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.
DAY 1: SATURDAY, AUGUST 17th | WELCOME TO "NICELAND"
Arrive at KEF airport and transfer to Reykjavik. Most flights from the US or Canada to Iceland arrive at around 8:00 am. We will meet at the Keflavik airport and drive into Reykjavik. People arriving at different times will also be escorted from the airport.
Breakfast at Joe and the Juice or the Sand Hotel Bakery. Depending on your flight arrival, we will buy you breakfast at the airport or at the hotel after your long flight. Our hotel has one of the best bakeries on the island. Check-in isn't until 3:00 pm but we will try our best to accommodate as many early check-ins as possible if available. We can leave our bags with the concierge until your room is ready.
12:00 ~ Organ recital at Hallgrímskirkja Church. One of the tallest structures in the country at 244 feet high, this architectural icon has incredible acoustics. It houses a famously large pipe organ by the German organ builder Johannes Klais of Bonn. This Lutheran church is named after the Icelandic poet and clergyman Hallgrímur Pétursson (1614–1674) and was designed by Guðjón Samúelsson in 1937 to resemble the trap rocks, mountains, and glaciers of Iceland's landscape. The house organist Björn Steinar Solbergsson will perform a short concert of Icelandic composers for us. After the concert, we’ll take a lift up to the viewing deck and view Reykjavík and the surrounding mountains from this scenic observation tower.
13:30 ~ Welcome Bubble Brunch at Kol. We'll begin our journey with an orientation brunch to celebrate being in Iceland with champagne, Tiger shrimp torpedos, chicken and waffles, brown pancakes, eggs benedict, and yuzu and caramel ice cream for dessert.
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 ~ Final Dinner at Grillmarkadurinn. Celebrate our first night of the tour with a tasting menu at one of Iceland’s finest restaurants. Dinner will feature a selection of seasonal locally sourced ingredients that are passionately prepared for a family-style multi-course culinary journey.
DAY 2: SUNDAY, AUGUST 18th | ICELANDIC MUSIC
Breakfast at the hotel. The Sand Hotel has a 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 cod oil for the daring! The buffet is open from 7:00 to 10:00 am. Meet in the hotel lobby ready to go at 9:45 to leave for our first activity.
10:00 ~ 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.
12:00 ~ Private tour of Harpa Concert Hall. Experience the award-winning architecture of Harpa and visit areas that are not open to the general public. Our guide Baldvin will share some of Harpa’s secrets, stories of odd incidents and the struggles during the economic crisis. Learn how Icelandic nature, volcanoes, glaciers, and the Arctic light inspired the unique design by artist Olafur Eliasson and the amazing glass facade of the house – and be able to photograph it from new intriguing angles; allowing you to explore the less visible brilliance of this world-renowned hall. https://en.harpa.is
13:00 ~ Lunch at Messinn. This cozy little restaurant has unique local cuisine, exquisite seafood, large portions, and a beautiful environment. We’ll have a two-course meal that includes a starter of creamy fish soup and a main course of pan-fried Plokkfiskur served with potatoes and salad and pan-fried Arctic char with honey, almonds, cherry tomatoes, lemon, and butter. The vegetarian option is pan fried chickpea and carrot fritters with cauliflower, broccoli, carrots, chili, ginger, and cashews served with tomato hummus, salad, and potatoes. http://messinn.com
15:00 ~ Introduction to Icelandic Folk Music with Funi. The ensemble Funi breathes new life into great Icelandic songs that have been hidden for too long in old recordings and dusty old books. Its founders, Bára Grímsdóttir and Chris Foster will cover main areas of Icelandic folk music such as Rímur, Tvísöngur and hymns. We'll visit them in their Reykjavik home and they’ll demonstrate the lángspil and fiðla, play archive recordings, and perform live. Feel free to ask questions as the format will be informal and conversational.
16:30 ~ Dinner and evening on your own. Enjoy Reykjavik’s Saturday nightlife. Eat dinner independently and see a concert at Harpa. Or try bathing with the locals in Reykjavik's oldest public geothermal pool Sundhöllin. We'll recommend places to go.
DAY 3: MONDAY, AUGUST 19th | MULTI-SENSORY
Breakfast at the hotel. Meet in the lobby at 9:45 to depart.
