Enquire
Our staff will respond to your query promptly and provide detailed information to your questions.
- Premium
12 days - Independent premium self-drive tour in Iceland
Iceland is where glaciers reach for the skies, deep blue mountain lakes fill steep valleys with sharp green peaks on all sides. Come with us to explore these iconic sights of Iceland. This self-drive journey allows you to explore the sights at your own pace and includes countryside boutique accommodation that let you fully recharge for each day’s adventures.
Let hot springs relax and calm you as you take in the spectacular views. This Iceland itinerary can be tailor made to suit your plans.
Highlights include
- Drive the Golden Circle: erupting hot springs at Geysir, Gullfoss waterfalls and Þingvellir National Park
- Stay for two nights between Skaftafell and Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon
- Visit the small village of Fáskrúðsfjörður on the east coast of Iceland
- Whale watching near Akureyri on a silent electic boat
- Stay at the Blue Lagoon to enjoy a soak in the hotel's own private bathing lagoon, not available to the general public
- Day 1
- Arrive Reykjavik, transfer to your hotel and guided tour
- Day 2
- Reykjavik - optional activities such as 'Inside the Volcano' tour or a visit to the Secret Lagoon
- Day 3
- Explore the Golden Circle & Southern Iceland
- Days 4 - 5
- Glaciers & Lagoons of South East Iceland
- Day 6
- Journey further east to the small village of Fáskrúðsfjörður
- Days 7 - 8
- Lake Mývatn - endless possibilities; Viti, cave formations, Game of Thrones sites...
- Day 9
- Whale Watching in the Akureyri region
- Day 10
- Snæfellsjökull National Park
- Day 11
- Soak your cares away at the Blue Lagoon
- Day 12
- Departure day
- Start Place
- Reykjavik, Iceland tours
- End Place
- Blue Lagoon, Iceland , Iceland tours
- Country Visited
- Iceland tours
- Duration
- 12 Days
- Type
- Self Guided
- Suitability
- Easy independent holiday suitable for singles & couples
- Code
- 50DN0155
Details
Transportation
Transfers & self-drive car, Car Skoda Octavia or similar Automatic.
Included
- Transfer from the airport
- Hotel pick-up for car rental
- Guided tour of Reykjavik
- Rental car for 9 days Car type S (Car Skoda Octavia or similar Automatic), with unlimited mileage, CDW insurance and GPS, VIP service
- Best available accommodation outside of Reykjavik in our recommended country hotels with private facilities and breakfast included
- Zodiac tour at the Glacier Lagoon
- Three-course dinner showcasing local ingredients in Blönduós
- 1 night at the Silica Hotel @ the Blue Lagoon, breakfast included
- Whale Watching on day 9
- 24-hour emergency service
- Taxes and service fees
Not Included
- Extra car insurance, such as S-CDW and gravel protection.
- Flight tickets to/from start and end points, any airport taxes, travel insurance, visas, gratitudes and any items of personal nature.
Optional activities can be arranged before you leave. During peak season, they can book out early so please ask us for further details.
Itinerary
Day 1 - Arrive Reykjavik, transfer to your hotel and guided tour
On arrival, you'll be met by your private driver and taken to your hotel. After settling in, meet your guide for a private guided tour, exploring this lovely capital. Be sure to check out the design stores and cool cafes in central Reykjavik.
In the evening you can enjoy a gourmet dinner at one of Reykjavik's many fine restaurants - taste the fresh Atlantic seafood or free-range lamb that Iceland is famous for.
Accommodation
Superior room at stylish boutique hotel located in Reykjavik´s main district.Restaurants
Optional Add Ons
Day 2 - Reykjavik - optional activities such as 'Inside the Volcano' tour or a visit to the Secret Lagoon
Reykjavik is an easy city to explore on foot or bike. Feel the fresh air on your face with a visit to the harbour and perhaps enjoy a food tour of this small capital. If you're interested in experiencing the city's thriving coffee culture, head to the main street, Laugavegur, to enjoy its various shops and cosy cafes.
