Exciting 3-Day Summer Tour of Golden Circle and South Coast from Reykjavik with Adventures
Description
Summary
Description
Set out on a thrilling three-day adventure across the most incredible sites in Iceland with a guide, including glacier hiking and puffin-watching. Those eager to see waterfalls, ice caps, geothermal areas, and glacier lagoons on a preplanned, personalized trip should book this summer tour now.
After being picked up from your hotel in Reykjavik, you'll set out on a beautiful trip that covers the famous Golden Circle, South Coast, and Vatnajokull National Park. Three days will be spent sightseeing and embarking on local adventures, and you will enjoy the two evenings in hotels.
Guaranteed to be at least three-star hotels, you will have a comfortable private room with an en suite bathroom, free Wi-Fi, and breakfast. Complimentary Wi-Fi is also provided in the modern vehicle you'll be traveling in.
On day one of your tour, you'll witness the breathtaking attractions of Iceland's Golden Circle. Thingvellir National Park is a geological marvel with gorgeous landscapes and fascinating history. The Geysir geothermal area boasts exploding hot springs, and the Gullfoss waterfall is one of the country's most iconic features.
You'll also go off-the-beaten-track to the lesser-known Kerid crater with a lake at its center.
On days two and three, you'll enjoy your journey along the South Coast and into Vatnajokull National Park. While some travelers pack as much of this route into a single day as they can, taking two allows you enough time to enjoy every attraction.
The Seljalandsfoss and Skogafoss waterfalls, the Reynisfjara black sand beach, the Fjadrargljufur canyon, and the Skaftafell Nature Reserve are just a few sites you'll explore in depth. However, the most sought-after destination en route is the magical Jokulsarlon glacier lagoon, a vast lake filled with enormous icebergs.
While on the South Coast, you will embark on two unique activities. The first is puffin watching at the Dyrholaey rock arch, where they nest in the thousands throughout summer. When admiring their clumsy walks and lifelong pairings, you'll find it impossible not to fall in love with these charming animals.
The second activity is a glacier hiking tour up the slopes of Solheimajokull glacier, an outlet of Myrdalsjokull. This once-in-a-lifetime activity will introduce you to the world of the ice cap and provide stunning views of the South.
Your guide will provide all the safety equipment you need to enjoy this adventure.
Don't miss this fantastic three-day tour of the Golden Circle and South Coast, with glacier hiking and puffin watching. Check availability now by choosing a date.
Included
Activities
Daily itinerary
Day 1 - Golden Circle
On the first day of your three-day adventure in South Iceland, your guide will pick you up at your accommodation and drive you out of the city. Get to know each other as you travel through stunning landscapes en route to the first site of the Golden Circle.
Soon, you'll reach Thingvellir National Park. The only UNESCO World Heritage Site on the Icelandic mainland, Thingvellir, is the original site of Iceland's ongoing parliament, founded over a thousand years ago.
Furthermore, the park is located between two tectonic plates, both of which you can see. The nature here is beautiful, with spectacular waterways, lava landscapes, and a vast lake.
After enjoying Thingvellir, your guide will drive you further inland to the Geysir geothermal area. As the name suggests, you will find geysers in this area, namely the Great Geysir and Strokkur.
The Great Geysir rarely erupts today, but Strokkur makes up for it with massive water columns and steam bursting every five to ten minutes. This event regularly reaches heights of over 60 feet (18 meters). Surrounding these two geysers are many other hot springs, which dye the earth vivid colors. As such, there is plenty to admire between eruptions.
You'll reach Gullfoss waterfall with just a few minutes of driving. One of Iceland's most breathtaking and iconic features, the waterfall cascades into a dramatic, ancient valley in two tiers. Plenty of viewing platforms allow you to marvel over and photograph the glacier waters.
While most Golden Circle tours end here, you will continue onto Kerid crater, a lesser-known but similarly picturesque feature. You can walk around the rim of red rocks and, conditions allowing, walk down to the vivid azure pond in the middle.
