20 Jun: Arrive in Keflavik (or earlier if you like). Since most flights arrive in the morning, you are welcome to drop off your luggage at our accommodation until you are able to check in. Feel free to explore the city today. I highly recommend checking out Hallgrimskirkja (the cathedral), Skólavörðustígur Rainbow Street, the Sun Voyager, and the Settlement Exhibition. There are also some great food tours and other guided activities available in the area. If you need help finding something, let me know!

Lodging in Reykjavik is TBD

7:00 PM: Welcome dinner location is TBD

21 Jun: Golden Circuit and Skógar

We’ll depart Reykjavik early and head slightly inland to see the tectonic and geothermal heart of Iceland before rejoining the coast.

The Golden Circle "Big Three" Stops:

Thingvellir National Park: Walk the Almannagjá Faultfissure between the Eurasian and North American plates. This is an easy 2.6 miles / 4.2 km and takes about an hour or so to complete depending on where we walk.

Geysir Hot Springs: Watch the Strokkur geyser erupt every few minutes.

Gullfoss Falls: Witness the immense power of the "Golden Falls" dropping into a deep canyon. This is an easy 1.1 mile / 1.8 km walk.

Lunch: We’ll either stop at the famous Friðheimar, a highly-rated, tomato greenhouse restaurant where you can eat among the plants and try their super famous, all-you-can-eat tomato soup! Or we will stop at Efstidalur II, known for their phenomenal farm-to-table beef burgers, steaks, traditional Icelandic lamb soup, fresh local cheese, and what is widely considered the best ice cream in Iceland using milk straight from the farm.

After lunch, we will start making our way back towards the coast with several stops along the way.

Kerið Crater, a red volcanic crater with a striking green lake.

Seljalandsfoss, where we can walk behind this 200-foot, volcanic glacier-fed waterfall cascading from a sheer cliff. This is an easy 1.2 mile / 1.9 km walk.

Drangurinn í Drangshlíð 2, historic ruins.

As we approach Vik, we’ll stop for provisions and check into our lodging before dinner.

After dinner, if you’re still feeling energetic, you’re welcome to take advantage of the midnight sun for an evening hike to Mount Reynisfjall, a roughly two-hour loop starting in Vík. It’s a steep climb onto the plateau above the town, offering 360-degree views of the "Trolls" (sea stacks) and the glacier-capped mountains to the north. It’s rated moderate and is 4.6 miles / 7.4 km with an elevation gain of 1181 feet / 360 meters.

Lodging TBD but likely in or around Vik

Logistics: Total driving about 4.5 hours / 187 km (116 miles)

22 Jun:‍ ‍Skógafoss, Glacier Hike, and Exploration

In the morning we will head to Skógafoss, one of Iceland’s most iconic, powerful, and visually perfect waterfalls. Located on the South Coast near the tiny village of Skógar, it is a massive, clean curtain of water that showcases the raw energy of the country's glacial landscapes.

From there we will head to Sólheimajökull, an outlet glacier of Mýrdalsjökull, Iceland’s 4th largest glacier, surrounded by some of Iceland’s most majestic volcanoes. We’ll embark on an adventure across this dynamic glacier, a glacier lagoon, and breathtaking landscapes.

We’ll meet our guide at the parking lot where we’ll don crampons, grab our ice picks and helmets, and step onto the ice! Our guide will help us explore these fascinating glacial formations and learn about their creation. The hike is rated easy to moderate and should take about 2 hours.

In the afternoon, we’ll reward ourselves for the glacial hike and take a short, easy, 20-minute, 1.1 mile / 1.8 km hike into a secluded mountain valley to find Seljavallalaug, one of Iceland's oldest, raw geometric pools built into the hillside in 1923. Here you’re welcome to take a (luke) warm dip in the pool and/or just enjoy the beautiful scenery.

