Family holiday to Iceland
| country: | Iceland |
| departures: | 2008: 3 Aug, 10 Aug, 24 Aug 2009: 26 Jul, 2 Aug, 9 Aug |
| price: | From £1025 - £1059 (7 days) per adult and £865 - £899 per child (up to 11 yrs) including flights from UK. Minimum age 5yrs. This trip can also be booked without flights from £729 - £799 |
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the amazing things you'll be doing
Iceland is a land blessed. Situated just below the Arctic Circle it is a land of volcanoes and hot springs, where the Viking myths are still alive and nature presents us with unparalleled marvels.
This short family adventure takes us to a land of ice and fire, where we visit volcanic lava fields and icy glaciers, magnificent waterfalls and thermal baths; here we get a chance to watch for whales and try our hand at horse riding, snow mobiles and rafting.
We initially base ourselves in the Hella area from which we explore the waterfalls and magnificent landscape of Thorsmork Nature Reserve. Visiting a horse farm we learn more about the unique and robust Icelandic horses, descendants of the original Viking horses. There is also the opportunity to enjoy a ride out into the surrounding countryside and, for the more adventurous, the option to try some river rafting.
Then we move on to Geysir, where you will see erupting spouts of water, some reaching 30 metres in height. We visit the nearby Gullfoss Falls, regarded by many as one of the most beautiful in the world. We also spend a day exploring the majestic landscape of the Snaefellsnes peninsula, wandering the coast and beaches, passing tiny fishing villages and marvelling at the sight of the Snaefellsjokull glacier, the entrance to the centre of the earth according to Jules Verne. Taking to the seas off the coast, we spot cormorants, puffins and with luck white-tailed eagles, pass strings of tiny islands, once home to ‘Eric the Red’, the discoverer of Greenland and try some of the freshly caught scallops straight from the sea.
Finally we drive to Reykjavik, stopping at more springs and a waterfall 100’s of metres wide, before arriving back in the capital. Here you will have a chance to discover the charms of Iceland’s bustling and vibrant capital city, with time to go out to sea on a whale-watching trip.
Our accommodation during the trip usually consists of a mixture of guesthouses, farmhouses & “summer hotels”. In order to avoid commercial developments spoiling the natural beauty of the landscape, school & college residences are used to accommodate tourists. These are generally simple twin rooms with shared facilities, though occasionally triple or dorm-style rooms may be used.
This short family adventure takes us to a land of ice and fire, where we visit volcanic lava fields and icy glaciers, magnificent waterfalls and thermal baths; here we get a chance to watch for whales and try our hand at horse riding, snow mobiles and rafting.
We initially base ourselves in the Hella area from which we explore the waterfalls and magnificent landscape of Thorsmork Nature Reserve. Visiting a horse farm we learn more about the unique and robust Icelandic horses, descendants of the original Viking horses. There is also the opportunity to enjoy a ride out into the surrounding countryside and, for the more adventurous, the option to try some river rafting.
Then we move on to Geysir, where you will see erupting spouts of water, some reaching 30 metres in height. We visit the nearby Gullfoss Falls, regarded by many as one of the most beautiful in the world. We also spend a day exploring the majestic landscape of the Snaefellsnes peninsula, wandering the coast and beaches, passing tiny fishing villages and marvelling at the sight of the Snaefellsjokull glacier, the entrance to the centre of the earth according to Jules Verne. Taking to the seas off the coast, we spot cormorants, puffins and with luck white-tailed eagles, pass strings of tiny islands, once home to ‘Eric the Red’, the discoverer of Greenland and try some of the freshly caught scallops straight from the sea.
Finally we drive to Reykjavik, stopping at more springs and a waterfall 100’s of metres wide, before arriving back in the capital. Here you will have a chance to discover the charms of Iceland’s bustling and vibrant capital city, with time to go out to sea on a whale-watching trip.
Our accommodation during the trip usually consists of a mixture of guesthouses, farmhouses & “summer hotels”. In order to avoid commercial developments spoiling the natural beauty of the landscape, school & college residences are used to accommodate tourists. These are generally simple twin rooms with shared facilities, though occasionally triple or dorm-style rooms may be used.
day-by-day itinerary
| Day 1: | Fly London/Reykjavik, drive to the Hella region |
| Day 2-3: | In Hella - visit Porsmork Nature reserve, explore waterfalls & gorges, visit horse farm, optional white-water rafting or horse riding |
| Day 4: | Drive to Snaefellsnes Peninsula - explore hot springs and Gullfoss waterfall |
| Day 5: | On Snaefellsnes Peninsula, visit Snaefellsjokull glacier - optional snow mobile tour |
| Day 6: | AM boat trip to surrounding islands. Drive to Reykjavik via hot springs |
| Day 7: | Free to explore Reykjavik - optional whale watching |
| Day 8: | Fly London |
travellers' tales
Iceland is an amazing place and the tour around the south west of the island takes in many spectacular sights - from geysers to glaciers... The activites were geat fun and the various stops were fascinating. (more)
small group family holiday
This is a 'small group family adventure' - typically you will join several other families and travel in a group of approx. 16 people. The trips are great value and a great way for you and your children to meet new people! While itineraries are pre-planned there is some flexibility and you'll have plenty of time to yourselves. Most adventure kids tend to be aged between 7 and 15, but some are younger (minimum age is usually 5) and some older (perhaps travelling as part of a larger family group). Please check with the operator to confirm the minimum age for this trip how this holiday makes a difference
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On all our tours we try to minimise our impact on the landscape and places we visit, especially important amongst such extraordinary scenery as in Iceland.
The Icelandic people are justifiably proud of their pure, natural environment and clean air so we always take our litter away with us, use only locally owned transport, and walk wherever possible. Use of locally owned services extends to accommodation and food, a double benefit as we get to sample lots of delicious freshly caught seafood. Activities include a visit to a traditional Icelandic horse farm, where riding is available helping support the continuation of traditional, family run horse breeding. We also contribute to the economy when paying to visit national parks, such as Snaefellsnes, part of Green Globe 21, a worldwide benchmarking program to encourage sustainable travel and tourism. Our Tour Leaders are all trained by us in the importance of responsible tourism with guidance given on how they can make a difference. This then percolates down through those they deal with. As well as the above, we support a variety of charities and projects worldwide which support vulnerable communities and habitats including Friends of Conservation, Hope Worldwide and Send A Cow. We are also actively engaged with UK travel industry bodies which promote best practice in responsible tourism, such as Tourism Concern, The Travel Foundation and AITO. Our commitment to responsible tourism is not limited to our overseas operation and we have measures to ensure our UK office operates according to our responsible tourism policy. Carbon offsets for all flights booked with us are included in the tour cost. |
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. |