10:00 ~ Sky Lagoon Geothermal Spa. Experience true Icelandic bathing culture at Reykjavik's oceanside luxury geothermal spa. Powered by the elements, we'll embark on a journey of the senses, through their seven-step ritual that includes the geothermal lagoon, a cold plunge, sauna, cold mist, body scrub, steam bath, and shower.
13:00 ~ Lunch at Rök. Enjoy our own private room at this celebrated restaurant features contemporary cuisine and architecture that reflects Icelandic tradition under a cozy turf roof.
14:45 ~ Private Concert with Febrúar. Febrúar is a singer, pianist, and songwriter. Captivating soul-baring lyrical honesty and rich, heartfelt vocal delivery are a hallmark of her music. She fuses atmospheric pop with cinematic, score-like piano compositions revealing a world of intensely personal journeys. We'll visit her at her home studio for an intimate mini-concert and discussion.
16:00 ~ Return to the hotel to relax. Continue exploring Reykjavik on your own or return to the hotel to relax. Please be ready at 17:45 to leave for dinner.
18:00 ~ The Fischersund Fragrance Journey. Experience an incredibly artful scent journey in Reykjavik’s third oldest house that envelopes an approach to craftsmanship through local ingredients and artisanal ways of the legendary Sigur Ros family. It includes a revolving scent exhibition and a tasting of their signature Icelandic Schnapps.
19:00 ~ Tasting menu dinner at Fiskmarkadurinn. Take a moment and savor the best of Icelandic 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. http://www.fiskmarkadurinn.is
DAY 5: TUESDAY, AUGUST 20th | SKOGAR
Please note that the various activities on our Southern Iceland excursion are subject to weather changes.
Breakfast at the hotel and check out.
9:00 ~ Depart for southern coast excursion. We will depart on our four-day journey eastbound with one of our favorite local guides who will show us the best of Iceland’s Southern coast.
12:00 ~ Lunch, waterfalls, and the Skogar Folk Museum. Skogar Museum is a cultural heritage collection of 15,000 regional folk music and craft artifacts that tell the incredible survival story of Iceland's history. They are exhibited in historical churches, schools, and houses that were brought to the museum from various places in Rangárvallasýsla and West Skaftafellssýsla and reconstructed on the site. We’ll see the Skogafoss Waterfall, have a light lunch, and get a guided tour of the folk museum before hitting the road at 3:00 pm.
16:30 ~ Dyrholaey Point. We'll stop at this beautiful lighthouse on a cliff where we can see the arch into the sea, black beaches, and columnar basalt.
17:30 ~ Check into Hotel Kría. We’re staying two nights in a new hotel in the country village of Vik. This evening we can relax amongst the sublime nature that surrounds us and enjoy a true Icelandic experience in the countryside. If we're lucky we'll see an Aurora Borealis (Northern Lights). https://www.hotelkria.is/
19:30 ~ Dinner at Strondin Pub. We’ll enjoy a locally sourced meal a few meters from Vik’s famous black sand beach.
DAY 6: WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 21st | JÖKULSÁRLÓN
Breakfast at the hotel.
9:30 ~ Day trip to Jökulsárlón. Drive east and savor every moment along the way of the planet’s most stunning landscapes.
11:00 ~ Skaftafell Glacier. Skaftafell is one of East Iceland's most beautiful locations, where we will be treated to striking white fingers of the Vatnajökull Glacier against a backdrop of green fields and black sands.
12:30 ~ Jökulsárlón Glacial Lagoon. Visit a magical lagoon of turquoise iceburgs that float in an other-worldly body of fresh and salt water. It is the deepest lake in Iceland, located on the edge of Vatnajökull National Park, and is our farthest-east destination before turning back. This cinematic landscape is the backdrop for many films such as "Batman Begins" and "Tomb Raider," "James Bond" and music videos including "Holoscene" by Bon Iver. Begin with lunch (on your own) at the food trucks or cafeteria then we'll take a 30-minute sail among the huge icebergs on an amphibious boat, get to taste the 1000-year-old ice, and if we're lucky, see seals bobbing in the lagoon. There is a simple cafe and some food trucks where you can get lunch on your own (cost of lunch not included).
