Customizable 7 Day Summer Holiday Vacation Package of Icelandic Wonders

On your second day, it is time to leave the city and head into nature. Some of Iceland's most impressive sites are just a short drive from the capital, so pack your camera and put on good shoes before your guide picks you up to explore the area known as The Golden Circle.

Your first stop is Thingvellir National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site where Viking settlers formed Iceland's parliament, Althingi, over a thousand years ago. This national park is also where the European and North American continental plates meet, causing incredible tension that tears the land apart.

This tension creates gorges and fissures in the landscape and one of those, Silfra, is now filled with crystal-clear glacier water, making it a popular snorkeling spot. You can update this day and add a snorkeling tour of Silfra, where you can, quite literally, swim between the continents. Participants need to be comfortable in the water and be able to swim.

Your next stop is the Geysir geothermal area, home to erupting geysers and bubbling hot springs. The hot spring, Strokkur, is the main attraction here, which explodes high into the sky every few minutes. The clay in the area has taken on various mystical colors from the minerals in the boiling water, giving the whole area a strange, otherworldly look.

Your last stop before returning to the city will be the waterfall Gullfoss. This massive waterfall in the glacial river Hvita is one of Iceland's most beautiful attractions, especially when it is crowned by midnight sun in summer.

If you are looking for some thrill today, you can add a snowmobile tour departing from Gullfoss waterfall. You'll be taken up to Langjokull glacier, where you'll zoom across the white expanse on a speedy snowmobile.

Those looking for an equally exciting but slightly slower pace activity can book a horse riding tour and ride around the beautiful Icelandic countryside on an Icelandic steed; you can try out their famously smooth gait for yourself.

Finally, you will return to the city for another night.
 

Today, your guide will pick you up and whisk you out of the city. You'll follow the southern coastline to Vatnajokull National Park, where you will spend the night at the foot of Europe's largest glacier. En route, there will be some spectacular scenery and thrilling adventures.

The first stop today is at the waterfall Seljalandsfoss. This waterfall is a top-rated destination because of its proximity to the Ring Road. It also boasts a remarkable structure, with its water falling from 197 feet (60 meters) fronting a rocky enclave.

This high and narrow feature falls over a small cavern, making it possible for visitors to step behind the stream of water and thus fully encircle the falling springwater.

Next up is another waterfall, equally as beautiful but vastly different: Skogafoss. The Skogafoss waterfall has a wide and powerful cascade that produces a large amount of mist as the water hits the flat land underneath. 
It cascades from 197 feet (60 meters) and 82 feet (25 meters) wide and is one of Iceland's largest waterfalls. On sunny days, a double rainbow forms in the mist.

Towering over the South Coast are two glacier-covered volcanoes, Eyjafjallajokull and Katla. The former famously erupted in 2010, halting all air traffic for a few days, while the latter lay dormant under the ice cap of Myrdalsjokull glacier.

If you want to add some excitement to this day, you can opt for a glacier hiking adventure on Solheimajokull, one of Mýrdalsjökull's outlet glaciers. This adventure offers visitors a stunning view of deep, blue crevasses, frosty mountaintops, and white glacier peaks covered in black ash from past volcanic eruptions.

From there, you'll head to the black sand beach of Reynisfjara, where you'll hear the thundering noises of the North Atlantic ocean as it crashes upon the dark shoreline and smashes into the 217 feet (66 meters) tall Reynisdrangar sea stacks. Keep an eye out for puffins, as they can sometimes be seen nesting in the cliffs nearby.

You'll then continue east until you reach your accommodations in Southeast Iceland.
 

Today, you'll explore what many consider to be one of the most beautiful locations in Iceland, the Jokulsarlon glacier lagoon. The lagoon is the country's deepest, measuring 814 feet (248 meters) deep. Moreover, it is Iceland's largest lagoon, with a surface area of 11.2 square miles (18 square kilometers).

The massive glacier lagoon is filled with enormous icebergs which have broken off a nearby glacier. Interestingly, the icebergs in the Jokulsarlon glacier lagoon are around 1,000 years old. In 1934, the Breidamerkurjokull glacier started retreating, prompting the lagoon's formation. Since the 1970s, the lagoon's size has increased to about four times.

The icebergs lazily float on the calm water towards the ocean. Between these massive bergs, you can often see seals swimming, playing, and hunting for food.

If you visit during summer, you'll see the lagoon's abundant birdlife. Arctic terns and many other bird species are often seen in the area during this season.

If you wish to get a closer view of the icebergs—and are traveling between May and October—you can opt for a boat tour on the lagoon. You'll board an amphibious boat and sail amongst these giant bergs. You are sure to capture some amazing photos on a tour like this.

