The Ring Road: Iceland Tour – 2024

You arrive in the morning. Once out of customs, you meet your group and drive to the Golden Circle. Along the way, you stop for a break at Selfoss town. You may want to enter the Bobby Fischer Center the first chess museum in the Nordics. Bobby is a famous American chess player who won a historic chess match in 1972.  Bobby broke the 26-year Russian monopoly of the championship title. Note: The museum is optional at your own expense. Following your break, you hit the road again stopping to see the Kerid, a 3000-year-old crater, the Geysir geothermal area with Strokkur that shoots hot spring water to heights, and the country’s most beautiful waterfall, the Gullfoss. Your hotel is near the water fall.  You can walk there. 

Activities: Airport pick up, stop for driving break at Selfoss town with Bobby Fischer Center (optional), enter the Golden Circle with stops at the Kerið Crater, Geysir Hot Spring,  Gullfoss Waterfall, and check in your hotel

Optional: Bobby Fischer Center, Secret Lagoon hot spring spa (at your own expense)

Meals: none

Hotel: Hotel Gullfoss 

After breakfast, you drive through the Golden Circle, stopping at Thingvellir National Park, a historical and geological treasure of Iceland. It’s also a UNESCO World Heritage site, recognized for its outstanding universal value. You stop by the visitor’s center with an award-winning exhibition about the park. You will learn that the park is where Iceland’s parliament was formed back in 930 AD. The park sits atop the Mid-Atlantic Ridge that separates Eurasian and North American continental plates. Following the exhibition, you have a lunch break. After lunch, you go on a leisure walk on the Almannagjá trail that marks the eastern boundary of the North American tectonic plate, the Lögberg rail that is the social point of the parliament assembly where laws were recited under open air, the Öxarárfoss with a waterfall, which is believed to have been diverted to its current location in ancient times, Stekkjargjá an interesting section with the Flosagjá, a deep fissure with crystal clear groundwater from a glacier. The trail walk is normally 3 hours depending on how far you walk—following your hike drive to Bruarfoss for the picturesque waterfall. After the hike, you stop at Efstidalur II Farmhouse restaurant for dinner.  After dinner, there is an option for a spa retreat at the Secret Lagoon (optional).

Activities:

Activities: Scenic drive at the Golden Circle, visit the Thingvellir National Park and the Exhibition, go on the nature trail walk, see Bruarfoss Waterfall, dinner at Efstidalur II farmhouse restaurant, and relax at the Secret Lagoon (optional)

Optional: Secret Lagoon (at your own expense)

Meals: Breakfast

Hotel: Hotel Gullfoss 

After breakfast and check out you drive to the Southern Region of Iceland characterized by many high mountain ridges and glaciers between them. You stop to see Gljufrabui a beautiful waterfall hidden inside a gorge and the Seljalandsfoss waterfall which is a wonder of nature. It is one of the rarest waterfalls in the world and you can walk behind and around it. After lunch at the tiny village, Skogar, you see the Drangurinn in Drangshlíð, a mysterious giant rock boulder sitting in the middle of some farmland. It has an Icelandic folklore that elves lived there. Then you drive to Reynisfjall Beach with steep sea cliffs, black volcanic sands, jagged rocks, unique basalt formations, and the beautiful Hálsanefshellir cave. In the summertime, Puffin birds migrate to the beach. You may be lucky to see the birds. Evening is on your own around your hotel in the small town, Vik. 

Activities: Scenic drive through Iceland’s Southern Region, see the Gljufrabui and Seljalandsfoss waterfalls, the Drangurinn in Drangshlíð cave homes, Reynisfjall Beach with the Hálsanefshellir cave and check in Vik small town

Meals: Breakfast

Hotel: Puffin Hotel

After breakfast and check out, you drive to Fjaðrárgljúfur for a view of the magnificent canyon and to Vatnajökull National Park known for its glacier trails. The park has many trails from easy to challenging. Most trails at the park are free and open to anyone. We recommend you walk together with a buddy or in a group. There’s a lot to see at this park, glaciers, ice caves, waterfalls, and mountain peaks. We recommend the trail to see the spectacular Skaftafell waterfall. It’s very popular. Or you can choose to walk the Glacier Trail to get a close-up of the glacier. Note: Park rules state that you will not be able to walk beyond the waterfall or on top of the glacier yourself without a professional guide. If you wish, you are required to sign up with a professional guide (optional). And there are separate fees for a professional guide to accompany you and for renting essential gear. Most activities in the park are no more than 4 hours. If you would like more information about expedition packages at the park, let us know. We will share the options with you. After your full day at the national park, you check into your hotel with views of the glacier. You may want to ride a horse in the midnight sun around the park (optional).

