Region Overviews: Iceland Travel Guide: Overview
Just shy of the Arctic Circle, Iceland is an island nation that features pristine glaciers, sulfuric hot springs and stunning fjords alongside the trendy bars of capital, Reykjavík.
Multi-Adventure
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Iceland's Golden Circle & Volcanic Highlands Multi-Adventure Tour
Majestic Mountains, Waterfalls & Geothermal Splendor
Couples, Friends & Solos
6 days 5 nights
Activity Level: 1-3
Premiere Hotels
From: $6,999 - $7,349 pp dbl occ
($1,550 - $1,650 for sgl occ)
Iceland's stunning Highlands delight at every turn. Trek through wild lunar landscapes and lava fields. Find steaming vents, verdant canyons and colorful rhyolite. Relax at remote and stunning hotels where Icelandic horses roam—places that feel a world away, yet are minutes from Southern Iceland's plunging waterfalls and spouting geysers.
Walk/Hike
Horseback
Raft
Iceland Multi-Adventure Tour
Iceland
Start/End Reykjavík
Start/End locations may vary. Do not book flights until your trip details are confirmed.
Highlights
- Witness Iceland's geothermal wonders—boiling and bubbling hot springs and mud pots, spouting geysers and steaming pools and lagoons
- Hike through breathtaking scenery of Seltún on the Reykjanes Peninsula, also home to the newly erupting Fagradalsfjall volcano
- Walk through “waterfall way,” where 26 falls vie for your attention, and visit the mighty tiered Gullfoss (Golden Falls) in its dramatic canyon
- Embark on a private Super Jeep expedition to explore the remote stunning wilderness and hidden valleys of Iceland's colorful Highlands
Videos
Itinerary
Accommodations may vary based on departure date.
6 Days Premiere Hotels
Accommodations may vary based on departure.
Day 1
Description
Start your journey with a hike to the recent eruption site of Fagradalsfjall Volcano | Wonder at the black lava and the marks and scars from the prolonged eruption | Continue to Gljufrabui, a hidden waterfall inside a narrow ravine, and walk behind the iconic Seljalandsfoss waterfall.
Accommodations
Skálakot Manor Hotel
Hvolsvöllur
| Premiere Hotel This elegant and cozy family-owned hotel and working farm with Icelandic horses and sheep is set in stunning countryside.
Days 2-3
Description
After witnessing the mighty Skógafoss, ride an all-terrain Super Jeep to the hard-to-reach Skógar plateau | Hike a section of the famous Fimmvörðuháls, passing 25 more waterfalls as you descend the stunning “waterfall way” | Drink in spectacular views of the south coast and the wide-open Atlantic Ocean | Explore lush green canyons, pass by grazing sheep and take in views of the Eyjafjallajökull and Mýrdalsjökull ice caps | Learn about farming in Iceland and eat the mushrooms from the country’s only mushroom farm | Raft the glacial Hvítá River | At day’s end, slip into a basalt stone hot pool at our unique retreat | End the day with a lively performance by an Icelandic musician.
Accommodations
Torfhús Retreat
Selfoss
| Premiere Hotel This remote retreat isn’t your average hotel—its traditional residences blend into the beautiful landscape with their living turf roofs and stone and reclaimed wooden walls.
Days 4-6
Description
Ride an Icelandic horse in the heart of the Golden Circle, where the Geysir geothermal field awaits—Strokkur hurls steaming water 100 feet into the air and massive Gullfoss waterfall flows and sprays along its wide staircases | Travel over a rocky desert to the heart of the remote Iceland Highlands in a Super Jeep | Explore an awe-inspiring and untouched wilderness filled with some of the most surreal landscapes on earth | Colorful jagged peaks, ice caps, hidden verdant canyons and ancient calderas await | Journey through the moon-like Hveradalir, the "valley of hot springs" filled with volcanic rhyolite, fumaroles and rising steam | Continue to Ásgard and be amazed at the rainbow-colored mountain slopes with the Hofsjökull glacier and the highlands in the distance | Discover picturesque Thingvellir before journeying back to Reykjavík.
Accommodations
Highland Base at Kerlingarfjöll
Kerlingarfjöll
| Premiere Hotel Experience the Highlands at this remote and newly renovated lodge, a historic oasis with panoramic views of the surrounding landscape.
