-Guide to Iceland 8-day Minibus Tour was easy to book. The single room supplement was only $200 extra. Communication after booking was minimal, I got a little nervous about that. But if I emailed, it was responded to promptly. Our tour operator was Aurora Hunters.
-Our driver/tour guide, Carlos, picked up me (and one other person) at Bus Stop 8 (Hallgrimskirkja). Can’t miss it, it’s the tallest building in Reykavik. It was 45 minutes late, but it was due to circumstances beyond his control. He picked up two other people at a different bus stop, and we were on our way. The mini bus is a new comfy Mercedes with wifi, luggage holder in tow. Carlos (and later some of the guys) loaded and unloaded the heavy bags each day. Carlos is a wealth of knowledge about Iceland. He was on time each morning and greeted us at breakfast with a smile. He called each of us for the Northern Lights if they were visible. The weather was cooperative, and we saw the Northern Lights THREE times! Very lucky. He took a picture of each of us separately with the Northern Lights in the background and sent to us. He certainly went above and beyond his job description. Thank you Carlos!
-I cannot say enough about this beautiful country. We had beautiful weather. I opted to take all excursions, except for the horseback riding. Geysers, waterfalls, black sand beach, lava fields, 100-year old moss, Diamond Beach are all beautiful.
-The Ice Cave Tour and leader (forgot his name, began with K, sorry) were interesting. The monster truck ride to get us to the ice cave was fun but stunk of diesel fuel the whole time. It was a small ice cave, and I couldn’t get a picture without a person in it. But, no matter, it was still cool.
-The highlight of my trip was the Glacier Hike on Sólheimajökull. Donned with crampons, pick axes, harnesses, and helmets, we set off on a 3.5km hike. Hard to believe we were walking on ice for 3.5km. Nico was a great guide, very knowledgeable and concerned for our safety.
-The boat ride to Whale Watching at Akureyri was pleasant, though cold, and we really had to hang on when walking the decks because it was iced up. We did however see one whale’s whole tail. No big dives. Bring waterproof pants, you will need them for glacier hike, whale watching, and ice cave.
-Another cool outing was a trip to Kaffi Ku, a fascinating dairy farm where the cows are actually pampered. Waffles, cream, fresh milk, jam and coffee were included in the price.
-There is a lot of driving involved, so it could get boring, but the scenery was so beautiful I was not bored. Good time to take a nap too if you want to be up and alert for the Northern Lights. On the long drives, Carlos would stop on the roadside (if allowed) and let us take pictures. Easy check-in at all hotels. All were well-appointed, all beds were comfortable, and I got 7 good nights of sleep. Hearty breakfasts and coffee every morning were included in price … the homemade breads were delicious. And Fosshotel Myvatn was especially gorgeous! Hotel restaurants can be expensive, so Carlos stopped at the petrol stations or at Bonus, Kronan or Netto stores on the way to each hotel. Bring a plastic fork, knife and spoon, and some plastic bags. The stores charge 30-40 kronas for each!! You cannot find a bad cup of coffee in all of Iceland … for a price of $3.50 a small cup!!!
- The day of the Myvatn Nature Baths was snowing and freezing. We put on our swimsuits and ran thirty feet through the cold and snow into the warmer water. If you go into the baths in the winter, wear a hat or your ears will freeze. However, Guide to Iceland deemed that the water was not warm enough for its tour participants, so we were all given a refund for the Nature Baths! Very nice touch!
-The Lava Cave tour was ok, but no big deal. We were equipped with a helmet and a flashlight (to see where we were stepping), as we descended down a 52-step spiral staircase. One person had to go back up because she was claustrophobic. If you have a headlamp, bring it, much more convenient. I did not skip it because I had never seen a lava cave before. The last day of the tour was to Snafellnes Peninsula. It is so pretty, especially with all the snow. Our tour ended as the sun was setting on a clear day.
-A few stops to drop off people before my drop off. Great pictures, great time, great memories!