7-Nights Circle Iceland Tour with Private Driver/Guide — CALL

Reykjavik Arrival & Blue Lagoon
Meet Private Driver & Transfer to Reykjavik Hotel via Blue Lagoon
Welcome to Iceland! After landing at Keflavik Airport, complete customs and immigration formalities before meeting your CIE Tours driver/guide, who will be waiting in the Arrivals Hall. Enjoy your comfortable ride with your knowledgeable driver who will guide you through the popular and hidden gems of Iceland. You will first be escorted to the Blue Lagoon, considered to be one of the wonders of the world. While surrounded by a lava field, relax and rejuvenate in the lagoon's milky-blue, geothermal seawater. Then, your transfer will take you to your Reykjavik hotel.

Reykjavik at Leisure
Enjoy the remainder of the day at leisure in Reykjavik, Iceland's capital city.  There is much to see and do during your stay, from getting a panoramic view over the city at Perlan Observation Deck, to getting a taste of Iceland's various landscapes by visiting FlyOver Iceland, a flight simulated ride.  Or, you can visit the iconic Hallgrimskirkja Church, the largest church in Iceland.  Another option is exploring one of the various museums, such as the Whales of Iceland or Icelandic Punk Museum.  Home to many music festivals, Reykjavik also holds Harpa Concert Hall, a glimmering landmark whose multi-color glass facade was inspired by the country's natural basalt formations.  

Suggested: FlyOver Iceland
Hang suspended, feet dangling, before a 65-foot spherical screen while a film whisks you away on an exhilarating journey across Iceland on this ultimate flying ride. State-of-the-art special effects, including wind, mist, and scents, combine with the ride’s motion to create an unforgettable experience.

Overnight: Fosshotel, Reykjavík
Stay at the Fosshotel, a stylish 16-floor hotel with great city and sea views. Offering a fitness center and restaurant, just a few minutes' walk from Laugavegur shopping street. Haust Restaurant offers guests a fine dining experience and a sleek, modern setting with designer décor. A beer garden and guest lounge are also found on site. 

Sagaland & Akureyri
Private Driver Services Begin
Today your private driver services start. Meet your private driver in the lobby of your hotel at 9:00 AM this morning. 

Sagaland Drive
In West Iceland, drive through the area known as Sagaland, a region rich in folklore, stories, and natural beauty. Most Icelandic sagas were written here and include: Egils Saga, Sturlunga, Laxdaela, and Eyrbyggja. On your drive, pass Borgarfjörður and Húnavatnssýslur. Borgarfjörður, a fjord outside of Borgarnes, is the impressive setting of many sagas and home to the Queen of the Elves. 

Akureyri at Leisure
Enter Akureyri, Iceland’s capital of the North, a charming town and home to 19,000 inhabitants. It is Iceland’s second most populous city and has lots to offer its visitors. You can visit the Botanical Gardens, The Art Museum, local breweries, geothermal swimming pools, or stroll through the historic Old Town.

Suggested: Whale Watching Akureyri
Set sail and witness the unbelievable marine life in Eyjafjörður (Island fjord). Watching the beautiful town of Akureyri shrink behind you, view the sights of the fjord under the commentary of an excellent guide while learning all about the whales and nature of the surrounding area.

2 Night Stay: Icelandair Hotel Akureyri, Akureyri
Stay overnight in the town center of Akureyri, nicknamed the capital of the north in Iceland.  This hotel not only is conveniently located in a former University building, but also overlooks Eyjafjordur, Iceland's longest fjord.  The hotel offers bright and airy rooms, along with a lovely garden, and is walking distance to the town center with restaurants and a nearby geothermal swimming pool.  

Lake Myvatn Highlights
Goðafoss Waterfall
Goðafoss waterfall (meaning waterfall of the gods) is located in north Iceland. It is one of the most spectacular waterfalls in the country. The water of the river Skjálfandafljót falls from a height of 39-feet over a width of 98-feet.

Lake Myvatn Sightseeing
Continue to Lake Myvatn, home to incredible geological features and surrounded by many unbelievable sites due to the remnants of geothermal forces and volcanic activity. Lake Myvatn is a shallow lake with a dramatic landscape, dominated by volcanic land forms, such as pseudo craters and lava pillars in Dimmubrogir. This area also boasts Namaskard, a geothermal area. For relaxation, head to Mývatn Nature Baths, a very popular attraction known for its mineral-rich waters. The idyllic blue lakes and hot pools, sandy mountains, craters, and colorful mud pools make up this incredible setting, and many describe the region as being otherworldly. 

