A 10 Day Hiking Tour

• 3 national parks
• Whale watching
  
• Boat trip on glacial lagoon
• Natural Hot Springs
• 3-8 hours of hiking every day
• Go right to Prices and Dates

If you like this tour and would rather do it as a Self Drive consider the Drive-Hike East Fjords Tour. We offer drive tours with or without air included and as a self drive you get a very complete itinerary outlining a lot to do and see, along with much supporting literature.

Saturday:
Travelers from North America leave for Iceland on an overnight flight with an early morning arrival at Keflavik Airport in Iceland.

Sunday:
Welcome to Iceland!
After an early arrival in Iceland, you’ll hop on the Flybus shuttle that will take you to Reykjavik where your outfitter will meet you and take you to your guesthouse in Reykjavik.  Then you’ll have the day to rest and explore Reykjavik, the worlds most northerly capital.  We’ll provide lots of ideas for what to see and places to eat- meals are on your own today. 

Monday
Reykjavík - Skaftafell, A geyser and a double waterfall
We leave the capital after breakfast, and travel from Reykjavík along the south coast which is lined with mountainous cliffs and magnificent waterfalls. We’ll have a guided glacial walk in South Iceland before we explore a black lava beach with bird cliffs. We spend the next two nights in the southern part of Vatnajökull National Park region.

Tuesday
Skaftafell National Park, Europe's biggest glacier and a lot more
You’ll have the whole day to explore Skaftafell National Park - at the base of Vatnajokull, Europes’ largest glacier. Lots of options, and unusual walking experiences.

Wednesday:
Skaftafell - Fljotsdalsherad, The Glacier Vatnajokull and its Icebergs
You’ll head south from Vatnajokull, but it will dominate the landscape for quite some time. You’ll have a stop for a boat ride through the glacial lagoon at Jökulsarlon and then head to the Eastern Fjords, where you’ll spend two nights in a remote fishing village.

Thursday
Viking Trails, Hiking ancient ways
You’ll have an unusual day of walking through the remarkable and remote Viking trails of East Iceland.

Friday
Fljotsdalsherad-Highland Desert-Myvatn area, High falls and historic farmlands
You’ll walk up to Hengifoss, one of the highest waterfalls in Iceland. You’ll visit Saenautasel, an old farm that was the model for the novel “Independent People” by Nobel Prize winner Halldor Kiljan Laxness. You’ll continue to Modrudalur, a farm that has been inhabited from early settlement in Iceland until this day, and has also served as a church site for centuries. Travel through desert landscape. You’ll spend the next three nights near Lake Myvatn. .

Saturday
Whale Watching & Myvatn, Head towards the Arctic Circle to a very rich whale area
The day starts with a 3 hour whale watching cruise, weather permitting, from the picturesque village of Husavik. A short drive to Lake Myvatn, a unique area that featuers strange lava formations, attractive bays, pseudo craters and prolific bird life. Stroll through the lava field of Dimmuborgir ending with a walk up to the rim of the ash crater Hverfjall. Relax in Myvatns nature Baths before heading back to your accommodations.

Sunday
Hljodaklettar - Dettifoss - Asbyrgi; Mighty waters and a Mythic canyon
Visit the peculiar cliff formations at Hljóðaklettar. Nearby is the mighty Jökulsá river, and the canyon Asbyrgi said to be the hoofprint of Odin’s eight-legged horse. Not far upstream is one of Iceland's most impressive waterfalls - Dettifoss.

Monday
Lake Myvatn -Sprengisandur - Hella, Interior wilderness, glaciers and volcanoes
You’ll travel back to the south on the isolated and rugged Sprengisandur route, through a desert created by lava in the highlands. You’ll see Vatnajokull and Hofsjokull glaciers and pass near the active volcano Hekla. You’ll end the day in Hella, where you’ll spend the next two nights.