14:30 ~ Diamond Beach. Icebergs fill Jökulsárlón glacier lagoon and wash up on shore, standing dazzling and defiant in stark contrast to the black sand beach. A highlight photographers, nature-lovers, and wildlife-enthusiasts. It is the home to many seals and is one of the best places in the country to see orcas from the shore.
16:30 ~ Return to Vik. Our drive home is just as beautiful as our drive there. We'll take a scenic detour on a smaller road that cuts through the coastal countryside and make stops along the way for photography. Throughout our scenic drives we will curate a selection of some of Iceland's finest music to complement the breathtaking scenery.
19:00 ~ Arrive at the hotel. Have dinner on your own at Drangar, the Hotel Kria’s delicious restaurant, or walk to many other restaurants that are close by.
DAY 7: THURSDAY, AUGUST 22nd | VIK
Breakfast at the hotel and check out.
10:00 ~ F-Road to Þakgil. We'll take a secret backroad that traverses through some of the most stunning volcanic valleys winding back to a remote encampment. Many scenes from Game of Thrones were shot here.
12:30 ~ Lunch at Sudur Restaurant in Vik. Have dinner at one of our favorite cottage restaurants in Iceland. This is country cuisine as good as it gets. After lunch we'll depart Vik returning west.
14:30 ~ Cake and live music at country home of Valborg Ólafsdóttir. Valborg and her husband are both musicians and moved to the countryside from the city with their children. Valborg has invited us into her idyllic home. She will make us cake and pour us coffee while she takes up the guitar and sings us her songs.
16:00 ~ Seljalandasfoss Waterfall. After music and cake we will visit this majestic waterfall which is most beautiful in the afternoon light.
18:00 ~ Check in at 360 Boutique Hotel. We’ll spend our last night at this family-run luxury hotel in the heart of the beautiful southern Icelandic countryside. We'll have access to a spa which includes a pool with warm geothermal water, a sauna and relaxing lounge with fire. https://360hotel.is/
20:00 ~ Final Dinner at 360 Hotel. Celebrate our last night in Iceland with a traditional Icelandic three-course meal from the owner’s family culinary traditions of farm-to-table products and a panoramic view of South Iceland.
DAY 8: FRIDAY, AUGUST 23rd | REYKJANES PENINSULA
Please note: You will be brought to the Keflavik Airport to arrive at least two hours before your flight time. The day will otherwise follow the schedule below:
Breakfast at the hotel.
9:00 ~ Check Out of 360 Hotel. This morning we will continue West toward Grindavik visiting different natural and cultural sites of interest. We’ll explore the coastline and discover the stunning cliffs of Krýsuvíkurbjarg—an area renowned for the thousands of seabirds that nest in the rugged hillside beside the crashing surf of the Atlantic Ocean. Observe kittiwakes, guillemots, razorbills, and other birds as they dive into the sea to feed or frolic with their flock.
10:00 ~ Visit Eyrarbakki. Eyrarbakki is an interesting old fishing village on the south coast of Iceland. For centuries, its harbor was the main trading center for the southern region. The only original Icelandic architecture other than Reykjavik.
11:00 ~ Stop at the Krysuvik Geothermal Area. Walk through the remarkable solfatara fields of Krýsuvík, where we'll discover an expanse of steaming volcanic vents and boiling hot springs, framed dramatically by a range of multi-colored hills. We'll find mud pools, sulfur deposits, and wildly colorful explosion crater lakes formed by volcanic eruptions that glow with a deep green hue from the thermal algae and crystals which absorb the sun's rays.
12:30 ~ Swim in the Blue Lagoon. Our final destination will be to the famous Blue Lagoon natural hot springs where we can relax before taking a flight home. The mineral water ranges from a warm 98-104 degrees Fahrenheit and 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. We have Premium passes that include entrance, silica mud mask, towel, first drink of choice, the second mask of choice, slippers, bathrobe, and sparkling wine if dining. Massages and other spa treatments are optional for an additional expense. If you have a late flight we recommend getting a massage or upgrading to the Retreat Spa. It is expensive but one of the most outstanding relaxation experiences available anywhere. Have lunch on your own at the café (meal not included). https://www.bluelagoon.com/
Keflavik Airport. We will escort you to the KEF airport depending on your flight time to catch your flight home. Most flights to North America depart at around 17:00.