Once back, we will have dinner at one of the local restaurants, and we may also try do do some Puffin watching at Dyrhólaey cliffs, check out Loftsalahellir Cave, and maybe take a walk on Reynisfjara black sand beach. If you didn’t do the evening hike the previous day (Mount Reynisfjall) but still want to, it’s possible to do it at this point as well.

Lodging is TBD and same as previous night.

Logistics: Total driving about 1.5 hours / 105 km (65 miles)

23 Jun: Landmannalaugar, Bláhnjúkur, and Vik

We’ll take an early morning trip and switch the vehicles into 4x4 mode and head deep into the rugged interior via F-roads to reach Landmannalaugar.

We’ll tackle the challenging Blue Peak (Bláhnjúkur) trail for mind-bending, 360-degree views across neon-colored rhyolite mountains and sweeping glacial valleys. This moderate to hard loop hike is 3.9 miles / 6.5 km hike takes about 2.5 - 3 hours to complete and gains about 1276 feet / 390 meters before looping back downhill.

Contingency plan: If the Highland weather is bad at Landmannalauger, we’ll pivot back south to explore the black sand beaches of Vík, the hidden cave of Kvernufoss, take a different local hike, or take an indoor historic tour of the Skógar Museum instead.

Lodging is same as previous 2 nights

Logistics: Total driving about 4.5 hours / 195 km (121 miles)

24 Jun: Canyons & Floating Ice fields

Today we will head east under the shadow of the colossal Vatnajökull ice cap.

We will hike the majestic, green moss-covered paths of Múlagljúfur Canyon, peering down over sheer drops at hidden waterfalls and distant glacial tongues. Here we will see Hangandifoss waterfall, which is one of Iceland's tallest waterfalls and offers amazing views. This out and back hike is rated moderate and is 4.4 miles / 7 km, takes about 2.5 - 3 hours to complete, and has an elevation gain of 1266 feet / 386 meters.

Later, we will cap off the day watching massive icebergs calve off the glacier and silently float past out to sea at the Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon and Diamond Beach.

If time allows, we will also check out Svartifoss and Svínafellsjökull Glacier.

Lodging: Skaftafell or Kirkjubæjarklaustur Area

Logistics: Total driving about 3 hours / 250 km (155 miles) round-trip

25 Jun: The East Fjords Ring Road Transit and Hengifoss Hike

Although a relatively long driving day, it will be a spectacular relay journey along the winding, sea-carved fjords of the remote East Coast.

We will break up the drive with a trek up to Hengifoss, Iceland’s third-tallest waterfall, famous for its alternating horizontal layers of black basalt and striking red clay. This moderate, loop hike is 3.2 miles / 5.1 km long with 866 feet / 264 meters of elevation gain and takes about 1-2 hours to complete.

Later, we will have the option of checking out some other waterfalls and the Vök Baths.

Lodging: Egilsstaðir Area

Logistics: Total driving about 5.25 hours / 390 km (242 miles)

26 Jun: The Volcanic North

Today we will watch the landscape shift into an otherworldly, lunar desert as we enter the Lake Mývatn geothermal zone. Along the route, we may make a slight detour to check out Stuðlagil Canyon.

Upon arrival into the area, we will hike up and around the staggering rim of the Hverfjall Tephra Crater, taking in sweeping views of boiling mud pots, steaming vents, and jagged lava labyrinths. This 2.8 mile / 4.5 km hike is easy to moderate and takes about 1-1.5 hours to complete.

In the evening, we can unwind at the Earth Lagoon, a vivid blue geothermal pool that offers a far more authentic, less crowded experience than the Blue Lagoon.

Lodging Area: Lake Mývatn Area (our northern base for 2 nights)

Logistics: Total driving about 3 hours / 215 km (133 miles)

27 Jun: The Diamond Circle & Giant Canyons

Today we will explore the true raw power of the North. We will stand at the edge of Dettifoss to feel the earth shudder under the force of Europe's most powerful waterfall. We’ll also check out Selfoss.

