| Starts | Reykjavik, Iceland |
|---|---|
| Ends | Reykjavik, Iceland |
| Region | Europe |
| Duration | 8 days |
| Tour Operator | Peregrine |
Itinerary
Day 1
Reykjavik
- The tour starts today in Reykjavik. The guide will arrange a group meal for the evening.
Day 2
Reykjavik Sightseeing
- ReykjavÃk is a modern city with an excellent variety of restaurants, museums, galleries, cozy bars and coffee shops and a wonderful new concert hall on the Habour side, the Harpa. As the world's most northerly capital and the only city of any size in Iceland, Reykjavik is home to more than one third of Iceland's population but small enough to get to know well in just a few days.
- During your city tour you will see the old town centre and other sites including Höfði house which was the site of the 1986 Iceland Summit, the Harpa concert hall and HallgrÃmskirkja Church (whose steeple is a ReykjavÃk landmark). This afternoon and evening you will be free to explore.
Day 3
Akureyri and Lake Mývatn
- This morning we will take the short flight to Akureyri where you will be met by our local guide. On the way to the hotel, you will have a guided tour that will introduce you to the North of Iceland, only a few kilometres from the Arctic Circle. On the way you will stop at the beautiful waterfall Goðafoss, a wonderland for nature enthusiasts and bird watchers.
- Lake Mývatn is surrounded by lava fields, volcanoes and mountains, with weird volcanic formations in Dimmuborgir (Dark Citadels), pseudocraters and underground caves with geothermal water (Grjótagjá).
- After lunch at your hotel at Lake Mývatn you will visit Hverarönd mud pools with its steam jets and boiling sulphur pits, Dimmuborgir lava field.
Day 4
Activities and Aurora
- You are free to enjoy a range of optional activities available in the area or simply enjoy this beautiful region. There are a number of walks that can be made from the hotel around the southern shores of the lake on which you can take in the pseudocraters and volcanic cones in the area.
- Dinner will be available at the hotel at an additional cost, after which your astronomy guide will host a number of lectures and discussions related to the Aurora discussing both the science and mythology attached to them. He will also be keeping an eye on the sky and if the Northern Lights appear will ensure we all head out to view their beauty.
- For those who want to finish the evening with some relaxation there is an outdoor hot tub from which you can also view the night sky.
Day 5
Husavik and Nature Baths
- You will be taken on a tour that introduces you to the locals. You look at hydro-electric power station, see time past at the old turf farm and folk museum at Grenjadarstadur. The drive to Husavik, a small fishing village, and pay a visit at the Whale Museum. The tour gives you a great view on the Icelandic way of life, past and present.
- On the return you will stop off at the Mývatn nature bath for a luxurious swim in a pool of geothermal water drawn from depths of up to 2,500m. Containing a unique blend of minerals, silicates and geothermal microorganisms, the waters are beneficial to skin and spirit alike. Aurora watching in the evening.
Day 6
Activities and Aurora
- Today you are free to enjoy a range of optional activities available in the area or take a walk in the volcanic landscape. There are some interesting birds to see in the region including the Barrow’s Goldeneye which are present around the lake all year and Ptarmigan and Gyrfalcon which are often seen near the hotel. The tephra cone of Hverfjall makes a great walk with superb views across the entire region and down onto the crater.
Day 7
Transfer to Reykjavik
- This morning we transfer back to Akureyri where the local guide will take you on a short city tour before taking you to the airport for your flight to ReykjavÃk where you will be transferred to your hotel for an overnight stay.
Day 8
Tour ends
- The tour will end in Reykjavik today.
