Arrive to Rekjavik tonight and overnight. If you arrive earlier in the day, allow us to help you arrange for a guided tour of the city or other excursion in the vicinity of Reykjavik. Whale watching, a soak in nearby hot springs, or super jeep tour to the highlands are all options.

Set out from your hotel this morning towards the north, stopping first at Hvalfjörður, the "whale fjord". Get out to stretch your legs and hike to Glymur, the highest waterfall in Iceland measuring 198 m high from the bottom of a canyon. Drive next on to the Deildartunguhver hot spring. The water from this spring heats the village in the region up to 64 km away!  Visit Hraunfossar while you are in the area, a series of waterfalls that emerge between two layers of lava. If you have time, walk also to Barnafoss, a famous waterfall with a sad tale. 

Drive Time: 3-4 hours
Walking Time: 3-4 hours

The first stop today is a hike to the Eldborg crater. Enjoy impressive views at the top of the lava field surrounding this fortress-like hole. Continue on to the Snæfellsnes peninsula, a beautiful and remote area known for its glacier-covered volcano, Snæfellsjökull. The entire south coast of the peninsula is a protected area and sparsely populated, but offers a variety of landscapes such as lava flows, craters, hot springs, and stunning cliffs. Visit the coastal village of Arnarstapi and see basalt columns and natural arches as well as large colonies of seabirds, such as gulls, arctic terns, fulmars, and kittiwakes. Next walk over the lava fields to Hellnar fishing village. Here you can explore Djúpalónssandur, a pebble beach surrounded by rock formations where sailors and fishermen used to test their strengths on three different-sized rocks still lying on the beach today. Overnight in Grundarfjörður this evening.

Drive Time: 3-4 hours
Walking Time: 3-4 hours

Start your day off with a hike along the northern coast. Follow the trail around the little coastal mountain Kirkjufell with steep slopes overlooking the ocean and the nearby Grundarfjörður village. Drive through the fjords in the north, passing through the Berserker lava field and arriving to the small fishing harbor of Stykkishólmur and its old houses. Hike to the top of a small hill overlooking the bay. Admire the sweeping views of the islands and mountains to the south, and hear the history about the man who lived on this fjord, Erik the Red. 

Drive Time: 3 hours
Walking Time: 3-5 hours

Travel east today through the Laxárdalsheiði Pass and then descend into the fjord of Hrútafjörður to see if you can spot any remnants of icebergs from Greenland. Vatnsnes Peninsula is one of the best places for spotting colonies of seals. Drive along the coast making a few stops where you might see them, as well as stop to see the odd-shaped rock of Hvitserkur in the water. Continue east to Skagafjörður and an area well known for its many choirs and Icelandic horse breeding. Here you can opt to visit the popular Glaumbær (or Museum of Arts and Popular Traditions). Drive the rest of the day to Akureyri, considered the 'capital of the north'. Akureyri lies deep within the largest Icelandic fjord and is surrounded by high mountains. The city of 20,000 people boasts unique attractions such as a rich botanical garden containing 400 of Iceland's 950 indigenous plant species.

Drive Time: 5-6 hours
Walking Time: Occasional small walking excursions throughout the day

Today visit the 'fall of the gods', otherwise known as Goðafoss, one of the most breathtaking waterfalls in Iceland. After taking in the scene, continue south to the Lake Mývatn area. This region was created from a large amount of volcanic formations and boasts certain geologic phenomena such as the fissures and lava flows of the Krafla volcano. Spend the rest of the day exploring the various points of interest here. See the explosive crater of Hverfjall, and the silent crater of Viti near Krafla Volcano. Visit Námaskarð with its boiling water holes and the odd formations of Dimmuborgir. The lake shores are also a paradise for orinthologists. Opt to take a soak in the natural baths of Jarðböðin, now known as the Myvatn Nature Baths. 