Activities: Stop for the Fjaðrárgljúfur Canyon outlook, enter the Vatnajökull National Park, stop at the Skaftafell Glacier with natural trails and other optional adventures (optional), and check in a hotel that offers a horseback ride (optional)

Optional: Skatfafell Glacier Adventures (inquire) and Skaftafell Horseback Riding (at your own expense)

Meals: Breakfast

Hotel: Hotel Skatfafell

After breakfast and check out, you drive south of Vatnajökull National Park to one of Iceland’s best natural scenery, the Jökulsarlon Glacial Lagoon. The place is often described as an otherworldly landscape. The icebergs there are believed to be over 1,000 years old. And as it melts the water retreats to the glacial lagoon that connects with the Atlantic Ocean. The combination of sea and freshwater creates a unique blue color. And more interesting are the icebergs that break away from the glacier are pushed to Diamond Beach which is of black sand. The icebergs are washed with the ocean and form into smaller ice crystals that shine like diamonds on the black sand. At the lagoon, you may hop on the zodiac boat and glide among the icebergs (optional). You may see seals and arctic birds. Bring binoculars! We recommend this optional activity, preferably in the morning. Those who opt out may spend time at Diamond Beach. Following you have lunch and then embark on a long drive through the Eastern Region to Egilsstaðir, stopping at some observation points for a view of the region’s beautiful fjords and coastline. You arrive at Egilsstaðir before sunset. Your hotel is by the huge Lagarfljót River with a folklore of a Loch Ness monster. The Evening is on your own. There is an option for a geothermal bath and a bristo dinner at Vök Baths at Urriðavatn Lake, less than a 10-minute drive from your hotel (optional).

Activities: Drive through Vatnajökull National Park, stop at the Jökulsarlon Glacier Lagoon, go on the Zodiac boat ride (optional), see Diamond Beach, and drive through the Eastern Region stopping at some outlooks to see the fiords and coastline

Optional: Zodiac boat ride (booking required) and Vök Baths (at your own expense)

Meals: Breakfast

Hotel: Hotel Edda

After breakfast and check out, you drive to the northern region, stopping at Lake Mývatn.  The lake is huge and picturesque with many volcanic features. You stop at Námafjall Hverir with fascinating geothermal fields and boiling mud pots that remind you of a picture of Mars, and then to Höfði, a rocky promontory that sticks out of Lake Mývatn. You also stop at Dimmuborgir, a badland of caves, lava pillars, rugged crags, and towering rocks that look like alien castles and citadels, and then to Skutustadir with pesudo craters that have an appearance of unusual volcanic bowls covered with grass. Then you reach the Mývatn Lake with natural hot springs. Last, you will enter the Mývatn Nature Baths which is a spa with bathing facilities (optional). The water is a blue lagoon type of bath that has a milky blue. People call it the Blue Lagoon of the North. You walk around the blue lagoon and you may have access to public facilities the cafe, bar, lounge, and shop. However, bathing in the blue lagoon is optional and at your expense. Let’s experience the milky blue lagoon water! Following the Blue Lagoon experience you drive to Skúlagarður and check in your hotel.

Activities: Scenic drive to the northern region, stopping at  Námafjall Hverir, Höfði, Lake Mývatn, Dimmuborgir, Skutustadir, Mývatn Nature Baths (optional), and last check-in at Skúlagarður

Optional: Mývatn Nature Baths (at your own expense)

Meals: Breakfast

Hotel: Skúlagarður Hotel

After breakfast and check out, you drive to a charming town, Húsavík.  It’s also the oldest settlement in Iceland. The town is known for whale watching at Skjálfandi Bay. (We have a whale-watching option in Hólmavík)  At the Húsavík Harbor stop to see the many fishing boats. The town has cafes and artisan shops. The most famous landmark in the town is the Húsavík wooden church. It is hand-carved. There’s an option to visit the popular Húsavík Whale Museum (optional). We recommend visiting this museum. Following Húsavík, you drive out to see the Godafoss Waterfall. It’s the waterfall of the gods. And then to Akureyri, Iceland’s second-largest city for lunch and some sightseeing. The city has distinctive architectures. After Akureyri, you visit the Glaumbær Old Turf Farm. It’s a farmhouse that has stood on the hill since settlement (900AD). The house is built of turf, stones, and timber. There are 13 building units put together that make up the farmhouse. Each unit had its functions such as a pantry, kitchen, workshops, and sleeping rooms. Then you drive to old town Blönduós your final destination for the day and check in at Kiljan Guesthouse. The house is by the ocean and it has a restaurant serving Icelandic fish and lamb dishes. Let’s walk to the shore and eat Icelandic food.

