Iceland summer small group holiday
Highlights
Reykjavik | Waterfalls | Reynisfjara black beach | Skaftafell | Jokulsarlon Glacial Lagoon | Seal spotting | East Fjords | Traditional Icelandic dinner | Akureyri | Siglufjordur | Hofsos' infinity pool | Working farm stay | Golden Circle tourDescription of Iceland summer small group holiday
Iceland’s famous Ring Road follows the island’s craggy coastline, connecting the most inhabited parts of the country and passing its most spectacular landmarks. Starting in the tiny but spirited capital city of Reykjavik, where you’ll have a little time to discover its striking architecture and infamous nightlife, we’ll set off east on this circular tour of the land of fire and ice.This 10 day guided tour takes in the thundering waterfalls, fjords and powerful geysers that punctuate the pristine landscapes. By visiting in the summer, we can make the most of the longer hours of daylight, see the burst of wildflowers that carpet the meadows and enjoy the abundance of wildlife. Seals, whales, puffins and other birdlife are best spotted at this time of the year.
Travelling by minibus, we’ll stop at Seljalandsfoss Waterfall, where we can walk behind the falling wall of water, and explore the dramatic black sands of Reynisfjara beach. In the Vatnajokull National Park, we’ll watch the floating ice boulders on Jokulsarlon lagoon and try to spot seals swimming in the blue waters. Passing the edge of the Arctic Circle, we’ll head south again to experience the roar of Europe’s most powerful waterfall, Dettifoss. After some city sightseeing in Akureyri, we’ll take famous Golden Circle route where we can discover Gullfoss, Geysir and Thingvellir National Park.
Along the way we’ll stop in small fishing villages, where herds of reindeer populate the hillsides, stay in farmhouses and cosy cottages, and eat locally sourced langoustine and traditional Icelandic recipes.
Travel Team
If you'd like to chat about this holiday or need help finding one we're very happy to help. The Travel Team.
01273 823 700 Calling from outside the UK? rosy@responsibletravel.com
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The leaders are not guides – they’re not there to shepherd you around. Instead, they’ll let you know which local restaurant serves great value food – without running the risk of travellers’ tummy. They’ll allow you to avoid hour-long queues at train stations and attractions.
We like to think of small group travel as the Goldilocks option. It is independent travel without the fuss, worry and bunk beds – and organised travel without the coaches. And it’s cheaper than a tailor made tour. It’s sits somewhere in the middle – and we think it’s just about right.
Have big, life-enriching experiences that would be impossible to organise without lots of time and insider knowledge.
Simplicity
Make the most of your holiday time by letting someone else do the hard work and boring logistics!
Peace of mind
Small group tours take care of the security aspects – and provide a safety net should anything unexpected happen.
If you don’t have three months to spend exploring, small groups trips let you cover more ground in less time. Your days are not spent queuing for tickets or finding hotels – so you can squeeze more into your holiday.
Solo travellers who’d like company
Likeminded travel companions plus peace of mind for those travelling alone. Single supplements are usually available – providing privacy if you want it.
Less confident travellers
Stray from the tourist trail without worrying about getting lost, and meet local people without dealing with the language barrier.
Couples and friends have private rooms, and you can choose to eat alone or not. Single supplements give solo travellers their own room.
“There won’t be any free time”
Free mornings or afternoons let you explore on your own, or just relax.
“The accommodation will be basic”
Trips are as high or low end as you like. Though off the beaten track destinations won’t have luxury hotels, this is all part of the adventure.
“I won’t like the other travellers!”
Tour operators try to create groups with a similar demographic – age, families, activity levels... Chances are, you’ll even make new friends.
“Will we be following an umbrella?”
No.
Responsible tourism
Iceland summer small group holiday
Carbon reduction
Your holiday will help support local people and conservation. We must also reduce CO2. Learn about the CO2 emissions of this holiday and how to reduce them.
Environment
We begin this trip by travelling from the airport on Reykjavik's excellent public shuttle bus. Using this service means you can arrive at any time of the day and share transport to reduce the amount of traffic on Iceland's roads, yet still arrive directly at your hotel.
Water in Iceland is excellent quality and we encourage you to carry a re-usable bottle with them and fill up during the day, avoiding the need for single-use plastic bottles.
During the trip we spend one night in the unique Wilderness Centre on the outskirts of Egilsstadir. This 1940's farmhouse has been carefully restored and is now a living museum complete. Staying here gives us an insight in to the traditional life of farmers in rural east Iceland. Food at the Wilderness Centre is all freshly prepared by the family, with all of the ingredients sourced locally - the breads, cakes and cookies are well worth trying!
As a travel company we are continually looking for ways to improve and are proud to be ‘Responsible in everything we do’. Education is key, and so all staff, Tour Leaders and partnering suppliers are trained in responsible and sustainable tourism. At our Head Office, we continually strive towards a sustainable and planet-friendly working environment, including having solar panels installed and a company commitment to reducing our plastic usage.
Community
Working with a small local operator we travel with Icelandic guides which allows us to learn all about modern life in Iceland and hear the history as their share local myths and legends that have been passed down through the generations.
During the trip we stay in small family run hotels and guesthouses, getting a chance to meet the owners and understand how their life changes with the seasons, from the near permanent daylight of the Midnight Sun to the short daylight hours in the winter months.
As a company we have valuable and longstanding partnerships with UK charities Toilet Twinning and Send a Cow, plus many smaller initiatives and projects around the world. We’re members of the UK travel industry body AITO because we believe it’s important to share our knowledge and experience, as well as learn from other operators.
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