Itinerary
- Day 1
Arrival in Reykjavik
You'll arrive at Keflavik Airport and head to Sand Hotel in downtown Reykjavik. After getting settled, there's time to wander around the neighborhood, check out Laugavegur shopping street, or grab pastries at the hotel bakery. Lunch happens at Messinn seafood restaurant, and then you'll have dinner at a Scandinavian restaurant with other guests and local cultural experts to kick things off.
- Start point
- Keflavíkurvegur, 260 Reykjanesbær, Iceland (Keflavik Airport, 07:00 - 10:00)
- Meals
- Lunch (Welcome lunch at Messinn seafood restaurant featuring fresh fish, butter-fried potatoes, and vegetables), Dinner (Dinner at Scandinavian restaurant emphasizing organic Icelandic and Nordic cuisine with local cultural experts and international artists)
- Accommodation
- Hotel (Sand Hotel)
Included Activities
- Welcome lunch at Messinn seafood restaurant
- Dinner at Scandinavian restaurant with local cultural experts and international artists
Optional Activities
- Explore shops and restaurants around hotel
- Stroll down Laugavegur promenade
- Pastry at hotel bakery
Landmarks Laugavegur - Day 2
Reykjavik
Breakfast at the hotel gets the day going. You'll visit Funi ensemble's home for an informal session on folk Icelandic music with live performances on the lángspil and fidla instruments. Lunch is at Hofnin harbor restaurant with views over the marina. The afternoon takes you to Sky Lagoon hot spring where you can experience the Seven-Step Ritual with ocean views. The evening is yours to rest or explore on your own.
- Meals
- Breakfast (Typical Icelandic breakfast at hotel featuring one of Reykjavik's best bakeries), Lunch (Lunch at cozy family-run Hofnin restaurant in the harbor with views overlooking the marina)
- Accommodation
- Hotel (Sand Hotel)
Included Activities
- Folk Icelandic music performance and demonstration at Funi ensemble home
- Lunch at Hofnin restaurant
- Entrance to Reykjavik's Sky Lagoon with Seven-Step Ritual experience
Optional Activities
- Evening exploration and dining recommendations
Landmarks Sky Lagoon - Day 3
Reykjavik to Akureyri
After breakfast at the hotel, you'll head to the domestic airport for a 45-minute flight to Akureyri with great views of Iceland's interior landscape. Lunch is at Kaffi Ilmur, a family-owned spot in a historic 1916 building. Next comes a private organ concert by Eythor Ingi Jonsson at Akureyrarkirkja featuring Icelandic composers on their 3,200-pipe organ. You'll then walk through the world's northernmost botanical garden with Bryndis, a seer and horticulturalist, learning about local elf folklore and nature. Check in at IcelandAir Hotel Akureyri and have dinner on your own.
- Meals
- Breakfast, Lunch (Lunch at Kaffi Ilmur, family-owned restaurant in one of Akureyri's oldest houses (dating to 1916), featuring traditional Icelandic cakes and local recipes)
- Accommodation
- Hotel (IcelandAir Hotel Akureyri by Berjaya)
Included Activities
- Domestic flight Reykjavik to Akureyri
- Lunch at Kaffi Ilmur restaurant
- Private organ concert by Eythor Ingi Jonsson at Akureyrarkirkja
- Elf initiation and guided walk with Bryndis at Lystigardur botanical garden
Optional Activities
- Explore Akureyri on your own in evening
Landmarks Akureyrarkirkja Lystigardur - Day 4
Akureyri to Lake Myvatn Region
Hotel breakfast, then departure at 8:50am. You'll see Godafoss Waterfall with its 40-foot drop, then drive around Lake Myvatn viewing pseudo crater fields, lava pillars at Hófdi, and bird life along the Laxá River. Lunch is at Kaffi Borgir farm-to-table restaurant at Dimmuborgir, where you can explore black lava formations afterward. The route continues through Namakard's geothermal area with mud cauldrons and steaming vents, then into the underground lava cave Grjótagjá with crystal-blue geothermal water. You'll tour Krafla Geothermal Power Plant to learn about Iceland's renewable energy before dinner at Vogafjós Farm with homemade food and geothermal-baked bread. Night at Fosshotel Myvatn.
- Meals
- Breakfast, Lunch (Lunch at Kaffi Borgir at Dimmuborgir, farm-to-table restaurant serving lamb, goat, and beef raised on their farm with bread baked in the ground), Dinner (Dinner at Vogafjós Farm featuring homemade local food from farm-raised animals and geothermal-baked Geysir rye bread and cake)
- Accommodation
- Hotel (Fosshotel Myvatn)
Included Activities
- Visit to Godafoss Waterfall
- Drive around Lake Myvatn with stops at pseudo crater fields and Hófdi lava pillars
- Bird watching at Laxá River
- Lunch at Kaffi Borgir farm-to-table restaurant
- Exploration of Dimmuborgir lava field
- Drive through Namakard geothermal area
- Visit to Grjótagjá underground lava cave
- Tour of Krafla Geothermal Power Plant
- Dinner at Vogafjós Farm
Optional Activities
- Interact with farm animals and try fresh milk and ice cream at Vogafjós Farm
Landmarks Godafoss Waterfall Lake Myvatn Dimmuborgir Namakard Grjótagjá Krafla Geothermal Power Plant - Day 5
Lake Myvatn to Husavik
Starting with breakfast at the hotel, you'll drive the Diamond Circle route through active geological areas and natural landscapes. Dettifoss, Europe's largest waterfall by volume, comes first with its impressive flow from Vatnajökull glacier, and you can optionally visit Hafragilsfoss if time works out. Then to Ásbyrgi Canyon with its 328-foot cliffs and birch-willow forest, including a short walk to Botnstjörn bird sanctuary. Lunch is at Salka restaurant in Husavik. The afternoon brings a private two-hour eco whale-watching cruise where you might see up to 12 whale species including humpback, minke, fin, orca, and blue whales. Back at the hotel to relax, with dinner on your own and an optional evening soak at Myvatn Nature Baths surrounded by arctic volcanoes.
