Compare Iceland: Reykjavik & the Golden Circle by Go Ahead Tours vs Iceland: See & Experience it ALL in 9 Days, 1st Class Custom Tours by Charlie The Traveler
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| Trip |
5 | Excellent
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5 | Excellent
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| Duration | 6 days | 9 days |
| Price From | Check price | $ 3,675 |
| Price Per Day | Check price | $ 408 |
| Highlights |
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| Trip Style | Group tour | Private guided tour |
| Lodging Level | Standard | Luxury |
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| Flights & Transport | Ground transport included | Ground transport included |
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| Meals Included |
4 Breakfasts, 1 Lunches and 2 Dinners |
Breakfast is included on Day 6. We do our best to ensure you are being offered healthy and tasty local cuisine. |
| Description |
Inhale fresh Icelandic air; discover geysers and waterfalls; tap into the restorative powers of the northern isle. Your home base is Reykjavik, famed for progressive thinking and high standards of living. From here, you can see the best of Iceland, including the enticing Blue Lagoon, the inspiring Golden Circle and the otherworldly beauty of South Iceland. |
You absolutely will not find another tour out there as packed with activities and attractions as this one, provided by CharlieTheTraveler. You will also not find another tour out there that offers it all ""FIRST CLASS,"" yet for a relatively low price. We have thousands of travelers taking this specific tour every year-and that's because no competitor can beat us on quality, price and substance. Below are just some examples of what you will see and do on this tour:
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Day 1: Travel day
Board an overnight flight to Reykjavik.
Reykjavik 4 nights Hotel info
Day 2: Arrival in Reykjavik
Meals: Dinner
Welcome to Iceland! Get a feel for Reykjavik, often called the greenest city on Earth, with your Tour Director leading the way.
- See the Höfôi House, Perlan Restaurant and the presidential residence at Bessastadir
- Visit Hallgrim’s Church and the University District
- Pass the Old Town Center, Parliament House and modern City Hall
- Glimpse the artwork of Ásmundur Sveinsson and Einar Jónsson, both famous Icelandic artists
Join your fellow travelers for a welcome dinner this evening.
Day 3: The Golden Circle
Meals: Breakfast and Lunch
- Leave the bustle of Reykjavik behind as you travel the Golden Circle, a ring of some of Iceland’s most magnificent natural wonders.
- Stop at Thingvellir National Park to see the Althing, an open-air governmental assembly that was established in 930 and continued to meet until 1798
- Explore the Great Geysir Geothermal Area, located in the Haukadalur Valley
- Discover Gullfoss, or the Golden Waterfall, a natural wonder and the most powerful waterfall in Europe
Day 4: The South Coast
Meals: Breakfast
Embark on an excursion to the South Coast, a lowland region of lush farmland, striking waterfalls, beaches, glaciers and picturesque villages.
- Stand behind the impressive Seljalandsfoss waterfall
- View the Eyjafjallajökull volcano
- Marvel at the beauty of the Sólheimajökull glacier (weather permitting)
- Walk on the South Coast’s black sands
Day 5: The Blue Lagoon
Meals: Breakfast and Dinner
Spend the morning exploring on your own or add an excursion.
This afternoon, travel to the Blue Lagoon, a famed geothermal spa known for its restorative properties.
- Float weightlessly in the ethereal light-blue waters
- Choose to purchase therapeutic spa treatments and massages
- Say goodbye to your group at a farewell dinner this evening.
Optional Excursion - Whale Watching Cruise $85pp* Details
Day 6: Departure
Meals: Breakfast
Transfer to the airport for your flight home.
Day 1: Whale Watching & Colorful Skies
From mid-May to mid-October, our tour starts in Iceland's second most visited city, Akureyri. Get ready to go on a whale watching tour. From late October to early May, whale watching is done instead in the capital that is Reykjavík. From September to early March, also included is a night tour to an area where we see the northern lights.
Day 2: A Lake Created by Lava & Geothermal Eruptions
As a land daytrip from Akureyri (mid-May to mid-October) or a flight daytrip from Reykjavík (late October to early May), we are taken on a tour to Goðafoss Waterfall, Lake Mývatn, a geothermal area called Hverir and Dettifoss Waterfall. Goðafoss waterfall has a height of 12 meters over a width of 30 meters. Lake Mývatn was created by a large basaltic lava which erupted 2,300 years ago. The surrounding landscape is dominated by volcanic landforms, including lava pillars. Dettifoss is reputed to be the second most powerful waterfall in Europe.
