5 Day - Snaefellsnes, South Coast And Northern Lights

You will be picked up from your hotel in Reykjavik in the morning. We drive west from Reykjavik, along the coastline of Snaefellsnes peninsula. The first stop of the day is at the small fishing village of Arnarstapi, where we walk around the surrounding area. From there we go underground, where you have an option to go into Vatnshellir cave (extra charge) which is located inside the Snaefellsnes National Park. The cave is about 8000 years old lava tube tunnel. This experience is as close you will get to the Jules Verne story, A Journey to the Center of Earth. If you are not joining the caving part, then the guide will take you walking around the areaNext, we have a stop at Hellnar for lunch before we continue to the beautiful beach of Djupalonssandur. Here we will have a short hike on the pebbles stone beach and explore the remains of the ship wreckage. On the beach, you may also find lifting stones, where you can test your strength like the fishermen used to do in the old days.From Djupalonssandur, we continue our journey around Snaefellsnes peninsula and our next stop is at the famous Mt. Kirkjufell, a favorite spot for many photographers. After that we head to our hotel. If conditions are in our favor, we might spot the Northern Lights.

After breakfast, we will drive along the scenic west coast of Iceland to West Iceland (Vesturland). Our first stop of the day is at Deildartunguhver hot spring, the most powerful hot spring in Europe. It provides 180 l/sec of 100C hot water and its used for heating all the neighboring towns. Next, we stop at the historical site of Reykholt where a pool dating back to the medieval period is still preserved. The waterfalls Hraunfossar and Barnafoss are our third stop for the day. There you can see how the water flows from underneath the lava fields and hear the story about Barnafoss waterfall. Now we leave Borgarfjordur behind and set course towards Snaefellsnes peninsula. We will stop at the unique Gerduberg basalt columns before we reach our accommodation place for the night.

First on the agenda of our south coast exploration is the Golden Circle. We start at Thingvellir National park, a UNESCO world heritage site. Here Icelanders founded their first parliament in the year of 930, making it the worlds oldest running parliament. Thingvellir is rich of geological wonders and national history. The Eurasian and North American tectonic plates meet in Thingvellir and you can clearly see the drift that has occurred over the years. Lake Thingvallavatn is the largest natural lake in Iceland and the whole area is covered with birch bushes that are very characteristic for the area.Next, we visit Haukadalur valley geothermal area. The renown hot spring Geysir, the one all other hot springs have their name from, lies dormant at the moment. But Strokkur, spouting water up to 25 meters into the air every 5-8 minutes, is very much alive and has taken over as the king of the area. Explore the Geysir area on your own and walk among springs of all shapes and sizes with a great opportunity in every footstep. Gullfoss, the golden waterfall, is the last site of the Golden Circle route. This magnificent waterfall is the most visited one in Iceland and for a good reason. The amazing site of the roaring water rushing into the canyon is definitely something to write home about. From the Golden Circle, we drive through the fruitful agricultural area of south Iceland towards ring road nr. 1. On our way there we will have plenty of possibilities for great sights all around, Mt. Hekla being one of them on a clear day. Our next stop will be Seljalandsfoss waterfall the one you can walk behind and enjoy from both sides. Skogafoss is a site not to be missed while in Iceland. Running from Eyjafjallajkull glacier the water in Skgafoss has come a long way. This impressive cascade falls 60 meters into the calm Skgar river. The mesmerizing view of this majestic fall can keep you captured for a while, but make sure to be back on the bus in time because there is so much more to see. The last stop of this magical day is the black sand beach Reynisfjara. The Atlantic Ocean really shows its force here, so be careful to follow the guidelines from your guide. The basalt pillars Reynisdrangar, rising from the sea just off shore, gives you a good idea where some of the Icelandic folklore springs from. Don't miss the basalt column cave before you leave the black sand beach. We spend the night in a country hotel just out of the small coastal town of Vk where we will have the possibility of catching the Northern lights if the forecast is in our favor.