Iceland Golden Circle holiday

Planet

The hosts on our farmstay in the Smaratun Hotel Fljotshlid, a beautiful family run operation connected to a farm, are the leaders in responsible tourism and sustainability in Iceland. They produce almost all food locally, practice recycling, and hold seminars to teach other farmers and guesthouses on how to be more environmentally friendly. If you are visiting Iceland in summer, head out on to the farm and plant a tree, to help support your host’s commitment to sustainability and carbon offsetting efforts. Since the arrival of the first settlers to Iceland, deforestation has taken place in order to make space for pastures. Overgrazing over the centuries has then led to soil erosion. With this in mind, the owners of Smaratun Hotel Fljotshlid had the idea to start a tree planting project on their land to contribute to lowering their carbon footprint and counteract soil erosion. Join the effort to counteract this and head out into the hills surrounding the property to plant trees. In a country that sees seven times more annual tourists than it has inhabitants, it is important that travellers contribute to sustainable projects.

We are a big supporter of the protection of endangered species around the world. Although a global ban on commercial whaling came into effect in 1986, approximately 1,000 whales are still being killed every year, as Iceland, Norway and Japan ignore the ban. We strive not to visit places that serve whale on any of our trips, however often this is unavoidable and there is a likelihood that you will come across whale meat on a menu or at a market stand.

People

All our Iceland trips are run by our local Destination Management Company (or DMC), which is based out of Reykjavik. They share our values in terms of responsible travel, and relay this onto our leaders who impart their wisdom on our travellers. Our DMC is run by locals and employs mostly local leaders from Iceland. We believe that local leaders can provide the best insights into living in Iceland, as you must have experienced life in this remote country to be able to share your impressions.

Many of the areas surrounding Reykjavik receive large numbers of day-trippers, mainly staying on cruise ships. This style of travel doesn’t benefit the local communities living in the countryside, which is why our itinerary takes the road less travelled. We specifically visit less crowded places and stay on a remote farm, to get off the beaten trek.

We support local businesses and use local suppliers for all our included activities and optional services. This means that our travellers experience local culture and that money stays in the area to benefit the local community.