Best of North Iceland Tour

Best of North Iceland tour offers a bit of the west, a lot of the north and the taste of the interior highlands.
This tour of Iceland is a six day adventure focusing on guided excursions from Akureyri in North Iceland where you will be staying for five nights. Staying in only one hotel means a lot less packing and much more free time for you to enjoy. With about 16.000 inhabitants, Akureyri is Iceland’s largest town outside of the Reykjavík area and one of its most pleasant. Its beautiful location near the head of the fjord and small city center make it popular among visitors. This is a unique tour – with a choice of accommodation from tourist class hotels to superior class hotels, and a choice of day tours and activities, you can shape the perfect stay in North Iceland. This tour is an ideal short break to explore North Iceland and the interior highlands. It is part of the 12 day Best of Iceland Tour. The Best of North Iceland Program offers an excellent touring experience combined with exceptional value for money – the choice really is up to you!

Best of North Iceland Tour Trip Highlights:
All five nights in one Akureyri hotel – less packing, more time for fun
Three hotel choices: tourist class hotels with shared facilities, tourist class hotels with private facilities, superior class hotels
Some optional excursions, activities, and free time to tailor your own Best of North Iceland tour
Travel through the interior highland on the Kjölur route
Easy tour and suitable for nearly everybody
Very attractive package price

Best of North Iceland Tour: Day 1
MON: WEST ICELAND AND OVER THE MOUNTAINS TO THE NORTH (500 km/310 mls)
Welcome! Your Iceland tour begins today. After leaving Reykjavík, we will explore Hraunfossar, a series of waterfalls pouring from beneath a long row of lava fields into Hvítá River. Barnafoss, “the Children’s fall” is nearby, with its own tragic tale. Then we visit Europe’s most powerful hot spring and climb the Grábrók volcano crater in West Iceland. We see some of Iceland’s past with a visit to Glaumbær Turf Farm Museum, and travel along fjords and over mountains to Akureyri – the capital of North Iceland which will be our base for the next five nights.

Best of North Iceland Tour: Day 2
TUE: AKUREYRI AND OPTIONAL TOUR TO HRÍSEY ISLAND (20 km/12 mls)
In the morning, you have a guided walk to explore Akureyri, which has a charming city center and a fine botanical garden. The afternoon is free to explore on your own, or you can join an optional excursion by bus and ferry to Hrísey Island, located in the middle of Iceland’s longest fjord and home to thousands of sea birds (driving about 90 km/56 mls).

Best of North Iceland Tour: Day 3
WED: GEOLOGICAL WONDERS OF LAKE MÝVATN (230 km/143 mls)
Today we explore Goðafoss, the waterfall of the Gods, and continue to Lake Mývatn, known for its rich bird life and extraordinary volcanic lava landscapes. Visit pseudo craters, walk in the Dimmuborgir lava field, climb up to the rim of the Hverfjall ash crater, see the hot springs and bubbling mud pools of Námaskarð, and travel to the Crater Lake Víti in the Krafla geothermal fields.

Best of North Iceland Tour: Day 4
THU: LEISURE DAY OR OPTIONAL DAY TOUR TO SIGLUFJÖRDUR (300 km/186 mls)
Explore Akureyri on your own today or join our optional excursion to see some spectacular fjord landscapes while traveling to Siglufjörður, Iceland’s northern most town and known as the herring capital of the North Atlantic. Siglufjörður is located on the mountainous Tröllaskagi Peninsula and on the way, we will pass small fishing villages and stop at a deserted valley that even most Icelanders have not yet seen. Near Siglufjörður is Hofsós, a small and friendly village on the eastern shores of the Skagafjörður Bay whose natural harbour makes it one of the oldest trading ports in Iceland dating back to the 16th century. The Western Emigration Centre focuses on the mass emigration from Iceland to North America in the late 19th century and is interesting to locals and visitors alike.

Best of North Iceland Tour: Day 5
FRI: WHALES, WATERFALLS AND EUROPE’S LARGEST NATIONAL PARK (360 km/223 mls)
Húsavík is a picturesque small fishing town only an hour from Akureyri, where you can join an optional whale watching cruise or visit some of the many museums. Later we will travel to the northern part of Vatnajökull National Park, stop at bird cliffs where puffins may be seen, and visit the huge canyon of Ásbyrgi and Dettifoss, Europe’s most powerful waterfall.

Best of North Iceland Tour: Day 6
SAT: KJÖLUR HIGHLAND ROAD AND RETURN TO REYKJAVÍK (490 km/304 mls)
We go through the heart of Iceland today – travelling on the Kjölur Trail, between the Langjökull and Hofsjökull glaciers. We stop at the hot springs of Hveravellir where you can soak in a natural hot pool. This region is shrouded in mystery, with folktales of ghosts, giants, and outlaws. You will experience one of Europe’s last wildernesses! Your Best of North Iceland tour ends today, as travelers return to Reykjavík in the evening. Your tour of Iceland ends today. We hope you’ve enjoyed your stay!

NOTE:
* About 1-2 hours light walking each day, mainly several short walks from the bus to the different nature sights.
* It is an easy tour in which nearly everyone can take part.
* Total mileage is about 1600 km (992 miles) for the tour, and about 390 km (242 miles) for the optional tours.

Best of North Iceland Tours depart throughout June to August each year.

Best of North Iceland Tour: Pricing due to currency fluctuations and seasonal changes please inquire for the best possible price.

Best of North Iceland Tour: What’s Included:
5 nights accommodations
Daily breakfast
Bus and guide for 6 days
Entrance to Glaumbær folk museum

Best of North Iceland Tour: Hotels
We only stay at 1 hotel during the tour. 3 choices are available on this tour:
Edda Hotel Akureyri with shared facilities (budget-class)
Edda Hotel Akureyri with private facilities (tourist-class)
Hotel Kea Akureyri with private facilities (superior hotel)

Best of North Iceland Tour: Extension Option: Greenland

Best of North Iceland Tour: What’s NOT included:
There is a possibility that some of the nature attractions around Iceland might charge an entrance fee during the trip. These entrance fees are not included in the tour price and need to be paid by all tour members additionally on the spot, when entering any of these nature sites. Locations, amount of entrance fee, form of payment and other details are not known at the present time and are subject to change.

Please note, that the afternoon program on day 2 and the full day program on day 4 are optional and not included in the tour price. Can be bought in advance or during the tour with our tour guide

PRE & POST NIGHTS REYKJAVÍK: Need to be added subject to flights

AIRPORT TRANSFERS: Not included in the tour package

International flights
Any extra local transport (subways, taxis, buses) unless covered by the included passes
Any entrance fees unless otherwise specified
Baggage handling & luggage forwarding

Best of North Iceland Tour: Accommodation changes and upgrade are available for all our Iceland Tour, make an inquiry now