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After your arrival in Keflavik International Airport you may take either a public flybus to Reykjavik or a taxi. In Reykjavik you may use the afternoon for a relaxing walk through the old town before the group meets up in the evening.
Services: Guest house

We leave Reykjavik to drive into the thermal area of ​​Neskjavellir and continue to the national park Thingvellir. Thingvellir is so special because there is hardly no other place on earth that illustrates so well the vertical and horizontal movements of the earth's crust. This national park is furthermore known for its natural beauty and also represents one of the most important moments of human history as here, in 930, the oldest democratic parliament in the world was founded. An hour's drive away is the Geysir geothermal area, famous for its colorful springs, pools and numerous water and steam vents. Whereas the Great Geyser´s centuries-long activity ended in 1915, his world famous neighbour Strokkur is still active and explosively shoots up its water masses every 10 minutes. A few minutes'drive away we arrive at the Gullfoss, one of the most impressive waterfalls in Europe. Above its two cascades rises a water vapor cloud which shimmers in all colours of the rainbow, probably giving him the name "Goldwaterfall". Afterwards we take a two-hour trip to the western highlands and the rhyolite area of ​​Kerlingarfjöll.
Services: at the guest house in Kerlingarfjöll, breakfast, Lunch, dinner

Today we have the whole day to explore the unique rhyolite area of Kerlingarfjöll as the "Woman mountain" is a high-temperature thermal area with wonderful short and longer hiking possibilities in a volcanically extraordinary landscape: colorful mountains, dark obsidian and white glaciers - altogether a bizarre landscape which is unique in the world. Kerlingarfjöll was formed by volcanic eruptions in the later ice age when its mountains were made of rhyolite rock as well as globally rare ocher and almost black hyaloclastite rocks. This explains the strong contrast in both shapes and colours between Kerlingarfjöll and the surrounding landscape.
Services: at the guest house in Kerlingarfjöll, breakfast, Lunch, dinner

In the early morning we continue to the thermal area of Hveravellir – a fascinating world of hot thermal springs, where we can take a hot bath. The northern part of the Kjölur slope is well developed as an access road to the Blöndulón reservoirs. Visualize and relive for a moment the harsh living conditions of the of the 19th and early 20th centuries at the old Glaumbær peat homestead in the Héraðsvötn River delta and visit the old peat church Víðimýri.
Continue via to small village of Hofsós and admire particularly slender basalt columns on the coast. Continue a wonderful scenic drive around the large Tröllaskagi Peninsula and through the dreamy fishing villages Siglufjördur and Olafsfjördur to Dalvik.
Services: night in a guest house in Dalvik, breakfast, lunch, dinner

After breakfast, go for whale-watching! In the large Eyafjördur near Dalvik, several humpback whales and many smaller whales and dolphins frolic in the summer. During an optional 3-hour trip, you have the chance to observe these large marine mammals from up close. This excursion costs about 75,- €.
In the afternoon, continue Akureyri to the legendary horseshoe-shaped Goðafoss waterfall, whose waters cascade dramatically over several parallel steps into the depths of a gorge.
In the late afternoon, discover the natural beauties around Mývatn lake, a place full of unique volcanic features: pseudo-craters, deep fissures, explosion craters, ancient lava lakes and much more. We take short walks in this surreal landscape.
Services: Guest house in Mývatn, breakfast, lunch, dinner

In the early morning we drive to the the huge Dettifoss waterfall to discover one of the most pristine glacial river landscapes in the world. We continue our way to the south to Askja volcano and take a hike inside the huge Askja caldera to visit Víti crater created in 1875. This explosion crater still looks as if it was an entrance to hell. Visit nearby Öskjuvatn, the deepest lake in Iceland and return to Myvatn in the late afternoon.
Services: overnight in the same guest house in Mývatn, breakfast, lunch, dinner

Drive to the great glacial gorge of Ásbyrgi via Húsavik on the north coast and on to Dettifoss, the most powerful waterfall in Europe. In the afternoon continue to Bakkagerdi, where one of the world's best observation sites for puffins is located (sightings possible until about August 5).
Services: Accomodation in Bakkagerdi, breakfast, lunch, dinner

