Mountain Highlights escorted walking tour

Day 1: ARRIVAL TO ICELAND
Fly with a scheduled airline to Reykjavik.

Transfer to your hotel in central Reykjavik. Journey time about 50 minutes. If you fly out on the morning flight you can, on the journey into Reykjavik, make a stop at the famous Blue Lagoon (optional extra) before continuing to Guesthouse Borgartun for 1 night.

DAY 2: REYKJAVÍK-GULLFOSS-GEYSIR-SKAFTAFELL

The day starts with a drive to the famous Geysir and the Queen of Iceland´s waterfalls, Gullfoss. We then travel through the sandy desert of the south coast which is overlooked by mountainous cliffs and magnificent waterfalls. We stay for the next two nights near Skaftafell National Park.

DAY 3: WALKING IN SKAFTAFELL

The whole day is spent walking through the Skaftafell National Park.

DAY 4: SKAFTAFELL-FLJÓTSDALSHÉRAÐ

We drive south of Vatnajökull, Europe´s largest glacier which dominates the landscape with its glacial tongues calving into a glacial lagoon. Next, amongst the icebergs, a boat trip on the Jökulsárlón lagoon we then continue through the beautiful Eastern fjords. We spend the next two nights in the neighbourhood of Egilsstaðir.

DAY 5: WALKING THROUGH VIKING TRAILS

A full day walking in the beautiful Eastern mountains.

DAY 6: FLJÓTSDALSHÉRAÐ-ASKJA- HERÐUBREIÐARLINDIR-MÝVATN AREA

Today we travel through the uninhabited highlands to the Askja caldera which was formed when a volcano collapsed inwardly. Inside the caldera is Iceland´s deepest lake Öskjuvatn and beside the lake is the impressive explosion crater, Víti formed in 1875. We travel through Herðubreiðarlindir nature reserve before reaching our accommodation for the next three nights in the Mývatn area.

DAY 7: WHALE WATCHING - LAKE MÝVATN AREA

We start the day, with a 3 hour whale watching cruise, weather permitting, from the picturesque village of Húsavík. A short drive to Lake Mývatn, a unique area that features strange lava formations, attractive bays, pseudo craters and prolific bird life. We stroll through the lava field of Dimmuborgir, ending with a walk to the rim of the ash crater Hverfjall. We relax in Mývatns Nature Baths, before we head back to our accommodation.

DAY 8: WALKING IN HLJÓÐAKLETTAR-DETTIFOSS- ÁSBYRGI

We visit Hljóðaklettar with its strange formations and the magnificent and puzzling canyon Ásbyrgi, said to be a hoof print of the eight legged horse of the ancient God Óðinn. We walk along the west bank of the mighty Jökulsá river, not far upstream we see Europe´s most powerful waterfall Dettifoss.

DAY 9: LAKE MÝVATN AREA-HELLA

We visit Goðafoss and Aldeyjarfoss on our way south across the highland desert of Sprengisandur, with its views of the distant ice-caps Vatnajökull and Hofsjökull. We continue south through Sprengisandur to our accommodation for the next two nights in Rangárvallasýsla.

DAY 10: WALKING IN LANDMANNALAUGAR

The entire day is spent walking in the geothermal area of Landmannalaugar, a jewel in the Icelandic landscapes. The surroundings rhyolite mountains have the feel of another planet, ranging in colours from beige to red and from blue to black. We will have the opportunity to enjoy a bathe in a pool of warm spring water.

DAY 11: ÞINGVELLIR-REYKJAVÍK

Today we visit the historic sites of the first Icelandic Parliament at Þingvellir National Park where we enjoy the last walks of our tour before returning to Reykjavík. Overnight at Guesthouse Borgartun.

DAY 12: DEPARTURE

After breakfast transfer back to the airport for your flight home. If you are departing on afternoon flight we recommend departure transfer via Blue Lagoon.