Iceland: Land of Glaciers, Viking Sagas, and the Midnight Sun

Iceland: Land of Glaciers, Viking Sagas, and the Midnight Sun 9 Days

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Overview

Highlights

Duration: 9 Days
Comfort: 66.6666666666667%
Language: English
Rating: 80.0%
Trip ID: 88559
Start Location: Reykjavik, Iceland
End Location: Grindavik, Iceland

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Primary Activities: Hiking
Other Activities: Local Culture & Cuisine
Activity Level: Intermediate

Iceland is a land of striking landscapes and epic history, a uniquely beautiful world of waterfalls, volcanic peaks, ice-berg filled lagoons, and moss-covered lava fields. In this magical realm of fire and ice, we explore the most magnificent settings, including the heights of Skaftafell National Park, geologically spectacular Thingvellir National Park, where the continental plates are slowly pulling Iceland apart, and the high valleys and brooding heaths of ancient “saga” country where the rich history of Viking clan warfare played out in the Middle Ages. Our journey traces the southern and western coasts of Iceland, the most dramatic hiking territory on this extraordinary island. Along the way, we enjoy long hours of sunlight illuminating the northern sky and hear the colorful legends of a pantheon of Norse gods and kings.

What the Trip is Like: This trip is rated Level 3+. It features daily mountain hikes and hotel accommodations throughout. The hikes can be considered strenuous because they are on undefined, steep trails or through some rugged terrain. The terrain can be very wet. There are many short but steep parts on our hikes, and much up and down. Sturdy, well-broken-in hiking boots are essential. Gaiters are not required but will protect your pant legs from getting wet when we hike through boggy areas. Hiking poles are highly recommended. Temperatures should be in the mid 50s, perfect for hiking. The weather can provide spectacular clear days but can also be very wet and changeable, and we want you to be well prepared for all that you may encounter. Icelandic weather is always unpredictable, so you must come prepared for at least some rain and bring appropriate rain gear. It is unlikely that it will be hot. Please note that in Europe, the dinner hour is considerably later than what it is in the U.S. We do our best to secure early reservations for our groups, but most often the evening meal will be at 7:30 PM.

We recommend you arrive in Reykjavik a day early to enjoy this charming capital, with its beautiful harbor and fine restaurants. We are happy to book extra hotel nights for you.

Weather Note: The weather in Iceland is notoriously changeable and will dictate our exact hiking itinerary. We will remain flexible to accommodate weather conditions that may require changes, such as substituting different hiking routes or switching the days of certain hikes.

Itinerary

Day 1: Reykjavik, Iceland / Hofn

Early morning transfer to the domestic airport, just outside of town, for a short (50 minute) flight to the small coastal village of Hofn, the lobster capital of Iceland, set on the tip of a peninsula on Hornafjordur Fjord. The dramatic descending glaciers of the icecap of Vatnajokull, at 3,300 square miles Europe’s largest glacier, provide a superb backdrop for this small southeastern coastal town. The Vatnajokull icecap looms on the horizon as a white line and descends in picturesque glacial tongues to the sea.

After check-in and a trip orientation meeting at breakfast , we set off on our first hike. From the abandoned farm houses of Horn, set beneath the impressive peaks of the Vestra-Horn headland, we hike across varied and spectacular terrain between mountain and shore.

Our hike traverses rock outcroppings, black sand shoreline, and the occasional steep and rocky scree slope, and at certain points on this part of the hike, we scramble and use our hands for balance as we ascend. The route eases as we approach the abandoned trading center of Papos (“Monk’s River”), referring to Irish hermits who settled here prior to the coming of the Vikings in the 9th century. Overnight at hotel in Hofn...BLD

Approximate hiking distance: 5 miles, 300-foot ascent/descent.

History: While Irish monks used Iceland as a hermitage through the 9th century, the first permanent resident was a Norwegian who arrived in 874 AD and built a home in what is now Reykjavik. More Norse settlers followed during the Age of Settlement (870-930AD). They established a general assembly and convened in a building at Thingvellir known as the Althing. Among the achievements of this early parliament was an egalitarian nation of farmers with no hierarchical class structure. The republic was made up of 39 chieftains. In 1262, the land came under Norwegian rule, and in 1380, the Danish crown took over Iceland and ruled for 500 years. The recognition of Iceland as a sovereign state under the Danish crown came in 1918, and Iceland declared its independence as the Republic of Iceland in 1944.

Lodging: Hotel Hofn
Description: The Hofn has a peaceful location in the town of Hofn with a great view of massive Vatnajokull, at 3,300 square miles Europe’s largest glacier. Guest rooms are comfortable and furnished in simple Scandanavian style, with wooden floors. Hofn is the lobster capital of Iceland and the hotel’s restaurant is good—try the lobster pizza!

