Small Group 7-Day Ring Road Tour with Snaefellsnes Peninsula from Reykjavik

You’ll enjoy breakfast at your hotel on day two before heading to Vatnajokull National Park in southeast Iceland. This primordial area is named after its central ice cap, the largest of its kind in Europe, and provides one of two adventures depending on the season of your arrival.

You’ll start by heading to Skaftafell, a nature reserve abundant in spectacular lava landscapes, birch forests, and river networks and surrounded by glacier tongues. In summer, you’ll enjoy an incredible glacier hike on one of these.

Your guide will supply you with all safety gear, and you’ll get to marvel over jagged ridges, bottomless crevasses, walls of snow, and stunning views of the reserve.

In winter, you’ll forgo the glacier hike for an ice-caving adventure under the Vatnajokull glacier. Such a trip feels like it takes you into a fantasy world. The caves boast blues so vivid that they defy the imagination, and the way the light refracts as it enters is breathtaking. Their scale and textures are also similarly impressive.

Ice caves are only accessible between November and March, making this exclusive excursion extra special.

No matter your adventure, it will be an unforgettable experience. Having completed it, you’ll continue to another fantastic location in Vatnajokull National Park, the Jokulsarlon Glacier Lagoon. Many travelers describe this as Iceland’s most beautiful destination due to the abundance, color, and size of the icebergs that fill its waters.

Walking along the shoreline is a mesmerizing experience, and you may even see seals swimming and resting at the site.

Once you have enjoyed the magnificence of Jokulsarlon, your guide will show you the Diamond Beach, a black-sand coast that marks the final resting place of the bergs when they finally escape the lagoon. It is easy to see how the shore got its name as you marvel over the glistening ice.

After an incredible immersion into Vatnajokull National Park, you’ll head to a hotel in South East Iceland.

On the third day of your week-long trip around Iceland, you'll have the rare pleasure of exploring the Eastfjords. Few travelers make it this far from Reykjavik, meaning you'll see fewer tourist crowds than in other regions.

The views of the fjords to your right and highlands to your left are breathtaking, providing constant entertainment as you travel from site to site. Wildlife is also abundant here, as you have a chance to see seabirds, seals, reindeer, and even whales.

On day three, you'll stop at beautiful villages such as Djupivogur, a small, traditional fishing village home to just over 1100 people. Here you'll see a dramatic black sandy beach with crashing waves and, if visiting during the summer months, a wide variety of birdlife.

You can also see the famous Eggs of Merry Bay artwork, large egg sculptures placed along the bay to represent the native birds of eastern Iceland.

You'll also be taken to natural sites such as Lagarfljot, a lake steeped in folklore.

Afterwards, we will spend the rest of the day in the Wilderness Center, a truly unique sanctuary, unlike anything else in Iceland. On the edge of the highlands, it feels like a step back in time. Old farmhouses, restored with care, let you experience how life once was here. Whispers of the past echo through the valley, tales of resilience and adventure in a land where nature reigns supreme. Discover the stories etched in the weathered timbers and hear the voices of those who came before.

You will be able to access the museum’s exhibitions free of charge during your stay.

As the day draws to a close, immerse yourself in the soothing waters of our Viking-inspired hot spring. Let the natural warmth melt away your cares as you gaze up at the star-studded sky. The bathhouse is built in an authentic style, with a traditional hot spring made from stones, just like the ones our ancestors used

You'll end your day having an opportunity to hunt for the northern lights at night around your accommodation.

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Prepare to be awestruck by the raw beauty of North Iceland! Your journey begins with a scenic drive along the edge of Vatnajökull National Park, offering glimpses of the untouched highlands. First, descend into the hidden wonder of Stuðlagil Canyon, where basalt columns frame a glacial river of mesmerizing hues.

You will also visit Möðrudalur farm, which happens to be the highest inhabited place in Iceland. 

Consider a rejuvenating soak in the Myvatn Nature Baths, where geothermal waters offer relaxation amidst snowy landscapes.

Then you head to the Myvatn area, a spectacular place of geological and geothermal wonders. You explore the Hverfjall crater, the Dimmuborgir lava fortress, the barren Namaskard Pass, the pseudo-craters of Skutustadir, and the shores of Lake Myvatn. In the summer, you can see many wildflowers and birds, while in winter the waters will be beautifully frozen.

You then visit Godafoss waterfall, an incredible feature with a fascinating history. In A.D. 1000, the lawspeaker of Iceland threw his idols of the Old Norse Gods into the waters of Godafoss. He then began the conversion of Iceland to Christianity to avoid invasion by the zealous Norwegian king.

Finally, you go to your accommodation on the breathtaking fjord of Eyjafjordur bay.

