Glaciers, Waterfalls & Hot Springs in Iceland – 8 Days
Experience the incredible natural beauty of Iceland, from the Godafoss and Gullfoss Waterfalls, to the hot springs at Blue Lagoon, to the black sands of Reynisfjara Beach!
Program Summary
This eight-day educational tour of Iceland takes students all over the country for a glimpse of some truly unique and incredible natural phenomena. Students will experience the incredible beauty of Iceland, from the Godafoss and Gullfoss Waterfalls, to the hot springs at Blue Lagoon, to the black sands of Reynisfjara Beach.
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Program Highlights & Inclusions
- Round trip flights to your destination
- Professional driver/guide with your group throughout the tour
- Motor coach transportation throughout your tour
- Two nights Hotel Accommodations near Kirkjubæjarklaustur
- Two nights Accommodation in Reykjavík
- One night Hotel Accommodations on the south coast
- One night Accommodation near Reykjavík
- Admission to the Blue Lagoon
- Admission to Hallgrimskirkja Church Tower
- Visit the National Museum of Iceland
- Raufarhólshellir Cave
- Waterfalls Seljalandsfoss and Skógafoss
- Pearl Museum
- Fly Over Iceland
- Visit the Golden Circle, Thingvellir National Park, Gullfoss Waterfall, Geysir geothermal zone, Friðheimar geothermal farm, and more!
- Reynisfjara Beach
- Time to see Skólavörðustígur Street
- Visit to Víkingaheimar the Viking World Museum
- Admission to the Lava Center
- Vatnajökull National Park & Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon
- Visit the village of Hveragerði
- Reykjanes Peninsula
Daily Itinerary
You’ll depart on your overnight flight to Iceland.
Your flight will arrive at the airport, where you’ll be met by your tour guide/driver.
Your bus will pick you up and you’ll continue your trip.
You will enjoy a delicious and healthy Icelandic welcome breakfast buffet in the museum’s café.
Visit the Víkingaheimar Museum, home of the Viking ship Íslendingur (the Icelander). Built in 1996, Íslendingur is an exact replica of the famous Viking-age Gokstad ship. In the year 2000, an Icelandic crew sailed Islendingur from Iceland to Canada and then on to the USA to commemorate the thousand-year anniversary of Leifur Eiríksson’s voyage to North America.
You’ll begin your drive to the next stop.
You’ll take an elevator 240 feet to the top of the Hallgrimskirkja Church Tower. From the tallest building in Reykjavik, you’ll enjoy a 360 degree view of the city, the ocean and the nearby mountains.
You will have a cash allotment for lunch.
You’ll walk down Skólavörðustígur street, having some time for souvenir shopping and seeing one of the main streets in Reykjavik.
You will have an early dinner in downtown Reykjavik.
You’ll arrive at your accommodation you’ll check in.
You’ll have breakfast and check out of your hotel room.
Today you’ll head out of the city to Þingvellir National Park (a UNESCO World Heritage site) where the world’s oldest parliament met for centuries on the shores of Iceland’s largest lake.
During the day you’ll also visit the community of Laugarvatn. The town is built around three hot springs, and the residents have cleverly harnessed the hot springs for heating, greenhouses and even cooking. You’ll visit a unique outdoor geothermal bakery where sweet Icelandic rye bread is baked in the hot sands.
Continue to the geothermal fields of Geysir with bubbling mud pools and the high-spouting Strokkur hot spring.
Finally, visit the dramatic two-tiered Gullfoss waterfall, a spectacular sight to see. Visit Friðheimar Tomato cultivation and learn how the geothermal energy is used to produce tomatoes and other vegetables all year around. Visit the stable and meet the Icelandic horse and see a demonstration of its 5 natural gaits.
Lunch is included and will be provided en route.
You’ll arrive at your hotel and check in.
You’ll have dinner.
You’ll have breakfast and check out of your hotel room.
You’ll visit the Lava Center, which is an excellent interactive exhibit about Iceland’s active volcanoes and earthquakes. You’ll discover how these natural forces have sculpted Iceland over thousands of years.
You’ll eat your box lunch provided from the hotel.
Next you’ll head out to stop at the spectacular waterfalls Seljalandsfoss and Skógafoss. If trail conditions are right, you might be able to walk behind the ribbon-like Seljalandsfoss falls. Skógafoss is a beautifully shaped waterfall that makes a perfect backdrop for a selfie.
Then you’ll head out to Reynisfjara beach, passing Mýrdalsjökull Glacier on the way. Take a walk on the black sands and admire the extraordinary rock formations and thundering waves of the Atlantic Ocean. Cross Eldhraun, a vast lava field created from a very destructive 18th-century eruption as you head into Southeast Iceland.
You’ll arrive at your hotel and check in.
You’ll have dinner at your hotel
You’ll have breakfast.
Today you’ll explore a world of glaciers! You’ll be visiting the southern area of Vatnajökull National Park, named after Europe’s largest glacier. The total park area covers almost 14% of Iceland, making it the largest national park in Western Europe! Drive through vast sand plains created by glacial outwashes as you head east. Visit Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon, where you can enjoy the breath-taking sight of icebergs floating in the deep glacial waters. Nearby is the dramatic beauty of the Diamond Beach, where shrinking icebergs settle on the black sands before they drift out to sea. Then view Svínafellsjökull, one of the most beautiful glacial “tongues” that are slowly creeping down from Vatnajökull. Visit the national park’s famous Skaftafell area, a site of outstanding natural beauty dominated by several magnificent glaciers.
You will have a cash allotment for lunch.
You’ll have dinner at your hotel.
You’ll have breakfast.
You’ll head out along the beautiful south coast, enjoying a different view of the winter landscapes. Visit the village of Hveragerði, which is one of the few sites in the world located directly in the middle of a geothermal area. Hveragerði is often called “The Flower Village” because of its many flower greenhouses heated by hot water from nearby springs.
You will have a cash allotment for lunch.
Only about a twenty minute drive from Hveragerði you’ll find the Raufarhólshellir cave. Here you’ll don a safety helmet and head lamp before venturing into this 2,000-year-old lava tube. Make sure to wear warm clothes!
You’ll have dinner at a local restaurant.
You’ll arrive at your accommodation and check in.
You’ll have breakfast.
Today you’ll see the Wonders of Iceland exhibit at the Pearl Museum. This is a great opportunity to learn more about Iceland’s natural history and geology in an interactive way, including a visit to a unique man-made glacier cave.
You’ll head to the Fly Over Iceland experience where you’ll enjoy an amazing, simulated flight experience over Iceland’s natural wonders.
You’ll have lunch in Reykjavik
You’ll drive to the Reykjanes Peninsula, where you’ll discover the amazing geological features of the lava-scarred Reykjanes Peninsula, a UNESCO Geopark. You’ll drive through moss covered lava fields until you reach the Blue Lagoon.
You’ll visit the Blue Lagoon, one of Iceland’s most iconic sites. In a country full of natural wonders, this bright blue thermal hot spring is actually man made! Formed by the run off from the nearby geothermal plant, the mineral rich waters of the lagoon shine bright blue because of the silica that the water picks up from the earth on its way to the surface. The silica mud and minerals in the 98 degree water have health benefits for the skin. You’ll have time to relax and enjoy bathing in the lagoon.
You’ll have dinner.
You’ll have breakfast and check out of your hotel room.
You will walk to the National Museum of Iceland, established in 1863. Here you can admire several collections showcasing the history and culture of Iceland.
You will receive a cash allotment for lunch.
You’ll have free time to finish out your time in Iceland – last minute shopping, perhaps?
You will arrive at the airport and check in for your flight.
