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Women’s Winter Hiking & Sightseeing in Iceland

Iceland’s story begins 18 million years ago when volcanic activity started shaping the country. Partnered with glaciers, it has given birth to countless geologic marvels—and you’re about to see them up close! Snaking along the country’s perimeter, the 1,328-kilometer Ring Road connects Iceland’s major cities and tourist spots in one rideable loop of pure sightseeing pleasure. With each new stop, you’ll immerse yourself in Iceland’s wide palette of colors, ranging from black sand beaches and fiery reds of the Námaskarð Pass to turquoise ice caves and glaciers dressed in brilliant blues. After touring geologic curiosities by day, go hunting for Northern Lights at night. Thanks to Iceland’s extremely dark nights, winter is the ideal time to chase them.

Adventure highlights

  • Iceland's best-ofs in a single trip
    Tick off all of Iceland’s pristine peculiarities from your bucket list
  • Surreal scenery in The Land of Ice & Fire
    Hike on volcanoes during the day, chase Northern Lights by night
  • All-women & hassle-free journey
    Hike with like-minded women & let local guides lead the way

Itinerary

What better way to spend 9 days than by visiting the hottest locations in the Land of Ice and Fire? Join a group of like-minded adventurous women and explore the most Instagrammable winter wonderland in the world! If you’re on your own, no worries—this is the perfect opportunity to forge meaningful friendships in a safe and welcoming environment. Enjoy rugged landscapes by day and elegant hotels by night, all while keeping an eye out for that magical glow of the Northern Lights in the sky.

  • Meet your guide around 6 p.m. at the Exeter Hotel in Reykjavik. You’ll have an introductory meeting about the itinerary and a welcome dinner with your fellow hikers. Get to know your group and have a good night’s sleep for the adventure ahead of you.

    Meals: Dinner

    Vedute of Reykjavik during winter.
  • Every day you’ll be hitting the road between 8 and 9 a.m. Kick off the trip with a Golden Circle tour, a 190-mile route of Iceland’s three major natural attractions. Walk in the seismic rift valley of the Thingvellir National Park, marvel at the highly active Geysir Geothermal Area, and feel the drizzle of the 105-foot-tall Gullfoss, the golden falls.

    Next stop is the Friðheimar greenhouse—learn how they use geothermal heating to grow vegetables, pick fresh tomatoes from above your table, and have lunch. End your day by unwinding in the Secret Lagoon, the oldest geothermal pool in Iceland surrounded by natural hot spring baths. As a cherry on top of each day, you’ll be on the hunt for Northern Lights every single night!

    Meals: Breakfast and lunch

    Geotermal eruption at Gullfoss Geysir
  • Today you’re taking a deep dive into Iceland’s Southcoast. Visit the 200-foot-high Seljalandsfoss waterfall, and if the weather allows you, go behind it to capture that iconic viewpoint through the hole. Continue onto the mighty Skógarfoss waterfall, after which you’ll do around 3 hours of glacier hiking on the Sólheimajökull glacier, sitting atop the Katla volcano.

    Walk along on black sand beaches, then hike through the Fjaðrárgljúfur, a lush green canyon with a river carving through jagged cliffs. Spend the night in Kirkjubæjarklaustur.

    Meals: Breakfast

    Waterfall Seljalandsfoss in winter, reflection in river. Iceland.
  • New day, new natural phenomena. With an off-road drive in a massive jeep, you’ll reach ice caves, formed in glaciers. Take a tour of 700-year-old ice formations with an expert guide and see turquoise-tinted crystal caves. Next stop is the Glacier Lagoon, after which you’ll head to Diamond Beach. Its black sand and glistening icebergs are like no other place on Earth. Finally, retreat to your hotel in Höfn, the lobster capital of Iceland, and look forward to a delicious dinner.

    Meals: Breakfast

    People walking underneath ice in an icecave
  • This day is dedicated to cultural exploration of East Fjords. Visit old houses along the coast and numerous quaint villages, such as Djúpivogur. Take a 3-mile hike to Hengifoss, a 420-foot-tall waterfall dropping into a gorge. Spend the rest of the day and the night in Egilsstaðir, East Iceland’s largest town, and get to know its local culture!

    Meals: Breakfast

    Drone panoramic photo of the beautiful tall Hengifoss waterfall hidden in the layered canyon at East Iceland
  • Start off the day with a drive to Dettifoss, Europe’s most powerful waterfall, fed by a river flowing from the largest glacier in Europe, Vatnajökull. Tour the waterfall and pass by the highest inhabited point in Iceland. Next up is the Námaskarð geothermal area, a Mars-like zone with no vegetation, but with a palette of vivid colors streaking through the earth.

