Iceland Boutique

After disembarking from Norröna, you could opt to have a good look around in Seyðisfjörður village. There is a small technical museum. Then, you drive to Egilsstaðir, making short stops at the waterfalls along the way. After a look around in Egilsstaðir, drive through the long and fertile valley of Jökuldalur, and then you drive up to Möðrudalsheiði, a desert-like plateau. Then you head north over Hólssandur, until you reach Dettifoss, Iceland’s mightiest waterfall. Next you visit Ásbyrgi, a horse-shoe shaped canyon, before driving to Húsavík. You can have a look around in the picturesque harbour or visit the very interesting local museum and/or the Whale Museum, before checking into your hotel. In the evening, it is possible to make an optional whale watching safari.

You spend the morning visiting some of the marvellous sights in the Mývatn area, such as Krafla, the site of volcanic eruptions as recent as the 80s, Námaskarð solfataras and Dimmuborgir Lava. Around noon, you drive to Goðafoss waterfall, the waterfall of the Gods, which is well worth a good stop. Then you continue to Eyjafjörður fjord, and spend some time in the lovely city of Akureyri, often called “The Capital of the North”. It’s a good idea to visit the beautiful botanic garden. Also, the city offers some nice shopping opportunities, such as for example a factory outlet of woolens.   From here, you have a choice: either you drive over Öxnadalsheiði mountain pass straight to Skagafjörður and Sauðárkrókur village, or you make a rather long but very interesting detour, via Dalvík and Ólafsfjörður. Then you drive over Lágheiði mountain pass and on to Siglufjörður, where you can visit the interesting herring museum. From there you continue to Sauðárkrókur, where you stay overnight. 

In the morning, it would be possible to go on a river rafting tour in Skagafjörður. This takes at least 3 hours, so it limits your options for the afternoon a bit, but it is a superb experience. Before leaving Skagafjörður, it is possible to visit the turf house museum of Glaumbær, dating from the end of the 19th century. You continue along the main road to the village of Blönduós, and along the fjord to Laxárdalsheiði pass.  Continue via Skógaströnd to the Snæfellsnes peninsula, where you can make a stop at the charming fishing village of Stykkishólmur, before driving through a few small fishing villages to the tip of the peninsula, where you might spot the glacier Snæfellsjökull (depending on weather conditions). We recommend a visit to Arnarstapi, an area where kittiwakes nest among the superb basalt columns, before checking into the hotel at Búðir.

First, you drive along the south side of the peninsula, through grassy farmland, to Borgarnes village. There, you can make a choice. If you want to spend more time seeing marvels of nature, we recommend a visit to Borgarfjörður County, where you can visit some lovely spots, such as Deildartunguhver which is Iceland’s largest hot spring, producing 180 l of almost boiling water per minute. Also you can view Hraunfossar, a whole row of small waterfalls tumbling out of the lava, into a passing river. Then you continue along the Hvalfjörður fjord to Reykjavík. (400 km). You can also skip this and drive straight from Borgarnes to Reykjavík, if you like to have more time in the capital. In both cases, you can use the late afternoon to visit the famous Blue Lagoon and take a dip in the blue, warm, mineral water. It would also be possible to go horseback riding in the afternoon, just outside of Reykjavík. Overnight in Reykjavík.

Drive to Þingvellir National Park, where the ancient parliament was founded. This is also a place of great geological interest, and you can take a walk through one of the large fissures. Then you continue over Lyngdalsheiði pass to the village of Laugarvatn, and from there to the Geysir area, where the famous spring Strokkur ejects its water columns high into the air every 5 minutes or so. Next you visit Gullfoss, one of the most beautiful waterfalls of Iceland. From there, you follow the south coast in an eastward direction, making a stop at Seljalandsfoss. Overnight is at a very small but very charming country hotel.  

In the morning you can visit Skógafoss waterfalls, and the lovely Folk Museum of Skógar, before driving to the bird cliff of Dyrhólaey (open after 25 June), where puffins can be seen until mid-August, and the small village of Vik. Then you drive over the Mýrdalssandur outwash plains to Kirkjubæjarklaustur and from there you continue further east. On the way you can make a stop at Dverghamrar with its basalt columns, and you can visit the tiny chapel at Núpsstaður. Then you arrive to the Skaftafell national park, where we suggest you spend some time. A walk to Svartifoss waterfall (1 1/2 hrs in total) is highly recommended. The last highlight of the day isat Jökulsárlón glacier lagoon. In this large lagoon immense icebergs float around, and you can even make a short boattrip among them, giving you really the opportunity to see them from close by. After this stop, you continue to your accommodation in the Höfn area.

In the morning, a skidoo trip on Vatnajökull glacier would be possible. Today is a restful day, driving along the eastern fjords with their lovely landscape. A tip: visit the Stone Museum of Petra, in the tiny village of Stöðvarfjörður. There you can see a garden and most of the house full of the most colourful and sparkling Icelandic semi-gemstones. After circling around the fjords you drive over Fagridalur pass to Egilsstaðir, the most important village of the east (wonderful swimming pool)! Overnight in or near Egilsstaðir. (150 km)

In the morning you drive the 30 km back to Seyðisfjörður, to catch the ferry.

Note: We reserve the right to reverse the itinerary.