Depending on the weather, you can use the morning to observe and take pictures of the colorful puffins again, before we continue to the East fjords with their dramatic landscape.
Services: Guesthouse in Berufjördur, brearkfast, lunch, dinner

Before we continue to the south, take a closer look at the waterfalls at the Öxi Pass when it's still quiet and few others are around.
On our further journey to the south, we reach the wide delta of the glacier river Jökulsáí Lóni in the afternoon, home to thousands of whooper swans in summer. Further south, we'll drive along the margin of the huge ice cap Vatnajökull. Depending on your mood and the weather, take an excursion to the fascinating ice world of the Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon in the evening.
Services: Guest house near Gerdi; breakfast, lunch, dinner

Today we have time to explore the wonderland created by larger and smaller glacier tongues and lagoons of the region. Depending on your mood and the weather, we can also take another tour into the Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon in the evening when light is best for photography.
Sevices: Guest house near Gerdi; brearkfast, lunch, dinner

On our way to Skaftafell national park we will pass the glacier lagoon Jökulsárlón again and be able visit it for the second time. Amazing biodiversity characterises the Skaftafell mountain ridge which is surrounded on three sides by the ice masses of the Vatnajökull. Hikes of different difficulty and length are possible. The highlight is the Svartifoss waterfall which showcases basalt columns that look like organ pipes. Afterwards we cross the expanse of the Sanderðarársandur desert and continue onwards to the southern highlands whilst passing by Eldgjá, one of the world´s largest fissure volcanos. In the evening we reach the colorful world of Landmannalaugar.
Sevices: simple mountain hut; breakfast, lunch, dinner

Already the first settlers of Iceland enjoyed the hot springs of this region as a welcome break from the stressful highland crossings. The region around Landmannalaugar offers fascinating color contrasts. At the foot of colorful rhyolite mountains lies a black obsidian lava flow which forms a natural dam at the wide valley of the glacial river Jökugilskvísl. Many delightful trails through the area are possible.
Sevices: simple mountain hut; breakfast, lunch, dinner

Drive back to the south coast for a second chance to admire and photograph the magnificent mountain landscape in a better light. Continue to Cape Dyrhólaey, the huge rock arch at the southern tip of Iceland, and stroll around the large black beach Reynisfjara in the afternoon and evening, located right near our guest house.
Services: Guest house near Vík; breakfast, lunch, dinner

If you are interested, return to the black beach in the morning light. After that we head back towards Reykjavik early, but along the way, we visit the two large, beautiful waterfalls Skogarfoss and Seljalandsfoss at the feet of infamous Eyafjallajökull volcano (the one that stopped air traffic in spring 2010).
Services: overnight in same guesthouse in Reykjavik as on the 1st day; breakfast, lunch

Transfer to the airport in time for your flight.

After your arrival in Keflavik International Airport you may take either a public flybus to Reykjavik or a taxi. In Reykjavik you may use the afternoon for a relaxing walk through the old town before the group meets up in the evening.
Services: Guest house

We leave Grindavik and drive to the thermal area of Neskjavellir and to the Thingvellir National Park. Thingvellir is a geologically important area and we can discover basalt columns, faults and other signs of tectonic movements. Here was also founded the oldes democratic parliament. An hour's drive away there is the high thermal area Geyser, which is famous for its colorful springs, pools and numerous water and steam escapes. Known is also the Great Geyser (whose centuries-long occupation ended in 1915) and the still active "neighbor", Strokkur. Its waters shoot every 10 minutes explosively up to 20 meters in height.
After a short drive we will arrive at Gullfoss, one of the most impressive waterfalls in Europe. Over his two cascades rises a vapor cloud shimmering in all colors of the rainbow. This has probably brought him the pictorial name "Gold Waterfall".
We drive back to the historic Viking homestead "Stoeng", the Highlands neighborhood.

Today we will start at Hrauneyjar and explore the winter highlands and the sourrounding lakes. May be we will get to the direction of Landmannalaugar and will have a warm bath at the feet of the obsidian flow or we will discover the waterfalls around us. A great landscape for photography!

Today we head south through the wide valley of Thorsa and past the famous volcano Hekla in direction to the south coast. We visit the two magnificent waterfalls Seljalandsfoss and Skogarfoss at the foot of the now worldwide known volcano Eyjafjallajökull. At the south cape "Cape Dyrhólaey" we discover the majestic stone bridge, whose arch of rock stands 120 meters above the sea. We will stay near Vik.

