Day 1 – Reykjavík

Arrive in Keflavik, and meet your driver for the private transfer to the Blue Lagoon. Recover from your flight with a soak in the lagoon’s therapeutic waters and enjoy the amenities of the Retreat Spa. Continue to Reykjavík and check in to your hotel.

Day 2 – Reykjavík

Explore Reykjavík from a unique perspective today: through its food! Join a local for a private tour of some of the city’s favorite foodie spots, and sample a wide range of specialties, from Icelandic lamb to ice cream. When the tour is over, you’ll have the rest of the day to explore this spirited capital city. We recommend a visit to the National Gallery for a fascinating overview of Iceland’s history and culture.

Day 3 - Stykkishólmur

Collect your rental car in downtown Reykjavík and drive north towards the Snæfellsnes Peninsula. This is a beautiful drive that traces the peninsulas jutting out from Iceland’s western coast. En route, detour along scenic Hvalfjörður to admire the striking coastal scenery. Arrive in Stykkishólmur and enjoy an afternoon at leisure in this picturesque town.

Day 4 – Stykkishólmur

Spend a full day exploring the Snæfellsnes Peninsula at your leisure. The main road traces the coast of the peninsula, revealing many of its most treasured sites. See the iconic peak of Kirkjufell mountain, which rises abruptly at the ocean’s edge. Explore Snæfellsjökull National Park and hike down to the  black-pebble beach of Djúpalónssandur. If time permits, consider descending into an ancient lava tube on a shared tour of Vatnshellir cave. This afternoon, you’ll join a small-group boat tour from Stykkishólmur out into Breiðafjörður Bay and taste freshly caught "Viking sushi" straight from the ocean.

Day 5 - Langjökull

Leave the Snæfellsnes Peninsula behind and drive through Borgarfjörður toward Iceland’s rugged interior. Your destination is Húsafell, a hamlet set among vast lava fields on the western edge of Iceland’s second-largest glacier, Langjökull. Join a small-group tour for a once-in-a-lifetime adventure inside the Langjökull glacier. You’ll ride a specially designed vehicle atop the glacier and continue with a guide into a series of tunnels that lead to the heart of the blue ice. After your glacier experience, enjoy free time for a soak in the geothermally heated pools and hot tubs at your hotel.

Day 6 - Vik

Journey south to the famed Golden Circle region, where you’ll visit the two-tiered waterfall of Gullfoss, the bubbling geothermal hot spot of Geysir, and historic Thingvellir National Park. After seeing how the North American and the Eurasian tectonic plates are splitting above ground at Thingvellir, don a dry suit and snorkel through the fissure between the continental plates on a small-group guided tour. From here, drive along the south coast to Vík, your base for the next few days.

Day 7 - Vik

Spend your day on the scenic south coast, home to some of Iceland’s most impressive waterfalls and volcanoes. Following our self-guided tour, walk on Reynisfjara’s black-sand beach to see sea stacks off the coast and enter a cave formed from hexagonal basalt columns. Drive to the edge of Sólheimajökull glacier, and venture behind a 200-foot veil of falling water at Seljalandsfoss. Consider stopping at the LAVA Centre museum to learn more about the volatile geological forces that continue to shape the island.

Day 8 – Vik

Travel further east along the Ring Road towards Vatnajökull National Park, passing through one of the world’s largest lava fields and the desolate black-sand flood plains of Skeiðarársandur. At Skaftafell, you may wish to hike to Svartifoss waterfall, or take a longer hike over the bluff for incredible views of Vatnajökull glacier. Then float among icebergs and bergy bits during a Zodiac cruise on Jökulsárlón lagoon, and watch for ice calving off the glacier and into the lagoon. Stroll Diamond Beach, where many of the icebergs wash up after being carried out to sea.

Day 9 – Depart for home

Make your way towards Keflavík airport, where you’ll return your car before your onward flight. On the way, take time to explore the otherworldly Reykjanes Peninsula, an eerie landscape dotted with volcanic craters, bubbling mud pools, emerald lakes and craggy lava fields.