Green Energy and Geology - 7 days

Upon arrival, you will do a guided tour around the capital of Iceland, Reykjavik. You will also have free time to explore Reykjavik on your own.

You get the chance to explore a lava tube cave and hike around geothermal areas. You will also go to the famous unique geothermal spa The Blue Lagoon.

Today will be very informative as we will drive around Reykjanes peninsula. We start the day by going underground as we do a guided tour of the cave Leidarendi. Equipped with helmets and flashlights, we will explore the extraordinary scenery of lava formations and unexpected colors.

Around midday, we will take the road south to the peninsula of Reykjanes and drive to the geothermal area Seltun, also known as Krysuvik. We will do a guided tour around the geothermal area where we will walk amongst hissing steam vents, solfataras, and bubbling mud pots. You will be able to feel the power of nature as the ground beneath your feet seems to rumble. We also do a hike around Krysuvik where we should be able to see thousands of seabirds nest in the rugged cliffs beside the crashing Atlantic surf.

After a good stop in the fishing village Grindavik, we will go explore Reykjanes hot spring area. We will see the powerful hot spring Gunnuhver, the biggest active mud spring in Iceland. We will also walk across a bridge between the Eurasian and North American continents.

The last stop of the day is at one of the wonders of the world, The Blue Lagoon. The Blue Lagoon is a unique geothermal spa situated on the youngest lava field of the peninsula of Reykjanes. Here you will find many recreational options such as walking in the Blue Lagoon's spectacular surroundings, bathing in the milky blue water, relaxing in a geothermal steam bath, or bathing in the Blue Lagoon´s waterfall.

We will take you to the most popular sights in Iceland, the “Golden Circle”. On the Golden Circle tour, you will see Gullfoss waterfall, the geothermal area of Geysir, and visit Thingvellir National Park. We will also visit a geothermal power plant and a greenhouse where we will learn about greenhouse horticulture.

We will visit the Hellisheidi Geothermal Power Plant. There we will go to a geothermal energy exhibition, explore the facilities, and attend a short informative lecture.

Next, we explore “Golden Circle” - a popular traveling route in Iceland. We start the Golden Circle tour off with a hike at the UNESCO world heritage site Thingvellir National Park. At Thingvellir National park the continental drift between the North American Plate and the Eurasian Plate is very visible and it is possible to walk between the two. Thingvellir is also known for its historical importance as Althing, which is considered to be the world's first parliament, was founded there in the year 930.

Next, we travel to Fridheimar Greenhouse. At Fridheimar we will gain some insight into greenhouse horticulture as we will take a tour of the greenhouse, as well as enjoy a taste of the crop when we eat lunch in the greenhouse between multiple tomato plants.

We continue on with our Golden Circle tour when we journey to the Geysir geothermal field. There you will see Geysir, the geyser which gave all other geysers in the world their name. We also walk around the other incredible hot springs, and we get to see Strokkur, a geyser that erupts every five minutes, projects steaming water to a height of about 60-100 feet. We complete our Golden Circle tour when we visit Gullfoss Waterfall (Golden Falls), a beautiful and impressive landmark. We can walk so close to the edge of the waterfall that we should be able to feel the mist of the glacial water on our faces.

We continue along the south coast and we stop at the Seljalandsfoss waterfall and some other waterfalls close by. We also go to a visitor’s center for the 2010 volcanic eruption in Eyjafjallajokull. We´ll see the impressive Skógarfoss waterfall and the famous black sand beach Reynisfjara. Lastly, we visit the spectacular black basalt columnar floor formation of Kirkjugolf.

We continue traveling on the south coast and our first stop is the majestic waterfall Seljalandsfoss. The waterfall plunges from ancient sea cliffs down over 60 meters (197 feet) to a shallow pool. We will have the opportunity to walk behind the waterfall and enjoy the exquisite scenery. We also get to see Gljufrabui waterfall, a natural gem that is hidden behind a large cliff. As we continue on our journey, we will pass the infamous volcano Eyjafjallajokull that stopped all air traffic when it erupted in 2010. We then have the opportunity to go to a visitor center in the area and watch a short informative film about the 2010 eruption. Our next destination is the Skogafoss waterfall. A hiking trail leads up to the top of the waterfall, where you can look at the natural wonder from a different perspective and better see the beautiful waterscape. We also make a quick stop at the impressive Solheimajokull glacier, an outlet of the larger Myrdalsjokull glacier. Next, we take a walk on the black volcanic sand beach Reynisfjara. The beach is surrounded by basalt columns and cliffs scattered with caves. The area is also rich in birdlife. We then continue on to the lava field of Eldgjarhraun which was formed by the largest lava flow by volume from a single eruption during historic times. Our next stop is the black basalt columnar floor formation of Kirkjugolf which covers around 80 square meters (861 square feet). The translation of Kirkjugolf is “Church Floor” even though a church has never stood there. The name of this natural wonder comes from the basalt columnar floor looking as though it has been laid by men.

Day five is full of exciting and memorable experiences that you can only experience in Iceland. We do a boat tour on the glacial lagoon Jokulsarlon where we get to sail amongst icebergs in all shapes and sizes. We also do a glacier hike in the Falljokull glacier area.

This day is one to be remembered. We start the day with a boat tour on the dreamlike and stunning glacial lagoon Jokulsarlon. Jokulsarlon is the largest glacial lake in Iceland, and on the boat tour, we sail amongst icebergs in all shapes and sizes. It is truly a magnificent experience. Next up is a black sand beach that was formed from volcanic rock. The beach is usually filled with crystal clear isolated icebergs that washed up from the sea. One of the highlights of the trip is awaiting us next. We are going to get up close and personal with the glacier Falljokull. We will do a one-hour glacier hike while enjoying the extraordinary view.

Today we continue exploring the south coast of Iceland. We will visit Fjallarslon glacial lagoon and then we go on to Vatnajokull national park. In Vatnajokull national park, we do an hour-long hike in Skaftafell, visit the waterfall Svartifoss and some old Icelandic houses. On our way back to Reykjavik we stop at the admirable Dyrholaey peninsula.

We make a quick stop at Fjallsarlon glacial lagoon where there are more icebergs floating around. Then we continue on to Vatnajokull national park where we hike for an hour in Skaftafell. The hike is extremely awe-inspiring as the glacier provides the national park with majestic fairytale scenery. Our next stop is one of the most popular sights within Vatnajokull National park, Svartifoss waterfall. Svartifoss falls from a wall of columnar basalt and the area has often inspired architects in their designs. In the area, there are also old Icelandic houses that were used in the last centuries. Dyrholaey is our next stop. It is a small but majestic peninsula and it is the southernmost point of the mainland. Dyrholaey formed in a sub-aquatic eruption about 100.000 years ago. A road leads up to the top of the peninsula and from there is a fantastic view in all directions. Dyrholaey is home to many seabird species, and if you’re lucky you might see some puffins. We then drive to Reykjavik where you are free to explore the city on your own.

This morning can be spent freely exploring Reykjavik. Then our guide will bring you to the airport in time for your flight.