Note: the times in this itinerary are in the local Greenwich Mean Time Zone (GMT) which is 4 hours ahead of EST. In this itinerary we use the 24-hour clock ("military time") as is most commonly used in Iceland. All activities are subject to weather changes. If an event becomes impossible to do because of extreme weather or any other reason, we will change the order of destinations or substitute for activities of equal value and interest.
DAY 1: SATURDAY, AUGUST 24th | WELCOME TO "NICELAND"
Arrive at KEF airport and transfer to Reykjavik. Most flights from North America arrive early in the morning at the Keflavik Airport. We will meet you at the airport and take small groups to the hotel.
Breakfast at Sand Hotel for early arrivals. Enjoy a typical Icelandic breakfast at one of Reykjavik's best bakeries and relax after a long flight. We can leave our bags with the concierge. Check in isn't until 2:00 pm but if we're lucky they can sometimes accommodate earlier check ins upon availability.
12:00 ~ Welcome Lunch at Messinn. Messinn is a small seafood restaurant situated in the heart of Reykjavík. Their specialty is fresh fish along with butter-fried potatoes and mouth-watering vegetables. It’s perfect for a warm and cozy environment to begin our experience of Iceland.
13:30 ~ Introduction to Reykjavik: An insider's perspective with our guide Thor Tulinius. Throughout the week, we’ll be led through Icelandic culture, landscapes, and other phenomena by our illustrious leader, Thor Tulinius. Thor is a well-seasoned actor and director of theatre having performed in over 50 theatre productions for the Reykjavik City Theatre, The National Theatre of Iceland, and various professional theatre groups. He also founded his own theatre company, Thibilja, in 1989. Also an extraordinary guide, Thor tells stories of the sagas and legends, explains and discusses many aspects of Icelandic life and economics, and executes an impeccable program.
15:00 ~ Check in at Sand Hotel and nap. We’ll be staying at our favorite boutique hotel with contemporary Scandinavian design in Reykjavik. The Sand Hotel is well-located in the heart of Reykjavik on the high street, Laugavegur. Take the afternoon to rest and readjust to the new time zone.
19:00 ~ Welcome dinner party at the Scandinavian. Settle into this cozy atmosphere that emphasizes organic Icelandic and Nordic cuisine. It's on the same block as our hotel so those of you who are exhausted from traveling can easily return to your beds. Joining us will be some friends who are international artists and local cultural experts who will give us a warm welcome.
DAY 2: SUNDAY, AUGUST 25th | REYKJAVIK
Breakfast at the hotel. The Sand Hotel has a full Scandinavian-style breakfast buffet with a variety of hot and cold choices and is included every morning at the hotel. A typical Icelandic breakfast usually consists of skyrr (Icelandic yogurt), müsli, green apples, oranges, coffee, eggs, oatmeal, kleinur (Icelandic cardamom crullers), and their miraculous fish cod oil for the daring! The buffet is open from 7:00 to 10:00 am.
10:00 ~ Music walk with Siggi Baldursson. Our friend Siggi who has been a longtime fixture of the Icelandic music scene as Bjork's former drummer in the legendary Sugar Cubes band and now director of Iceland Music Export. He will show us around the core of Reykjavik to help us understand this city and its great musical history.
12:30 ~ Lunch at Hofnin. Have lunch at this cozy family-run restaurant in the harbor with a magical view overseeing the marina, the local fish trade, and the beautiful Esja mountain in the background. The aqua-green house was built in the 1930s as a baiting shed and fishing gear storage over the turn of the last century. Their cooking is as spectacular as the setting.
14:00 ~ Private living room music concert, TBA. Informal and personal experiences to hear musicians share their work live in their creative spaces is one of the most special and memorable ways to experience the beauty of Icelandic people.
16:30 ~ FlyOver Iceland. Experience the new multi-sensory cinematic experience FlyOver Iceland. You will hang suspended before a 20-metre spherical screen while a film whisks you away on an exhilarating journey across Iceland. Special effects, including wind, mist and scents, combine with the ride’s motion to create an unforgettable experience that will give you a nice overview before hitting the road and seeing it in real life.
Dinner and Saturday evening on your own. Explore Reykjavik’s extraordinary food and culture scene on your own. See our list of recommended restaurants and performances for ideas of what to try. If there's a safe volcano erupting nearby we'll visit it. Or relax in one of the city's many famous geothermal pools if that's more your style.