Day 2: Hofn / Ketillaugarfjall

A trail with a moderate incline leads us out of the broad valley of Laxardalur as we hike a rarely traveled path alongside fascinating geologic formations and multicolored hills. Arriving at the base of the prominent peak of Ketillaugarfjall, we enjoy spectacular views of the massive Vanatjokull Glacier and the coast. After an optional hike to the summit for the energetic among us, we descend through rolling hills and then make a steep and rocky descent to the lush green lowlands of Nes. Overnight at hotel in Hofn...BLD

Approximate Hiking Distance: 5-7 miles, 1,400 foot ascent/descent; with optional summit hike, 2,200 feet ascent/descent

Land of Fire and Ice: The first humans who arrived in Iceland’s unique landscape of sculpted lava flows, smoking volcanoes, and thundering waterfalls must have thought that they had arrived at a battlefield of the ancient gods. In fact, Iceland is very young in geological terms, formed only 20 million years ago as magma (liquid rock) poured from the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, a fissure in the seabed between the North American and European continental plates. The country boasts more than 20 active volcanoes that regularly erupt and add lava and ash to the landscape. So numerous are Iceland’s hot springs that they provide the major source of geothermal heating energy for residents of Reykjavik. While fire is a main element in shaping Iceland, ice has played a major role as well. Scientists believe that Iceland was covered with a thick sheet of ice just 8,000 years ago. As the icecap melted, it carved dramatic steep-sided valleys, deep fjords, and glacial valleys flooded by the sea. Today only 10 percent of the country is covered by ice.

Lodging: Hotel Hofn
Description: The Hofn has a peaceful location in the town of Hofn with a great view of massive Vatnajokull, at 3,300 square miles Europe’s largest glacier. Guest rooms are comfortable and furnished in simple Scandanavian style, with wooden floors. Hofn is the lobster capital of Iceland and the hotel’s restaurant is good—try the lobster pizza!

Day 3: Jokulsarlon Lagoon / Skaftafell National Park

We hike along the shores of Jokulsarlon Lagoon, a spectacular body of water filled with powder-blue icebergs calved from the Breidamerkurjokull Glacier (with an optional boat tour on the lagoon—an “on your own” expense). After a picnic lunch, we reach the glacial wilds of Skaftafell National Park. Conditions permitting, we have the opportunity for a late afternoon hike across a glacial tongue surrounded by the broad expanse of Skaftafell Heath and the snowy peaks of the Oraefajokull Glacier, including Hvannadalshnukur (7,000’), Iceland’s highest peak. Skaftafell enjoys a mild climate most of the time, which encourages the growth of luxuriant birch forests. Overnight at hotel...BLD

Approximate Hiking Distance: 3-6 miles, with a 500-foot elevation gain/loss.

Wildlife: Iceland’s fauna is dominated by birds. The largest groups are seabirds, waterfowl, and waders. There are approximately ten million puffins in coastal colonies. The seas contain common and grey seals and 12 species of whales. The only native mammal is the Arctic fox. Iceland is unusual in having no reptiles or amphibians.

Lodging: Hotel Skaftafell
Description: This lodging is truly in “the middle of nowhere,” near the tongue of the huge Vatnajokull Glacier on the edge of spectacular Skaftafell National Park. Lava fields stretch out in front of the hotel, and on a clear day, you can see the ocean. Rooms are small and simply furnished but cozy and comfortable. Have a drink at the tiny upstairs bar for a fantastic glacier view.

Day 4: Krisinartindar Peaks / Skaftafell National Park

Surrounded by one of the most spectacular settings in Iceland, we enjoy a day of hiking among glacial peaks, upland heaths, and multi-colored rhyolite valleys stretching to the sea. Our route brings us across rocky terrain high atop Skaftafellsheidi Heath, passing the beautiful Svartifoss waterfall and skirting above the massive tongue of Skaftafellsjokull Glacier. Those who want can make the optional hike up the scree slopes of the Krisinartindar Peaks. Views of Skaftafellsjokull Glacier and south to the sea are incredible. Overnight at hotel ...BLD

Approximate Hiking Distance: 8 miles, 2,200-foot ascent/descent; with optional peaks, 11.5 miles, 3,200- foot ascent/descent.

Lodging: Hotel Klaustur
Description: We spend one night in a simple lodge in the small village of Kirkjubaejarklaustur. Thie lodge has a very convenient location for our hikes in Skaftafell National Park. It is basic, with rooms on the small side, but clean and comfortable.

