Iceland Tours, Iceland Hiking Tours, Iceland Vacations

ICELAND HIKING TOUR HIGHLIGHTS

Hiking though dramatic and unusual scenery, including hot rivers, volcanoes, and Europe's largest glaciers
Glacial lagoon cruise past calving glaciers and massive icebergs
Thingvellir (site of the world’s first parliament), Skaftafell National Park, and the mystical Snaefellsnes Peninsula
Icelandic culture past and present: fascinating Viking history, folklore, and fishing communities

DETAILS

8-day trip begins and ends in Reykjavík, Iceland
7 nights in country and village hotels
All meals included except two lunches

TRIP RATING

Easy to moderate walking and hiking, 4-6 hours per day; 1/2 day sea kayaking and optional horseback riding (no experience necessary)

Iceland is a land of contrasts more dramatic than any place else we’ve visited. Vast lava fields are interrupted by lush moss-carpeted valleys. Giant waterfalls give way to vibrant rhyolite mountains. For the past 1,000 years, descendants of the Norse settlers have carved a tough existence from this unforgiving but beautiful land. The Icelanders enjoy closeness with nature, and their folk tales describe the unseen world of huldufolk, or “hidden people.” They often speak of their fierce Viking ancestors, whose thrilling stories have been carried down through generations in the Sagas. We spend our days exploring the dramatic and otherworldly southern coast and beautiful Snaefellsnes Peninsula, home to Iceland’s most captivating glacier.

Iceland Hiking Tour Overview

Days 1-2: Tour begins in Reykjavík, Iceland. Hiking amid steaming fissures and past tremendous waterfalls, taking a dip in a natural hot river on the way. Board an amphibious boat to explore the bird cliffs of Dyrhólaey. Meet a Skógar historian who shares traditional psalms and a few laughs.

Days 3-4: Visit picturesque Vík. Hike above the endless lava field of Eldhraun at the site of a centuries-old cloister. View magnificent Vatnajökull, Europe’s largest glacier, from one of our favorite trails. Explore an iceberg-filled lagoon by boat.

Day 5: Take a highland adventure via the fjallabak, or “route behind the mountains,” and soak in the views of Landmannalaugur from the comfort of a hot river.

Days 6-7: Explore by hiking across the green plains of Thingvellir, both the historic setting of the world’s first parliament and the best place to view the rift between the Eurasian and North American plates. Enjoy the inspiring presence of the mystical Snaefellsjökull from our well-located hotel. Ride the famed Icelandic horse on the beach at low tide, enjoying the animal’s smooth tolt gait, or hike to a beautifully shaped crater. Sea kayak on a protected bay dotted with islands—ideal habitats for puffins, kittiwakes, and white-tailed eagles.

Day 8: Depart from Reykjavík, Iceland.

Step Away from the Ordinary ~ Iceland Hiking Tour

To feel that you have discovered a new place, and have enjoyed experiences that others rarely have, is one of the great joys of adventure travel. This feeling accompanies us daily as we explore Iceland. Iceland is one of the great undiscovered destinations in Europe, with accommodations that are a charming blend of wilderness, rusticity, and European sophistication. It won’t be like this forever, as its reputation for stunning, unusual scenery, fascinating geology, and cosmopolitan Reykjavík grow. Now is the time to come and experience an Iceland hiking adventure!