Activities: Scenic drive north to Húsavík Harbor, Skjálfandi Bay, Húsavík Whale Museum, Godafoss Waterfall, Akureyri city, Glaumbær Old Turf Farm and check in your guesthouse

Optional: Húsavík Whale Museum (at your own expense)

Meals: Breakfast

Hotel: Kiljan Guesthouse

After breakfast and check out, you drive through the Vatnsnes Peninsula to see a massive basalt rock, Hvitserkur sticking out from the water. Locals call it the Troll of Northwest Iceland. It is a huge rock with two big holes at the base that look like a dragon drinking the water. The rock formation is not just a geological wonder, it’s steeped in Icelandic history and folklore. And you stop and walk across a bridge to the Kolugljúfur Canyon with the Kolufoss waterfall. The waterfall is spectacular. There are 7 or 8 groups of smaller waterfalls that make up the bigger Kolufoss waterfall. Next, you drive to Hólmavík, a small fishing town on the Steingrímsfjördur fjord. Hólmavík is your final destination for the day. The town is also known for whale watching and for its history of witchcraft and sorcery. You check in and drop off your bags at the hotel.  You may visit the Icelandic Sorcery and Witchcraft Museum (optional). And in the late afternoon go whale watching (optional). Dinner is on your own in the town.  After dinner, you might be interested in soaking in some tubs of natural hot spring water at the Drangsnes Hot Pots under the midnight sun. The hot spring tubs are right on the shoreline that looks out to the bay. It is free of cost. Although there is a sign asking for small donations.

Activities: Scenic Drive on the Vatnsnes Peninsula, Hvitserkur rock, Kolugljúfur Canyon, Kolufoss waterfall, Hólmavík fishing village, Icelandic Sorcery and Witchcraft Museum, Whale watching with Laki Tours, Drangsnes Hot Pots

Optional: Holmavik Whale Watching Tour (booking in advance is required) and Icelandic Sorcery and Witchcraft Museum (at your own expense)

Meals: Breakfast

Hotel: Hólmavík Guesthou

After breakfast and check out, you drive to the Snæfellsnes Peninsula. You stop to see the magnificent Kirkjufell Mountain. The name in Icelandic means “church mountain.” Kirkjufell is scenic and is probably the most photographed mountain in Iceland. It has been a scenery superstar in many movies including, the comedy film, The Secret Life of Walter Mitty. You enter Grundarfjörður, a small fishing town on the Peninsula with scenic spots of the Kirkjufell mountain. At Grundarfjörður Harbour there is an optional tour to ride on a traditional oak boat to the Melrakkaey Island to see the Icelandic puffins (optional). These birds have bright-colored beaks. You may also see other sea birds and marine animals, too. Following, you drive to Stykkishólmur, another brightly colored and charming fishing town. It looks over the Breiðafjörður Bay. The town was built by Danish and Norwegian merchants and is known for its excellent seafood restaurants. You have lunch there. After lunch you drive to Borgarnes, another small town on a peninsula. Borgarnes is a historical settlement that serves as a cultural hub for West Iceland. This town has deep roots in Iceland’s Viking history. You have the option to visit the Settlement Center that provides insight into Iceland’s history (optional). The exhibition is divided into two sections, one about Iceland’s earliest days and the other introduces visitors to one of the best-known heroes of the Icelandic Sagas, Egil Skalla-Grimsson. In the town, you see the beautiful Brákin Monument that honors a bondswoman, who gave her life while trying to save Egil as a child. Then you drive across the Borgarfjörður, the second longest bridge in Iceland to your final destination, Hvítá. You stay overnight at the Hvítá Guesthouse which is near the Hvítá River with a panoramic view of a mountain. The house is of simple decor and functionality. There is an in house restaurant that serves traditional Icelandic dishes.

