Best of South Iceland Tour

Best of South Iceland tour is a great opportunity to explore a world of glaciers, waterfalls, geological wonders and Westman islands from the countryside instead of taking long drives from Reykjavík. This six day tour focuses on guided day excursions from Hella, a small village in South Iceland where you will stay for five nights. Staying in only one hotel means a lot less packing and more free time for you to enjoy. There are some optional tours and activities some days, so you have the choice of joining these or having some free time to relax, hike, or sit in a hot tub! With all these choices – accommodations, activities and tours, you will have the perfect stay in South Iceland. This tour is part of the 12 day Best of Iceland – and is an ideal short break. It offers an excellent touring experience combined with exceptional value for your money – the choice really is up to you!

Best of South Iceland Tour: Trip Highlights:
We stay in only one hotel for five nights in Hella which means less packing
Three hotel choices: a tourist class with shared facilities, a tourist class with private facilities, or a superior class
Some free time, optional excursions and activities to tailor your own Best of South Iceland tour
A day long visit to the Westman Islands
Easy tour and suitable for nearly everybody
Very attractive package price

Best of South Iceland Tour: Day 1
SUN: ÞJÓRSÁRDALUR (250 km/155 mls)
We travel alongside the Hekla volcano and visit the Hjálparfoss waterfall. Nearby we explore the Viking farm ruins at Stöng and enjoy a leisurely hike to Gjáin, a green oasis in an otherwise rocky, barren moonlike landscape. Þjórsárdalur is off-the-beaten-path and is dominated by Hekla and other volcanoes in the vicinity. Hekla is one of Iceland’s most active volcanoes; over 20 eruptions have occurred since 874. During the Middle Ages, Europeans called the volcano the “Gateway to Hell”.

Best of South Iceland Tour: Day 2
MON: SOUTH SHORE (200 km/124 mls)
We visit the glaciers, waterfalls, bird cliffs and lava beaches of South Iceland. The highlights today include the famous Eyjafjallajökull volcano, the 60 meter high Skógafoss waterfall and the narrow Seljalandsfoss waterfall with a trail that leads behind the fall – but you must be prepared to get wet! There is an optional glacier walk or a visit to Skógar village together with our guide.

Best of South Iceland Tour: Day 3
TUE: WESTMAN ISLANDS (100 km/62 mls)
Ahoy! We take a short ferry ride to the Westman Islands. Explore the town of Heimaey and this extraordinary island by foot and by bus. The volcanic eruption in 1973 is considered the largest natural disaster in Iceland in recent history. The eruption began on January 23rd on the island of Heimaey, the only populated island of the Vestmannaeyjar archipelago. After the evacuation of the inhabitants, and during the 5 months while the eruption lasted, there was much uncertainty as to whether or not the island could ever be repopulated. During our tour to the Westman Islands we explore bird cliffs, walk up the volcano crater and visit “Pompeii of the North”, a volcanic excavation project. You have the afternoon free to wander around the town of Heimaey, with its birds and signs of recent volcanic eruptions.

Best of South Iceland Tour: Day 4
WED: LEISURE DAY OR OPTIONAL DAY TOUR TO VATNAJÖKULL NATIONAL PARK (600 km/372 mls)
Today is a leisure day. You can join an optional day tour to the southern part of the Vatnajökull National Park, home of Europe’s largest glacier and Jökulsárlón, a glacier lagoon with floating icebergs

Best of South Iceland Tour: Day 5
THU: GOLDEN CIRCLE (230 km/143 mls)
Today we visit three of Iceland’s most important spots: Gullfoss waterfall, Geyser hot springs, and Þingvellir National Park. Gullfoss “the golden falls,“ is a double waterfall that tumbles 34 meters into the Hvítá river and attracts tourists and travelers all year long. You will see steam from the Geysir geothermal fields as you arrive. Here there are a variety of hot springs and bubbling pools. The original geyser is now dormant but has been replaced by Strokkur “the Churn,” which erupts in 5-10 minute intervals. Next stop is the interesting ancient Viking Parliament area of Þingvellir National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Best of South Iceland Tour: Day 6
FRI: REYKJANES PENINSULA, BLUE LAGOON AND REYKJAVÍK (200 km/124 mls)
On your last day of this southern Iceland tour, we will take a less traveled route around Reykjanes Peninsula. Here you will see the diverse geological features of the country, the hot springs of Krýsuvík, beautiful mountains, lava fields, amazing bird cliffs, moon landscapes, and fishing villages. After an optional visit to the famous Blue Lagoon, the tour will end after a city tour of Reykjavík.

NOTE:
* About 1-2 hours of 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 980 km (608 miles) for the tour, and about 600 km (372 miles) for the optional tour

Tours depart throughout June to August each year.

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

Best of South Iceland Tour: What’s Included:
5 nights accommodation
Daily breakfast
Bus and guide for 6 days
Ferry to/from Westman Islands

Best of South Iceland Tour: Hotels:
We only stay at 1 hotel during the tour, 5 nights in Hella, South Iceland with the following accommodation choices:
Hotel Hella in rooms with shared facilities (budget-class)
Hotel Hella in rooms with private facilities (tourist-class)
Hotel Rangá in rooms with shower/wc (superior hotel)

Best of South Iceland Tour: What’s NOT included:
Please note, that the full day program on day 4 is optional and not included in the tour price.
Pre & post nights in Reykjavik need to be added subject to flights
Airport transfers are not included in the tour package
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.
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 South Iceland Tour: Optional tours:
Day 4: 12 H Vatnajökull National Park: $ 210
Optional tours can be booked in advance or while on tour directly with our tour guide.
Other optional activities that can only be booked and paid during the tour:
Different museums: between $7 – $15
Glacier hike during South Shore Tour (day 2): $72
Boat Tour on Glacial Lagoon (day 4): $39
Blue Lagoon entrance & towel (day 6): $68
Blue Lagoon visitor fee: $15 International flights

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