Day 5: Vik / Skogar

June Departure Only: We depart our Skaftafell hotel for a unique excursion to the isolated and famous headland of Ingolfshofdi. These beautiful sea cliffs serve as the nesting ground for numerous seabirds, including picturesque puffins. They also have the distinction of being the landing place of Iceland’s first settler in 874, Ingolfur Arnarson. Our route continues along the coastal plains and among highland foothills to the tiny seaside village of Vik, with its hilltop church overlooking the promontory of Dyrholaey, the southernmost point in Iceland. After a picnic lunch, we continue on to Skogar, with its wonderful folk museum and our hotel near the Skogarfoss waterfall. Overnight at hotel...BLD Approximate Hiking Distance: 2 miles, 100-foot ascent/descent

July/August Departures Only: We depart our Skaftafell hotel for a hike along the cliff edges of Holtsdalur, a beautiful, deeply carved canyon tucked away in the grassy foothills set between glacier and sea. A crystal-clear stream snakes along the floor of this moss-covered canyon. Our route continues along the coastal plains and among highland foothills to the tiny seaside village of Vik, with its hilltop church overlooking the promontory of Dyrholaey, the southernmost point in Iceland. After a picnic lunch, we explore the spectacular Dyrholaey headland rising 400 feet above the sea, before continuing on to Skogar with its wonderful folk museum and our hotel near the Skogarfoss waterfall. Overnight at hotel...BLD

Approximate Hiking Distance: 4-5 miles, 600-foot descent

Midnight Sun: With its extreme northern location, Iceland has dark winter days and long, bright summer days, bright long into the night. In midsummer, the sun is visible for 22 hours a day and the sky is light all night.

Lodging: Hotel Skogar
Description: The 12-room Hotel Skogar offers a fantastic view of the Eyjafjall Glacier and the famous Skogarfoss waterfall from its garden. It’s a simple, friendly, and comfortable place with a hot pool and sauna.

Day 6: Skogarfoss / Ranga

Today we set out for a not-to-be-missed hike, starting directly from our hotel and leading to the 200-foothigh Skogarfoss waterfall. We continue hiking up and along its source, a deeply carved streambed flowing from Iceland’s southernmost glacier, Myrdalsjokull. After a picnic lunch in this magnificent setting we descend to Skogar, passing one gorgeous waterfall after another and on to our hotel set along the Ranga River. Overnight at hotel...BLD

Approximate Hiking Distance: 7 miles, 2,200-foot ascent/descent

Icelandic Place Names: Most Icelandic place names contain a reference to some natural feature of the landscape. Oraefi means upland; vik means small bay; mork means woods; jokull means glacier; hofn means harbor; fell or fjell means mountain; tindur means summit; dalur means valley; vellir means plains. Words containing hver, laug, and reyk indicate the presence of hot springs.

Lodging: Hotel Ranga
Description: alfway between Reykjavik and Vik along the south coast, the Hotel Ranga has a wonderfully isolated setting. The Ranga offers spacious, well-appointed rooms, and a good restaurant that serves some of the freshest fish imaginable. The hot tubs have amazing views.

Day 7: Great Geysir / Hveragerdi

We head out early in the morning to visit Gullfoss, a magnificent waterfall that disappears into a deep gorge. Next we explore the Great Geysir, the oldest and one of the world’s most impressive examples of the phenomenon. Eruptions here, though rare and infrequent, can hurl boiling water up to 150 feet in the air. After a picnic lunch in a nearby woodland area, we drive to a trailhead close to the town of Hveragerdi, known for its geothermally heated greenhouses where vegetables and flowers are grown. Our hike brings us through the Reykjadalur Valley through green hills and valleys with warm streams and some natural Jacuzzis that are ideal for taking a dip. Our vehicle meets us at the end of our hike and transfers us to Hveragerdi. Surrounded by lava fields, craters, hot springs, and bubbling mud pools, the landscape around Hveragerdi is very dramatic. Overnight at hotel...BLD

Approximate Hiking Distance: 7 miles, with a 1,000-foot elevation gain/loss

The Icelandic Sagas: The heroes of the Viking Age are remembered in prose novels called sagas (“story” in Norse). The sagas describe historical events in Iceland, voyages of discovery across the North Atlantic, and family histories. They were written during the late 13th and 14th centuries on vellum using berry juice as ink. The best known are Njal’s Saga, Egil’s Saga, and Laxela Saga, which have been translated into numerous languages and are considered among the great heroic epics of the world, and they provided source material for Wagner’s Ring cycle. For the ancients of Iceland, storytelling was a form of entertainment that passed the long winter nights or kept up spirits for traders a long way from home. The Viking kings often employed skalds (storytellers) to spread the word of their exploits. Although the stories were likely embellished by the skalds, they nonetheless preserve some truth of historic events that occurred across Scandinavia before and during Viking times.