Drive Time: 1 hour+ depending on sites visited
Walking Time: 5 hours

Hike today in one of the most active volcanic regions in Iceland. The Krafla Volcano and its various fissures erupted nine times between 1975 and 1984. Now it is a hiking adventure with massive black lava fields and fuming steam still dotting the landscape. Continue to the canyon of Jökulsárgljúfur and hike to the most powerful waterfall in Europe, Dettifoss. After admiring the massive display of power, hike next to basalt rocks of Hljóðaklettar and on to the steep Ásbyrgi Canyon. Learn the local lore here about how the canyon was created. Drive through high desert plateau and arrive to Egilsstaðir, the largest town in East Iceland with about 2,000 residents.

Drive Time: 4-5 hours
Walking Time: 4 hours

Drive east from Egilsstaðir to Borgarfjörður. Hike today to the hidden emerald Stórurð Lake which is situated amidst large boulders that sit beneath Dyrfjöll Mountain. Travel back towards Egilsstaðir and on to the long sliver lake of Lagarfljót which is touted by locals as containing a monster similar to the Lochness in Scotland. Next travel further south along the Eastern Fjords where you overnight.

Drive Time: 2 hours
Walking Time: 4-5 hours

Continue further south toward the bay of Lónsvík, located just east of Höfn. The area here is surrounded by rhyolite hills and the small valley of Hvannagil is a stunning scene with many warm fall colors contrasting with the black basalt backdrop. Hike past small lakes nestled in between the mountains. Next take a short coastal hike around Vestrahorn before you continue on to overnight in Höfn.

Drive Time: 3 hours
Walking Time: 4-5 hours

Start traveling west along the southern coast today towards Skaftafell Park. En route, stop at the famed glacial lagoon of Jökulsárlón. Here icebergs dot the surface as they calve off the massive Breiðamerkurjökull Glacier, one of the many outlet glaciers from the Vatnajökull ice cap. Take an optional boat tour on the lake. The lagoon lets out to the sea, allowing for seal visitors along its beaches. Next hike along Múlagljúfur for some breathtaking views of the the canyon, waterfalls, and rock formations. 

Drive Time: 2 hours
Walking Time: 4-5 hours

Spend today exploring the many trails of the beautiful Skaftafell Park that sits at the foot of Europe's largest glacier, Vatnajökull. Here you find lush vegetation with birch, flowers and verdant valleys, and waterfalls all surrounded by mountains and glaciers in the background. Sitting above the park is an enormous glacial mountain, and Iceland's highest peak, Hvannadalshnúkur. Across the black floodplains hikers are rewarded with views all the way out to the ocean. Discover some of the park's highlights such as the Mórsárdalur valley, the Bæjarstaðarskógur woodlands, the Morsárjökull glacier, and Jökulfell hot springs set amidst ice and lava. If you feel up to it, climb the Kristínartindar peak for a view of the park's glaciers from a high vantage point. 

Drive Time: 1 hours
Walking Time: 6 hours

Drive further west today past the village of Kirkjubaejarklaustur for a walk along the Fjaðrárgljúfur canyon. Continue south to Vik and walk the black-sand Reynisfara beaches framed in by steep cliffs and admire the rock columns protruding from the ocean. In June, large colonies of arctic terns can be spotted here. Enjoy a second walk either continuing on to the Dyrhólaey Peninsula or along the Reynisfjall mountain, whose volcanic rock cliffs shelter colonies of seabirds including puffins. Drive further west stopping en route at two main 'must-see' waterfalls, Skógafoss and Seljalandsfoss. 

Drive Time: 1 hour
Walking Time: 3-4 hours

Spend the last day exploring the Golden Circle Route outside of Reykjavik. Start with a visit to Geysir, from which the term 'geyser' originated. Visit also nearby Strokkur geyser which erupts every 8 minutes. Visit Gullfoss, or the “Golden Waterfall,” which creates a wall-like cascade from the Hvítá River. Travel next to the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Þingvellir National Park, a stunning open landscape atop a rift created by continental drift and the original location for Iceland's parliamentary meetings. After the Golden Circle route, return to Reykjavik where you overnight, having completed the entire circumference of the island.

Drive Time: 3 hours
Driving Time: 2 hours

Grab a taxi or shuttle back to the airport in Keflavik today for your return flight home.