the airport and proceed to your hotel.

Depending on your arrival time in Iceland, it may be ideal to stop and visit the renowned Blue Lagoon where you can relax in its geothermal waters.

Important: admission to the Blue Lagoon needs to be booked in advance. We can help you with that!

October & April: Drive to your hotel in Reykjavik, the colourful capital of Iceland. (Approximate distance: ~ 50km/30 miles)

May – September: Drive along the southern coast of the Reykjanes Peninsula to the charming village of Hveragerdi for your overnight.   This village is one of the few sites in the world located directly on top of a geothermal area and, because of its many greenhouses heated by hot water from nearby springs, it is often called the “flower village.” There are plenty of outdoor and wellness activities to enjoy here, and several restaurants with a unique local focus. (Approximate distance: ~100km / 62miles)

**Please note check-in for most hotels begins at 14:00 – 16:00 (2:00pm-4:00pm)

Breakfast at your hotel.

Spend part of the day exploring enjoyable activities In Borgarfjordur.  Visit the beautiful Hraunfossar and Barnafoss waterfalls, and the enormous Deildartunguhver, the most powerful hot springs in Europe. Nearby is the lovely Krauma Natural Geothermal spa where you can relax in a variety of hot pools and take in the beautiful views.

Enjoy adventure with a visit to the multi-coloured Vidgelmir cave or take a guided trip up Langjokull Glacier to the fascinating, educational “Into the Glacier” ice cave. Walk in the footsteps of the Medieval chieftain and Saga author Snorri Sturluson at his home in Reykholt.

Nearby is the friendly Sturlu Reykir horse farm, where you can tour the farm, meet Icelandic horses and enjoy a short introduction to the breed. (We also recommend trying the farm’s excellent steam-baked rye bread at their café – they bake it in their farm’s own hot spring area!). You can also try a horseback riding tour through the pretty countryside.

Drive north and pass Hunafloi bay, a great area for seal watching.  If you’re interested in learning more about seals, we suggest a visit to the Seal Centre in Hvammstangi.  You can learn about these enchanting sea mammals and also book a guided seal watching excursion. Located just above the Icelandic Seal Centre is a charming seafood restaurant with great fjord views and a great local menu.

The scenery changes to towering mountains and fertile valleys as you head into Skagafjordur, an area known for horse breeding and some of Iceland’s best preserved historical buildings. Some of these are at the Glaumbaer (Skagafjordur Heritage Museum), where you can visit a turf manor farm dating back to the 18^th century and two charming 19^th century timber houses. Australian author Hannah Kent used the design of the turf manor farm as a model for her description of the farm depicted in her best-selling novel Burial Rites (now in production as a movie).

Continue to Akureyri, the capital of the north.

Overnight in north Iceland.

Breakfast at your hotel.

Spend the morning exploring the town of Akureyri. The town has some of the finest timber buildings in the country, beautifully restored to their original glory. If you’re interested in culture, check out the  trendy Listagil, the “Art Canyon”.  You can stroll the street here, browsing art galleries and stopping in at one of the friendly cafes or pubs for delicious, locally sourced food. Several museums are worth a visit, including the Akureyri Art Museum and Nonnahus, the childhood home of a 19^th century Icelandic author who enchanted European children with his stores about growing up in Iceland. You can also visit the symbol of the town, Akureyri Church. It was designed by the same architect who designed Reykjavik’s Hallgrimskirkja Church. Akureyri church has a beautiful design and stained-glass window. The botanical garden is open year-round; many visitors find it interesting that a garden so close to the Arctic Circle has such a large variety of plants. Akureyri also has one of the best swimming pools in the country. It’s a great way to enjoy both hot spring relaxation and check out the daily life in Akureyri.

Continue your journey along Eyjafjordur, taking in spectacular views of the sea and fjord. The road leads towards Myvatn, but first stop to view the beautiful Godafoss waterfalls, which has a unique connection to Iceland’s Viking Age.

Overnight in the Myvatn area

Please Note:  The Ring Road route today contains a toll tunnel.  More information on the tunnel and fees is here.

Today you are in for a treat: you have a wonderland of fantastical volcanic features you can explore  in Myvatn Nature Reserve.

The Mid-Atlantic Ridge you saw earlier in Thingvellir also runs through Myvatn, but it’s resulted in a completely different type of landscape. Stroll along footpaths circling the mystical lava formations at Dimmuborgir.

Visit the surreal area surrounding Krafla, the volcano whose natural forces provide geothermal power to the area. Check out the otherworldly setting and colourful sulphurous slopes of Namaskard pass—it’s almost as though you are walking on the surface of Mars! Explore the Skutustadir craters and the strange lava columns rising out of the lake itself. This area was used in filming Game of Thrones.