Optional day tours include the 'Inside the Volcano' or the 'Inside the Glacier' tour which we would recommend booking before you travel.
Meals
1 BreakfastAccommodation
Superior room at stylish boutique hotel located in Reykjavik´s main district.Restaurants
Day 3 - Explore the Golden Circle & Southern Iceland
Pick up your hire car at 9.00am in the morning.
Today is known as driving the Golden Circle: erupting hot springs at Geysir, Gullfoss waterfalls and Þingvellir National Park. The Gullfoss waterfalls are Iceland's most popular and easily accessible from Reykjavik, therefore, rather crowded in the peak season. These two-tiered waterfalls are spectacular and involve a short walk from the car park.
Þingvellir is one of the most frequently visited tourist sites in Iceland where you can become better acquainted with Iceland's history and traditions. You can join guided tours of the site and also find short hiking trails to help you explore Þingvellir National Park.
Tonight, stay in manor house located in the very heart of southern Iceland, surrounded by stunning nature in the tranquility of the countryside. Just under the wide expanses of the Icelandic highlands and in the vicinity of glaciers and volcanoes, overlooking the North Atlantic Ocean.
Meals
1 BreakfastAccommodation
Grand Standard room in a manor hotel of the Golden CircleDays 4 - 5 - Glaciers & Lagoons of South East Iceland
This morning, before departing your manor hotel, for those who enjoy riding horses, there is the option to book a 1-hour easy horseback ride on the gentle pure breed Icelandic horse, around the beautiful surroundings of farm to Írárfoss waterfall.
Spend two nights exploring South Iceland - in a hotel located perfectly for nature lovers. Right between Skaftafell and Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon, you have time to explore two of Iceland's most spectacular natural attractions.
We have included a zodiac boat tour on the Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon during your stay.
Meals
2 BreakfastsAccommodation
Superior roomDay 6 - Journey further east to the small village of Fáskrúðsfjörður
Be surprised by the small village of Fáskrúðsfjörður. The French had heavily fished Icelandic waters since the 16th century and street signs here are in Icelandic and French. There is a French cemetery outside town filled with too few of the many thousands of French sailors who lost their lives in 100-plus shipwrecks, and the former French hospital is now a fine hotel with an excellent museum detailing France’s long history of Icelandic miseries.
This village is on the Iceland's east coast, renowned for magnificent nature and landscape.
Meals
1 BreakfastAccommodation
Superior roomDays 7 - 8 - Lake Mývatn - endless possibilities; Viti, cave formations, Game of Thrones sites...
After breakfast, head north to Lake Mývatn’s eastern shore. On the drive this morning, we suggest you take a detour to Seyðisfjörður and the Gufu waterfall. Stop at the Vök baths for a dip and lunch. Alternatively, plan your day to stop for lunch at Nielsen Restaurant (midweek only).
Continue on to the Lake Mývatn region where you have two days to explore this otherworldly area, a hotbed of volcanic landscapes such as the Námaskarð Pass, the Skútustaðagígar pseudo-craters, the Dimmuborgir lava formations and Mt. Krafla, one of Iceland’s most interesting volcanoes.
End the day at Mývatn Nature Baths (optional) in a pool of geothermal water drawn from depths of up to 2,500 metres, a great way to relax after sightseeing, and enjoy the midnight sun.
Meals
2 BreakfastsAccommodation
Superior room at Icelandair Hotel MývatnOptional Add Ons
Day 9 - Whale Watching in the Akureyri region
Drive towards Akureyri to arrive in time for your Whale watching tour this morning. Duration: 2 hours.
Afterwards, enjoy lunch in the small town centre, or head to the art centre on the harbour for a panoramic lunch before travelling further east.
Tonight, you will enjoy special accommodation with magnificent views across the open North Atlantic Ocean to the Westfjords peninsula beyond, delicious home-cooked meals, and authentic Icelandic hospitality.