DAY 3: MONDAY, AUGUST 26th | SIGLUFJORDUR
7:00 - 9:00 ~ Breakfast at the hotel and check out.
9:00 ~ Depart for Northern Coast.
12:30 ~ Lunch at Sjavarborg Restaurant near Laugarbakki. Enjoy lunch at this Icelandic foodie destination. Sjavarborg focuses on locally sourced fresh ingredients housed in an old slaughterhouse warehouse with a beautiful view of the fjord. Depart at 14:00.
16:00 ~ Glaumbær Turf Houses. As we journey along the fjord through horse country with heavenly landscapes of sloping mountains, glacial ice, and deep valleys, we'll stop at the Glaumbær Museum. Everybody used to live in a turf house in Iceland, both rich and poor, and there are still some left that are well-preserved. One of the best and most historically significant is this one that dates to the 18th century. Here lived Snorri Þorfinnsson and his parents in the 11th century (around 1010). Snorri is probably the first European to be born in America while his parents were on exploration there long before Columbus discovered America. He built the first church here and is one of two men considered to be responsible for the Christianisation of Iceland. Snorri's mother, Guðríður Þorbjarnardóttir, was the widow of Þorsteinn, who was Erik the Red's son and the brother of Leif the Lucky, who discovered America.
17:30 ~ Arrive in Siglufjordur and check in at the Siglo Hotel. On a coastal fjord less than 40 kilometers (25 mi) from the Arctic Circle, we’ll visit the humble fishing village of Siglufjordur for the night. This lively harbor with a cheerful array of candy-colored houses and windswept wildflowers was historically a booming fishing capital of Iceland and the northernmost town in Iceland. We’ll be staying in the classy Siglo Hotel. Built into the fisherman's marina, all rooms at Siglo Hotel have wonderful views of the beautiful surrounding mountains and peaceful environment of Siglufjord.
19:30 ~ Dinner at Siglunes. Between the snowy mountains in Siglufjörður, you can find a popular and passionate chef from the warm country of Morocco. Jaouad Hbib fills this former herring fishing town with an exotic aroma from the warm lands of North Africa, brightening the day with his cooking and his enthusiasm for cheese. He keeps a room full of different cheeses, stored at the perfect temperature.
DAY 4: TUESDAY, AUGUST 27th | AKUREYRI
Breakfast at the hotel and morning free in Siglufjordur. In Siglufjordur there are colorful folk museums providing rare insight into life in North Iceland. We highly recommend both the Herring Era Museum and the Folk Music Center. The glaciated mountains, lake and black sandy shores make for fabulous hiking. Go for a morning swim with locals in the local geothermal-heated outdoor swimming pool and public sauna. Or just hang out in town at one of the many cool coffee shops such as Kaffi Raudka.
11:00 ~ Depart for Akureyri. We'll continue driving the scenic coast of “Troll Peninsula” down the longest fjord in Iceland. Pass through the town of Dalvik.
12:00 ~ Lunch at Eyri Veitingahús in Hjalteyri.
13:00 ~ Arrive at abandoned herring factory and cultural space in Hjalteyri. Enjoy an art show (TBA) in a stunning old herring factory and cultural center named Verksmidjan. We'll get a tour of facility with our friend Gústaf Geir Bollason. Depart at 14:00.
14:30 ~ Arrive in Akureyri and Private Organ Concert by Eythor Ingi Jonsson at Akureyrarkirkja. Iceland’s second most populous city, Akureyri rivals Reykjavik for the center of artistic life in Iceland. Their famous Lutheran church in the center of town is a beautiful setting for a brief solo concert by our friend Eythor, their principal organist, choirmaster, and avid nature photographer. He’ll perform a selection of music by Icelandic composers on their 3,200-pipe organ.
15:30 ~ Earth and Elf Dimensions with Bryndis Fjóla. Traveling through Iceland one cannot but be in awe of the incredible variety of shapes and forms that Mother Nature has sculpted in the land. Knock on any farmhouse and you will discover that “hidden people” are recognized and respected as part of the belief system and way of life of the Icelandic people. We'll meet Bryndis, a Seer and horticulturalist who lives in resonance with these magical entities who willingly communicate with her to inspire others to participate in their action to protect and revere the land. This energy and folklore run throughout Icelandic history, art, and identity. We’ll meet in the world’s northernmost botanical garden, Lystigardur, and walk her hidden trail to learn more about the existence of the elves that dwell there, the messages they bring, and the greater supernatural powers of nature. The experience will activate your environmental awareness and connection with our planet.
