The Best of Iceland Escorted Coach Tour

• 14 days, North and South
• Or 7 days North or South
• Choice of accommodation
• Free time for optional sight-seeing
• The best way to be shown Iceland's Best!
• Go right to Prices and Dates

...2012

What's so special about the Best of Iceland? It's a whole new idea, actually, combining comfortable touring, good guiding and flexibility. The Complete Best of Iceland is 14 days, with a pre and post night in Reykjavik, then 6 nights in North Iceland and 5 in the south. Not only do you cover a lot of territory with your guide, but you can also choose to take (or not) some optional half and full day tours along the way. You also have the choice to do stuff on your own - hiking, riding or organized tours, or lounging, swimming and relaxing. Great concept --and for the time-impaired, you can have the 7 day version - the Best of North Iceland or the Best of South Iceland!Our Prices include taxes, fuel charges and a number of “extras”.
See the details under Prices.The Daily Itinerary:

Sunday; Day 1:
Welcome to Iceland
Early arrival in Iceland, be dropped at your hotel in Reykjavik, with day to explore. Lots of great places to eat, enjoy, relax.

Monday Day 2:
West Iceland to Akureyri in the North
You'll set out after breakfast and head to West Iceland, to explore Hraunfossar waterfalls, Europe's most powerful hot spring and climb the extinct volcano Grábrók. Then it's further north a stop an excellent little museum the Glaumbær Turf Farmstead, and then traveling along fjords and over mountains to Akureyri, where you'll be based for the next 5 nights.

Tuesday Day 3:
Akureyri and Hrisey Island option
Get to know the capital of North Iceland a bit with a city walk in the morning, and a visit to it's excellent botanical garden. The rest of the day is free for hiking or other day tours around the townTour option: an afternoon excursion by bus & ferry to Hrísey Island. This is Iceland's second largest island, known for it's bird life you may see ptarmigan, arctic terns and eider ducks. 4-5 hours $80 per person

Wednesday, Day 4:
Lake Myvatn
You'll have a full day guided excursion to historic Goðafoss waterfall and Lake Mývatn, known for its rich bird life and extraordinary volcanic lava landscapes.

Thursday Day 5:
Free day or Siglufjordur tour
Explore Akureyri on your own, go hiking or on a riding tour which can be booked locally, or join an optional day excursion to Siglufjörður.Tour option: It's a very pretty drive along fjords and through tunnels to Iceland's most northern town, Siglufjörður. It's in quite a dramatic setting, and has been known over the years as Iceland's herring capital 8 hours $135. per person

Friday, Day 6:
Husavik, Asbyrgi and Dettifoss - A Nautical Northern Town and Natural Wonders
North along Eyjafjordur then east to Húsavík, a pretty little town which is the whale watching capital of Iceland .You can join a whale watching cruise or visit the town some of the many museums. In the afternoon you'll travel to Jökulsárgljúfur National Park, and visit the horseshoe shaped canyon of Ásbyrgi and Dettifoss, Europe's most powerful waterfall.Tour option: take a 2-hour whale-watching cruise with North Sailing (weather permitting) $ 90.

Saturday, Day 7:
The Kjolur Highland Road - Glaciers, an Oasis and raw wilderness
Drive through history via the Kjolur Route. This ancient interior track has taken travelers from north to south, and south to north, between the glaciers Langjökull and Hofsjökull for centuries. It's much more comfortable in today's modern coaches, but the vast desert landscape remains unchanged. You'll have a chance to soak in the hot springs of Hveravellir, as have other outlaws in Iceland's past. You'll be back in the south for the next 6 nights..

Sunday, Day 8:
South Shore - Bird Cliffs, Lava Beaches, Visiting a Glacier
The Best of South Iceland starts this morning travelers for this part of the program will join the group from Reykjavik for days 7-12.Lots to take in — visit the glaciers, waterfalls, bird cliffs and lava beaches of South Iceland. You will have free time for an optional glacier walk or visit Skogar together with the guide.

Monday Day 9:
ÞJÓRSÁRDALUR Waterfalls, Viking Farm Ruins
You'll head a bit inland today, through lava-shaped landscape near the famous volcano Hekla. Traveling past farms and hills, you'll go to Hjálparfoss waterfall, and the Viking farm ruins of Stöng and hike through a lush rift zone to the waterfall Gjáin that appears like an oasis in this moon landscape.

Tuesday, Day 10:
Free day or Skaftafell option
There's hiking and riding options nearby and other tours as well or you can join your guide for a trip to SkaftafellTour Option: Travel through Southern Iceland , across the glacial sands and outwash plain to Vatnajokull glacier and Skaftafell National Park. This is Europe's largest glacier, and with lots of interesting activities. You can hike to where to the basalt Svartifoss waterfall, travel alongside Iceland's highest mountains and to Jökulsárlón glacier lagoon with its floating icebergs. 12 hours $190.