Dates & Prices
The earlier you book, the more choice you'll have and the lower your price. And you can always change your mind — you won't be charged to transfer to a different trip before your final payment is due. View cancellation policy.
Click on dates for pricing, itinerary variations and to book your trip. Price is per person, double occupancy.
July 2023
August 2023
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From our Guests
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#MyBackroadsTrip
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Activity Level: 1-3
Every Backroads trip is designed to appeal to a wide variety of interests and fitness levels. Several routes and a range of levels are offered each day so you can choose how much or how little activity you want to do. Learn more about how we determine activity levels.
Daily Route Options
What's Included
- All breakfasts, 6 lunches, 5 dinners
- Expertise and services of our experienced Trip Leaders
- Snacks and beverages between meals
- Additional guides and experts from the region on many trips
- Van shuttles to support a variety of route options
- Comprehensive Travel Planner with detailed pre-trip information
- Private guided tours at museums, historic sites, wineries and other select attractions as noted in the Travel Planner
- All gratuities at hotels and restaurants
- Special events, including wine tastings and other select attractions as mentioned in the Travel Planner
- On biking and multi-adventure trips with biking, use of fully equipped Backroads titanium bike plus helmet and accessories
- Trailercycles, carriers, and kid-sized helmets for Family Trips
- Equipment and experienced guides for kayaking, rafting, snorkeling, sailing and canoeing as described
- Park and other entry fees
- Fares for trains, ferries and other modes of travel as listed in the Travel Planner
- Select coach transfers
- Baggage transfers
- All breakfasts, 6 lunches, 5 dinners
- Expertise and services of our experienced Trip Leaders
- Snacks and beverages between meals
- Additional guides and experts from the region on many trips
- Van shuttles to support a variety of route options
- Comprehensive Travel Planner with detailed pre-trip information
- Private guided tours at museums, historic sites, wineries and other select attractions as noted in the Travel Planner
- All gratuities at hotels and restaurants
- Special events, including wine tastings and other select attractions as mentioned in the Travel Planner
- On biking and multi-adventure trips with biking, use of fully equipped Backroads titanium bike plus helmet and accessories
- Trailercycles, carriers, and kid-sized helmets for Family Trips
- Equipment and experienced guides for kayaking, rafting, snorkeling, sailing and canoeing as described
- Park and other entry fees
- Fares for trains, ferries and other modes of travel as listed in the Travel Planner
- Select coach transfers
- Baggage transfers
Straight talk
We want to make sure you're on the right trip and that you have the best experience possible. Every Backroads trip is unique and this one is no exception.
Climate & Itinerary Changes
The combination of Iceland's prolific waterfalls, vast ice fields, vibrant green landscape and warm ocean currents makes this island like no other place in the world. The island's climate can be as surprising as its terrain, with weather patterns and microclimates that can bring sun, wind, fog, sleet, rain and snow all in the same day (or hour!). Please be sure to bring warm layers and waterproof gear for every day of the trip. In addition, the fluctuating weather might result in flight and mid-trip itinerary changes, but your Backroads Leaders are always prepared to make necessary adjustments to ensure a great trip while keeping safety the top priority.
Shuttle Time
In order to access the most scenic routes and significant points of interest on this trip, multiple shuttles of one to three hours in our support vans and in Super Jeeps are incorporated into our itinerary.
We want to make sure you're on the right trip and that you have the best experience possible. Every Backroads trip is unique and this one is no exception.
Climate & Itinerary Changes
The combination of Iceland's prolific waterfalls, vast ice fields, vibrant green landscape and warm ocean currents makes this island like no other place in the world. The island's climate can be as surprising as its terrain, with weather patterns and microclimates that can bring sun, wind, fog, sleet, rain and snow all in the same day (or hour!). Please be sure to bring warm layers and waterproof gear for every day of the trip. In addition, the fluctuating weather might result in flight and mid-trip itinerary changes, but your Backroads Leaders are always prepared to make necessary adjustments to ensure a great trip while keeping safety the top priority.
Shuttle Time
In order to access the most scenic routes and significant points of interest on this trip, multiple shuttles of one to three hours in our support vans and in Super Jeeps are incorporated into our itinerary.
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