- Meals
- Breakfast, Lunch (Lunch at Salka, a cozy local restaurant in Husavik)
- Accommodation
- Hotel (Fosshotel Myvatn)
Included Activities
- Drive the Diamond Circle scenic route
- Visit to Dettifoss Waterfall
- Exploration of Ásbyrgi Canyon and Botnstjörn bird sanctuary
- Lunch at Salka restaurant in Husavik
- Private eco whale-watching cruise (approximately two hours)
- Entrance to Myvatn Nature Baths (Jardbodin) geothermal lagoon
Optional Activities
- Visit to nearby Hafragilsfoss waterfall if time permits
- Return to hotel instead of visiting Myvatn Nature Baths
- Dinner on your own in evening
Landmarks Dettifoss Waterfall Hafragilsfoss Ásbyrgi Canyon Botnstjörn Myvatn Nature Baths (Jardbodin) - Day 6
Lake Myvatn to Siglufjordur
After breakfast, you'll depart for the Arctic Coast Way, driving through the Troll Peninsula along Iceland's longest fjord. The route takes you through Akureyri and Dalvik before reaching Siglufjordur, where you'll check in at Siglo Hotel. This fishing village with candy-colored houses sits less than 40km from the Arctic Circle. The afternoon is free for optional visits to the Herring Era Museum or Folk Music Center, hiking on glaciated mountains and black sandy shores, or swimming in the geothermal-heated outdoor pool. You can also visit sculptor Adalheidur Eysteinsóttir's artist studio at Althyduhusid community center to see life-size figures made from reused wood. Dinner is at Siglunen restaurant, run by a Moroccan chef, serving North African cuisine and an extensive cheese selection.
- Meals
- Breakfast, Dinner (Dinner at Siglunen restaurant featuring exotic North African cuisine and an extensive cheese selection curated by passionate Moroccan chef Jaouad Hbib)
- Accommodation
- Hotel (Siglo Hotel)
Included Activities
- Drive along Arctic Coast Way and Troll Peninsula
- Visit to artist studio of Adalheidur Eysteinsóttir at Althyduhusid
- Dinner at Siglunen restaurant
Optional Activities
- Visit Herring Era Museum
- Visit Folk Music Center
- Hiking on glaciated mountains and black sandy shores
- Swimming in geothermal-heated outdoor pool and public sauna
- Lunch at Sunna, Kaffi Raudka, Torgid, or Harbour House Cafe
Landmarks Siglufjordur Herring Era Museum Folk Music Center - Day 7
Siglufjordur to Reykjavik
Breakfast at the hotel, then departure at 9:30am for Reykjavik on a scenic five-and-a-half-hour drive with stops along the way. You'll travel through horse country with mountain, glacier, and valley views. A stop at the 18th-century Glaumbaer Museum turf house, connected to Snorri Thorfinsson, the first European born in America, breaks up the drive. Lunch is at Sjavarborg, an Icelandic foodie destination in an old slaughterhouse warehouse with fjord views. Back at Sand Hotel in new rooms, you can relax or explore the city on your own. Dinner is a multi-course tasting menu at Fish Market featuring fresh locally-sourced seafood prepared by chef Hrefna Rósa Sætran and her team. An optional evening concert at Harpa or other venues is available depending on what's showing.
- Meals
- Breakfast, Lunch (Lunch at Sjavarborg, an Icelandic foodie destination in an old slaughterhouse warehouse with locally sourced fresh ingredients and fjord views), Dinner (Final multi-course tasting menu dinner at Fish Market featuring the freshest selections of Reykjavik's fish market prepared family-style by chef Hrefna Rósa Sætran and her team)
- Accommodation
- Hotel (Sand Hotel)
Included Activities
- Stop at Glaumbaer Museum turf house
- Lunch at Sjavarborg restaurant
- Final multi-course tasting menu dinner at Fish Market
Optional Activities
- Explore Reykjavik - shopping, museums, and other attractions
- Evening concert at Harpa or other venues (cost not included)
Landmarks Glaumbaer Museum Harpa - Day 8
Departure from Reykjavik
After breakfast and checking out, you'll head to Thor's mother's house for a private violin performance by Sif Margrét Tulinius, one of Iceland's well-known violinists. Coffee, tea, and cake come while listening to selections from her album Trilogy: Bach and the Present, featuring all three JS Bach sonatas from 1720 and contemporary Icelandic compositions. Following the performance, you'll transfer to Keflavik Airport for your flight home.
- End point
- Keflavíkurvegur, 260 Reykjanesbær, Iceland (Keflavik Airport, 10:00 - 16:00)
- Meals
- Breakfast
Included Activities
- Private violin performance by Sif Margréт Tulinius at Thor's mother's house (Helga Brynj\u00f3lfsd\u00f3ttir Tulinius)