You'll drive through Akureyri, the capital of North Iceland, on the morning of day five of your week, exploring this spectacular country. There may be time to make a short stop before continuing to explore the more remote attractions of the country's north.

You'll start your adventure in the north by traveling up the beautiful Eyjafjordur, the longest fjord in Iceland, and you'll enjoy some fabulous views of the surrounding natural landscapes.

The first destination today is an unforgettable whale-watching adventure. North Iceland is one of the world's best destinations for seeking out the gentle giants of the deep. Dolphins and porpoises are abundant throughout the year, and in summer, humpback whales and puffins can be seen on almost every trip.

You might even spot some rarer sea creatures such as orcas, belugas, and blue whales.

Once you've returned to dry land, you'll continue around the Trollaskagi peninsula to Siglufjordur. This village is one of the most spectacularly situated in the country and was once known as the herring fishing capital of the Atlantic.

Its historic buildings provide a traditional, welcoming ambiance, and you'll get a feel for what Icelandic life is like here.

You'll then tour the Trollaskagi peninsula, a region renowned for its coastal views, far-flung settlements, and abundant horses. Icelandic horses are gentle, intelligent creatures that you may have the opportunity to stop and greet. They're well known for being more friendly than other types of horses.

You'll end your day in the charming rural landscapes of Laugarbakki, where your accommodation for the night will be a country hotel. Laugarbakki is a perfect spot for hunting for the northern lights during winter.

Once you’ve enjoyed your complimentary breakfast on the morning of your sixth day in Iceland, you’ll begin your two-day exploration of the sites of the west. Today, you’ll focus on the features immersed in the geothermal, rural landscapes around Borgarfjordur.

Borgarfjordur was voted one of the best travel destinations by Lonely Planet in 2016, so it’s an area not to be missed during your trip to Iceland.

You’ll start by taking a short hike up a dramatic volcano crater named Grabok, where you’ll enjoy marvelous views of the surrounding lava and a great perspective of the volcano’s depths.

From here, you’ll continue to Deildartunghver, the highest flowing hot spring in Europe. The water here is a fantastic example of Iceland’s geothermal power as it heats houses and supplies hot water throughout the region. There is even a spa adjacent to it that utilizes its energy.

Next, you will travel to the neighboring waterfalls of Barnafoss and Hraunfossar. Despite their proximity to each other, they couldn’t be more different.

Barnafoss is stark, powerful, and dramatic, and its folklore is steeped in tragedy. Hraunfossar is peaceful and gentle, pouring through a forest of Icelandic birch, a tree considered holy to the Old Norse.

The final stop of your journey today will be a cultural one. The village of Reykholt is renowned as the home of Iceland’s most important historian, chieftain, and writer, Snorri Sturluson, and you’ll learn all about his dramatic life as you explore the surroundings.

You’ll also get to see one of the oldest geothermal bathing pools in the country, which he used to use almost a thousand years ago.

In the evening, you’ll retire to a welcoming hotel near Borgarfjordur. Tonight will be your last opportunity to catch the northern lights if you’re traveling in winter, so keep an eye out!

The final day of your week-long circumnavigation of Iceland will have you tour the breathtaking Snaefellsnes Peninsula and complete the Ring Road back to where you started in Reykjavik.

This region is nicknamed ‘Iceland in Miniature’ because of its abundant attractions, many of which you will get to explore in-depth during this tour. You’ll see its craggy cliffs, black sand beaches, glaciers, and mountains.

The traditional seaside village of Arnarstapi is first on your schedule, where you can marvel over incredible coastal geology, such as the Gatklettur rock arch. You’ll also get to see the windswept 19th-century church in the abandoned settlement of Budir, surrounded by the stark natural beauty of the area.

Djupalonssandur is a black sand beach framed by spectacular cliffs. There are four historic boulders on the beach that sailors used to lift to prove their strength and suitability to the sea. Try picking one up to see how you would have fared. You can also see the remains of a British trawler, shipwrecked here in 1984.

Kirkjufell is a church-shaped standalone mountain renowned for its photogenic beauty. Thanks to its spectacular appearance, it is featured in the TV series Game of Thrones.

However, the most famous and impressive site on the Snaefellsnes Peninsula is Snaefellsjokull. This magnificent glacier covers a twin-peaked volcano and is surrounded by a national park of the same name. This feature’s shape, scale, and gleaming white ice are breathtaking, and mystics have long claimed it has magical properties or alien connections.

Once you have toured around the incredible features of the park and peninsula, your guide will drive you back to Reykjavik, where the tour ends. You can spend the final leg of your journey rewarded by the knowledge that you have managed to pack an entire week with the most incredible attractions Iceland has to offer.