Iceland walking vacation
| country: | Iceland |
| trip type: | Moderate walking vacations |
| departures: | 2007: 29 Jul |
| price: | From CA $3795 (7 days) excluding flights, based on double occupancy. Single supplement CA $500. Special midnight sun departure 16 Jun 2007 |
the amazing things you'll be doing
Mid-Atlantic Ridge - The Blue Lagoon - Hidden waterfall - Ice caps and glaciers - Hot springs and fumeroles - Rhyolite lava field: Laugahraun - Gullfoss Waterfalls - The Great Geyser - Luxury hotel - Bilingual guide
Dramatic landscapes born of volcanoes and shaped by glaciers. A fantasy world of boiling mud pots, rugged coastlines, and rhyolite peaks. The steaming lava fields of Reykjanes Peninsula; the ever-changing landscape of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. Warm, healing waters in the Blue Lagoon.
Nature’s artistry: The incredible oasis of Thorsmörk Valley, brilliantly green; mountains of gold, orange, purple and rose at Landmannalaugar. Moss fields, meadows of wool grass, rare orchids. A river warm enough to bathe in; a white glacial waterfall cascades 105 feet into a narrow canyon, leaving a rainbow in its wake. Spectacular geysers shoot into the air. The mystical grandeur of Snaefellsnes Peninsula, where elves and faeries are said to dwell. Extraordinary, otherworldly beauty. See and believe.
A fully guided, all-inclusive walking and hiking adventure tour on the best hiking trails in Iceland (approx 3 to 8 miles moderate hiking per day). Enjoy fine accommodations and dining, and responsible small group travel.
Dramatic landscapes born of volcanoes and shaped by glaciers. A fantasy world of boiling mud pots, rugged coastlines, and rhyolite peaks. The steaming lava fields of Reykjanes Peninsula; the ever-changing landscape of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. Warm, healing waters in the Blue Lagoon.
Nature’s artistry: The incredible oasis of Thorsmörk Valley, brilliantly green; mountains of gold, orange, purple and rose at Landmannalaugar. Moss fields, meadows of wool grass, rare orchids. A river warm enough to bathe in; a white glacial waterfall cascades 105 feet into a narrow canyon, leaving a rainbow in its wake. Spectacular geysers shoot into the air. The mystical grandeur of Snaefellsnes Peninsula, where elves and faeries are said to dwell. Extraordinary, otherworldly beauty. See and believe.
A fully guided, all-inclusive walking and hiking adventure tour on the best hiking trails in Iceland (approx 3 to 8 miles moderate hiking per day). Enjoy fine accommodations and dining, and responsible small group travel.
day-by-day itinerary
| Day 1: | Geothermal spa at The Blue Lagoon. We meet you at Keflavik International Airport & begin our adventure in relaxation at a geothermal spa. The Blue Lagoon is perhaps the most supernatural looking body of water on Earth. The temperature is about 40C (104F), and the soothing, mineral-rich water is rumored to have curative powers. We'll see active bubbling mud pots and sizzling steam vents or fumaroles. After a picnic lunch we’ll visit one of Iceland’s oldest churches and one with an interesting history, Strandarkirkja. We’ll arrive early at our hotel to relax before dinner. This evening enjoy a walk along the peaceful Rangá River.(Hike up to 3 hours, drive up to 4 hours) |
| Day 2: | Thorsmörk Valley & Stakkholtsgjá Canyon. Today’s adventure takes us to the Thorsmörk Valley via the Seljalandfoss Waterfall, an incredible oasis area hidden between 3 glaciers. We’ll hike to a hidden waterfall in the 'Jurassic' looking Stakkholtsgjá Canyon. Our hike at the end of the day offers us the magnificent view of the entire area surrounded by ice caps and glaciers. (Hike up to 3 hours, drive up to 2 ½ hours) |
| Day 3: | Landmannalaugar meadows & orchids. Today we’ll travel to Landmannalaugar, a unique pearl is situated in a valley between colourful (yellow, orange and purple) steep mountains at the high edge of the lava field, Laugahraun. You'll come upon moss fields, meadows of wool grass, steam springs, and bizarre lava formations, where various blossoms defy the raw climate, as well as a rare orchid. This magnificent fragile eco-system seems out of place amidst these volcanic mountains and you’ll even start believing in elves and fairies, as we enjoy bathing in the geothermal warmed river. (Hike up to 4 ½ hours, drive up to 3 hours) |
| Day 4: | Gullfoss waterfalls & the Great Geyser. We’ll drive across the agricultural centre of Iceland on our way visit two of the 'Natural Wonders of the World'. Gullfoss Waterfalls is an enormous white glacial cascade dropping 105 feet into a narrow canyon, forming a rainbow in the sunlight. For someone who has never seen a geyser, the Great Geyser, is an overwhelming sight; this landmark of Iceland is a spectacular natural phenomenon. In the Thingvellir Valley, we’ll learn about the history of Iceland & enjoy a wonderful walk through the National Park. (Short walks and sight-seeing, drive up to 5 hours) |
| Day 5: | Langjökull glacier & Deildartungarhver hot spring. In the Kaldidalur Valley we’ll view the splendid Langjökull glacier and hike to one of the longest (2 km) lava caves of Iceland, Surtshellir, once a famed location for outlaws hiding out. We’ll visit Barnafoss and Hraunfoss Waterfalls as well as the largest hot water spring in the world, Deildartungarhver, which supplies hot water for nearby communities. We’ll spend a night on the Snaefellsnes Peninsula in the fishing village of Grundarfjördur, enjoying the quaint hospitality and a 'fresh catch' for dinner. (Hike up to 2 hours, drive up to 2 hours) |
| Day 6: | History tour & coastal trails. We’ll take a walk about the village with a delightful local resident who will tell us about its history. As we circumnavigate the peninsula we’ll hike the coastal trails, seeing how the rugged lava formations are stopped by the cold and powerful Atlantic Ocean. We’ll end the day with our farewell dinner at one of the 100 best new hotels worldwide. If you don’t believe in elves yet…after staying here…you’ll understand why 80% of Icelanders do believe in elves. This location is utterly magical! (Hike up to 4 hours, drive up to 2 ½ hours) |
| Day 7: | Reykjavik. Today we’ll travel to the capital of Iceland, Reykjavik, where you may discover the wonders of this city on your own. Transfer to hotel or airport shuttle. (Drive up to 3 hours) |
how this holiday makes a difference
 In Iceland our guests experience dramatic landscapes born of volcanoes and shaped by glaciers, a fantasy world of boiling mud pots, rugged coastlines, and rhyolite peaks. On this tour we practice "no-trace" hiking which means we travel on durable surfaces and use existing trails to minimize the impact on the environment. Our guests use only reusable dishes and containers, our guides make ever effort to gather garbage along the trails we use. We practice a strict you pack it in; you pack it out policy and even supply our guests with potty packs while hiking. Due to the delicate ecology of the remote areas we travel while in Iceland, we promise small group travel with typically no more than 12 hikers at one time in an effort to reduce the impact on the landscape. While in Iceland we will employ local guides, purchase food locally and stay in locally owned and operated small scale inns in our effort to enhance the economy of the smaller, more remote areas of the country. |
Tourism can be good and bad for destinations & local people. We carefully screen every holiday against our criteria for responsible travel. 'Look behind the brochure' to find how each holiday makes a difference (see left). We don't claim to be perfect - there is no global accreditation - but we've led the way since 2001 and screened 1000's of holidays. We invite every traveller to write a review about their experiences and responsible tourism. This valuable feedback is sent to the people who run the holidays. We keep a very close eye on it and take off holidays that don't live up to our standards. |