Self-Drive Comfortable Road Trip

Fly to Iceland and collect your rental car on arrival at Keflavik International Airport. Dive into the geothermal waters of the Blue Lagoon before heading south to your first accommodation. A visit to the Blue Lagoon geothermal spa could be a good start on your stay in Iceland. Guests renew their relationship with nature, soak up the scenic beauty and enjoy breathing the clean, fresh air while relaxing in the warm geothermal sea water. Please note that admission to the Blue Lagoon needs to be booked ahead, and entrance is not included in this offer. On the roundtrip in Iceland you will also find other geothermal pools to visit. First night in Reykjavik.

Enjoy a day in the small charming city of Reykjavik. With a vibrant city with good cafes, restaurant and bars, you will surely not be bored. Icelanders are fashion conscious and if you like shopping you can enjoy a wide selection of shops in the old town area. Reykjavik also offers several warm swimming pools for both adults and kids. Reykjavik have a good amount of museums and activities you can enjoy, as well. 

Today the journey starts by with a drive north. If you enjoy a good hike, there is a 4-hour hiking path in the deep end of Hvalfjordur. The trail takes you to the fantastic Glymur waterfall, which has an incredible drop of 198 meters. Do not forget sturdy shoes if you take the hike and you may have to cross a small river on the way. Stop at Deildartunguhver, Europe's largest geometric hot water source. It produces 150 liters of boiling water per second! The steaming water testifies to the inner forces of the earth. You will find Krauma Spa by Deildartunguhver. Visit Reykholt, the place of Snorri Sturluson, Icelandic author and poet who lived in Reykholt in the 1200's. He is most famous as a writer of Heimskringla, Norse Kings Sagas. Nearby Reykholt, you will find Husafell. Here you have the opportunity to join a tour to Langjökull glacier and into a manmade cave on the glacier. Just by Husafell, you will also find the beautiful waterfalls Barnafossar and Hraunfossar. Accommodation in Borgarfjordur area.

From Borgarfjördur we drive to Snæfellsnes peninsula, which has some of the country's most famous natural and historical landmarks. Ever since the Viking era, the robust lava landscape at Snæfellsnes has inspired stories of supernatural, mystery and magic. Some believe that there are "forces" in Snæfellsjökul glacier and claiming that the area is one of the seven largest energy centers on earth. Some of the highlights of the 90 km peninsula are the beautiful yellow sandy beaches, the glacier Snæfellsjökul and green mountain areas. Make sure you stop at Hellnar with the small café by the old farm, Arnarstapi, Djupalonssandur, Búðir and the black pebble beach in Dritvik. Visit the cave Vatnshellir and by Grundarfjörður, you will find the most photographed mountains in Iceland, Kirkjufell. 

Continuing over the Laxárdalsheiði highland plateau, you reach the Skagafjörður region in the north-west of Iceland. The Skagafjörður area features a number of intriguing sights. This region is particularly famous for breeding the world-renowned Icelandic horses. Nearby is Saudakrokur and the fascinating folk museum at Glaumbær. There are possibilities for horseback riding on Iceland horse, hiking tours and if you want more excitement, there is river rafting. In Víðidalur near Hvammstangi, you will find the beautiful Kolugljúfur canyon with its stunning waterfall Kolufossar. In this area, you will also find the amazing cliff Hvítserkur on the Vatnsnes Peninsula. Vatnsnes is an area of varied animal life, and it is here that we find the largest and most accessible seal sanctuary in Iceland, where the common seal (Phoca vitulina) can be seen at quite close range. The ring road (711) round Vatnsnes is about 90 km and is mostly dirt road. Drive to Akureyri area and here you will have a stop for 3 nights.

