Iceland Family Journey: Geysers, Glaciers, and Fjords

Hotel accommodation in Iceland is very limited and rooms/facilities can be fairly simple with few amenities. Hotels are chosen for their location and access to the wondrous landscapes and natural wonders of Iceland. Hotels are often remote, all the better to enjoy the beautiful natural setting.

Start the morning at the Perlan museum, which showcases Iceland’s geological forces through exhibits on volcanic eruptions, explosive geysers, and more. After a classic Icelandic hot dog lunch, hop aboard a ship for a whale-watching expedition on Faxaflói Bay. Search for minke whales, humpback whales, dolphins, and porpoises diving through the waves, and learn about the incredible diversity of sea life in Iceland’s waters. The rest of the day is free for relaxing at your hotel or exploring Reykjavík.

Travel to a vast lava field and enter one of the longest lava tunnels in Iceland, where we’ll explore the amazing inner workings of a volcanic eruption. Then head to a traditional Icelandic horse farm to meet the friendly equine residents and learn about this special breed. Icelandic horses are small, hardy, and have a unique ambling gait called the tölt. Get to know the horses amid the beautiful backdrop of surrounding hills before gathering for a homemade lunch at the farm. Then set off on a hike through an area dotted with hot springs, stopping to soak your feet in steaming pools along the way. This afternoon, continue to our hotel in Hveragerði, a town built around its own bubbling hot spring.

Head to Thingvellir National Park, where the North American and Eurasian tectonic plates drift apart. Then visit a geothermal bakery to watch bakers digging pots of fresh bread out of hot black sand. Taste a slice still warm from the ground, and get the recipe for a loaf of rye. Continue along the celebrated Golden Circle circuit to hear the roar of the mighty Gullfoss waterfall and visit the Geysir hot spring, the namesake of all the world’s geysers. The rest of the evening is yours to enjoy, unwind with a soothing soak in geothermal waters, dine at your leisure, and take in the breathtaking surrounding scenery.

Today, explore Iceland’s amazing history, from the Viking era to the industrial revolution. Visit a traditional turf-walled dwelling, and step inside a 20th-century schoolhouse while learning about Iceland’s architectural heritage, folk crafts, and modern technology. Then take a short walk to the Skógafoss waterfall, one of the biggest falls in Iceland at more than 80 feet across. Enjoy lunch at the Skogafoss Bistro. This afternoon ramble on one of Iceland’s legendary black-sand beaches.

Leave the mainland behind and voyage to the Westman Islands, a volcanic archipelago off Iceland’s southern coast. Go ashore on Heimaey, the only inhabited isle in the archipelago, and wander among the white wooden buildings of the single tiny town. Learn about the island’s recent volcanic history, view parts of the town buried by lava flows, and hike up the slopes of the Eldfell crater, where the ground is still warm from geothermal activity! Search for adorable puffins and other seabirds nesting on the island’s steep cliffs, before sailing back to the mainland and heading to your hotel for the evening.

Return to Reykjavík this morning, stopping along the way to visit Seljalandsfoss, one of Iceland’s most spectacular waterfalls. Step behind the curtain of the falls into a hidden cave filled with mist, and enjoy one of the best photographic opportunities in Iceland. Continue to the oldest natural swimming pool in Iceland, the Secret Lagoon, to soak in the hot spring’s blue waters. Continue to Reykjavík and enjoy a farewell dinner.