We arrived at Keflavik Airport and transferred to Reykjavik in approximately 45 minutes reaching our Hotel Klettur. At 19:00 <\/b>there was a get-together where you met your local tour leader and fellow solo travellers for a welcome drink in the hotel lounge, followed by an Icelandic fish dinner in a local Reykjav\u00c3\u00adk Restaurant. My first day in Iceland was full of surprises as to the unique beauty of this country and I had only so far seen the road between the airport to Reykjavik and then onto my Hotel. I was very excited for my coming week in Iceland.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n Day 2, MON: VOLCANO HIKE & WATERFALLS, FARM VISIT AND COOK YOUR OWN DINNER <\/b>(320 km\/198 miles)<\/em><\/p>\n Departure at 09:00 from Hotel Klettur. We travelled to West Iceland and were introduced to the Icelandic sagas in the settlement centre in Borgarnes and climbed a volcano crater within an old lava field. Thereafter you warm up at Deildartunguhver, the Europe’s most powerful hot spring, which produces 180 litres per second of water at 97\u00c2\u00b0Celsius (206 F): nearly boiling.<\/p>\n Nearby, we saw Hraunfossar, a series of waterfalls pouring from beneath a long row of lava fields into the Hv\u00c3\u00adt\u00c3\u00a1 River. Barnafoss, \u00e2\u20ac\u0153the Children\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s falls\u00e2\u20ac\u009d, are nearby with their own tragic tale. We learnt more about Icelandic history at the cultural site of Reykholt. We continued around the scenic “Whale Fjord” and visited a sheep farm where the whole group helped prepare dinner together with the local host. Needless to say, when in Iceland, you eat lots of fish.<\/p>\n Tired and with our tummies full, having enjoyed a very eventful day and seen lots of exciting sights, we returned to Reykjav\u00c3\u00adk andan overnight stay at Hotel Klettur.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Day 3, TUE: REYKJAV\u00c3\u008dK FOOD LECTURE, LAVA FIELDS & BLUE LAGOON <\/b>(200 km\/124 miles)<\/em><\/p>\n Departure at 09:00 from Hotel Klettur after check-out. After a Reykjav\u00c3\u00adk City Tour, we learnt about the history and culture of Icelandic cheeses and the unique dairy product Skyr, which tastes similar to yoghurt but is actually strained cheese. We were able to taste a range of Icelandic cheeses and learn about the special qualities of the Icelandic dairy cow. We delved into Iceland\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s cheese history and discovered what future lies ahead for this nation of people who have one of the highest consumption of cheese in the world … and all this whilst having a lovely lunch in a fabulous cheese school buttery.<\/p>\n Feeling full after lunch, we took a less travelled route around the Reykjanes peninsula. Diverse geological features, hot springs, mountains, lava fields, amazing bird cliffs, moon landscapes, light houses and fishing villages were on today\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s itinerary. In the late afternoon we visited the famous Blue Lagoon where we soaked in the geothermal water; surrounded by lava fields and tranquillity, it is wonderful! After the Lagoon, the Group had a drink together: of course in the same blue colour as the Lagoon.<\/p>\n We continued to the small greenhouse village of Hverager\u00c3\u00b0i in South Iceland, where we stayed for the next 4 nights at Hotel \u00c3\u2013rk. The hotel features a large geothermal outdoor pool, several hot tubs, a steam bath and a small golf course. After arrival at our hotel, we rested after another busy and exciting day. We later enjoyed dinner and overnight at Hotel \u00c3\u2013rk.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Day 4, WED: GOLDEN CIRCLE, GEOTHERMAL TASTE & ICELANDIC HORSES <\/b>(200 km\/124 miles)<\/em><\/p>\n 09:30 We were introduced to the optional hiking & biking tours offered on day 6. You could ask all type of questions and I decided to sign up for Horseback riding, as I was keen to try the Icelandic Horses. Having only done a bit of Horseback riding in my past, I felt that I would like to try it again.