Day 1 Arrive Reykjavik

Arrive in Reykjavik and make your own way to the hotel. No activities are planned tonight, as the tour of the Icelandic countryside starts in the morning of day 2.

Accommodation

Hotel Fron or similar

Meals Included

none

Day 2 Gullfoss – Geysir

First on our program for the day is a visit to the Great Geysir geothermal area. There we will take a look at the areas namesake and its neighbor, Strokkur a feisty geyser which spouts every 5-10 minutes. Close by we find Gullfoss, one of Iceland’s most beautiful waterfalls; in two giant steps the water falls 32 meters into a deep gorge. We continue east through one of the largest agriculture areas. Passing by two very impressive glaciers, a huge sand desert and one of Iceland’s biggest lava fields we reach our hotel where we stay for the next 4 nights.

Accommodation

Comfortable countryside hotel close to the small town of Kirkjubæjarklaustur.

Transportation Times

Driving: 6 hrs total
Walking: 2-3 hrs total

Meals Included

Breakfasts1, Dinners1

Day 3 Skaftafell National Park

Skaftafell National Park is Europe’s biggest National Park. It is composed of natural forest growing between glacial tongues, reaching down almost to sea level - a unique place to visit. We walk through a birch forest up to the Svartifoss waterfall, which is famous for its black basalt columns. On the way we will get fantastic views of Europe’s largest glacier Vatnajökull and Hvannadalshnúkur (2110m), its highest peak. In the afternoon you try an inspiring walk on the glacier. You will be provided with all the necessary gear (crampons and ice axes) to discover the amazing blue world of ice and explore its ridges and crevasses! Return to the hotel

Accommodation

Countryside hotel

Transportation Times

Driving: 2 hrs total
Walking: 4-5 hrs total

Meals Included

Breakfasts1, Dinners1

Day 4 Volcano Laki***

Today we head for the craters of Laki. In 1783 a 25km long fissure opened and lava flew out of 130 craters, devastating huge pasture fields. Clouds of poisonous gases killed over 50% of the livestock on Iceland. This led to a great famine which soon killed about 20% of the population. This was the greatest eruption in Iceland since the original settlement and naturally had a deep impact on the Icelandic population. However, today these craters are mostly covered with green moss which makes a huge contrast to the black and red color of the underlying lava. In good weather we will climb to the top of the the Laki mountain. From there we have a splendid view over all the craters and the ice cap of Vatnajökull. Return to the same hotel.

*** In winter departures the road to Laki can be impossible even for our well equipped 4x4 vehicles. In that case we will discover the lower parts of the lava flows from the volcano and turn to an alternative program in the afternoon.

Accommodation

Countryside hotel

Transportation Times

Driving: 4-5 hrs total
Walking: 3-4 hrs total

Meals Included

Breakfasts1, Dinners1

Day 5 Jökulsárlón – Slaga

Today we head east along the Öræfajökull glacier which covers one of the country’s greatest volcanoes and its highest summit. We then cross great flatlands in front of the huge Breiðamerkurjökull glacier before arriving to Jökulsárlón lagoon with its picturesque floating icebergs. This place has provided the backdrop for many Hollywood films - for example the recent James Bond movie “Die another Day”. We discover a great variety of icebergs of different forms and shapes and the wide range of blue and white colors in the ice. In the afternoon on our way back, we will take a walk at the foot of the Öræfajökull glacier, with fantastic views over the vast sand plains of the river Skeiðará. In 1996 the great glacier outflow from under the Vatnajökull icecap destroyed the longest bridge in Iceland. A huge mass of ice (3000 billion liters) melted and the water reached a flow rate of 55,000 cubic meters per second and covered these huge plains with water. Return to the same hotel.

Accommodation

Countryside hotel

Transportation Times

Driving: 3-4 hrs total
Walking: 4-5 hrs total

Meals Included

Breakfasts1, Dinners1

Day 6 Vík – Hot springs of Ölkelduháls – Reykjavik

On our return to Reykjavik we pass by the village of Vík (Vík í Mýrdal) where we can enjoy a walk on the black beach. The pinnacles of Reynisdrangar are to be seen just offshore. According to legend, the pinnacles were left standing there after two trolls tried to pull a three master ship past the headland, but were caught and petrified by the first rays of sunshine. North of the village Hveragerði, famous for its greenhouses, we enjoy our last walk over to the geothermal area of Reykjadalur where we can enjoy a relaxing bath in a warm stream before returning to the hectic life of Iceland’s capital.