In Siglufjörður, you will find The Síldarminjasafnið herring museum is the largest marine and industrial museum in Europe. It is housed in three widely differing premises where the visitor can become acquainted with the pursuit of the "silver darlings" and the processing of that valuable commodity. By the harbor, you find nice restaurants. Siglufjörður was the set of a Icelandic crime TV show, Trapped, that took viewers by the storm in whole Europe. In same area of Siglufjörður, you find the small village Árskógssandur, where the only Beer Spa in Iceland is located. It stands next to Kaldi brewery, the oldest Micro Brewery in Iceland and has a small and beautiful restaurant for you to enjoy. Tour to the Beer SPA is also available with bus from Akureyri. The town of Akureyri is located on a stunning fjord and this colorful town is famous for its relaxed atmosphere and charming botanical gardens - a rare sight indeed in this land of volcanoes. Akureyri is the second biggest town in Iceland.

Drive the Diamond Circle route to pass through the truly impressive landscape of the north. Explore the area around Lake Mývatn. This is a lovely and intriguing area of pseudo-craters, steaming fissures, lush green plains and amazingly varied birdlife. Couple of highlights by Mývatn are the lava “town” of Dimmuborgir and geothermal area Námaskarð. Continue your journey around the dramatic Tjörnes Peninsula to Húsavík, Ásbyrgi, and Jökulsá Canyon and on to Europe’s most powerful waterfall Dettifoss. With a width of 100 meters and a drop of 45 meters, it is a spectacular sight and you can feel the earth shake when you stand by the fall. Ásbyrgi is a horseshoe shaped valley with nice hiking opportunities, as well as a beautiful little lake in the middle of the valley. Take a trip to the fishing village of Húsavík, where you can join a whale-watching excursion. Húsavík is known for being Europe's whale capital, and there is a great chance to see whales if you participate in whale watching. The trip out with the beautiful wooden boats gives you a wonderful experience at the sea overlooking the majestic north coast of Iceland. Visit Godafoss, the impressive “waterfall of the Gods” on the route to Akureyri.

You can enjoy the Akureyri city in the morning or start the next journey by visiting the Blue Lagoon of the north, Nature baths at Mývatn. From Mývatn you drive through the uninhabited and desert-like areas of the Möðrudalsöræfi to visit the attractions in the east. The next accommodation will be around Egilsstadir. Explore the area of Egilsstadir and Hallormsstadur. Hallormsstaður National Forest is located about 25 kilometers inland from the town of Egilsstaðir. It is one of the larger forests in Iceland, covering 740 hectares, and includes the only village in Iceland that is located in a forest. Here you find over 40 km of marked trails and footpaths. From Egilsstadir to Hallormsstadur you find the 25 km long lake Lagarfljót. Make sure you look out for the Icelandic Loch Ness Monster, or Lagarfljótsormurinn called by the locals. The first reports of people seeing the monster was in 1345 and it has been documented ever since. In 2012, a video was posted online that supposedly showed the monster swimming in the lake. One of the most popular hiking sites you find nearby Hallormsstadur. It will take you about 40-60 minutes to walk to the beautiful waterfall Hengifoss. The waterfall is 128 meters and surrounded by basaltic strata.

Enjoy the day in Egilsstadir Area. You can take a drive to Borgarfjördur Eystri area on the coast about 70 km from Egilsstaðir and known for its great natural beauty. Borgarfjörður Eystri is famous for the good hiking trails named "Víknaslóðir" leading to the deserted fjords and coves. The area has become a hiker´s paradise with local people marking numerous trails, comfortable hiking huts and a good hiking-map. The marked trails range from 1 hour to a full day. It is possible to walk to the hill "Álfaborg" where the queen of the Icelandic elves allegedly resides with her court. Take the time to visit the fjord Eskifjordur, which some consider to be the most beautiful fjord in Iceland, with old red wooden houses situated on the seafront.

