8 Day Iceland Ring Road Tour

Our first stop is between two tectonic plates, Thingvellir National Park, surrounded by snow and with unique geographical features. At this first stop, it is possible to snorkel in the Silfra crevasse as an extra. On the Golden Circle route, our next stop is in the geothermal area of Hakuadalur, where we find Geysir, the geyser that gives its name to all the others, or Strokkur, which erupts every 5 minutes with such force that it reaches a height of 35 meters.

The third stop of this day that completes the Golden Circle is the Gullfoss waterfall, the place where the glacial river Hvítá falls from a height of 32 meters. Gullfoss translates as the Golden Waterfall, and is what gives this tour its name. At the end of the day we will take you to your hotel which is located in a perfect spot to see Northern Lights at night. After this long day, it's time to rest at the hotel and recharge your batteries for the next day.

On this second day, we will head to the south coast of Iceland to visit the incredible Seljalandsfoss waterfall, with a 65-metre-high (213 feet) drop and unparalleled views. But our next destination is not far behind, with a similar height, we will travel to the Skógafoss waterfall. If this day seemed too easy, get ready for a hike through the glacier crevasses.

The last stop of the day is the famous black sand Reynisfjara beach, surrounded by black basalt columns. From here you can also see the rock formations of Reynisdrangar rising from the sea. To finish and rest, we will head back to our hotel in Vik.

Ice and icebergs are what await you today. At Jökulsárlón glacier lagoon, icebergs descend from the glacier on their way to the so-called Diamond Beach. And it is not gems that you will find on this beach, but small icebergs stranded on the black sandy beach that form a unique landscape.

We cannot tour this area without also making a stop is the Vatnajökull glacier ice cave, where an experienced guide takes you to visit these unique blue ice caves. Finally, we will travel to the southeast, where our accommodation awaits us, and we can recharge our batteries.

The time has come to explore the stunning East Fjords of Iceland. The fjords present us with high mountain ridges where we will discover Icelandic history and culture in quiet fishing villages, get up close to the local wildlife, the wild reindeer, and all this while admiring the Vatnajökull glacier in the background. Horseback riding will also be available on this day.

Our next destination is the Hallormsstaðaskógur forest, the longest forest in the country, which offers a multitude of trails to caves, waterfalls and moorlands. Hidden in this forest is Lake Lagarfljót, which is the source of legends about a mysterious creature that lives there. We will spend the night in a small village in the east of Iceland.

The kind of things that make Iceland unique are what we will see on this fifth day. Lake Mývatn area features lava formations, mud pools, unique geographical formations and the famous Mývatn hot springs. If you've been cold so far, don't worry, things are about to change at our next destination. The Námaskarð Pass offers a geothermal area with high temperatures where the earth boils and a red-orange landscape awaits us.

And if that doesn't sound magical enough, at Dimmuborgir, our next stop, we will visit lava pillars with peculiar shapes that remind many of trolls, elves and other mythical creatures. If this is too much excitement for you, and you want to relax, add for an extra fee the entrance to the VÖK Natural Baths. On the way to our accommodation, we will also make a stop at the Goðafoss waterfall. Before you go to sleep, we recommend you to take a look at the sky because there is a chance to see Northern Lights from here.

This sixth day is the most relaxing of all, and to recharge our batteries we will spend the day visiting the city known as the Capital of the North, Akureyri. We will also take a trip to the small town of Hauganes, a place with much to discover and where a stroll along the harbor and its black sandy beach is a must.  Crossing the harbor, a whale watching boat will take us out to sea to observe humpback whales and other marine giants. In the evening, we will return to Akureyri for the night.

On the seventh day, we will visit the Snaefellsnes Peninsula. Our first stop will be at Gerðuberg, an ensemble of hexagonal basalt columns. As a contrast to everything we have learned, we will visit the white sandy beach of Ytri-Tunga, which is unusual for Iceland, as most beaches are black sand. Did I mention that Ytri-Tunga is also a seal colony?

Then we head to Djúpalónssandur beach, although to get there we have to cross a labyrinth of lava pillars. We continue our adventure on the Snaefellsjökull glacier with a visit to the Arnarstapi, Hellnar cliffs and Búðakirkja black church.

Our next stop is the volcanic cave of Víðgelmir, the cave that inspired Jules Verne to think of a journey to the center of the earth. For an extra charge you can descend into the cave yourself and experience the adventure, but don't worry, the cave doesn't go that low.

To end our day, we drove even further into the Snaefellsnes Peninsula to visit the iconic Kirkjufell mountain. If this destination sounds familiar, it's because you've travelled beyond the wall to reach the arrowhead-shaped mountain in Game of Thrones.

On our last day we return to the Snaefellsnes Peninsula and visit western Iceland, our first stop will be at Deildartunguhver, the largest hot spring in Europe. There you will see steam and boiling water rising from the ground. The surface surrounding the spring has a reddish color due to the steam and minerals in the area.

Time for a bit of history, our next stop is Reykholt, birthplace of Snorri Sturluson, a character with great impact on Icelandic history as a poet, legislator and scholar. And in case you haven't had your fill of waterfalls, our next two stops are two very different but equally special waterfalls. Hraunfossar is a series of streams emerging through dark lava fields and Barnafoss, meanwhile, is a bright blue stream cascading down a narrow gorge. 

Save your strength because we saved the best for last, the tour of the active volcano Fagradalsfjall. Our journey will end in Reykjavík where it began, after having travelled around Iceland in 8 days and having lived an unforgettable experience.