Dimmuborgir
Travel to Dimmuborgir (meaning "dark castles"), a lava labyrinth and a true wonder of nature. The formation of these extraordinary stacks of rocks, caves, and pillars formed from molten lava flowing over a small lake some 2,300 years ago. While visiting, get a glimpse of the trolls who are said to live here! You might also recognize Dimmubrogir from Game of Thrones, where Mace Raider held his wilding army, as it was shot here. 

Námaskarð Pass
Visit the hot spring area of Námaskarð with hot sulfuric mud springs and steam vents. This true geothermal wonder is like a scene from outer space due to the lack of vegetation, bubbling pools spewing steam, and natural black rivers. The elements brought up by the sulfuric steam stain the earth, especially around the springs themselves, causing the soil to be streaked with different colors such as red, orange, yellow, and green. 

Suggested: Mývatn Nature Baths
Relax in the lagoon while enjoying the beautiful scenery at Mývatn Nature Baths. The lagoon is alkaline and rich in minerals, flowing directly from Landsvirkjun's borehole in Bjarnarflag. You may also wish to experience a steam bath in natural geothermal steam, rising through vents in the floor. There is also a cafe on-site to have a fresh, light lunch or dinner.

Husavik & Jokulsargljufur National Park
Husavik Village
Visit the traditional fishing village of Husavik, which has become known internationally as the setting for Will Ferrell’s movie about Eurovision. It is also the place where the first house in Iceland was built, back in the year 860, as well as being the whale watching capital of Iceland. In town, you can explore the Whale Museum and the Exploration Museum, dedicated to mankind’s adventures and travels on earth and in space.

Jökulsárgljúfur National Park
Continue to Jökulsárgljúfur (meaning "glacial-river-canyon"), the northernmost part of Vatnajökull National Park. The parks have separate boundaries, yet they are geographically connected by the glacial river Jökulsá á Fjöllum. With one of the deepest canyons in Iceland at 328 feet, stretching over 15 miles, you may wish to go hiking to enjoy the lush foliage, dramatic cliffs, and elegant waterfalls. The park is known for its series of waterfalls: Selfoss, Dettifoss, Hafragilsfoss, and Réttarfoss.

Ásbyrgi Canyon
Stop at Ásbyrgi Canyon, a horseshoe-shaped glacial depression in Vatnajökull National Park formed eight to ten thousand years ago by catastrophic glacial flooding. With 328 feet high cliff faces, it is thought to be the capital of the hidden people or the elves in Iceland, believed to live in the rocks and cliffs.

Dettifoss Waterfall
Next, visit Dettifoss, a waterfall in Vatnajökull National Park, which is said to be the most powerful waterfall in Europe. Dettifoss is on the Jökulsá á Fjöllum river, which flows from the Vatnajökull glacier, the largest glacier in Europe.

Overnight: Hotel Blafell, Breiðdalsvík
Stay at this charming hotel in East Iceland, situated between black sand beaches and coastal mountain ranges.  This small property boasts cozy rooms, a fireplace lounge, library, wellness sauna, and it's own restaurant.  It's a short walk to the nearest beach, as well as to the local brewery, Beljandi, and the town's Old General Store.  However you chose to relax, this property will rejuvenate you for another day of sightseeing. 

Jokulsarlon Glacier Lagoon & Skaftafell National Park
East Fjords Drive
Travel along the east coast, which is filled with dramatic coastlines, fjords, and small villages. Pass Djúpivogur and Höfn, two quaint fishing villages with plenty of charm to offer. Djúpivogur houses a bird sanctuary and the outdoor art instillation Eggin í Gleðivík (The Eggs of Merry Bay), which represent the native birds of eastern Iceland. Höfn, located at the base of Vatnajökull National Park, offers a variety of outdoor activities and is well known for its local catch of fresh Icelandic lobster. 

Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon
Travel to Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon, a crystal-blue glacial lake dotted with icebergs. Marvel as you witness small icebergs drift out to sea before washing ashore on the nearby jet-black beach Breiðamerkursandur. The beach is nicknamed Diamond Beach for the ice sculptures that glisten in the sun resembling diamonds.

Suggested: Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon Boat Tour
Enjoy an incredible boat trip in one of the world’s most inspiring places, Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon. You will sail among the towering icebergs in the picturesque scenery of Jökulsárlón during this excursion. Keep an eye out for seals, too!

Vatnajökull Glacier
Drive along Vatnajökull Glacier, the largest and most voluminous ice cap in Iceland as well as in all of Europe, covering 8% of the country's landmass (3,127 square miles). It is rapidly shrinking, although it is over 3,000 feet in parts. The glacier is the central feature of the Vatnajökull National park and is a popular spot for activities like glacier hiking, boat tours, snowmobiling, and ice caving.