<\/p>\n This was a good choice as we also got to learn about the Icelandic horse, its special qualities and its history. We also visited a geothermal greenhouse where the local host told what it’s like to farm under glass with geothermal heat. We tasted some of the delicious tomatoes to see for ourselves! Thereafter we continued to Gullfoss\u00a0 the golden falls\u00e2\u20ac\u0153, a double waterfall that tumbles 34 metres into the Hv\u00c3\u00adt\u00c3\u00a1 river and attracts tourists and travellers in summer and winter. We could see steam from the Geysir geothermal fields as we arrived. There are a variety of hot springs and bubbling pools on Iceland and the original geyser is now dormant but has been replaced by Strokkur \u00e2\u20ac\u017ethe Churn\u00e2\u20ac\u0153, which erupts at 5-10 minute intervals 24 hours a day.<\/p>\n When you get to Restaurant Geysir, the chef of the Restaurant Geysir takes you to the geothermal areas where you can taste freshly baked hot spring bread served with Icelandic butter, geothermally boiled eggs and herring. It is best served with a small glass of Geysir Schnapps, at a very cold – nearly freezing – temperature.<\/p>\n The next stop today was at the thermal baths FONTANA in Laugarvatn, where healing geothermal heat seeps directly from the ground amidst a landscape painted with beautiful mountain ranges. Laugarvatn FONTANA will be a highlight of any wellness retreat in Iceland. Here you find three geothermally heated baths, a sauna, a warm sand beach, and access to the pristine waters of Lake Laugarvatn. A visit to the open-air baths at Laugarvatn FONTANA also gives you the opportunity to experience the ever-changing Icelandic weather as the thermal baths can be enjoyed all year around. In fact, spring and autumn makes the visit to the thermal baths an even warmer experience. After another exciting day we enjoyed a late dinner and stayed overnight at Hotel \u00c3\u2013rk.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Day 5, THU: SOUTH COAST, EYJAFALLAJ\u00c3\u2013KULL VOLCANO & OPTIONAL GLACIER HIKE <\/b>(300 km\/186 miles)<\/em><\/p>\n Today we went out along the south coast of Iceland. We started at the high but narrow Seljalandsfoss waterfall, which plunges over the mountain. There\u00e2\u20ac\u02dcs an interesting trail that goes behind the fall \u00e2\u20ac\u201c if you are prepared to get wet! Further east we stopped at the Eyjafjallaj\u00c3\u00b6kull Information Centre and learnt about living next to a glacier and active volcano. The Sk\u00c3\u00b3gafoss waterfall is 60 metres high and one of the most impressive waterfalls in the country. It’s situated near one of Iceland’s finest folk museums. This museum contains an outstanding collection of farm and domestic artefacts typical of Iceland’s past as well as turf-built houses. Now we could choose between an optional guided walk on a nearby Glacier, or continue the bus tour to explore a black lava beach with bird cliffs. I decided for the black lava beach with black sand to step in. That felt very weird when you think sand is normally not that colour. We had dinner and stayed overnight at Hotel \u00c3\u2013rk.<\/p>\n Here is some information about the optional glacier hike:<\/b><\/p>\n This easy and safe glacier walk is for those who want to get a glimpse of the breath-taking S\u00c3\u00b3lheimaj\u00c3\u00b6kull glacier and its surroundings. The tour focuses on the exploration of water cauldrons,Waterways and other beautiful ice features of the glacier. Up close and personal with the glacier, You experience the different shades of it, white ice, blue ice and just plain clear ice. Before heading out on the glacier walk, the glacier guide will teach you how to use the basic glacier equipment including crampons and ice axes, which are required for this tour. This easy glacier walk is suitable for everybody, so there is no excuse to miss out on the fun! (Minimum age 8 years).<\/p>\n Important: <\/b>Bookings need to be made latest by day 3 to secure space<\/p>\n Duration: <\/b>2 hours in total, 1 to 1 \u00c2\u00bd hours on the ice<\/p>\n Provided: <\/b>Guiding services, ice gear (crampons and ice axes) and safety equipment<\/p>\n You bring: <\/b>Warm clothing, rain gear and good hiking shoes<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Day 6, FRI: OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES, COASTAL VILLAGES & LOBSTER DINNER <\/b>(70 km\/44 miles)<\/em><\/p>\n The next morning we started with a meeting and presentation from 09:00-10:00 at Hotel \u00c3\u2013rk about all the Activities on offer on Iceland: these are almost unlimited with Glacier Walking, Hiking, Cycling trips, seeing Waterfalls and hot springs like the Blue Lagoon, Horseback riding, Diving, Walking, a City tour, Whale watching, Seeing Northern Lights or Midnight Sun, depending on the season, Kayaking and so forth.