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.
Couples, Friends & Solos
6 days 5 nights
Activity Level: 1-3
Premiere Hotels
From: $6,499 - $6,699 pp dbl occ
($1,750 - $1,800 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.
Start/End Reykjavík
Start/End locations may vary. Do not book flights until your trip details are confirmed.
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.
This elegant and cozy family-owned hotel and working farm with Icelandic horses and sheep is set in stunning countryside.
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.
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.
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.
Experience the Highlands at this remote and newly renovated lodge, a historic oasis with panoramic views of the surrounding landscape.
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 in USD.
Our Private Trips are best for groups of 6 or more. We suggest joining a scheduled trip.
Group size is required to show per-person pricing. Your group size can be approximate and can change.
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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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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