Day 3: Approaching a Caldera & Bathing in a Crater or Iceland’s Best Bar Lagoon Accompanied with a City Tour
Today’s destinations and activities depend on the season. From mid-May to mid-October, as a daytrip from Akureyri, we first hike Askja Caldera and then visit a crater called Viti, the latter of which offers a pond where we go bathing. From late October to early May, we go bathing at a ‘fashionable’ geothermal spa called Sky Lagoon, located near to the capital. We are also provided with a tour of the capital.
Day 4: Why They Call This Area the ‘Golden Circle’
From mid-May to mid-October, we relocate from Akureyri to Reykjavík. From late October to early May, we are not based in Akureyri. Instead, we are still based in Reykjavík. Either way, today we are doing the so-called ‘Golden Circle’ as a daytrip from Reykjavík. Destinations include Gullfoss Waterfall, Geysir/Strokkur geyser and Þingvellir National Park (a.k.a. Thingvellir National Park). Gullfoss is 32 meters tall and features not 1 but 2 drops. Geysir’s eruptions can hurl boiling water up to 70 meters in the air. Þingvellir is notable for its unusual tectonic and volcanic environment in a rift valley.
Day 5: One of the Ten Most Beautiful Beaches on Earth & Thundering Waterfalls
We leave Reykjavík and start the journey along the southeast coast. Highlights for today include Seljalandsfoss Waterfall, Skógafoss Waterfall and the Reynisfjara Black Sand Beach. We end up lodging in the Skaftafell area. The Seljalandsfoss Waterfall drops 60 meters. Visitors can walk behind the falls into a fascinating cave. Skógafoss is one of the biggest waterfalls in the country, with a width of 25 meters and a drop of 60 meters. Reynisfjara was ranked by National Geographic as one of the ten most beautiful non-tropical beaches on Earth.
Day 6: Huge Icebergs, Exploring an Ice Cave & a Surreal Shoreline
Although today we head to Thorsmork Valley, many destinations are visited en route. They include Skaftafell Nature Reserve, Jökulsárlón Glacial Lake, the natural ice cave at Vatnajökull National Park and Diamond Beach. Skaftafell’s landscape is similar to some of the Alps. The difference is Skaftafell has been formed over thousands of years by different influences of fire and water. Jökulsárlón Lake provides outstanding views of icebergs which rise to a height of 910 meters. Jökulsárlón has been a setting for four Hollywood movies: (1) A View to a Kill, (2) Die Another Day, (3) Lara Croft: Tomb Raider and (4) Batman Begins. Vatnajökull’s ice cave contains canals for water which run through or at the bottom of the glacier. Diamond Beach features icebergs which float onto the shore from Jökulsárlón.
*Note that the surreal looking Svartifoss Waterfall is sometimes-but not always-included on today’s tour. It depends on many factors, including the weather. Also, note that the ice cave is not open June through September. It is open only during the winter season.
Day 7: A Hiker's Paradise
Before returning to Reykjavík, we hike around Thorsmork Valley. The highlights are Seljalandsfoss Waterfall, Stakkholtsgjá Canyon, Nauthúsagil Canyon and Gígjökull Glacier. This is arguably the best area in the country from where to go hiking.
Day 8: Mud Pools, Hot Springs & Blue Waters
From Reykjavík, we make a daytrip to the Reykjanes Peninsula: Lake Kleifarvatn, a geothermal area called Krýsuvík, Gunnuhver’s mud pools and hot springs and the Blue Lagoon. Krýsuvík consists of several geothermal fields. Here solfataras, fumaroles, mud pots and hot springs have formed. The soil is colored bright yellow, red and green. Nearby are several craters which were created by the explosions of overheated groundwater. The Blue Lagoon, one of the most visited attractions in Iceland, is a geothermal spa. There we enjoy bathing inside the warm water.
Day 9: Our Tour Ends Today
Transportation will be arranged for you to reach the airport in Reykjavík.