Your guide will then drive you to your night's accommodation in Reykjavik or a hotel near the Golden Circle.
Day 2 - South Coast
On the second day of your three-day tour of South Iceland, you will enjoy breakfast at your hotel before exploring the South Coast. This region has countless attractions and adventure opportunities, so you'll make many unforgettable memories today.
After driving through gorgeous landscapes, including black sand beaches, lava fields, and geothermal areas, you'll reach your first destinations, all of which are waterfalls.
Seljalandsfoss is most unique, falling in a narrow cascade before a cavern. You can encircle the waterfall in the right conditions for beautiful and impressive views. This feature stands at around 197 feet (60 meters) tall.
Nestled in a mountainside nearby is a much less known waterfall, Gljufrabui. Though you can only reach it in summer, requiring you to wade through a stream, it has a fairytale-like appearance and is much less crowded.
Skogafoss waterfall is as tall as Seljalandsfoss, and while you can't encircle it, the feature is much more powerful. You can walk right up to its enormous cloud of spray, ascend a staircase beside it for different views, and learn about the folklore surrounding it on site.
After enjoying these South Coast waterfalls, you will head to Solheimajokull glacier for your glacier hiking adventure. Your guide will dress you in all the safety equipment necessary and lead you onto the icy slopes. Glacier hiking is popular in Iceland because of how breathtaking the ice caps are, with unique formations, otherworldly terrain, and stunning views.
After descending the glacier, you'll head to the Dyrholaey rock arch. This dramatic feature is so significant that ships can sail through it, and between May and September, it becomes home to thousands of pairs of nesting puffins. These adorable birds are rare around the world but common in Iceland. Their colors, behavior, and tiny size makes them charming and perfect subjects for photography.
Your final destination today is the Reynisfjara black sand beach. Here, you can marvel over volcanic ash, massive waves, and the great sea stacks of Reynisdrangar. In legend, these geological structures are said to be frozen trolls turned to stone by the sun's light.
You will spend the night in a hotel on the South Coast for one more day packed with adventure.
Day 3 - Skaftafell and Jokulsarlon
After breakfast on day three, your guide will take you to two of the most memorable destinations in Iceland: the Skaftafell Nature Reserve and the Jokulsarlon glacier lagoon.
Both locations are part of the Vatnajokull National Park, the largest national park in Iceland. This fantastic destination is based around the biggest glacier in Europe, which shares the park's name and shapes its beautiful landscapes.
Skaftafell is a breathtaking place with many glacier tongues. The diverse landscapes mean you can enjoy countless adventures here, with forests, lava fields, volcanoes, and rivers.
Your guide will bring you to gorgeous spots and tailor the experience to your group. You can take some incredible trails through the dramatic landscapes if you like to hike. Photographers can head to the best vantage points for some fantastic shots.
After enjoying the Skaftafell Nature Reserve, you will continue to the Jokulsarlon glacier lagoon. Often called 'the crown jewel of Iceland's nature,' this vast lake has thousands of icebergs cluttering its vivid waters. These icebergs vary in size and color. Many are as tall as multistorey buildings, and the shades can be all ranges of blue, with patches of white snow and veins of black ash.
Though the bergs are the main attraction, there is plenty to enjoy for those who love animals. You can often see seals playing in the waters and resting on the ice, while many birds use the area as a nesting ground. Be careful not to approach the nests, so you don't damage the eggs and avoid being dive-bombed by the arctic terns.
The icebergs of the Jokulsarlon glacier lagoon slowly travel out of the lake via a narrow river. Once they reach the nearby ocean, they wash upon the black sand shore and glisten like gems. As such, this area is called Diamond Beach.
You will walk along this coastline to admire and photograph the icebergs before you return to your vehicle. Your private guide will then drive you back to Reykjavik, stopping en route for some last refreshments and photo opportunities.
What to bring
Good to know
Large luggage can be stored in Reykjavik for a small cost.
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