Lodging: Hotel Hengill
Description: Quite close to Thingvellir National Park, the Hotel Hengill is set on the slopes of Mt. Hengill, with a great view overlooking Lake Thingvallavatn and the surrounding mountains. The hotel is built in typically understated Scandinavian style, with bright, modern, and airy rooms. There are three hot tubs for star-gazing at night.

Day 8: Thingvellir National Park / Glymur / Reykjkavik

In the morning we drive to Thingvellir National Park, home of the world’s oldest parliament, the Althing, first held in 930 AD. Until 1798, Thingvellir was the nation’s meeting place for 868 uninterrupted years. We have a look at the remaining Althing buildings and tour the visitors’ center, then head out to explore the fascinating features of Thingvellir National Park’s landscape, a vivid reminder that Iceland is located on the Mid-Atlantic Range, the meeting point between the North American and European continental plates. The park is on a clearly visible part of the continental rift, where the end of the European plate is slowly drifting away from the North American continental plate, and the deep chasms visibly demonstrate how the land is slowly separating.

Our afternoon hike is a spectacular grand finale of sweeping coastal panoramas and the Glymur waterfall, plunging over 600 feet into a hidden chasm of moss-covered cliffs. We traverse a rocky and sometimes steep trail, skirting the waterfall’s edge before crossing a refreshingly chilly stream, exploring the top of the falls again, then descending along a stony path with superb views of Whale Fjord. We return to Reykjavik and our hotel around 4 PM, gathering for our farewell dinner tonight...BLD

Approximate Hiking Distance: 2-3 miles (morning hike); 7 miles, 1,800-foot ascent/descent (afternoon hike)

Lodging: Hotel Odinsve
Description: The Odinsve is a great little hotel on a quiet residential street just two short blocks from the downtown restaurants and shops. Rooms are on the small side, but are warm, cozy, and spotlessly clean. The staff is incredibly friendly and helpful.

Day 9: Blue Lagoon / Depart

After a leisurely breakfast buffet and morning in town, we head for a relaxing dip in the famous Blue Lagoon spa, with its vast outdoor pool of geothermally heated fresh seawater. The spa's state-of-the-art facilities include showers and a restaurant overlooking the lagoon as well as a geothermal beach. Later, we transfer to the airport for either homeward bound flights or flights to other parts of Europe...B.

Nuts & Bolts

Trip Includes

Expert leadership of a Wilderness Travel Trip Leader and local guides
Accommodations
All meals included
Land transportation, airport transfers for passengers, and sightseeing as noted in the Full Trip Brochure

Trip Excludes

International airfare
Transfers for independent arrival or departure
Any meals not specified in the Full Trip Brochure
Airport departure taxes
Optional tipping or gratuities to leaders or staff
Additional hotel nights that may be necessary due to airline schedule changes or other factors
Expenses such as medical immunizations (if any)
Travel insurance, or passports and visas
And other expenses of a personal nature (alcoholic beverages, laundry, etc.).

Trip ID#: 88559

CANCELLATIONS: 20% cancellation fee applied if cancelled 60 days prior to departure. Cancellations within 60 days are 100% non-cancelable

Operator

For the specifics on this tour operator, please contact AdventureLink directly.

Reviews (10)

Linda A.

This was an amazing trip. I feel like I am still walking the fjords! The beauty of Iceland will never leave me. Thank you!
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Rpbert V.

Iceland is one of the most beautiful and natural places we’ve ever been.
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Dennis S.

This trip gets my highest rating in terms of leadership and management of details. Iceland is a delightful and surprisingly beautiful pace to visit.
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Lynne F.

This was our first WT adventure and our first attempt at an active (hiking) vacation. It was a great success on all counts.
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Jeff L.

A wonderful trip in a beautiful place!
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Gail L.

Well conceived and well run trip. Iceland’s a fantastic place.
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Edgar G.

Superior trip, excellent leadership.
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Margie C.

Loved the trip, loved the challenge of the hikes, the scenery, and getting to know Iceland and its culture. Would love to go back and see more.
- Overall Rating
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Ellen R.

A very well balanced trip with excellent guides. I felt safe and comfortable the entire journey. The hiking was excellent, as was the variety of locations and scenery.
- Overall Rating
  80%
- Guide Rating
  70%
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Ellen and Harvey F.

The trip far exceeded our expectations in beauty. The moss-covered mountains, waterfalls, gorges, and glaciers were truly gorgeous.
- Overall Rating
  80%
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  100%
- Value Rating
  80%
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  60%
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