Iceland Explorer

We head east to the foot of the infamous Eyjafjallajokull Ice Cap; this area was heavily affected by ash fall during the eruption of 2010 and a great deal of ice was melted by the boiling lava. The glacier feeds many beautiful waterfalls and we visit two of them: Skogarfoss and Kvernufoss. Both have rushing water dropping 60m, and in the case of Skogafoss, this wall of water rushes down in a 25m wide sheet, providing quite a spectacle.
Continuing east, we cross the black flood-plain of Solheimasandur, before reaching the green valley of Myrdalur and continuing to Dyrholaey. This dramatic 120-metre high promontory is the southernmost point in Iceland. It is rich in birdlife, and a nesting site for Puffins and Arctic terns in spring. If we are lucky we might see whales and seals from the promontory on calm days. We continue further east to Vik, Iceland's southernmost town, a great place from which to see the Reynisdrangar needles. Then it is further across Myrdalssandur flood plain and then Skeydararsandur flood plain. Both created by the countless floods created by volcanic eruptions over time. We head for Vatnajokull NP with Europe's largest ice cap, Vatnajokull and it further on to the famous Glacier Lagoon at Jokulsarlon where thousands of icebergs are separating from the country's largest glacier and are floating in the pale green sea-level lagoon. We take a walk beside the lagoon for excellent views and if conditions allow can head down to the black sand beach where chunks of ice are washed back up onto the shore by the sea, creating some wonderful shapes and formations. We then continue further east with the steep mountains of Vatnajokull on one side and the exposed south coast on the other, to our accommodation

Heading inland and west we pass through the starkly contrasting desert scenery of the North East Highlands and follow the track that takes us north to Jokuldalur valley and to Studlagil Canyon, one of the most beautiful canyon of Columnar basalt in Iceland. Then its on to Saenautasel farmstead short distance away. Saenautasel was left abandoned due to have ashfall shortly after the volcano Askja erupted in 1875. From Saenautasel we drive enroute Modrudalur to the enormous Dettifoss Waterfall. This is Europe's most powerful waterfall, bizarrely set in an arid area of sand and rock formations. Our journey then takes us on to the Krafla volcano area to explore the craters and lava from the eruptive period of 1975-1984. We hike into one of the craters and look at the strange textures of cooled magma splatters and rich colours of the mineral deposits. From Krafla we head for our hotel at Lake Myvatn.

A free morning in Akureyri. Akureyri is a town of some 17,000 inhabitants and is the biggest town outside the capital. It is the cultural, commercial and educational centre for northern Iceland and is 60 km south of the Arctic Circle. Whale watching tours depart regularly and there are a number of great museums to visit. This northerly town is also remarkably green and has the northernmost botanical garden in the world. The Lutheran church in Akureyri is an interesting visit, featuring a stained-glass window above the altar that has its origins in England.

As with most towns in Iceland there are also thermal baths, enjoyed as much by the locals as by visitors, and if you just fancy a wander, there are plenty of interesting shops, coffee shops and even ice cream parlours. If you don’t want to relax and explore town then an optional whale watching tour is possible in the morning.

We leave Akureyri and drive around the Troll Peninsula, via few fishing villages on the peninsula. We stop at the magnificent outdoor swimming pool at the village Hofsos and go for a quick dip. This remote geothermal swimming pool has some of the best views in the country over the Skagafjordur bay. We head further south and stop at Borgarvirki, an old Viking fortress. The Citadel is a columnar basalt fortress and a volcanic plug. A little further south we head into Vididalur valley and make a short stop at beautiful waterfalls in Kolugljufur canyon, named after a giantess, once said to live in the area. From Koluglufur we head for our hotel close by.

The exposed coast of the of Snaefellsnes peninsula is the goal for today, and this area has recently been designated a National Park. We visit the old church at Budir, one of the most picture tic on in the country.  Sea cliffs at Arnarstapi swarming with birds, to the rocks of Djupalonssandur and the sites of old shipwrecks in the black basaltic sand. Our guide will tell us about the old cod-fishing methods from open boats in the bountiful seas and towering above us is the volcano - Snaefellsjokull. Some of the best fisheries are of the peninsula and whales can often be seen from shore on calm days. We pass through fishing villages on the peninsula and head to one of the most photographed mountains in Iceland Mt. Kirkjufell. After kirkjufell we start heading back to the capital.