Iceland: A Mother-Daughter Adventure

Saturday, June 15, 2019 – Arrive in Reykjavík
After meeting as a group for the first time at the airport, you will be met and welcomed by your Icelandic guide, and transferred to the northern-most capital in the world, Reykjavík.

Go on a sightseeing tour on the Reykjanes peninsula, with its vast lava fields and geothermal activity. Go from the bridge between the continents to the Reykjanes Lighthouse, situated on the breathtaking coastline, and then to Grindavik harbor for a welcome breakfast in a local cafe.

Breakfast is followed by a thrilling (one hour) ATV ride through the rugged terrain of the volcanic peninsula. Quad biking in Iceland is a fun activity, and the ATVs are automatic and easy to drive, so no experience is needed. The ride takes you through various lava-fields and the old harbor. You’ll ride through rocky mountain paths towards the summit of Mt.Hagafell, with 360 degree panoramic views and be able to see the Blue Lagoon, volcanic craters, and Mt.Fagradalsfjall.

Visit Hafnarfjörður town, one of Iceland’s most important ports long before Reykjavík was even a village. It is picturesquely located among craggy lava fields, and has a thriving port and fishing industry. Learn about the “hidden people”, the elves and dwarfs, who are so closely knit into traditional Icelandic history.

Enjoy a city sightseeing tour of Reykjavík by bus as well as a local food walk through the Old Harbour area. You will taste Icelandic delicacies and take a short tasting course at a local Icelandic cheese shop. Of course, you will also visit the Farmer´s market, an Icelandic design company and clothing brand, connecting heritage and modernity.

Check-in at the hotel this afternoon for a well- deserved rest after a busy day! Dinner is on your own tonight in the hotel, or in one of Reykjavik’s many restaurants.

Breakfast, Lunch

Overnight: Skuggi Hotel

Sunday, June 16, 2019 – Reykjavík to Reykholt
Head out early this morning and drive under the sea tunnel to the Snæfellsnes peninsula.

Spend most of your day driving and walking in Snæfellsnes National Park. You’ll get stunning views all along the way. Declared a National Park in 2001, the area has an astonishing variety of natural landscapes, including moss-covered lava fields, pebbled beaches, and rugged cliffs.

Enjoy lunch on your own today in a local cafe.

Board a boat for an unforgettable trip on Breiðafjörður Bay where you will cruise between countless islands populated by millions of birds. On the way back to shore, you will see fishermen returning with their catch of the day.

Drive about two hours from the park to your hotel. Enjoy dinner as a group.

Breakfast, Dinner

Overnight: Hotel Húsafell

Monday, June 17, 2019 – Reykholt
Start today with a thrilling experience, going by snowmobile at the top of Langjökull glacier and into a man-made ice tunnel, which takes you right into the blue ice. A once-in-a-lifetime experience!

Enjoy lunch on your own today at a local restaurant.

Stop for a visit with Johanna Bermann at her Icelandic goat farm. In the year 2000, Johanna secured the last 4 hornless goats in Iceland, then on the brink of extinction, and bred them back to a sustainable population. She established the Icelandic Goat Conservation Center, and there are now over 800 Icelandic goats in the country!

Arriving in Reykholt, you will visit the Snorrastofa Museum. This fascinating and excellent museum is the best place to learn about Iceland’s rich history of saga events, characters, and writing.

Visit a local brewery at Steðji farm. This is a fun way to get to know Icelandic beer culture, see how beer is brewed, and taste the delicious, local, glacier-water-brewed beer.

You will end the day by soaking in the Krauma Spa at Deildartunguhver, the largest natural hot spring in Europe. Drawing on the geothermal reserves of the area, it pumps out a staggering 180 liters of boiling water each second, and the billowing clouds of steam created by this mighty fissure are truly impressive.

Breakfast, Dinner

Overnight: Hotel Húsafell

Tuesday, June 18, 2019 – Reykholt to Flúdir
Visit the largest and most spectacular Lava Cave in Iceland this morning, Cave Víðgelmir. Hailed as the mightiest of Iceland’s caves, its diversity and grandeur is unrivaled. Just shy of 5,250 feet, the cave features amazing colors and lava formations that lurk in the depths of the earth.

