Iceland Explorer Self Drive Winter

Arrival at Keflavik International Airport. Transfers to Reykjavik are not included in the tour. We would be happy to arrange shared or private transfers for you, so let us know at booking time. If you arrive earlier in the day, you might consider adding a day tour. Wed be happy to make suggestions based on your interests. Tonight, there will be an information meeting at your hotel. Youll meet your guide and travel companions and learn more about the tour. Dinner this evening is at your leisure. Reykjavik offers a multitude of restaurants and/or coffee houses, making dinner a wonderful way to get better acquainted with Icelands capital.


Overnight at Reykjavik



Please note check-in for most hotels begins at 14:00 – 16:00 (2:00pm-4:00pm

Breakfast at your hotel. Your guide will meet you in the lobby of the hotel. Start your adventure by visiting the fascinating Aurora Reykjavik Northern Lights Centre. Youll get a great introduction to northern lights, how they are formed, and the folklore surrounding them. Youll also get tips about how to capture northern lights on film. Continue to the Golden Circle natural wonders. Explore Gullfoss waterfall, a spectacular sight in winter when frozen mid-cascade. Continue to the geothermal fields of Geysir with bubbling mud pools and the high-spouting Strokkur hot spring (and other geysers). Continue along the south shore and stop to admire the waterfalls Seljalandsfoss and Skogafoss before continuing to Dyrholaey and the black sand beaches of Icelands South Shore. Continue to the village of Vik

Dinner and overnight in the Vik area

After breakfast, youll be visiting the southern area of Vatnajokull National Park, named after Europes largest glacier. The total park area covers almost 14% of Iceland, making it the largest national park in Western Europe! Visit the national parks famous Skaftafell area, a site of outstanding natural beauty dominated by several magnificent glaciers. Visit Jokulsarlon Glacier Lagoon, where you can enjoy the breath-taking sight of icebergs floating in the fantastic 180m (591 ft.) deep glacial lagoon (make sure your camera is loaded and ready!) Nearby is the dramatic beauty of the Diamond Beach, where shrinking icebergs settle on the black sands before they drift out to sea

Dinner and overnight in Southeast Iceland or in the Hofn area

Have your breakfast and get ready to enjoy some amazing views today! Drive through Almannaskard Pass, stopping to admire the majestic coastline. Continue to an area of towering mountains plunging vertically into the sea that forms the magnificent East Fjords. Keep your hand on your camera and keep an eye out for wild reindeer, which can sometimes be seen in the area during the winter months. You will also pass villages, each with its own special history and charm. One of these is the tiny village of Breiddalsvik. Here, youll visit the local Beljandi microbrewery and sample some of the beer. Youll meet one of the townsfolk and get a feel for life in a small town. Drive to Egilsstadir town, located near Icelands largest forest and a lake said to be home to a legendary (friendly) monster. Egilsstadir is also getting a name for itself for its excellent locally sourced cuisine, and you will surely enjoy some of it at dinner

Dinner and overnight in the Eastfjords area

Breakfast at your hotel. Explore the empty vastness of the highland desert plateau Modrudalsoraefi, desolate and yet hauntingly beautiful in its winter snows, as you head towards the Lake Myvatn area. On the way, stop at Dettifoss, Europes largest and most powerful waterfall. Continue onwards to Namaskard Pass with its boiling mud pools and vibrant colors. We often feel like we are visiting another planet when we come here, and you may the same way. Its such a surreal experience! Please note: The visit to Dettifoss waterfall depends on weather and road conditions and cannot be guaranteed. Explore the natural beauty of the Lake Myvatn area, including the pseudo craters at Skutustadir and the Laxa Salmon River. You will probably see why this area, especially during the wintertime, has been so popular for movie makers

Dinner and overnight stay in the Myvatn area

Start the day by exploring the peculiar lava formations at Dimmuborgir after your breakfast. The name means “Dark Citadels” in Icelandic, and they certainly look as though were built by fantasy creatures. There are local legends that elves live here. Visit the magnificent Godafoss waterfall, one of the most important symbols of North Iceland. Afterward, drive to Akureyri, the colorful northern “capital” of Iceland. The town has charming buildings and a beautiful view of the Eyjafjordur fjord. After spending some time in Akureyri, continue along the coastal roads of Eyjafjordur and the Troll Peninsula. This is a beautiful drive along steep mountains with amazing views over the Arctic Sea and the black sand coastline. Enjoy a stop in Siglufjordur, a town set in a beautiful fjord of the same name. This town has some of the finest timber buildings in the country, beautifully restored to their original glory. Visit Siglufjordurs award-winning Herring-Era Maritime Museum. The museum recreates the atmosphere of the early 20th century when Siglufjordur was transformed into a frontier-like boom town, thanks to a large migration of herring. The museum will transport you back to that exciting time. Afterward, head along majestic mountains and narrow passes to Skagafjordur, considered to be one of the finest places in Iceland for horse breeding

Dinner and overnight in Northwest Iceland

Breakfast at your hotel. Today, you will enjoy an introduction to the unique Icelandic horse breed with its special fifth gait, the tolt. Icelandic horses are very important to the countrys history. These gentle horses are known as the Icelandic peoples most faithful servants. Continue towards the village of Blonduos, built on both sides of the river Blanda. This is a part of Iceland known from the Icelandic literary work Vatnsdaela Saga. Cross the Holtavorduheidi plateau, taking you into West Iceland. Drive through Borgarfjordur, a region that has been getting international recognition for its diverse landscapes and its Viking history

Dinner and overnight stay in the Borgarnes area

Post breakfast, visit some of West Icelands beautiful natural wonders. Drive to Deildartunguhver, the most powerful hot spring in Europe. Stop to admire the beautiful Hraunfossar waterfalls, where brightly blue water rushes through black lava formations. Nearby is Barnafoss, a waterfall with a brilliantly blue color. Drive through the scenic and mountain-lined Hvalfjordur fjord to Lake Thingvallavatn, Icelands largest lake, and Thingvellir National Park. This UNESCO heritage site is where the worlds oldest continuing parliamentary government was founded in the 10th century. It is also the place where the North American and European tectonic plates meet. You will have the unusual experience of walking between two continents! Afterward, head to Reykjavik for a last night in the colorful capital city. Your guide will bid you farewell at your hotel


Overnight stay in Reykjavik & Dinner is on your own

Enjoy breakfast at your hotel and drive back to Keflavik International Airport for your car rental drop-off. We recommend departing Reykjavik no later than 3 hours before your flight.