17:00 ~ Check in and relax at Hotel Kea. We'll spend the night at the most centrally located hotel in Akureyri.
Dinner on your own in Akureyri. Continue exploring this Arctic urban playground. We recommend visiting the folk museum, Akureyrarkirkja Church, the Fjord shop (an eco-friendly store run by Anna Örvarsson next door to the Berlin coffee shop), the studio of textile artist Anna Gunnarsdottir, the Center for Visual Arts, or any of the other many museums of Akureyri. See a performance at Hof or check out the popular Green Hat Club (Graeni Hatturrin) for live Icelandic music (TBD).
DAY 5: WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 28th | LAKE MYVATN
Breakfast at the hotel and check out. Be checked out and ready to depart at 8:50.
9:30 ~ Godafoss Waterfall. Witness the thundering waterfall of the Norse Gods. The whitewater of the 100 feet wide Skjálfandafljót River falls 40 feet creating a tumbling falls unlike any other.
11:00 ~ Skútustadir. We'll begin our day in Myvatn by driving around the lake. Like nowhere else in Iceland, this beautiful body of water is surrounded by astonishing landscapes and is the Iceland many people always imagined. We'll stop by is a pseudo crater field that looks like a collection of mini volcanoes along the southern shore of Lake Myvatn. Continuing our drive, we'll do a photo stop by the lava pillars at Höfdi and a stop at the Laxá River to see Harlequin ducks and the Barrow's Goldeneye.
12:00 ~ Lunch at Kaffi Borgir at Dimmuborgir. Enjoy lunch at this small family farm-to-table restaurant that serves lamb, goat, and beef raised on their farm and bakes their bread in a bucket in the ground. After eating, we'll explore Dimmuborgir, the giant lava field with the most incredible black lava formations. It means "Dark Castles" and dates to about 2000 years back. In Icelandic legends, this is the home to the famous trolls of Christmas.
14:00 ~ Grjótagjá. Next, we'll visit a small and magical underground lava cave with crystal-blue geothermal water inside.
14:30 ~ Hverir. Namakard is one of the most beautiful geothermal areas in Iceland. Colorful hills, mud cauldrons, steaming vents and fumaroles.
15:00 ~ Krafla Power Plant. Iceland is at the forefront of sustainable energy production. Almost all electricity in Iceland is produced using renewable energy sources, with 73% provided by hydropower plants and 26.8% from geothermal energy, accounting for over 99% of total electricity consumption in Iceland. We'll visit this geothermal power plant to learn firsthand how it all works.
16:00 ~ The Viti Crater Lake. An old volcano with a green lake inside of it, formed in 1724, the name means "hell."
18:00 ~ Dinner at Vogafjós Farm. We'll have dinner on a farm that has been owned by the same family for about 120 years. They practice mixed stock farming, consisting of approximately 120 sheep and about 40 cows and cattle. Their restaurant is located inside the cowshed and offers homemade local food fresh from the farm or the nearest region. Their Geysir rye bread and cake is baked in the ground with geothermal heat. Go inside the cowshed to pat the calves and even try the fresh milk and ice cream. Vogafjós Farm believes it is good to know what you are eating because "you are what you eat." We’ll be joined by Sofia Jonsdottir, a friend and interesting local Icelandic music expert.
19:45 ~ Depart for Husavik. Husavik is a beautiful 45-minute drive from Myvatn.
20:30 ~ Check into Fosshotel Husavik. Situated in the heart of Húsavík, just walking distance from the harbor, Fosshotel Húsavík boasts luxury and style in the "Whale Watching Capital of Europe." Have a drink in the whale-themed bistro & bar named after the famous Moby Dick.
DAY 6: THURSDAY, AUGUST 29th | DIAMOND CIRCLE
Breakfast at the Fosshotel.
8:30 ~ Morning private whale-watching cruise. The whale-watching capital of Europe offers the chance to view as many as 12 species of whale including humpback, minke, fin whales, orcas, and blue whales. Seeing these gentle giants up close is life-changing. Arrive by 8:15. The boat ride is approximately three hours long.
12:00 ~ Lunch in Husavik at Salka Restaurant. We'll have lunch in a cozy local restaurant called Salka. Husavik is a picturesque town famous for its whales and most recently, as the hometown location of Will Ferrell's recent hit movie "Eurovision" that was nominated for a 2021 Oscar for best song "Husavik."
