Compare Best of Iceland by G Adventures vs 3 Day South Coast - Golden Circle, Jokulsarlon Glacier Lagoon & Ice Cave by Arctic Adventures

Day 1 Reykjavik

Arrive at any time.

There are no activities planned until an evening welcome meeting.

There are pre-bookable activities available for this tour. Check out the "Available Extras" section of the Overview page for more information on these activities, and cost-saving bundles.

Day 2 Reykjavik/Akureyri

Set off from Reykjavik after breakfast and enjoy the scenic journey to the Capital of the North, Akureyri. Explore Akureyri's old town. Enjoy optional lunch in one of the eateries in Akureyri and opt to go on a whale-watching tour.

Eyjafjörður is a scenic spot to enjoy the local wildlife and small villages in the area. Opt to go on a whale-watching excursion.

If you have pre-booked whale watching, you will be going on the excursion this evening.

Day 3 Akureyri to Bakagerdi (Borgarfjörður)

Stop at Goðafoss waterfall en route to Mývatn lake. Explore lava formations of Dimmuborgir and the geothermal area of Námaskarð. Visit Dettifoss waterfall before arriving in Bakagerdi (Borgarfjörður) for a night in a local guesthouse.

Head to Mývatn lake, stopping en route at Goðafoss waterfall. In Mývatn, explore lava formations of Dimmuborgir and the geothermal area of Námaskarð. Visit Dettifoss waterfall, one of the most powerful waterfalls in Europe. Reach Bakagerdi (Borgarfjörður) in the East Fjords region for a night in a local guesthouse.

Day 4 Bakkagerdi/Hofn

Leave beautiful Bakkagerði behind and travel down the coast driving through the beautiful and majestic eastern fjords. En route to Hofn, catch a glimpse of Vatnajokull glacier, the largest ice cap in Europe.

Day 5 Hofn/Vik

Visit the Jökulsárlón glacier lagoon and nearby Diamond Beach, with a chance to see seals sunbathing on the bright blue ice. Opt to check out the lagoon by boat. Continue on to Skaftafell National Park with time to explore the hiking trails or choose an optional glacier hike with glacier equipment before continuing on in the evening to the small town of Vík.

Marvel at the Jökulsárlón glacier lagoon, with a chance to see seals sunbathing on the bright blue ice. The massive icebergs floating towards shore tower over visitors. Opt to check out the lagoon by boat. Stop by Diamond Beach, which gets its name from chunks of the Breiðamerkurjökull glacier that float to shore. As these blocks of glacier ice melt, they develop a crystal clear sheen, set against the black sand of the beach. Continue on to Skaftafell National Park with time to explore before continuing on in the evening to the small town of Vík.

Opt to pre-book the Skaftafell National Park Glacier Hike activity on the checkout page. If you have pre-booked glacier hiking on Skaftafell, this activity will take place today.

Day 6 Vik/Reykjavik

Visit Reynisfjara beach. Continue along the Golden Circle to Drumbo. Stop at the waterfalls of Seljalandsfoss and Gullfoss. Explore the Gullfoss waterfall, Geysir Hot Springs and Þingvellir National Park. Arrive to Reykjavík in the early evening.

Day 7 Reykjavik

Depart at any time.

Please note if you opt to book the Silfra Fissure Snorkelling in Thingvellir National Park, you will be gone for a half-day. We advise booking a Post-Night, as your return time could vary depending on the time slot available for the snorkelling activity. The arrival back to the hotel in Reykjavík ranges from 2 pm to as late as 5 pm.

Day 1: The Famous Golden Circle Route

Your tour begins with the three famous Golden Circle attractions:  Þingvellir (Thingvellir), Geysir and Gullfoss.  Pingvellir National Park, a UNESCO listed World Heritage Site, is the place where the Icelanders founded their historic Parliament, Alþingi, in the year 930. This is the oldest continuously operating Parliament in the world, it is certainly situated in one of the most geologically amazing places on the planet. The boundary between the Eurasian and North American tectonic plates is here, they have been slowly edging apart creating a rift valley, and a great cliff right behind where the Law Speaker would stand in the olden days. Þingvallavatn is a very beautiful lake set within this incredible landscape.

You will visit the geothermally active area of Geysir, this is the erupting hot spring from which the English word, Geyser, has been taken. Great Geysir is not active now, so we will visit Strokkur, a nearby spouting hot spring. You will not have to wait more than a few minutes to see Strokkur erupt scalding water up to 25 m skywards. Next, is Gullfoss (the Golden Falls), the most often visited waterfall in Iceland. See the golden spray around the waterfall, and feel the water droplets in the air as the amazing powerful Hvíta (the White River), roars through the rugged canyon, dropping 32 m.

On a clear day, we will get great views of Mount Hekla on the way to Seljalandsfoss, one of the most unusual waterfalls in the world. You can walk behind the powerful but graceful falls to enjoy the view from both sides. Next up, is Skógafoss, a really impressive waterfall which drops 60 m into the tranquil pool below. There are 527 steps leading to the top giving another vantage point. The famous volcano, Eyjafjallajökull, lurks high above the waterfall, if visibility is good you will get a view of this magnificent mountain glacier.

