Upon researching Iceland, I came across Guide to Iceland which offers a wide variety of tour packages and vacations. I looked through multiple packages and I finally found one that I believe will suit all of my needs. They have lots of variations which helped me to focus on picking a trip that would include everything I wanted to do. The tour package that I decided fit my needs is titled “8 Day Guided Northern Lights Winter Tour of the Complete Ring Road of Iceland”. Currently, the trip is priced to start at $2,042.
Itinerary
Day 1: The Golden Circle
Thingvellir National Park - One of only three national parks in Iceland
Geysir - Geothermally active area where visitors can see the hot spring Strokkur, spurting out boiling water every five minutes or so
Gullfoss - One of Iceland's most iconic waterfalls
Day 2: The South Coast & Glacier Hike
Traveling down the South Coast of Iceland
Glacier hike on Solheimajokull
Black sand beach of Reynisfjara
Day 3: Jokulsarlon & Ice Caving
Jokulsarlon glacier lagoon - One of the most iconic spots in the whole of Iceland
Ice cave - Between November and March, you'll see a cave in Vatnajokull glacier, if you come at other times of the year, you'll see the glacier Myrdalsjokull
Day 4: The Eastfjords
One of Iceland's most spectacular and untouched wilderness regions
Stops at forest Hallormsstadaskogur, the lake Lagarfljot, the sweeping fjords of the East, and several charming fishing settlements
Additional cost: Horse riding tour through the beautiful snowy countryside - $92 per person
Day 5: Lake Myvatn & Dimmuborgir
Additional cost: Bask in the geothermal waters of the Vok Baths - A spa immersed in a serene lake near the town of Egilsstadir - $46 per person
Lake Myvatn - Features dramatic volcanic scenery
Godafoss - Waterfall rich in history and beauty
Akureyri - Town full of museums, shops, and cafes
Day 6: Whale Watching and North Iceland
Visit the peaceful and picturesque village of Hauganes and stroll on the black sand beach
Whale watching tour - Try and spot Humpback Whales, Minke Whales, Harbour Porpoise, White Beaked Dolphins, Orcas, and Blue Whales
Day 7: Snaefellsnes Peninsula
Gerduberg - A stunning cliff made of hexagonal basalt columns
Ytri-Tunga - White sand beach, has seal colonies lounging offshore
Black pebble beach of Djupalonssandur - To get to the beach you will have to walk through a natural maze of free-standing lava pillars
Kirkjufell mountain - Picturesque and featured in Game of Thrones
Day 8: West Iceland
Deildartunguhver - Europe's most powerful hot spring, where boiling water bubbles up from the ground
Reykholt - One of the country's most historical locations
Hraunfossar and Barnafoss - Stunning waterfalls
Additional cost: Vidgelmir - A spectacular tunnel beneath the landscapes of West Iceland, renowned for its breathtaking formations and sculptures of ice - $55 per person
Below is the link to the Iceland tour information
The tour group does not recommend starting your tour on your arrival day nor departing from Iceland on the day that your tour ends. With this in mind I would plan to arrive a day earlier to allow travel time to the area where my pickup will be the next day for the start of the tour. Likewise, I would end my trip with an extended full day. With this extended full day, I would book a hotel for two nights, one for the night that the tour ends and one for my full extended day. The next day after my full extended day would be my departure day home. During my full extended day, I would visit the Blue Lagoon and explore the city of Reykjavik.
Below is a link to a Blue Lagoon day trip
Below is a website that lays out different transportation options to/from the Keflavik International Airport to/from Reykjavik. I like the FlyBus option because of its flexibility and pricing.
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