You'll visit Goðafoss waterfall and then travel south across the highland desert on the Kjölur trail. There are wonderful views of the distant ice-caps and there's a stop at the hot springs of Hveravellir. an oasis in a rocky desert.. This region is shrouded in mystery, with folktales of ghosts, giants and outlaws. We’ll experience one of Europe's last wildernesses! We end the day with a visit at Gullfoss waterfall and Geysir hot springs. The next two nights are spent in South Iceland.

Tuesday
Landmannalaugar, Natural hot water and rich colored hills
All day is spent walking in the colorful rhyolite mountains and valleys of Landmannalaugar. This is a large natural area that’s like a jewel in the wilderness, with cold springs and geothermal water mixing to make bathing spots in a unique landscape spotted with lava flows, grasses and flowers. After a long hike we can relax in the hot springs.

Wednesday
Thingvellir- Reykjavik, History and geology, both rugged
Optional horseback riding tour in the morning before a walk through the historic area at Thingvellir National Park, where the North Atlantic ridge comes to the surface, and where Icelands’ parliament met for a millennia or so. The tour returns to Reykjavik in the afternoon and you'll have an evening, with dinner on your own, to explore Iceland's capital. There are also some nice walking opportunities in the city.

Thursday
Time to say good bye ...
Travelers on morning flights can make an early departure with a shuttle to the airport, while those leaving late afternoon will have time to explore a bit of Reykjavík, do some shopping, or soak in the warm swimming pool in nearby Laugardalur, before being picked up by the shuttle early afternoon, for a trip back to the airport for your flights home.

Special experiences in the Mountain Highlights tour

*Stay in four hotels - less packing
*Two National Parks
*Whale watching weather permitting
*Glacier walk, weather permitting
*Soak in two natural hot springs
*Visit a remote highlandfarm
*Boat trip on glacial lagoon
*Lunch at the Sænautasel farm
*Average three hours walking with longer hikes on day 2, 4 & 9
*Small group tour, maximum 16 passengers
Lots to see but little to carry, as the tour bus takes your luggage along. Accommodations are in hotels, country guest houses and cabins. This tour works well for a moderate hiking tour that gets you off the beaten path. With 10 plus days in Iceland, this is a longer tour than many Americans take, but it is an immersion into an exotic land that can't be beat

Download a PDF of the itinerary of The Mountain Highlights Tour

Prices and Dates and other useful details

Finer Print: Price includes round trip airfare, including fuel surcharge and US departure taxes to Iceland, from Boston, New York, and Washington Dulles International. Seattle, Denver, Anchorage, Toronto, Halifax are also available with slightly diffeirent pricing. . Not all gateways have daily departures. The price also includes all airport transfers, a night before and after the tour in a3 star Reykjavik hotel with breakfast. You’ll spend all nights in double rooms in hotels, all with private baths. Meals on the tour, include Icelandic breakfast buffet and dinner, from dinner on the first day to breakfast on the last day, as well as 3 boat trips, two national parks, visit to the Myvatn Nature Baths, introduction to Icelandic Horse, and entry fee for the Skogar museum.

*Not included are Travel Insurance, ( which we can help with), lunch and dinner on pre-and post-tour days in Reykjavik, lunch while on the tour, (there will be a stop made everyday to purchase this) and any additional expenses or travel you may choose. NOTE: Your pre and post nights in Reyjkavik are in comfortable 3 star hotels -- we can also book a guesthouse which will reduce the price a bit, or upgrade you to a 4 star hotel as well. Just ask!!

A couple hotels on this tour are “summer hotels” used much of the year as boarding schools. They are simple and clean, all with private baths, but don’t always have usual “hotel” amenities, such as telephones or in - room internet connections. There are available in central sitting room, however. 
Please note that the price is subject to revision until you book your tour by making a deposit. The prices listed on print material may not be the latest available price. We can sometimes find some deals on air, which we’re happy to pass on to you. Our contract rates for air aren’t always availble as we get closer to travel dates. While we make every effort to keep prices on our webpages and their PDFs up to the minute, things can change quickly. . We welcome phone calls or email about prices and any other details.