13:15 ~ Begin the Diamond Circle. Today we will begin driving the route famously known as the "Diamond Circle." This scenic loop is considered an Arctic treasure for the omnipresent and active processes of Mother Nature herself; immense geological movement, crushing pressure, burning heat, abundance of bird life—all in the wake of bubbling hot springs, volcanic lake beds and dried lava fortresses.
14:00 ~ The Ásbyrgi Cliffs. The continental divide between North America and Europe has resulted in beautiful and fascinating geological formations. Ásbyrgi Canyon is a spectacular horseshoe-shaped depression in the northeast of Iceland, steeped in folklore. The canyon’s 328-foot-high cliffs, as well as the thick woodland of birch and willow below, create an area quite unlike that found anywhere else across Iceland. We'll take a short walk through the forest to a small lake and bird sanctuary called Botnstjörn.
16:30 ~ Visit to Dettifoss Waterfall. Dettifoss is the largest waterfall in Europe in terms of volume. It is fed by the powerful glacier river Jökulsá á Fjöllum which flows from the largest glacier in Europe, Vatnajökull. The thunderous falls have an average waterflow of 6,186 cubic feet per second. It is 330 feet wide and plummets 150 feet down. If there's time we'll do a quick visit to the nearby Hafragilsfoss, another spectacular nearby waterfall that is a well-kept secret to most foreigners.
18:00 ~ Return to the Fosshotel to relax and have dinner on your own. Explore Husavik and its many great restaurants on your own. We recommend Naustid, Gamli Baukur, and the Fosshotel Restaurant.
20:30 ~ GeoSea Nature Baths. Not only a world-class geothermal bathing mecca — GeoSea is an experience that taps into the historical roots of this small fishing town in North Iceland that has harnessed the earth's geothermal waters for centuries. It is a rare union of mineral-rich seawater and heat from the Earth's core. Perched along a western-facing cliffside that overlooks the Skjálfandi Bay and the Arctic Circle to the north, these baths provide the ultimate vantage point for whale watching and for seeing the northern lights. Reconnect, decompress, and enjoy Icelandic nature.
DAY 7: FRIDAY, AUGUST 30th | RETURN TO REYKJAVIK
Breakfast at the Fosshotel.
10:30 ~ Depart Husavik. We'll be completing the Diamond Circle as we drive back to Akureyri on a different scenic road.
11:30 ~ Arrive at Akureyri Airport. Departing at 12:20, this easy 45-minute domestic flight offers spectacular views of Iceland’s inner landscape when the weather is clear. We land in Reykjavik’s small airport right next to downtown.
13:30 ~ Arrive in Reykjavik and light lunch at Sandhölt.
15:00 ~ Check back into Sand Hotel.
18:00 ~ Private Music Concert in Reykjavik, TBA. A sublime week of Icelandic magic can only be complete with a live musical performance. Before our final dinner, we will meet with one of Iceland's finest musical groups for an informal concert and discussion.
19:30 ~ Final tasting menu dinner at Fiskmadurinn. Our Icelandic friends will welcome you to their country with a multi-course tasting menu dinner. Take a moment and savor the best of Icelandic pescatarian cuisine with a tasting menu that head chef Hrefna Rósa Sætran and her team have created from the freshest selections of Reykjavik’s fish market. Seasonal locally sourced ingredients are passionately prepared for a family-style culinary journey.
21:00 ~ Final night in Reykjavik. Enjoy Reykjavik’s nightlife. For those who are interested, we can see a concert at Harpa or one of many other venues across town, depending on what is happening tonight.
DAY 8: SATURDAY, AUGUST 31st | FAREWELL ICELAND
Breakfast at the house and check out.
Optional ~ Free time in Reykjavik or bath in the Blue or Sky Lagoons. For those who have late flights, you can have more time to explore Reykjavik. Or if you want to experience Iceland’s famous Blue Lagoon Natural Hot Springs, you can spend the morning soaking here near the airport before catching your flight. The mineral water, which ranges from a warm 98-104 degrees Fahrenheit, contains large amounts of silica and algae which soften the skin. The lagoon’s mud bar features silica masks that soften the skin even more. Massages and other spa treatments are optional. If you have a late flight we recommend upgrading to the Retreat Spa for one of the greatest relaxation experiences anywhere. https://www.bluelagoon.com/