<\/p>\n Otherwise it was a free morning to enjoy a selection of optional activities: horseback riding, guided hiking or biking tour, visiting the local wellness centre or joining an easy guided walk through the greenhouse village of Hverager\u00c3\u00b0i with several surprising attractions. We enjoyed an easy walk together with our tour guide to explore the village of Hverager\u00c3\u00b0i between 10:30-12:30 (free). For the remaining time we relaxed in the swimming pool, hot tubs and steam baths at Hotel \u00c3\u2013rk and some of us visited the local swimming pool. For lunch options we would suggest the local bakery or Kj\u00c3\u00b6t og K\u00c3\u00banst Restaurant, known for earth-cooking. Mid-afternoon <\/b>we departed Hotel \u00c3\u2013rk. We travelled to the coastal villages of Stokkseyri and Eyrarbakki with many old and colourful houses and visited a local folk and maritime museum. We strolled along the black sand at one of the local beaches. A real highlight was our dinner which consisted of Icelandic lobster at a seashore restaurant: wonderful and the lobster tasted so fresh. It was time to settle down for the night at our Hotel \u00c3\u2013rk: it was not a problem to fall asleep.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Day 7, SAT: UNESCO-LISTER THINGVELLIR NATIONAL PARK & OPTIONAL WHALE WATCHING CRUISE <\/b>(110 km\/68 miles)<\/em><\/p>\n We left early from our base in Hverager\u00c3\u00b0i in South Iceland and we checked out from our hotel.<\/p>\n We started the day with a visit to \u00c3\u017eingvellir National Park and an UNESCO World Heritage Site, an area of exceptional geological and historical interest. We visited the law-rock where the ancient Viking Parliament “Althing” met to make laws and settle disputes. We took a short but pleasant walk through this place of natural beauty. The next stop was at an Icelandic wool outlet store, just to see what they do with all those sheep! Around noon we returned to Reykjav\u00c3\u00adk, Iceland’s capital, for a last night at Hotel Klettur. The afternoon was spent at our leisure for sightseeing, museum visits, shopping, spa treatments or optional whale watching tour. I decided for the Whale Watching.<\/p>\n The Spa treatments were about 5 minutes\u00e2\u20ac\u2122 drive from Hotel Klettur, the Shopping at The Laugavegur shopping street which is more or less around the corner from Hotel Klettur.<\/p>\n There was a busy evening ahead of us. We left the hotel at 18:45 to<\/b> start with Icelandic sushi appetizers before we saw and participated at 20:00 in “Let\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s talk Iceland”, a fun and vibrant historical comedy performed in English. It tells you all you need to know about the history of Iceland and Icelanders from its settlement until the present day. You meet Vikings dressed up as if from the past, heroes of the nation and everyday people, who take you on an unforgettable journey through the history of Iceland while discussing the strange people who live here, namely the Icelanders. The Vikings re-enact various events from the past and you are a part of it. If something was not clear to us, we could just interrupt and ask them. The Vikings know Iceland and its history like the back of their hands and are also very amusing and entertaining.<\/p>\n The goal of this comedy show is to teach you a little bit more about Icelanders then and now in a comical way. You should give it a try – laugh and learn. Afterwards you might be very hungry so it’s good to continue with dinner, main course and dessert at a cosy restaurant in Reykjav\u00c3\u00adk. As the night was still young, you might want to remain downtown and check out Iceland’s famous nightlife scene.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Day 8, SUN: FAREWELL ICELAND <\/b>(50 km\/31 miles)<\/em><\/p>\n Time to leave Iceland. I had such a fantastic time and really enjoyed the nature, the people, food, literally everything. I am now trying to convince my husband to join us back to Iceland, maybe in the winter to see the Northern Lights, which are on my bucket list, as for many other people around the World.<\/p>\n THANK YOU ICELAND AND THE ICELANDIC PEOPLE FOR SHOWING ME YOUR BEAUTIFUL COUNTRY.<\/p>\n![\"DSC_2570\"](\"https:\/\/www.baltictravelcompany.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/11\/DSC_2570.jpg\")
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