From there, we will drive just a couple of minutes north of the main lot to the western viewpoint of Hafragilsfoss. This spot gives you a vast, panoramic view looking straight down into the deep cuts of the Jökulsárgljúfur canyon where the river plunges another 88 feet (27 meters).

Next we will drive north down Route 862 into the Vesturdalur valley. Here we can hike the 3 km Hljóðaklettar loop, twisting through the honeycomb rock formations and testing the bizarre acoustics inside the Kirkjan lava cave.

Then we will head to the massive, horseshoe-shaped canyon of Ásbyrgi, hiking up onto the central rock plateau known as Eyjan (The Island) for an immersive view of the ancient, flood-carved forests below. This easy, out and back trail is 3 miles / 4.8 km and takes about 1 - 1.5 hours to complete.

Depending on group interest, we can drive to Húsavík for dinner and maybe take a soak in the GeoSea Geothermal Sea Baths.

Lodging is same as night before

Logistics: Total driving about 2.25 hours / 170 km (105 miles)

28 Jun: Westward Transit to the Miniature Island

We will drive west out of the volcanic fields, passing the capital of the north (Akureyri) and skimming the edge of the dramatic Troll Peninsula. Along the way, we will make extended stops at Fosslaug and Kolugljúfur Canyon to stretch our legs and have lunch, and make a classic photo stop as we gaze toward the pointed peak of Kirkjufell.

Our destination is the Snæfellsnes Peninsula, affectionately called "Iceland in Miniature" because it contains every classic geological feature of the country in one jagged strip of land.

Lodging: Stykkishólmur or Grundarfjörður (our western base for 2 nights)

Logistics: Total driving about 6 hours / 465 km (288 miles)

29 Jun: The Peninsula of Legends

We will have a full day dedicated to the coastal wildness of the West. First we we’ll hike the stunning Arnarstapi to Hellnar Coastal Path, tracking along dramatic sea cliffs, naturally carved rock arches, blowholes, and teeming seabird colonies.

Afterwards, there are many places we may check out (depending on time and interest) including: Berserkjahraun Lava Field, Gerduberg Basalt Cliffs, Raudfeldsgja Gorge, Londrangar Basalt Cliffs, Djupalonssandur Beach, Ytri Tunga Beach, and Búðakirkja, the iconic black wooden church.

Later, we can take a short, silent trek up the sacred slopes of Mount Helgafell, where local folklore dictates that those who climb to the top without speaking or looking back are granted three wishes.

Lodging is the same as previous day

Logistics: Total driving about 1.75 hours / 120 km (75 miles)

30 Jun: The Final Farewell

This morning we will loop back towards the southwest. Before returning to the city, we have several options to explore.

If we feel like doing something more active and sneaking in one more hike, the trailhead for Glymur, Iceland’s second-highest waterfall (198 meters), is tucked right at the very back of the fjord. It is a spectacular, adventurous trail that gives you a completely different perspective than the roadside waterfalls on the Ring Road. It's a moderate-to-challenging hike that feels incredibly rewarding. The hike is 4.5 miles / 7.2 km with an elevation gain of 1407 feet / 429 meters and takes approximately 3-4 hours to complete.

We can also head to Þórufoss (Thorufoss). This wide, roaring waterfall sits in a stark volcanic landscape. Fantasy fans might recognize it as the spot where a dragon roasts a goat in Game of Thrones. We can park right near the edge and take a short, easy walk down to the cliffside view.

Next we can head down into the peaceful, isolated waters of Hvalfjörður (Whale Fjord) to visit Hvammsvík Hot Springs. This spot features eight natural, interconnected geothermal pools sitting directly on the shoreline, where the warm mineral waters rise and fall naturally with the ocean tides.

We will return to the capital in the afternoon for a celebratory, final group dinner.

Lodging: Reykjavík Center

Logistics: Total driving about 3 hours / 220 km (137 miles)

1 Jul: Final Day

Depart Reykjavík for home or your next destination

*While these are the planned activities, we may adjust days and times to accommodate weather and other factors