Snæland - Tui - Experience Iceland by SnÃ¦land Travel

EXPERIENCE ICELAND

WELCOME TO ICELAND

Dear Thomson guests. Welcome to Iceland. We’re your TUI Team and it’s our job to make sure you have a great holiday. We’ve got all sorts of handy hints and tips for what you can see and do here, to make your time away even more memorable. Picking an excursion is easy thanks to the ‘go’ categories to help you find your perfect one. There’s ‘go ACTIVE’, ‘go RELAX’, ‘go DISCOVER’ – you get the idea. All are provided by great suppliers and put your safety first. They’re tried, tested and monitored to make sure they give you the best experience in the places you want to visit. If there’s anything we haven’t included, just ask us, we want you to have a great holiday. We’re here to answer all your holiday questions and can tell you all the local insider info you can’t find online. Have a fantastic holiday, Your TUI Team – Iceland

LOCAL CULTURE

LANGUAGE Contact with the country and the locals is certainly the most valuable experience while travelling. We have collected interesting facts about Iceland for you.

Icelandic is the national language directly derived from the ancient Norse language of the first Viking settlers. English is widely spoken.

WINING & DINING

FESTIVALS

Fresh fish, smoked lamb and Brennivin schnapps are locally produced and a must-try during your stay. Many restaurants have won awards for their innovative Nordic cuisine.

ThrettĂĄndinn on 6th January is celebrated with bonfires. Thorri in January has pagan origins and is celebrated with traditional food. Also big is the Winter Lights festival of early February.

CLIMATE & LIFESTYLE

LOCAL PRODUCE

The coldest months are November, December and January where the average winter temperature is 0 CÂ°. Icelanders enjoy a dip in steamy hot swimming pools to relax.

Icelandic wool is popular due to its dual-fibre structure that makes garments warm, waterproof and light.

RELAX

BLUE LAGOON Relax and unwind No holiday to Iceland is complete without a visit to the country’s famous Blue Lagoon. On this trip, all the logistics are sorted out for you – entrance fee and transportation – so you can focus on enjoying yourself. The Blue Lagoon experience starts the minute you walk through the doors, when you’re given a clever wristband, which acts as an electronic locker key and in-water credit card. When you emerge into the icy air, the steaming 37-degree water practically begs you to enter. The natural silica in the lagoon is used as a facemask, clearing out of the impurities of the skin and leaves you feeling fresh. The lagoon is home to a spa area and a swimup bar, plus there’s a separate massage waterfall and sauna. You’ll have a couple of hours to take it easy in the milky blue waters, before it’s time to get changed and head back to Reykjavik.

ACTIVE

INTO THE GLACIER Langjökull cave experience

AWARD OF EXCELLENCE

Iceland is famous for its glaciers and until recently, what lay under the surface of the Langjokull glacier had been a mystery. In 2010, the first and biggest man-made ice cap Glacier Ice Cave was made to take us inside the heart of this remote glacier ice cap. Arriving at Húsafell base camp, you’ll be kitted out and then climb onto a modified snow truck to start the climb to the ice cave, exploring the rugged glacial landscape and outstanding panoramic views along the way. Inside the cave, the temperature stays at a constant cool 0 degrees. Tunnels and caves open up a whole new world and you will get to see the magnificent ‘blue ice’ which is buried deep beneath the surface. And there’s more, with bubbling hot springs, stunning waterfalls and panoramic views of the mountain ranges as you make your way to the north of the glacier. On our return, as well as having dinner at an exclusive restaurant in Borgarfjörður, you might catch a glimpse of the Northern Lights as they dance through the sky.

ACTIVE

GLACIER SNOWMOBILE ADVENTURE Exhilarating and breathtaking Snowmobiling is big in Iceland. In winter months, glaciers are covered in a healthy amount of the white stuff, which means you can zoom across them at top speed. This exhilarating snowmobiling adventure takes you to the top of the spectacular Mýrdalsjökull glacier and accompanied by your expert mountain guide, you will have breathtaking views of southern Iceland. Most snowmobiles are built for two*, so you can swap between taking control in the driver’s seat and admiring the view as a passenger. Along the journey back from the glacier you’ll make a couple of stops at the area’s biggest waterfalls, Seljalandsfoss and Skogafoss, where you’ll have enough time to admire the impressive drops of up to 60 metres and walk behind Seljalandsfoss waterfall itself. All this topped off with a visit to Skógar Folk Museum, stunning views of glaciers, black sand coastline and impressive rock formations whilst en-route. A driving licence is required to drive the snowmobile. *Single driver supplement applies if not sharing the snowmobile.