From Egilsstadir/Hallormsstadur, you head off through the long valleys of the Eastern Fjords. Geologically this is the oldest parts of Iceland. An area of fjords, steep mountains, majestic mountain peaks, rich bird life and ancient memories. You can stop at the stone museum of Petra in Stöðvarfjörður, which is a private collection of Icelandic minerals. In Djupavogur you will find "Eggene i Gledivik", a stone sculpture consisting of 34 large stone eggs set up by the seaside. There is the possibility of a boat trip from Djupavogur to the island of Papey, which has a rich birdlife. The boat trip is about 4 hours and runs around 13:00 hours. Continue on the road to the fishing village of Höfn where you stay for two nights.

Nearby Höfn is Europe‘s biggest glacier, Vatnajökull, and the extraordinary Jökulsarlon Glacial Lagoon. Without doubt a place worth visiting. You can join a tour by boat on the lagoon or maybe a kayak tour. Make sure to visit the Diamond beach, just by the Glacier Lagoon. Here you will find icebergs from the lagoon who have drifted ashore and created the most magical setting. White melting icebergs on a black beach. Take a tour to the coast outside Höfn, and enjoy the views of the most photographed mountain in Iceland, Vestrahorn on the Stokksnes peninsula.

Right next to the Ring Road is the Skaftafell National Park. The mountains are reminiscent of the Alps, and have been formed by volcanoes, glaciers and water. Skaftafell is an area you can spend a whole day. Go up to the glacier or just for a short trip to Svartifoss waterfall, one of the most popular attractions in the park. Svartifoss is a unique natural gem framed in black lava columns. From Skaftafell you drive through the desert plains of Skeiðarársandur, mainly made of volcanic sands. In 1996 there was a big volcanic eruption in Vatnajökull glacier and melted a lot of glacial ice. It came a big glacial outburst from underneath the glacier and destroyed a part of the main road and bridges across Skeidara River. Monument of this you will find on the way. From the black sand, you will arrive to the green areas of Kirkjubæjarklaustur and Vik. At Vik, you will find Reynisfjara, Reynisdrangar and Dyrholaey. Reynisfjara is a black lava beach that has amazing basalt rock formations. Outside the sea, you can see the basalt-shaped pillars Reynisdrangar. The area has a rich bird life and you will be able to see puffins here. Dyrholaey is a small peninsula at Reynisdrangar. Here you should take pictures of the view. Accommodation in Vik area.

On the way, you will pass Eyjafjallajökull glacier and the area evacuated in the large volcano eruption in 2010. Make sure that you stop by two of Iceland's loveliest waterfalls, Skogarfoss and Seljalandsfoss. Both of those waterfalls have a 60 m drop, but at Seljalandsfoss, visitors can walk behind the falls into a small cave. Remember to take the raincoat with you. In the town of Hella, you find the Lava Center museum with information about the volcanic land of the south. On the way to Geysir area, you will find the natural geothermal pool Secret Lagoon. This pool has been used by the locals for swimming for more than 100 years. Accommodation in Geysir area.

Visit the thundering Gullfoss waterfall and famous Geysir geothermal area, where the geyser of Strokkur regularly erupts and numerous other hot springs bubble and steam. Nearby Geysir area, we can recommend stop at the farm Efstidalur who has a nice restaurant and ice-cream shop. Drive to the World Heritage Site of Thingvellir National Park. This is the location of Iceland‘s original parliament. The park lies in a rift valley that marks the crest of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge and the boundary between the North American and Eurasian tectonic plates. Enjoy views across the clear waters of Lake Thingvallavatn. Option for snorkeling tour on the Silfra rift by Thingvallavatn. From here you return to Reykjavík, to spend some time enjoying Iceland`s young capital. Take a stroll in the old city, with the small colorful houses, shops, galleries and cafes. There are options for city sightseeing excursions and boat-tours from the city harbor, as well as guided walk tours. Visit the beautiful concert house Harpa by the harbor. Laugavegur shopping-street is worth visiting, and you will find the big shopping center Kringlan near by the city center. Enjoy your last evening in the city.

Spend the day as you wish, depending on your return flight. Drop off your rental car at Keflavik Airport.