Iceland: The Land of Fire and Ice

Arrive in Reykjavík
As the Iceland summer sun skims the midnight horizon, sunset melts into sunrise in this country of lush meadows and snow-capped mountains, hot springs and geysers, braided flood plains, frozen lava fields, and glaciers on top of volcanoes.

During your adventure, you’ll get to know your Icelandic guide, who will lead you as you ride ATVs, hike, and ride Icelandic horses. You are also accompanied by an AdventureWomen Ambassador, committed to helping make your experience a fun and personally rewarding adventure, and cheering you on as you reach beyond your comfort zone to take on new challenges in your own unique way!

You’ll be met by your guide at the Reykjavík airport early this morning to start your adventure! If you are arriving into Reykjavík before the official start of the trip, meet your guide at 6:00am in the lobby of the Skuggi Hotel.

Explore 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 and cup of coffee in a local café.

Feel the thrill of riding an ATV through the rugged terrain of the volcanic peninsula. The ATVs are automatic and easy to drive, so no experience is needed, but you need to present your valid driver’s license to be allowed to drive the ATV. You’ll ride through rocky mountain paths towards the summit of Mt. Hagafell, with 360-degree panoramic views. Two women will go on each ATV, and you’ll have a chance to switch drivers halfway through.

Taste Icelandic delicacies and take a short tasting course at a local Icelandic cheese shop. Lastly, you will visit a chocolate factory for dessert!

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 Reykjavík’s many restaurants.
Breakfast, Dinner

Overnight: Skuggi Hotel

Reykjavík to West Iceland
Head out of Reykjavík via the under-sea tunnel, and spend most of your exploring in Snæfellsjökull National Park, enjoying 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. Explore with the other women on your trip on foot for different vantage points in this amazing natural setting.

Enjoy lunch on your own today in a local café.

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.

Leave the park and drive about two hours to your hotel. Enjoy dinner as a group when you arrive!
Breakfast, Dinner

Overnight: Hotel Húsafell 

West Iceland
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.

Stop for a visit with Johanna Bermann at her Icelandic goat farm. In the year 2000, Johanna secured the last four 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!

Visit the beautiful Hraunfossar waterfall, where cascades of spring water flow down the huge Hallmundarhraun lava field and trickle across the rugged landscape.

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 

West Iceland to Flúdir
Drive through the haunting and barren beauty of the Kaldidalur Valley; you will pass four glaciers, then travel through a vast gray desert where ferocious sandstorms can appear in seconds. As the route climbs along the ridge, you’ll get spectacular views of the glaciers.

Your next destination is historic Thingvellir National Park. You will see the spectacular natural amphitheater, 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 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.

Board a super truck and head through the Mars-like landscape to a glacier hut. Put on your snowmobile gear and learn how to operate your snowmobile. Drive off into the amazing glacial landscape. Two women will be on each snowmobile, and there will be a chance to switch drivers halfway through. You will need a valid driver’s license to drive the snowmobile.

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

Overnight: Hotel Flúdir 

Flúdir
Head to the farm Syðra-Langholt, where you’ll get to take an hour and a half ride on the famous, gaited Icelandic horse! Head out on a trail from the farm, and you might even cross a river on your sturdy horses!

From the farm, drive toward the Þjórsárdalur Valley, enjoying a stop at the beautiful Hjálparfoss waterfall along the way. Stretch your legs 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 perfect example of the natural beauty that Iceland has to offer. Enjoy a picnic lunch in an Icelandic forest today.

On your way back to the hotel, stop for a soak in 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 Fahrenheit 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 

Flúdir to Reykjavík
Drive to Tungufell Farm, where the woman of the house is a farmer, artist, and seamstress. She has designed and sewn beautiful examples of Icelandic National Dress and will explain the clothing to you.

Head to Friðheimar, a charming farm where tomatoes are grown in geothermally heated greenhouses. 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. Enjoy lunch at the cozy Greenhouse restaurant.

Drive back to Reykjavík and check into your hotel. For the afternoon, you can either relax, explore Reykjavík, or choose to continue your adventure with various optional tours (at an additional cost), including whale watching or a bike rental, that you can do on your own from the hotel.

If you are interested in taking an optional tour, please let us know, and we can get you information and prices. You will need to choose your tour one month before your trip, and you can pay for it in Reykjavík.

Enjoy a celebratory Farewell Dinner with your new friends to celebrate the end of a fantastic adventure!
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Overnight: Skuggi Hotel

Depart Reykjavík
This morning you will have plenty of leisure time to shop, walk, and sightsee in Reykjavík.

Depart Reykjavík and spend some time 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 late afternoon from the Blue Lagoon Spa. If you are on an earlier flight, you will be transferred to the airport from your hotel in Reykjavík in the morning, unless you decide to stay longer in order to do the Blue Lagoon Spa experience.
Breakfast

Please note: AdventureWomen will attempt to adhere to the itinerary as much as possible. However, certain conditions (political, climatic, environmental, and cultural) may necessitate changes in the itinerary. AdventureWomen reserves the right to alter any itinerary at any time, if necessary. We will attempt to notify participants of changes as far in advance as possible. Costs incurred by such changes will be the responsibility of the participants.