DISCOVER

SOUTH SHORE TOUR Dramatic stunning scenery

If you want to escape the city and see a bit more of Iceland, this trip is ideal. It introduces you to the country’s south coast, where thundering waterfalls, snow-topped volcanoes and a stark coastline lie ready and waiting. You’ll make a couple of stops at the area’s biggest dazzling waterfalls, Seljalandsfoss and Skogafoss, where you’ll have enough time to admire the impressive drops of up to 60 metres and walk behind Seljalandsfoss waterfall itself. Also on the agenda is Eyjafjallajökull. The volcano that caused such chaos back in 2010 is a picture of serenity these days, sleeping soundly beneath a huge sheet of ice and snow. The real highlight of the day, though, is Vik, a charming village surrounded by beautiful cliffs. The huge beach is covered in black pebbles, and boasts weird and wonderful basalt rock formations unique to this area of Iceland.

DISCOVER

REYKJAVIK CITY TOUR Iceland’s cool and colourful capital Explore the world’s most northerly capital city with its colourful corrugated iron buildings neatly arranged against a backdrop of snowy mountains and the Atlantic Ocean. The Reykjavik city tour introduces highlights from the past and present, visiting landmarks such as The Pearl and the Hallgrimskirkja church, both offering fantastic views over city, the harbour and the famous Reykjavik 101 area. The tour will also drive by the Höfdi House, where Reagan and Gorbachev met in 1986 to begin the process of ending the Cold War, and the futuristic Harpa concert hall.

DISCOVER

WHALE WATCHING See the natural wildlife White-beaked dolphins and humpback whales are just some of the mammals you’re likely to spot frolicking in Iceland’s waters during the winter months. Departing from Reykjavik harbour in the heart of the city, you’ll head out to sea on a comfortable boat with large viewing decks en route to Faxaflói Bay. As you glide through the icy blue water, your captain and guide will follow the Icewhale code of conduct to respect and protect the nature of Iceland, while telling you all about the whales and birdlife common to this area. You’ll spend a couple of hours at sea searching for whales, so chances are you’ll get lucky.

DISCOVER

4X4 ADVENTURE Unique to Iceland Iceland’s landscape is so rugged that, in order to see all the good stuff, you need to get off road on a unique Icelandic Super Jeppi. Heavily modified for the Icelandic terrain, you’ll head away from Reykjavik on a real adventure. As no two trips are the same, your guide keeps you up to date with where you’re going and what’s to see, you have the opportunity to take in the panoramic views and fascinating land formations. On road or off road, a trip on a Super Jeppi is adventure at its best.

ACTIVE

QUAD BIKING Off-road thrills If you’re looking for and adrenalin rush, make sure you don’t miss this off-road quad bike adventure. With only a short journey to the outskirts of Reykjavik, you will find the beauty of the mountains and a trail taking you around asphalt and gravel roads to mountain tracks, rocky paths and steep slopes, giving you the thrill of quad biking on a range of all terrains. Most quads are built for two*, so you can swap between taking control in the driver’s seat and admiring the view as a passenger. A driving licence is required to drive the quad bikes. *Single driver supplement applies if not sharing the quad.

ACTIVE

SNORKELLING Float between two continents In Silfra you can experience snorkelling between the American and Eurasian tectonic plates, where you don’t need to be a certified diver in order to experience water at its clearest. Arriving at Thingvellir National Park, your guide will give you your dry suit, safety talk and snorkelling equipment for your adventure. Float through Big Crack, Silfra’s narrowest section, where the continental plates are so close you can almost touch them, as well as the widening area of Silfra Hall, where the colours and clarity are breathtaking before finishing with the endless visibility of Silfra Lagoon.

ACTIVE

ICELANDIC HORSE RIDING Beautiful and friendly animals Iceland only has one breed of horses remaining pure for over one thousand years – the Icelandic horse. These friendly horses and specially trained guides will escort you on a tour through the excellent riding paths, where you can experience the unique Icelandic horse while enjoying beautiful scenery full of lava fields and green hillsides. This tour is ideal both for beginners and more experienced riders with groups organised by riding skill so that everyone gets an experience and adventure.