Wednesday, Day 11:
Westman Islands= Millions of Puffins Nest here Seasonally
Head off shore with a ferry trip to the volcanic Westman Islands. Here you can explore the village of Heimaey by foot, see lava from recent eruptions, perhaps see some of the millions of puffins who spend the summer here.

Thursday, Day 12:
Golden Circle -Major Visitor Sites; Well Worth a Visit
Heading west, you'll take in the trio of wonders known as the Golden Circle the original boiling water spout, Geysir, the double falls of Gullfoss and the historical and geological sights of Thingvellir National Park

.Friday, Day 13:
Reykjanes, Blue Lagoon with its Spa, Reykjavik
Lots to take in on this last day as you travel from South Iceland back to the capital. There' hot springs, impressive bird cliffs, a walk across the bridge between two continents, and lighthouses. There's also an optional visit to the world famous Blue Lagoon and a city tour of Reykjavík.

Saturday Day 14:
Time to say good bye ...
You'll have the morning to sleep, shop, swim, explore and then head back to Keflavik Airport for your flight home. It's hard to imagine that many others on your plane will have been able to see and experience as much as your Best of Iceland!Travelers enjoying only The Best of North Iceland will head back to Reykjavik, for overnight then head home on Sunday.

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If you like this itinerary but don't want to do it as a coach tour, don't go away! We can lay out a custom driving tour that will include most of these activities (and perhaps even more)

Important: Good hiking boots, warm outdoor clothing, waterproof jacket and pants, hat, gloves and a towel are needed for this trip - we'll provide a gear list. All necessary specialized equipment for activities is provided..

Download a PDF of the itinerary of the Best of Iceland Tour

Best of Iceland
Prices and Dates for 2012

The Best of Iceland is available as a 14 day 13 night complete package with both North and South Iceland. It's also available as a 8 day /7 night Best of North Iceland or 8 day night Best of South Iceland. Either option is good -- but of course the Complete package is the Best of the Best!

The's a choice of accommodations on the tour, and your pre and post night sin Reykjavik will be at a similar kind of accommodations

The Best of Iceland tours run 5 times in the summer of 2012

These dates include travel days in addition to the tour -- we can arrange for an earlier arrival or later departure

Best of Iceland Complete, North and South: 14 days, 13 nights

3 Star option for Complete in comfortable rooms with TV, phone, and private bath, there are swimming pools and hot tubs nearby, some good restaurants as well as hiking, and riding. The northern hotel is in the middle of Akureyri, the southern one in the small town of Hella
Price listed for single and per person double occupancy (pp/do)

4 Star Option for Complete is in Hotel Kea in North, Hotel Ranga in South. Lovely rooms, nice amenities, TV, Telephone, WiFi, hairdryer, minibar and plenty of extras. Excellent restaurants, good service and all the comfort you need.

Best of North Iceland, 8 days /7 nights

3 Star option for North is in comfortable rooms with TV, phone, and private bath, there are swimming pools and hot tubs nearby, some good restaurants as well as hiking, and riding. The northern hotel i sin the middle of Akureyri, the southern one in the small town of Hella Price* listed for single and per person double occupancy (pp/do)

4 Star Option for North is in Hotel Kea in North, Hotel Ranga in South. Lovely rooms, nice amenities, TV, Telephone, WiFi, hairdryer, minibar and plenty of extras. Excellent restaurants, good service and all the comfort you need.

Best of South Iceland; 8 days/7 nights

3 Star option for South is in comfortable rooms with TV, phone, and private bath, there are swimming pools and hot tubs nearby, some good restaurants as well as hiking, and riding. The northern hotel i sin the middle of Akureyri, the southern one in the small town of Hella

4 Star Option for South is in Hotel Kea in North, Hotel Ranga in South. Lovely rooms, nice amenities, TV, Telephone, WiFi, hairdryer, minibar and plenty of extras. Excellent restaurants, good service and all the comfort you need.

*Finer Print: Price includes round trip airfare, including fuel surcharge and departure taxes from Boston, New York, Minneapolis, and Washington Dulles International Airport. (Ask about prices from Denver, Seattle, Toronto, Halifax and Europe.) The price also includes airport transfers, pre and post tour nights in a choice of accommodations in Reykjavik , 13 (or 7) nights accommodations, with a choice of accommodations from guesthouse to 4 star hotel with TV, telephone and private bath, breakfast every day, tours as laid out in the itinerary.
*Not included are travel insurance, meals other than breakfast and any optional tours or additional travel you may choose.

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