Today we will enjoy the discovery of the south coast. We will cross the lava field of "Eldhraun" that has covered much of the coastal plain after a huge eruption in the years 1783/84. It was one of the largest eruptions in human history.
After crossing the Skeidearásandur we reach the National Park of Skaftafell and take a short hike to Svartifoss. We will travel around the highest mountain of Iceland (2110m) the Hvannadalshnúkur. Shortly before we will arrive at our quarters we will pass the legendary glacier lagoon Jökulsárlón.

If the weather is favorable, we revisit the glacier lagoon before continuing along the wild east coast Djúpivogur. When possible, we will make a detour on the peninsula Stokksnes.

We explore the most beautiful waterfalls in Fossádalur before heading towards Egilsstadir. Between Egilsstadir and Myvatn we cross a part of the eastern highlands, where except to two isolated farms nobody lives. The vastness and emptiness of the interior highlands in the winter is fascinating.

Today we have the whole day to explore the many volcanic phenomena around the Myvatn lake: explosion craters, volcanoes, columns, huge chasms, pseudo craters, solidified lava lakes and boiling solfatara. The fascinating day will end up with a hot bath in the "earthbath" or "hot pot"

We leave the interesting area of Mývatn and - if permitted by the road conditions - drive towards Dettifoss, Europe's mightiest waterfall, which plunges 44 meters into a ravine. Our route takes us around the peninsula to the fishing town of Husavik Tjörnes. After a stop in the center we will return to the ring road and visit Godafoss, the god`s waterfall. Late afternoon drive to Akureyri, the "capital of the north"

We leave Akureyri in north direction and pass through the fishing villages of Dalvik, Ólafsfördur Siglufjördur and in the wide area of Skagafjördur. South of Saudárkrókur we visit the old turf farm Glaumbaer, that was managed until the first half of 20th century. It gives a good impression of the traditional rural architecture.

Today we head west. We reach the west coast on Breidarfjördur at Budar-Dalur and drive along the northern coast of the peninsula Snaefjellnes (Icelandic Snow Mountain Peninsula). After stunning coastal winter landscapes we finally reach the most western point in Arnastapi, where we will spend two days.

Today we have plenty time to take photos the whole day around the Snaefjell area. We can explore the bizarre coastlines in our area or (optional, depending on weather and snow) do a snowmobile excursion to Snaefjell.

We leave the peninsula Snaefjellsnes and drive along the south coast towards Borganes and visit the beautiful valley of smokes - Reykholtsdalur. We have a look at the most plentiful hot springs in Europe, which can deliver up to 180 liters of boiling water per second. Visit of the oldest hot water pool at Reykholt Islands, which was built by the Vikings diplomat Snorri Sturluson in the 13th century. The crowning glory of the day are the fascinating filigree waterfalls Hraunfossar.

We leave the Reykholtsdalur to Reykjavík. On a side trip into the historic center of Reykjavík there will be time to explore the city on your own. The Protestant sober Hallgrimskyrka serves as a starting point. Depending on arrival time in Grindavik there is time for a swim in the "Blue Lagoon" (optional visit, about 35, - Euro / person). We will finish with a nice dinner.

Transfer to the airport in time for your flight.

Additional info:

Physical requirements:

The physical effort on this trip is relatively low. The excursions are short and mostly easy hikes of up to 4 hrs length, on normal hiking trails or over unpaved stony ground. One excursion is over snow-covered ice, weather and the glacier permitting. At any time, it is possible to return, or not take part at all. Good boots and water- and wind-proof outdoor clothing are required, but everyone with a normally good physical condition should have no problems to take part. Please note that the winter tour may be more demanding because of the climatic conditions.

Arrival info:

The tour starts and ends in Reykjavik. Flights are not included by default, because participants come from different countries. On request, we can include your flight to Iceland.