Drive through the haunting and barren beauty of the Kaldidalur Valley along the “notorious” mountain road. You will pass four glaciers, then travel through a vast gray desert where ferocious sandstorms can appear in seconds, transforming what was once a clear vista of majestic ice caps and volcanic sands into an impenetrable cloud of grit and dirt. As the route climbs along the ridge, it affords spectacular views of the glaciers.

Your next destination is historic Thingvellir National Park. You will see the spectacular natural amiptheater, where almost every important moment in Iceland’s history has taken place. Today Thingvellir is still regarded with reverence by Icelanders, its historical weight reinforced by a serene natural beauty. Thingvellir sits right on top of the Mid- Atlantic Ridge, and you can clearly see the dividing plates and the lake-filled-valley that has developed between the plates.

Continue on to the Great Geysir hot spring area and Gullfoss Waterfall (the Golden Waterfall), two of Iceland’s most famous sights. Although the Great Geysir itself has been inactive since the 1960s, its neighbor geyser, Storokkur, fires off a 30-meter-high spout every few minutes.

Dinner tonight is at the hotel, with local slow food specialties!

Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Overnight: Hotel Flúdir

Wednesday, June 19, 2019 – Flúdir
Head to the farm Syðra-Langholt, where the young couple Arna and Steini and their team await you for a super ride on the famous, gaited Icelandic horse! We ride for 1.5 hours on a good trail from the farm and might even be crossing a river on our sturdy horse.

From the farm we drive toward the Þjórsárdalur valley with a stop at the beautiful Hjálparfoss waterfall. We leave our car at the Viking ruins (Stöng) and walk along to the paradise valley Gjáin. Gjáin is a tiny valley with lots of small picturesque waterfalls, clear, tranquil ponds and amazing delicate volcanic structures. It is a beautiful sample of everything Icelandic nature has to offer.

Enjoy a special picnic lunch in an Icelandic forest.

On our way back to the hotel we soak into the natural hot springs of the Secret Lagoon. The pool’s steam rising into the air gives it a magical feeling, and the temperature of the hot springs water stays at 100-104 degrees Farenheit all year round. Changing rooms with showers are on site.

End this wonderful day with an amazing lobster feast at Restaurant Mika, where they specialize in “… a culinary journey of famous lobster dishes and handmade chocolate.”

Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Overnight: Hotel Flúdir

Thursday, June 20, 2019 – Flúdir to Reykjavík
After breakfast and check-out from the hotel, go by bus to Friðheimar, a charming farm where tomatoes are grown in geothermally heated greenhouses, and the farm also breeds and raises prize winning Icelandic horses! Here you’ll see a beautifully arranged Icelandic horse show with music and Icelandic flags. Lunch is on your own today at the cozy Greenhouse restaurant.

Drive just one hour back to Reykjavik and check into the hotel. For the afternoon, you can either relax, or choose to continue your adventure with various optional tours (at an additional cost), such as whale watching, that you can do on your own from the hotel.

Enjoy a celebratory and festive Farewell Dinner to celebrate the end of a fantastic adventure!

Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Overnight: Skuggi Hotel

Friday, June 21, 2019 – Reykjavík and Depart
This morning you will have plenty of leisure time to shop, walk, and sightsee in Reykjavík.

Depart Reykjavík at noon and spend the rest of our afternoon at the famous Blue Lagoon, for a soak in the warm, mineral rich waters of this surreal outdoor spa.

Lunch is available at the Blue Lagoon, optionally served in the lagoon on floating tables, or in the dining room.

For those on Icelandair flights, which leave early evening, you will be transferred to the airport at 2pm from the Blue Lagoon Spa. If you are on a Delta flight, which departs in the morning, you will be transferred to the airport from our hotel in Reykjavik in the morning, unless you decide to depart the following day in order to do the Blue Lagoon Spa experience.

Breakfast