A Grand Motoring Tour of Iceland

DAY 1 - UK – Reykjavik
Scheduled flight from UK to Keflavik. Collect your hire car on arrival, drive to Fludir where you will overnight at Hotel Fludir for 2 nights.

DAY 2 – Fludir
Spend a day savouring south Iceland’s attractions: the Geysir geothermal area with its hot springs, fumaroles stained yellow with sulphur and Thykkuhverir, the viscous hot springs; Gullfoss, whose waters flow down a 3 step staircase before plunging in two stages down a crevice at right angles to the flow of the river and Pingvellir, home to Althing which is in the hearts of Icelanders.

DAY 3 - Fludir – Vik
Drive down to and along the south coast stopping at Seljandsfoss and Skogafoss, possibly detouring up to Myrdalsjokull for a glacier snowmobile ride before arriving at Vik. Overnight at Hotel Vik

DAY 4 - Vik – Kalfafell
Drive along the southeast coast with its vast outwash plains forded by bridges and Skeidararsandur before arriving at Fosshotel Nupar.  Scenic sights along the way include the waterfall Foss á Siðu with a breathtaking vista and Dverghamrar, a stunning rock formation.

DAY 5 - Kalfafell – Hofn
The highlight of this day’s journey is the Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon, undoubtedly one of Iceland’s ‘wow factor’ sights.You can park and admire the Diamond Beach, a definite picture opportunity. Overnight in Fosshotel Vatnakojull.  Here you can drive closer into Hofn and enjoy the views of the southern Icelandic coastline.

DAY 6 – Hofn – Seydisfjordur
Breakfast at leisure before driving along the still gravelled section of route 1 overhung by rhyolite crags contouring the indented coastline dotted with fishing villages before descending to Seydisfjördur. Overnight at Hotel Aldan. 

DAY 7 - Seydisfjördur – Mývatn
Vast seemingly endless deserts of glacially crushed rock are the hallmark of the day before arriving at the contrastingly lush Lake Mývatn area. Overnight at Fosshotel Myvatn for 2 nights.

DAY 8 - Mývatn
Time to explore the extraordinary scenery and wildlife in the area:the wooded headland at Hofdi with its lava pillars; contorted black towers of Dimmuborgir; the pastel coloured Námafjall ridge with its steamy surroundings and the smouldering, sulphurous Krafla caldera. Further afield there are the multi-hued houses that hug the mountainside by the fishing village of Husavik from where you can go whale spotting; the unusually wooded canyon at Asbyrgi; Dettifoss with its dishwater grey torrent and the somewhat forgotten Selfoss with its wide curtain fall.

DAY 9 - Myvatn – Sauðárkrókur
Drive to Akureyri, passing along the coastal road by Iceland’s longest fjord Eyafjordur. Stop off in Akureyri, capital of the North of Iceland where you can visit the impressive Lutheran church, Akureyrikirkja. Drive further on to Sauðárkrókur where you will be staying in Hotel Tindastoll for the night before your onward journey.

DAY 10 – Sauðárkrókur – Isafjordur
Take the road across to Blönduos and follow the fjord road through some of the country’s most verdant countryside, then through Steingrímsfjardarheidi to Isafjördur for 2 nights at Hotel Isafjördur.

DAY 11 – Isafjordur
Time to explore one of Iceland’s most remote towns. Once home to a prosperous fishing industry, the decline has thrown up some quirky alternatives including swamp mud football!

DAY 12 - Isafjordur – Grundarfjordur
Drive south to Dyjandi (a series of falls, uppermost of which is the much photographed fan shaped one) and then along the northern side of the Snæfellsness peninsula, dropping in on Stykkishólmur and then to Grundarfjordur for 1 night at Hotel Stykkisholmur.

DAY 13 - Grundarfjordur – Reykjavik

Along the southern shore of the peninsula to Bogarnes (the Settlement Centre there is a good place to catch up on Sagas that Iceland is known for) and south to Reykjavík for your final 2 nights in the country’s capital city!  Drop off your car to the downtown Hertz offices. 

DAY 14 – Reykjavik
Day at leisure to enjoy in the city centre.

DAY 15 - Reykjavik – UK
After breakfast, take the shuttle transfer back to Keflavik Airport where you will travel back to the UK.