3 Day Summer Minibus Tour: South Coast, Glacier Hike & Golden Circle Multi-day tour

Our partner: Troll Expeditions

Description

You will be picked up from Reykjavík, and from there, set out to see Iceland’s most famous route: The Golden Circle. You’ll get the chance to experience everything that the area has to offer, including geothermal areas, waterfalls, and our favorite locals. Geysir Geothermal Area The Geysir geothermal area hosts hundreds of colorful hot springs and two geysers, erupting hot springs. One is called “Geysir” and name giving for all the geysers in the world. Today, however, it erupts very seldom. The other geyser is called “Strokkur” and erupts every 5 minutes up to 40 meters. Gullfoss Waterfall The melting water from Iceland´s second biggest glacier, Langjökull, falls into a deep canyon forming the majestic “Golden Falls”. On a sunny day, you can see the glacier Langjökull in the distance and enjoy a rainbow in the mist of the waterfall, an Instagram blockbuster waiting to happen! Traditional Dairy Farm and Free Ice Cream We visit Efstidalur farm owned by the same family since 1850. This Icelandic family-run business sticks to traditional Icelandic farming culture and focuses on cows and cattle breeding. You will be able to enjoy their tasty farm-to-table dairy products, see the stunning mountain view and see the friendly animals. Tröll Expeditions will invite you to taste the ice cream yourself and meanwhile watch the animals relaxing in the stable. Thingvellir National Park We visit the place where the two tectonic plates, the North American and the Eurasian plate, are moving away from each other. Few places in the world offer a better and clearer view of this massive geographic activity. The biggest natural lake in Iceland is also located at Thingvellir National Park and hosts a great variety of fish and bird life. Thingvellir is also an important place for Icelandic national history. At Thingvellir Icelanders founded their parliament in 930 a.d. where the chieftains had their annual meeting every summer. The name “Thingvellir” translates to “Parliament Plains”. After you had seen all these magical places, you’ll get back on the bus and we’ll take you to the hotel to rest and get ready for the second day of your tour. 

On the second day the adventure begins when with the powerful theatrics of Seljalandsfoss. Bring a raincoat and you’ll be able to make the short hike behind the falls. The scene behind the fall and the trembling ground from the power of the falling water makes for an automatic Instagram blockbuster! Skógafoss waterfall Further east along the coast is Skógafoss waterfall. Skógafoss is an incredibly picturesque sight. Tucked in a little gorge, the river Skógá tumbles down a 60 meter cliff before continuing down the landscape towards the Atlantic Ocean. Alongside the gorge a staircase can take you to the shelf above the waterfall for stunning views. See if you can count your steps on your way up. Glacier Hike in Skaftafell in Vatnajökull National Park We will hike an outlet glacier spawning from the one of the largest glaciers in the country, Vatnajökull. After meeting our highly trained glacier guides and strapping on our safety and glacier equipment, including helmets, harnesses, crampons and ice axes we hike on the ice for an hour and a half. A spectacular experience and opportunity to learn more about this breathtaking and increasingly rare natural phenomena. Skaftafell area has been used as a filming location for many famous TV shows and films, such as Game of Thrones, Interstellar, James Bond, and others… Follow the steps of your favorite characters into the glacier!  

Heading off day 3, you’ll see Jökulsárlón. The glacier lagoon is a 200m deep glacial lagoon fed by Breiðamerkurjökull, an outlet glacier of Europe’s largest glacier. Enormous icebergs come from Breiðamerkurjökull all year round so the lagoon is usually filled with ice that floats south. Try walking alongside the glacier lagoon enjoying the magnificent views and dead silence of Icelandic nature. The Diamond Beach On the other side of the road the icebergs from Jökulsárlón glacier lagoon float into the Atlantic Ocean where they are quickly thrown back to shore by the tide and winds. This black sand beach is full of smaller ice rocks in all shapes and sizes, sparkling like diamonds in the daylight. The ice itself comes in all shades of white and blue forming beautiful contrasts, guaranteed to make your Instagram account pop! Reynisfjara, the Black Sand Beach Later, we visit the black sand beach of Reynisfjara where the Atlantic coastline presents massive waves hitting the unique basalt columns in the cliffs above the sand. Rock pillars in the water and the cliffs of Dýrhólaey are seen in the distance. This area of the south is also a paradise for bird lovers, as puffins and dozens of other unique species nest on top of these cliffs in the summertime from June to August. You have the option of adding the Katla ice cave to the tour which is highly recommended to make your Iceland experience complete with an ice cave by the powerful volcano Katla.

What´s Included

  • Driver guide, pick-up and drop-off from in Reykjavik capital area
  • Small group experience
  • Wi-Fi and Icelandic music on board
  • Accommodation:
    2 nights accommodation with a private bathroom
  • Meals:
    2 Breakfasts
  • Included activities and equipment:
    Jökulsárlón Amphibian Boat Ride
    3 hours glacier Hike with a certified guide
    Glacier equipment: Helmet, Harness, Crampons, and Ice Axe 

What to bring

  • Outdoor clothes according to weather (waterproof out layers are available for rent)
  • Hiking boots (Available for rent)

Additional information

Age limit for Glacier Hike is 8 years old.

Toilet stops: You will have plenty of chances for bathroom breaks and to buy snacks on the way.

Food: We stop at locations like gas stations and small shops where you will be able to buy snacks/sandwiches and drinks.

At lunch time we will also stop at locations where you will find warm lunch options.

For dinner, all hotels have restaurants, so you can choose if you’d like to have dinner there.

Vegan or vegetarian options are offered almost everywhere

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