Accommodation

Hotel Fron or similar

Transportation Times

Driving: 4 hrs total
Walking: 3-4 hrs total

Meals Included

Breakfasts1

Day 7 Fly Reykjavik to Ilulissat

Make your own way to the Reykjavik Domestic Airport for a midday flight from Reykjavik to Ilulissat. Meet & greet by an local guide and transfer to the hotel for check-in. After a welcome information meeting we do a guided city walk.

Accommodation

Hotel Icefiord

Meals Included

Breakfasts1

Day 8 Ilulissat

Ilulissat is the third largest town municipality in Greenland with more than 5000 inhabitants. About 4500 people lives in the town Ilulissat, and 500 people lives in the four remaining small settlements: Ilimanaq, Oqaatsut, Qeqertaq and Saqqaq.

300 kilometres north of the Polar Circle, Ilulissat lies beautifully situated close to one of the worlds largest glaciers – Kangia. The glacier produces about 20 million tons of ice each day, all floating into the Ilulissat Icefiord and the Disko Bay. All this ice gives at good basis for fishing for Halibut which is the main occupation in Ilulissat. Due to the unique ice and landscape, the area of Kangia and the Icefiord has been a UNESCO world heritage site since 2004.

You have several days, at the start and end of the trip, in Ilulissat with time to join some of the many optional excursions, which allows you freedom to chose what you want to see and do. You can enjoy helicopter flights over the Icecap and visit remote settlements where fishing and hunting still continues as it has for centuries.

Optional excursions during stay in Ilulissat (see Trip Notes for details):
• The Icebergs of Sermermiut
• Hunter's Settlement - Rodebay
• Midnight Cruise to the Ice Fiord
• By Helicopter to the Ice Cap (operation depend on weather and helicopter capacity)
• Hunter's Settlement - Ilimanaq
• Feeding the huskies
• Whale Safari

Accommodation

Hotel Icefiord

Meals Included

Breakfasts1

Day 9 Boat to Eqi Glacier to watching the calving.

We travel out by boat to Eqi, 5 hours by boat through the Disko bay. Very few places in Greenland are as beautiful as the Eqi glacier, which comes out in a fiord about 80 km north of Ilulissat.

Departure from Ilulissat, in a modern and convenient tourist boats, is early. There is tea and coffee on the way and a light breakfast is served. At around midday, you arrive in front of the Glacier, the boat will stay in front of the glacier for approximately 1½ hour, while we hope to spot some amazing calvings and enjoy lunch.

Around 2pm, we land at Port Victor, the ”harbour” at Ice Camp Eqi. The camp guides will greet and show everybody their huts. Coffee and cake is served and practical information on the area is given. The rest of the day could be spent by joining the excursions that hike to the lagoon, the moraine and the glacier or enjoying the view from the huts.

You do not need to bring all your luggage along for these two days. We recommend that you only pack the most necessary in a day pack, since after arriving in Port Victor you have to carry you own luggage 400 m upwards to Ice Camp Eqi. Remember, however, it can be cold.

Accommodation

Camp Eqi

Meals Included

Breakfasts1, Dinners1

Day 10 Hiking opportunities at Camp Eqi

There are several options for hiking here to view all the angles of the Eqi Glacier. From the huts you can join an optional group hike around the small lagoon at the southern end of the glacier. There are often large flocks of geese in the lagoon in the breeding season. The hike goes further up the moraine where we can look down into the enormous cracks in the glacier few meters away from us. From here you will also get an overview of a large part of the 70m high glacier-front and see the impressive calvings from the glacier.

Accommodation

Camp Eqi

Meals Included

Breakfasts1, Dinners1

Day 11 Boat to Ilulissat

Today we travel back to Ilulissat by boat across Disko Bay.

Around 15 species of whale are regular visitors to Greenlandic waters, but only three of these - the beluga whale, the narwhal and the bowhead whale - remain in Greenland during the winter. Whale species such as the blue whale and killer whale are only rarely seen. During brief stays in Greenland in the summer season it is, however, usually completely different species that can be seen: the humpback whale, minke whale and fin whale. The humpback, in particular, is wonderful to see as it often comes up very close to the boats.

Rich in capelin for the whales to feed on, the Disko Bay waters are excellent places to watch for sea mammals of all types.

Accommodation

Hotel Icefiord

Meals Included

Breakfasts1

Day 12 & 13 Ilulissat - Optional activities

The next two days are free for optional activities around Ilullissat. There is plenty to do, however, if you wish to book a helicopter flight over the Icecap, please organize this with us before departure.

Accommodation

Hotel Icefiord

Meals Included

Breakfasts2

Day 14 Flight to Reykjavik

You are transferred to the airport in the mid morning for flight from Ilulissat to Reykjavik Domestic Airport where the tour ends.

Meals Included

Breakfasts1