A short walk away from the lagoon is the Diamond Beach, where smaller icebergs often wash up onshore. They glisten like gemstones on the black sand in the sunlight, creating the perfect backdrop for selfies.

Also known as Breidamerkursandur, Diamond Beach is almost 3,000 feet (900 meters) from the Jokulsarlon glacier lagoon. Its nickname came from the sparkling effect caused by the smaller icebergs that glisten against the sand, resembling small shining diamonds.

After taking many photos in Diamond Beach, you'll head back to the city, where you will spend the night. On the way back, your local guide will stop at some of his favorite places and provide you with insider knowledge of Icelandic nature.

On this day, you can either take it hot or cool.

Your first option is to crank up the heat and join a trip to Thrihnukagigur volcano, where you'll head into the earth to visit the magma chamber of this now-dormant giant. The cavernous space might remind some of a dragon's treasure trove, where vibrant minerals paint a symphony of colors on the stone walls.

Upon reaching the volcano's crater, you'll board an elevator crane that'll take you deep into the magma chamber. Before you descend, the guide will equip you with a helmet, a harness, and other safety gear.

The journey toward the center of the volcano takes about six minutes, covering 198 meters. During the slow descent, you'll marvel at the magma chamber's unique beauty, featuring smooth walls with incredible formations.

Various colors will welcome you as you go deeper into the magma chamber. You'll see vibrant formations in blues, yellows, reds, oranges, and violets. This visual spectacle results from the intense heat and pressure of the volcano's last eruption around 4,000 years ago.

The second option is to keep it cool - quite many degrees colder than you might be used to! Take the day tour to Langjokull glacier, where you'll have the opportunity to whiz across the glacier on a snowmobile before exploring it from the inside and visiting ice halls deep within the glacial blue ice mass.

Before the ride toward the ice cap, you'll wear essential safety equipment such as a helmet, a balaclava, a pair of gloves, and a snowmobiling suit. An instructor will also guide you in operating the snowmobile.

Also in the area is Hraunfossar, a cascade of multiple waterfalls rushing over the lava and melding with the river. Close by is another amazing waterfall, Barnafoss, which tumbles down into the same river.

After the day, you'll either cool down or heat up in downtown Reykjavik. There's always something tasty and fun to occupy your time.

Today, you have the option of exploring the city better or heading back out into the wild Icelandic nature.

For your first option, you can join a tour into the Highlands. You'll board a super jeep that will take you to the Landmannalaugar natural paradise. Nestling in the shadow of the mighty volcano Hekla, the area is known for its beauty because of the colorful streaks in the rocks and cliffs.

Landmannalaugar boasts stunning rhyolite mountains in various colors, dyed greens, pinks, and yellows from volcanic activity. It also has many beautiful natural hot springs you can bathe in.

Also, there is a wide range of activities, such as hiking and some high-quality geothermal bathing in the hot springs that nestle under the rocky hills. Landmannalaugar connects to the valley of Thorsmork by the country's most popular multi-day hiking trail, Laugavegur. Despite this, they couldn't be more different. At Landmannalaugar, very little life grows, and the land is exposed to the highland elements.

For those who love nature and want to see Iceland's less easily reached parts, this is the perfect trip to the ideal place.

If you'd rather relax in the city, you can stay in Reykjavik and get to know the culture better. You could check out a museum or simply do as locals do and hit the geothermal pools to listen to the latest gossip, discuss politics, and enjoy the healing powers of warm water.

If you add on the 24-hour City Card, you will get free access to the Arbaer Open Air Museum and the Settlement Exhibition. You can also enjoy the city's many geothermal pools, the Reykjavik Family Park and Zoo, and other museums and galleries. The City Card also allows you to ride the city's public transport for free.

You could also make your way to Reykjavik's Old Harbour, hop on a boat, and take a whale-watching tour, or, if you prefer, your Blue Lagoon visit could also be placed on this day. Whichever you choose, the day will undoubtedly be a blast.

Now, it is time to pack your bags and say goodbye to the land of ice and fire.

For those who have a later flight and choose to visit the Blue Lagoon today, you will finish off your stay unwinding before you head to the airport. The lagoon is the perfect place to relax as you bathe in the warm, mineral-rich waters as you look back on the incredible adventure you have just taken in the land of fire and ice. 

If your flight is later, there are plenty of things to do in Reykjavik. You could visit Hallgrimskirkja church or Harpa Concert Hall. A highly recommended activity is to walk down Laugavegur shopping street and pick up a souvenir or two.

If you have an early flight back home, we wish you a pleasant journey and hope to see you again.