If you enjoy birdwatching, Myvatn is a popular resting spot for migrating birds from Europe and North America. May and June are the best months for birdwatching, but there are water birds in the lake throughout the spring, summer and fall.

Myvatn also offers outdoor adventure. You can rent out bikes and follow trails along the lake (summertime) or take a guided horseback ride through lava-lined paths. SuperJeeps can take you into the wild majesty of the highland wilderness. And, after a day of exploration and fun, why not relax with a soak in the Myvatn Nature Baths. Here you can join area locals and enjoy the pools and the natural steam baths in a spectacular setting.  The area also has several great restaurants that feature a local taste treat: Lake Myvatn smoked arctic charr on steam-baked rye bread.

Travel tip: Many visitors find it helpful to bring a fly head net during the summer months because of midges around Lake Myvatn. (The midges are harmless but having a face net can make your visit more comfortable.)

Overnight in the Myvatn area.

Breakfast at your hotel.

A great way to start the day is a visit to Hallormsstadur, Iceland’s first reforestation project and its largest woodland. It’s so peaceful to spend some moments here enjoying the sound of the wind in the trees and that special sense of nature  unique to East Iceland.

Drive alongside Lake Lagarfljot, home to a legendary monster. Perhaps you’ll also catch a glimpse of this elusive beast. Visit the award-winning Wilderness Centre located at the edge of the hauntingly beautiful eastern highlands. The Wilderness Centre has picked up quite a following on social media for its unique experiences, and it is worth a visit.  Here you can discover Iceland’s pioneer history and highland nature in a clever interactive way. Wilderness Centre guides can take you on a hiking trip around beautiful Hengifoss falls or a horseback riding trip to the scenic remains of an old farmhouse. The Centre is also famous for its excellent café. You can chat with the hosts as they prepare a meal made from historical recipes and with ingredients gathered from the highlands and area farms.

Drive south through the spectacular East Fjords, where towering mountains plunge vertically into the ocean. Leave yourself plenty time, both for safe driving and for amazing views of the coast and Vatnajokull glacier. The journey continues to the town of Hofn in Hornafjordur, also known as the lobster capital of northern Europe. Several restaurants offer you the chance to try some of the famous langoustines for yourself.

Overnight in Southeast Iceland.

Breakfast at your hotel.

Drive along the spectacular south coast and Katla Geopark,  a sweeping landscape of sandy deserts, rocky shores and rolling farmlands sandwiched between snow-capped glaciers, mountains and the ocean.

First you will cross over vast black sand plains created by the outwash from glacial floods. Drive alongside Eldhraun, a massive and eerily beautiful lava flow covered in moss. It is the largest recorded single flow of lava in world history. Stop to admire the black sand beaches and cliffs at Dyrholaey*. There are also vast bird colonies here, including puffins (generally seen mid-May to early August).

If you’re interested in volcanoes, the Icelandic Lava Show in Vik is a new exhibit that safely lets you see the impacts when molten lava erupts underneath a glacier-capped volcano, something that has happened in this part of Iceland.

Today you’ll also visit the beautiful waterfalls of Skogar and Seljalands, each with its own character. Skogafoss is one of Iceland’s most photographed waterfalls and has stairs that take you to the top for an amazing view. Seljalandsfoss has trails that take you behind the waterfall. (Always check the trail conditions to make sure they are safe). If the skies are clear, you can also glimpse mighty Eyjafjallajokull volcano, famous for its 2010 eruption, and Hekla, Iceland’s most frequently erupting volcano. The interactive Lava Centre in Hvollsvollur town shows how powerful volcanoes and earthquakes have created Iceland.  A stop here will give you a great (and fun) insight into Icelandic geology;  we also recommend checking out the Lava Centre’s film.

Return to Reykjavik in the late afternoon.

*Dyrholaey is closed for the bird nesting season between mid-May and 25 June

Overnight in Reykjavik.

Breakfast at your hotel.

Drive back to Keflavik International Airport.

** We recommend departing your hotel in Reykjavik no later than  at least 3 hours before your flight departure. It takes approximately 1 hour to drive to the airport, and check-in will start 2 hours before your departure.

If you did not visit the Blue Lagoon on your way to the city on your first day but have some free time today, you might want to use the opportunity enroute to the airport.

For this detour, please be sure to allow for at least 2-2.5 hours extra so you’ll have ample time at the lagoon. Your rental car should be returned to the airport service area, which is located only 2 minutes from the airport building. A shuttle will then transport you to the departure hall.

**Please note that the package price is based on 9 x 24-hour rental days starting at the time of rental. If your flight arrives early on day 1 and departs late on day 10, an additional supplement will be charged unless you choose to return the car in Reykjavik when the 9-day rental is up and use our our FlyBus departure transfer.

Please note: The northern lights are a natural phenomenon and sightings, therefore, cannot be guaranteed.