Skaftafell National Park
Visit Skaftafell National Park, a nature reserve apart of Vatnajökull National Park, to view its breathtaking scenery. Filled with natural, magnificent wonders, the national park boasts glaciers, a snow-capped volcano, the Svartifoss waterfall, and much more in its expansive wilderness area.

Overnight: Fosshotel, Núpar
Fosshotel Nupar offers panoramic views of Vatnajokull’s lava fields, mountains and glaciers. Guests can enjoy Icelandic dishes at the in-house restaurant. The bar is ideal for a relaxing drink in the evening.

South Shore Highlights
Eldhraun Lava Field
Cross the vast and stunning Eldhraun (meaning "fire lava") lava field. Located in the south of Iceland, this field is the largest of its kind (218 square miles), and it was created in one of the greatest eruptions in recorded history, lasting from 1783 to 1784. 

Mýrdalssandur
Pass through the vast Mýrdalssandur. It’s hard to imagine this vast desert once being fertile farmland, but that’s what this area was believed to be. Long abandoned after devasting Katla volcanic eruptions, all that remains is black sand formed from glacial deposits and floods from Mýrdalsjökull. You may be lucky enough to spot bird life and arctic foxes in this region, or, as superstition goes, a ghost or two.

Reynisfjara Black Sand Beach
Discover Reynisfjara’s black-sand beach and rock formations. With its enormous basalt stacks, roaring Atlantic waves, and stunning panoramas, Reynisfjara is widely considered to be the most beautiful example of Iceland’s black sand beaches.

Skogafoss Waterfall
Visit the stunning Skogafoss Waterfall. At 197 feet tall, it is one of the most powerful waterfalls in the country. You can even walk to the top of the fall and see it from the highest point, and a double rainbow is often visible on sunny days.

Seljalandsfoss Waterfall
Journey to the beautiful Seljalandsfoss Waterfall, a narrow but high waterfall plunging over the mountainside of West  Eyjafjöll. A path lies at the bottom of the cliff where it cascades down, offering the opportunity to walk behind the fall. 

Suggested: Lava Centre
Visit the Lava Centre to discover the colossal and complex natural forces that shape the Earth. This interactive, high-tech educational exhibition depicts volcanic activity, earthquakes, and the creation that has shaped Iceland over millions of years.

2 Night Stay: Fosshotel, Reykjavík
Stay at the Fosshotel, a stylish 16-floor hotel with great city and sea views. Offering a fitness center and restaurant, just a few minutes' walk from Laugavegur shopping street. Haust Restaurant offers guests a fine dining experience and a sleek, modern setting with designer décor. A beer garden and guest lounge are also found on site. 

Golden Circle
Kerid Crater
Visit the spectacular Kerið, a volcanic crater lake in the Grímsnes area of South Iceland, along the Golden Circle. It is 180-feet deep and approximately 3,000 years old.

Faxi Waterfall
See the serene Faxi (or Vatnsleysufoss) waterfall along the Golden Circle. The waterfall is located on the Tungufljót river, and it is 262 feet wide and 23 feet high.

Gullfoss Waterfall
Along the Golden Circle, stop at Gullfoss (meaning "golden") Waterfall, one of the most popular tourist attractions in all of Iceland. Flowing in the river Hvítá straight from Langjökull glacier, this waterfall has two separate drops with the largest falls in all of Europe in terms of water volume.

Geysir Hot Spring Area with Strokkur
Stop at the highly active Geysir Hot Spring Area along the Golden Circle with boiling mud pits, exploding geysers, and the lively Strokkur which erupts boiling water 100 feet into the air every few minutes.

Thingvellir National Park
Discover Thingvellir (Þingvellir) National Park along the Golden Circle. This UNESCO World Heritage site has historical and geological significance. It is known for the Althingi, the first meeting site of Iceland's parliament around 930. The park also sits in a rift valley with rocky cliffs and fissures caused by the separation of the Eurasian and North American tectonic plates.

Private Driver Services Conclude
Your private driver services will conclude at the end of the day. Ask your driver to reconfirm your return airport transfer, if applicable, before parting ways.

Reykjavik Departure
Private Transfer to Reykjavik (Keflavik) Airport
Your vacation ends after breakfast with a private transfer to Keflavik Airport.

We hope you had a wonderful vacation, and wish you a safe flight on your journey home. We can’t wait to hear all about your trip! Check in with us on any of our social media and website to share your pictures and stories.