A 3-course meal is included with your accommodation, served from 7.30pm.
Meals
1 BreakfastAccommodation
Double room with breakfastDay 10 - Snæfellsjökull National Park
Before departing the region today, an optional experience is to join a Drangey island boat and puffin tour, departing at 10am. Drangey island is a birdwatching paradise. The island is a nesting colony for thousands of seabirds, including puffins, guillemots, gannets, kittiwakes, fulmar, shearwaters along with ravens and gyrfalcons. The island is a sheer-sided palagonite rock approximately 180m high and provides a wonderful view over the whole fjord.
After a quick lunch, drive to the edge of the Snæfellsjökull National Park, the first national park that was established in Iceland, the boundaries of which reach out into the sea. On the water's edge, your hotel this evening is a small boutique hotel with a lovely restaurant & relaxed ambience.
Visit the lovely little country church in Búðir, just a short walk from the hotel. It is extremely picturesque & a well known wedding spot. Activities depending on your time of arrival and departure tomorrow can include golf, horse riding, snow mobile tours & glacier walking.
Meals
1 BreakfastAccommodation
Deluxe room at Búðir HótelDay 11 - Soak your cares away at the Blue Lagoon
This morning, make your way to the Blue Lagoon, the ultimate hot spring experience. Set in the heart of a stunning lava landscape, Silica Hotel is just a ten-minute walk from the Blue Lagoon. The hotel offers its own private bathing lagoon, which is available for hotel guests every day from 09:00 to 22:00.
Meals
1 BreakfastAccommodation
Deluxe room at Silica HotelDay 12 - Departure day
Drive to Keflavik International Airport and return your hire car before flying out.
Meals
1 BreakfastPrice per person. Due to the current volatility of the Icelandic Króna (ISK) and car hire costs, this price is indicative. We are happy to individually quote this tour for you. Hotels are in very short supply in Iceland during the peak of summer. Please contact us early.
30 Sep 2023
30 Sep 2023
Important Information
The accommodation in this itinerary comprises Iceland’s best countryside boutique properties, which are in short supply during the peak summer season Jun-Aug. Booking early is essential. Should our selected properties not be available for your specific dates, we will look for alternatives, which in most cases will mean a downgraded standard.
Please note that the authorities of Reykjavik City has announced changes to the current arrangement for tour bus traffic in Reykjavik City Centre, effective from 15th of July, 2017. The area where buses are not allowed to drive has been increased in size, and locations, numbers and names of the designated bus stops have been changed.
This may affect the pick-up and drop-off locations for your activities and transfers. If you have airport transfers with FlyBus, you will need to carry your luggage (200 metres to 300 metres) to / from the bus stop to your hotel.
Driving in Iceland:
A hire car cannot be driven in the Highlands area. In regards to gravel roads; technically you’re not recommended to take a hire car on gravel roads, but in Iceland you may not have a choice. Some guesthouses are located on gravel roads. Consider getting extra car insurance with gravel protection if it is something that might worry you. Ask us about what car would suit you - as it depends on the time of year and where you want to go!
When driving in Iceland, plan that all your destinations are going to take longer to reach than planned. Most of the time it is because you are going to make unanticipated stops to check out a waterfall, a viewpoint, a museum, or a shop. Sometimes it is also that traffic is just slow, animals may be crossing the road, or there is bad weather. If you build some extra time into your day, you won’t have to be rushing around at the end of the day.
For more Iceland driving rules and tips and to stay up to date on road conditions, check out the Road Conditions website and for all kinds of safety and travel information in Iceland check out the Safe Travel website. Bookmark both of these websites before you start your drive in Iceland.
Gallery








Interactive Tour Map
Enquire
If you want to commit to a booking please use the Book Tour form below.
Travel Insurance
Travel Insurance
Travel insurance is compulsory for all tours with 50 Degrees North. Please ensure that you have this organised as we will need to see proof of this upon issuing your tour documentation. Please contact us for a quote or visit http://www.suresave.net.au/