5 Day Winter Minibus Tour: Blue Ice Cave, Snæfellsnes, Golden Circle, South Coast & Northern Lights Tour

Today your two day sightseeing of the west begins. You will go from Reykjavik to exploring lava fields, waterfalls, lava caves, white and black beaches and much more.

On your way from Reykjavík you will drive along mount Esja that looks over the whole city of Reykjavík. Soon you will enter the scenic fjord of Hvalfjörður (whale fjord). Once you are out of Hvalfjörður you will enter another fjord, Borgarfjörður.

The first attraction of the day is Europe's most powerful hot spring, Deildartunguhver, where bailing water is bubbling from the ground, you will feel the heat from the hot steam. Next stop is Reykholt, one of the most important historical locations in Iceland. This was the home of Snorri Sturluson who was one of the most significant figures of the Middle Ages. After leaving Reykholt you will see two waterfalls, Hraunfossar and Barnafoss. Hraunfossar is a series of rivulets that stream through the dark lava field. Barnafoss waterfall is a light blue waterfall that rushes through a narrow gorge.

You will stay the night in Borgarfjörður area. Since this is a winter tour, you will have a chance of experiencing the northern lights if the weather and northern lights forecast allows.  

Today you will explore the magical peninsula Snæfellsnes. The first stop of the day will be Gerðuberg cliffs, from there you will go to Ytri-Tunga white sand beach. White beaches are not common in Iceland so this is a really interesting stop. Then it's off to Arnarstapi with its magical coastline. This area is surrounded by basalt ravines and caves, you can see the Atlantic ocean rushing against the dramatic cliffs.

Next stop will be Djúpalónssandur, black pebble beach. Yo get to the beach you will have to walk through a maze of free standing lava pillars.

Throughout the day you will have Snæfellsjökull glacier watching over you. Snæfellsjökull was used as the entrance to the center of the earth in Jules Verne's classic sci-fi novel. You will actually have the change of entering the center of the earth through Vatnshellir cave if you fancy.

The last but not at all least stop of the day is the most photographed mountain in Iceland, Kirkjufell.

Today you will be 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. 

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. 

A  stunning volcanic crater with a lake in the middle which formed in an eruption 3,000 years ago. Some believe that it was formed in a vast explosion. The more likely theory is that the volcanic cone collapsed into its own magma chamber after the eruption finished. Kerið is the perfect location to learn more about Icelandic geological history and observe a mind-blowing natural wonder 

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! 

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”. 

The adventure begins with he 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! 

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. 

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! 

The journey continues with a super jeep ride to explore the ice cave. We recommend wearing waterproof hiking boots that cover your ankles and have hard sole. Iceland’s nature is dominated by glaciers and it is only possible to explore them with a certified guide and safety equipment. Your guide will share with you his expertise about the ice caves, allowing you to truly appreciate this amazing natural phenomenon – spoiler alert… it will be blue. 

Arriving at our hotel in the Southeast, you will move into your room, have dinner and then meet your guide for further information about the Northern Lights. If the sky is clear and the forecast is good your guide will walk out with you in the vicinity of your hotel a good spot to hunt the famous Aurora Borealis 

The first stop of the day is Jökulsárlón glacier lagoon, 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. 

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! 

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.