Your country hotel will be close to the small coastal town of Vík, a really great place to catch the mesmerizing northern lights if the conditions are right. A little northern lights luck is very useful!

Day Highlights;

• Þingvellir National Park (Thingvellir)
• Geysir hot spring area
• Gullfoss Waterfall
• Seljalandsfoss Waterfall
• Skógafoss Waterfall
• The small coast town Vík

Included:

• Guided Minibus Tour
• The Golden Circle (Þingvellir, Gullfoss and Þingvellir)
• Seljalandsfoss and Skógafoss Waterfalls
• Northern Lights Hunting (in good conditions)
• One night at a hotel near Vík

Day 2: Black Sand Beach & Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon

After a nourishing breakfast we head off to the dramatic black sand beach at Reynisfjara. The powerful, rolling waves of the Atlantic Ocean really show their force here. Watch as these roaring white-tipped beauties crash onto the black beach – a word of warning – follow the advice of your tour guide and stand well back. These fierce waves can be very unpredictable! You should visit the amazing black basalt column cave before you leave the beach. You will see incredible black basalt pillars rising from the sea just off the shore at Reynisdrangar, these will give you a good idea of where some Icelandic toll folklore sprang from!

Your tour will then take you through enchanting lava fields and incredible desert sands, formed by enormous glacial floods, knows as Jökulhlaups, as we head east. We continue to Breiðamerkurjökull, a glorious outlet glacier which reaches down, like an icy finger, from Vatnajökull, the second largest glacier in Europe. The magnificent Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon and the nearby Diamond Beach are our next stop. The lagoon is filled with icebergs of all shapes and sizes, as they glide in a dreamlike procession towards the salty waves of the Atlantic. They are often washed ashore at the Diamond Beach, where they shimmer like diamonds on the back sand. You will be amazed at the bright blue tones which glitter within many icebergs, these colors are caused by a combination of factors including ice compression. Ocean birds are abundant and seals can sometimes be seen. Your hotel will be in the Skaftafell area, a great place to test your northern lights luck! If the forecast is good you need to keep an eye on things, will shimmering colors dance across the sky? We can never say for sure, but you don´t want to miss them!

Day Highlights

• Reynisfjara Black Sand Beach
• Balsalt pillars of Reynisdrangar
• Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon
• The Diamond Beach

Included:

• Breakfast at hotel near Vík
• Guided Minibus Tour
• Reynisfjara Black Beach
• Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon
• Northern Lights Hunting (in good conditions)
• One night in a hotel near Skaftafell

Day 3: Glacier Hike and Ice Caving

Today you will explore two of Vatnajökull National Park´s stunning natural jewels:

Accompanied by a certified glacier guide you will explore the mesmerizing world inside an ice cave. Usually, we visit the Crystal Cave in Breiðamerkurjökull, a glacial tongue of Vatnajökull. Other times a different ice cave will be chosen, your guide will choose the cave with the best conditions at the time. Ice caves change a lot, both from year to year and within each winter. Your guide will explain how these caves and the incredible formations in them are formed. Photographers will get a rare opportunity to capture the shimmering blue light which passes through the glacial ice. Surprisingly, deep shades of jewel blue will surround you, these tones are caused by ice compression, the way we perceive light and color, and the blueness can sometimes be intensified by algae.The temperature inside the ice cave is well below the freezing point so please dress accordingly.

Now for glacier hiking! Your guide will give you ice crampons and everything you need to explore Svínajökull glacier. The glacier is dynamic, it is always moving and changing, incredible ice features are constantly being formed. Your guide will explain all about sink holes, crevasses, ice falls and ridges, and how climate change is impacting upon the glaciers in Iceland. Your 45 minutes on the ice will be filled with wonder and fascinating facts. Stand still and you will hear the ice groaning at it moves – on the glacier there is peacefulness but, in a true sense, never complete stillness!

We will return to Reykjavík between 20:00 and 23:00, depending on the conditions. We make some stops along the way, the weather is somewhat in charge, particularly during the winter!

Please note: If the conditions are expected to be better, this tour will sometimes visit an ice cave on day 2, your guide will make the most of the opportunities available.

Remember to bring: Warm layers, waterproof top layer, headwear, gloves, scarves with non-cotton thermal underwear if you have it. Good hiking boots are absolutely essential, it is not possible to fit ice crampons to any other kind of footwear. You can hire good boots from us in the booking process, we do not rent from the locations, so such items must be booked in advance.

Day Highlights:

• Glacier walk on Vatnajökull glacier
• Natural Ice Cave

Included:

• Breakfast at hotel near Skaftafell
• Guided Glacier Hike on Vatnajökull Glacier
• Guided Ice Cave Tour
• Certified Glacier Guide
• Guided Minibus Tour/Return to Reykjavík