"Chris was certainly an amazing guide"

Irina,
Back from Iceland & still catching up on emails! Chris was certainly an amazing guide. Not only an expert on volcanoes, but also a 4x4 driver & cook. Is there anything that he doesn't do!
Regards
Alan
(from UK, about his Colors of Iceland tour in July 2021)

"...how well organized and structured the trip was"

Hi Irina,

Just wanted to let you know that the Iceland trip was wonderful. I was very impressed by how well organized and structured the trip was. Chris, our guide, was excellent, and there wasn't a question about Iceland he couldn't answer. By the end of the trip I felt bad for other tourists we came across because I knew they weren't getting the real Iceland experience like we were. There was never a dull moment in the trip, that's for sure. I would book a trip with VolcanoDiscovery again.

-Steve Olenchek
(from US, about his Colors of Iceland tour in July 2021)

"thank you for an incredible trip in Iceland"

Hey,

Just wanted to say thank you for an incredible trip in Iceland a few months ago, I've been working on the editing all the footage I took, so it kind of felt like I was still there. The weather was great, Chris is a great guide, and Iceland is just insane!

I put together a 45 min, day by day video of the trip, might serve as a good advert for others considering it, feel free to share :)

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLF0tbHU_f2__RnJaScICd4_gsKCULErIq

Many thanks, looking forward to next years trip with you guys!

-Chris Kay
(from UK, about his Colors of Iceland tour in August 2017)

"really enjoyed it, an experience of a lifetime"

"Dear Tom and Ingrid,

Dorothy an I have been home for over three weeks now, so definitely time to write and say thank you for organising such a fantastic trip around Iceland. I really enjoyed it, an experience of a lifetime, something I had never remotely thought about doing.
...
Chris was amazing! Without him the fortnight could easily have been boring and quite a trial. With him it was the exact opposite. His knowledge and expertise was astounding and we were able to understand what he was showing us. The amount of effort he put in behind the scenes each day to make sure everything went smoothly was very much appreciated by all of us. And to top it off, he is a superb cook. At the end of each day, he managed to serve up a superb meal, often under the most trying of arrangements.

So thank you again, it was a great experience. We have already told people to get onto the Volcano Adventures website when they ask "how did you get on to this trip?"

All the best for the future,

Euan and Dorothy"

(from Australia, about their Colors of Iceland tour in August 2016)

... the best guided tour we have yet done... (Colors of Iceland tour)

"Greetings Chris

A belated thank you for a most wonderful 14 days in Iceland. Your knowledge, sense of humour, cooking skills and patience were first class. Norma and I rate this trip as the best guided tour we have yet done.

I hope some day to join you in Vanuatu. Best wishes and again many thanks.
Ric"
(Eric C., Australia about our Colors of Iceland tour in August 2016)

"...what a great chef you are"

"Chris
The website says that you are a volcanologist, science publisher and photographer.
I does NOT say what a great chef you are.
Once again thanks for a Brilliant two weeks in Iceland (and congratulations to Germany 7.1)
Brian B." (UK, Colors of Iceland tour)

"I could think of anywhere we've been with such wild, spectacular and varied scenery day after day." (Iceland Photo Tour)

"Hi Tom.
Caroline and I returned safely to the UK at the beginning of last week, after a truly excellent tour round Iceland with Chris. You may have heard from him that we had unusually good weather - only a few hours of rain in 16 days, and lots of warm sunshine. We are lucky enough to have traveled a bit and seen some wonderful places, but neither Caroline nor I could think of anywhere we've been with such wild, spectacular and varied scenery day after day. Truly amazing. I've become a bit more serious about photography since we journeyed to the Danakil Depression together, and of course Iceland is just perfect for practising photo technique. Honestly, a splendid trip.
We also wanted to tell you - as we're sure you hear from everyone - what an outstanding tour guide Chris is. He did all the driving, shopping and cooking for us for 14 days, but managed to make it all seem easy and effortless. Nothing was too much trouble. His knowledge of Iceland is truly remarkable. And he is so enthusiastic. We have made another good friend through our trips with Volcano Discovery. Of course we said thank you to him as we left, but please do tell him again from us how very much we appreciate everything he did for us.
A few months in the UK now, but we are already thinking about volcano trips in 2014. If you decide that trips to the Congo become possible again, would you let us know dates as soon as possible please?
Meanwhile, as always, thanks and best wishes to all at VD!
Kind regards from Tom and Caroline"
(Tom + Caroline from UK, Iceland Photo Tour)