Activities: Scenic Drive Snæfellsnes Peninsula, Kirkjufell Mountain, Melrakkaey Island (optional),  Stykkishólmur fishing village, Borgarnes an old Viking settlement, Settlement Center (optional), and see the Brákin Monument

Optional: Melrakkaey Island Puffin Boat Tour (booking in advance is required) and The Settlement Center (at your own expense)

Meals: Breakfast

Hotel: Guesthouse Hvítá

After breakfast, you drive to the Sturlureykir Horse Farm to meet the beautiful Icelandic horses. There are about 60 horses there and is family owned for over 150 years. Every year there are 3~5 foals born. You visit the farmhouse. You can see the horses in the stables and out roaming the pastures. Don’t forget to bring your camera because these horses and the scenery there are beautiful. The farm offers horse rides. You have the option to go horse riding (optional). Also interesting is that Sturlureykir is Europe’s first geothermal site that heated homes with hot spring water. There on the farm, you can see small geysers on the farm and a geothermal bakery that bakes delicious rye bread. The recipe and geothermal baking method have been used in the family for over 100 years. You can taste the bread at their coffee house which serves coffee and hot chocolate. In the afternoon, you drive to Hraunfossar and hike an easy trail to see an interesting waterfall formed by rivulets of glacial water streaming out of a lava field. The water pours into the same Hvita river that is near your guesthouse and you follow a nature trail to Barnafoss waterfall, the name translates to “Children’s Waterfall”. The water is rapid and dramatic. And there’s a storyboard that explains why the name. Following you may go caving either at Víðgelmir, the longest natural made lava tube cave in Iceland, or to the longest manmade ice tunnel cave at Langjökull glacier (optional). Both tunnel caves have paved walkways and installed lights to get through. Evening is at the guesthouse with a long veranda that looks out to vast green hills. You may spot wildlife that comes near the house.

Activities: Visit Sturlureykir a farm with Icelandic horses and a geothermal site, see the Hraunfossere and Barnafoss waterfall, go caving at Víðgelmir (optional) or at the Langjökull Glacier Ice Cave (optional) And check in your guesthouse on a lone hill.

Optional: Sturlureykir horseback riding, Víðgelmir Cave, or the Langjökull Glacier Ice Cave (at your own expense,  booking in advance is required)

Meals: Breakfast

Hotel: Guesthouse Hvítá

After breakfast and check out, you drive to Reykholt, a tiny town with lots of history and culture. It is the home of Iceland’s famous writer, poet, and scholar, Snorri Sturluson. We know much about Nordic history because of him. While visiting the village you take advantage of the opportunity to see Europe’s biggest and most powerful hot spring with a flow rate of 189 liters of water per second at 97 Ceilius, it provides hot water to the towns of Borganres. Not far away is Deildartunguhver, a geothermal site that is steamy. It is Europe’s most powerful boiling spring with temperatures at 100 Celsius (212 Fahrenheit). The water is used for heating homes in the region during the winter. Nearby the site is the Krauma Geothermal Bath with bathing facilities. The water is from the same hot spring that flows into natural pools of water with different temperatures. These pools are used for baths. You should relax and enjoy what may be your last hot spring bath in Iceland (optional). Why not spend the morning relaxing and rejuvenating before your final destination, Reykjavik?  After the bath, you drive to Reykjavik arriving in the afternoon. You check in your guesthouse which is conveniently located in the city center. You are only a few minutes walk from popular sites and restaurants. The rest of the afternoon and evening are on your own in Reykjavik.

Activities: Reykholt, Deildartunguhver hot springs, Krauma Geothermal Baths (optional), Reykjavik and check in your guesthouse in the city.

Optional: Krauma Geothermal Bath (at your own expense)

Meals: Breakfast

Hotel: Guesthouse Sunna

On this 12th day, you may do whatever you like in cosmopolitan Reykjavik. It’s your freedom. The city is the country’s capital with a sweeping view of the seas and hills. It’s vibrant, sophisticated, and young at heart, too. There’s much to see in the city that is full of life and beaming with creativity. Since Reykjavik is the capital of Iceland, and a major city in the country, we recommend visiting arts and culture centers (optional). Visitors will find themselves with choices of more than 60 museums, exhumation spaces, and galleries. Restaurants and Bars in Reykjavik are many, too. The city has much to offer; for this matter, you should go wherever interests you. Find a buddy from the group to accompany you or go alone if you like. If you are not sure what to do, talk with the Deaf World Adventures conductor for ideas. There are many other options from observing more volcano activities, to bathing at the world’s renowned Blue Lagoon and snorkeling at Silfra which is near Reykjavik (optional).  Whatever you want to do you choose. It’s your last day in Iceland’s most populated city. 

Activities: Reykjavik on your own

Optional: City museums, Reykjavik Adventure Day Trips, Silfra Snorkeling Adventures, and the Blue Lagoon (all activities are  at your own expense)

Meals: Breakfast

Hotel: Guesthouse Sunna

After breakfast, you check out and travel to the airport for your departure. Those who have a later flight have other alternatives by Deaf World Adventures.

Activities: airport drop off

Meals: Breakfast