Icelandic Summer

Make the most of the long, light days of the Icelandic summer as you enjoy an unforgettable break in the ‘Land of Fire and Ice’.

Goðafoss Waterfalls

Humpback whale Haugunes Day One – Fly to Iceland Upon arrival, meet your tour manager at Keflavík International Airport. Transfer to your hotel in Reykjavík. Spend the rest of the day relaxing and acclimatising to your new surroundings, perhaps opting to explore the cafés and shops of Laugavegur, a short walk from your hotel. Enjoy dinner by your own arrangement as you look forward to a wonderful few days ahead.

Day Two – Included Reykjavík and Golden

Circle Tour This morning’s included tour will acquaint you with delightful Reykjavík, taking in the shoreside Pearl Centre, fashioned from disused water tanks, the towering Hallgrim’s Church and the Lutheran Cathedral. This afternoon enjoy an included Golden Circle tour, which includes visits to the extraordinary sight of Thingvellir, a great lava arena where the world’s oldest national parliament, the Althing, was established in 930AD, and to Þingvallavatn, Iceland’s largest freshwater lake. You’ll also take in the Great Geysir, now all but extinct, but where its neighbour Strokkur spouts impressively every 10 minutes or so. The fascinating tour is completed with visits to the stunning Gulfoss Waterfall and the fascinating Friðheimar greenhouse cultivation centre, where organically grown vegetables are produced with the aid of geothermal heat. Return to your hotel in Reykjavík for the evening, perhaps heading out for dinner at a local restaurant. Day Three – Scenic Transfer to Akureyri This morning you’ll depart Reykjavík and travel to your new hotel in Akureyri, Iceland’s secondlargest city. Akureyri is located on the country’s northern coast, and you’ll make several interesting stops along the way. Call first at Borgarfjörður, a picturesque area between Reykjavík and the Snæfellsnes Peninsula, home to a delightful fjord, fed by trickles of water from the rolling hills and mountains that frame this wonderful scene. Your last stop will be the charming coastal town of Blönduós, before arriving at your new hotel in the late

Available Apr to Jun, Sep & Oct 2023

Fly direct from these airports. Prices from

• Gatwick £1,699 • Heathrow £1,719 • Luton £1,699 • Manchester £1,749

Personalise your holiday

• Whale-Watching & Brewery Tour (half day) – from £109 Room for Sole Use from £365

Please note: The transfer time from the airport to your hotel is approximately 45 minutes.

Borgarfjörður

Reykjavík Blönduós Akureyri

Goðafoss

Lake Mývatn

Strokkur

Iceland

• Spend seven fascinating days in the ‘Land of

Fire and Ice’ • Explore Reykjavík, the world’s most northerly capital, and the dramati0c Golden Circle • Experience Iceland’s unique landscape, with its pristine glaciers, smouldering volcanoes and sprouting geysirs • Enjoy a tour of Mývatn Lake, including the

Goðafoss Waterfalls and nature baths • Discover Víðimýri Church, one of Iceland’s few remaining turfed churches • Learn about the famed Icelandic horse during a fascinating stable visit • The chance to join an optional whale-watching tour at Hauganes and a brewery tour • Six nights’ carefully chosen three-and fourstar bed and breakfast accommodation • A three-course evening meal • Return flights to Reykjavík (Keflavik), with coach travel and transfers throughout • Fully escorted by a friendly, experienced tour manager

what our customers say...

Iceland is an island of waterfalls, geysers, and volcanoes. This enjoyable trip was enhanced with excursions by our guide Christopher who had great knowledge and a sense of humour. Joe

Mývatn Nature Baths Hallgrimskirkja Church Reykjavik Icelandic horses

afternoon, where you’ll enjoy the rest of the day at your leisure. Day Four – Tour of Mývatn Join your tour manager this morning for an included excursion to the Mývatn region. Your tour begins at the Goðafoss Waterfalls (Waterfall of the Gods). According to myth, the waterfall was named in 100AD, when Icelanders accepted Christianity as their faith, symbolically throwing statues of the pagan Norse gods into the water at Goðafoss. Continue to Lake Mývatn, which is something of an ornithologist’s heaven, attracting many interesting bird species, including one of the world’s largest ducks, the common eider. You’ll also visit the nearby Mývatn Nature Baths, where you’ll have the chance to bathe in the famous natural hot springs. The tour continues to the boiling fumaroles of Námskarðar and the chain of craters at Skútustaðir, before you return to your hotel in the early evening, for an included three-course meal.

Day Five – Optional Whale-Watching and Brewery

Tour Today, you can choose between joining an optional whale-watching tour at Hauganes, followed by a brewery visit, or spending the day at leisure, perhaps exploring Akuryeri. Haugunes is a small coastal village, just outside of Akureyri, on the Eyjafjördur Bay. Guests who choose the optional excursion will board a small boat to make the 15-minute journey to the centre of the bay, where whales often congregate. In the afternoon, continue to a local brewery where they brew Kaldi, a popular Icelandic beer, for a tour and, of course, a tasting session. However you chose to spend your day, enjoy your final evening in Akuryeri at leisure.

Day Six – Transfer to Reykjavík, via Víðimýri

Church Today you will transfer back to Reykjavík, calling en route at the picturesque Víðimýri Church, one of Iceland’s few remaining turfed churches. This well-preserved example dates to the mid-19th century, when many churches and other buildings were roofed with turf to protect them from the country’s harsh climate. Continue your journey to Reykjavík, stopping at a local stable on the way. The Icelandic horse, a distinct breed native to the country, has developed thicker hair to deal with the extreme temperatures, and often only grows to be the size of a pony. Enjoy a tour of the stable and learn more about the Icelandic horse, as you see some in the flesh. Upon arrival at Reykjavík, check-in and enjoy a final night in the welcoming Icelandic capital, dining at your leisure, no doubt reflecting on a wonderful few days. Day Seven – Return to the UK Transfer back to the airport for your return flight, after a delightful break in Iceland.

fun fact...

Did you know that Iceland was the last place on Earth to be settled by humans?

your hotels

Skuggi Hotel, Reykjavík

HHH Bed & Breakfast nights 1-2 & 6

Boasting a favourable location at the northern end of one of Reykjavík’s oldest streets, close to the cafés and shops of Laugavegur. Inside, rooms at the Skuggo feature volcanic colour schemes, with prominent use of blacks and grey, together with a TV, mini-bar and complimentary Wi-Fi. Facilities at the hotel include a bar, and for the energetic, a bike hire service (payable locally). Hotel Kea, Akureyri Bed & Breakfast HHHH nights 3-5

This four-star hotel is located on a lively pedestrian street, close to the Eyjafjördur Fjord and a five-minute walk from Akureyri Church and the botanical gardens. Rooms are bright and airy, with wooden floors and feature a TV, together with tea/ coffemaking facilities.

Skuggi Hotel

our product manager loves...

With an abundance of wildlife, awe-inspiring waterfalls, and active volcanoes, this seven-day tour of Iceland in the summer will let you experience a side of Iceland, which is often overlooked.

Hotel Kea Thingvellir Waterfall