    Continue to Lake Mývatn, where you will explore the area. Walking through the lava field nearby will give you serious Game of Thrones vibes. Second to last stop is Goðafoss, “Waterfall of the Gods”, a symbol of Iceland’s conversion from Norse mythology to Christianity. As you reach Akureyri, your stay for the night, feel free to stroll around the city and explore its selection of Icelandic cuisine.

    Meals: Breakfast

    Godafoss waterfall in winter when half of the lake beneath it starts to freeze
  • Put on a warm flotation suit and board a fishing boat in Dalvik! Sail through the fjords for three hours and spot some whales along the way. Following the boat ride, drive through Tröllaskagi, the Troll Peninsula, a beautiful road trip area offering something new at every turn you take. End your day in Hotel Bifröst, a charming hotel built next to and old volcano called Grábrók.

    Meals: Breakfast

    Whale tail on the surface of water.
  • Tour the Snaefellsnes peninsula in West Iceland and a volcanic crater. See Kirkjufell, the actual Arrowhead mountain of Game of Thrones and pass the center of the Earth, at least according to Jules Verne. Head to the Ytri Tunga beach, one of the best places for spotting seals in Iceland! Head back to Reykjavik and have a goodbye dinner with your group.

    Meals: Breakfast and dinner

    Seal resting on Ytri Tunga beach
  • Book your flight in the afternoon so you can take a dip in the Blue Lagoon, only a 15-minute drive from the airport. As a perfect ending to your trip, swim in this turquoise geothermal spa located inside a lava field. If you want to stay a bit longer in the land of ice and fire, feel free to go back to Reykjavik with your guide. However, if you’re ready to go home and eager to comb through all the incredible photos from the journey, there’s going to be arranged transportation to the airport.

    Meals: Breakfast

    Steaming natural spring in Iceland
Adventure brochure
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Meet your guide

Viking Women Tours
5.00
Viking Women Tours
Viking Women Tours is an exclusive women’s travel group based in Iceland and operated by experienced local female adventurers. They are very passionate about the outdoors, traveling, and being able to introduce and explore their home to travelers worldwide. Their guides have traveled extensively through Iceland and are always honored to assist you in customizing the perfect experience in the land of fire and ice!
5.00(16 reviews)
M
Muriel K.
|November 2024
The Tour was great and you get a great overview over the whole iland for your next trip ;-)
S
SUSAN R.
|November 2024
Iceland is even more beautiful than I imagined. It set a new bar for the travel experience! We enjoyed the outdoors, hiked glaciers, explored ice caves, spotted lots of wildlife and enjoyed multiple hot springs. The food was nothing short of amazing! And the hotels were wonderfully equipped featuring the best restaurants and, in many cases, saunas. I can't wait to go back!
M
Michele K.
|November 2024
Show all reviews
5.00(16 reviews)
M
Muriel K.
|November 2024
The Tour was great and you get a great overview over the whole iland for your next trip ;-)
S
SUSAN R.
|November 2024
Iceland is even more beautiful than I imagined. It set a new bar for the travel experience! We enjoyed the outdoors, hiked glaciers, explored ice caves, spotted lots of wildlife and enjoyed multiple hot springs. The food was nothing short of amazing! And the hotels were wonderfully equipped featuring the best restaurants and, in many cases, saunas. I can't wait to go back!
M
Michele K.
|November 2024
S
Sarah B.
|March 2024
This was so well organized and executed. Absolutely worth the money to have Viking Women plan the lodging, food, transportation, and all the adventures, plus provide history and cultural talks while we drove from point to point. I felt very safe and secure in our guide's care. Our group of women was very supportive and adventurous, despite our wide range of ages and backgrounds. Excellent experience!
K
Kari A.
|March 2024
Amazing adventure. We saw so many beautiful sites and had amazing experiences. Iceland was beautiful and treated us well.
M
Mary Anne H.
|March 2024
Iceland was an incredible country, amazing views, wonderful people, so much to see and do. I loved the amazing group of women I travelled with who supported each other through new experiences and challenges. An unforgettable experience!
S
Steacie L.
|March 2024
J
Joanne J.
|April 2023
So perfect! So many iconic experiences and several very special personal glimpses of Icelandic life.
P
Patricia D.
|April 2023
It was just amazing. hiking on an iceberg, going to an ice cave, hiking up volcanoes and all the fabulous waterfalls. A vacation I will always remember.
G
Gretchen P.
|March 2023
K
Kathryn R.
|March 2023
We had a wonderful tour of Iceland. Beautiful country with a great tour guide. I would love to travel with Viking Women again.
M
Mandy M.
|March 2023
I
Inez T.
|March 2023
Beautiful tour through this breathtaking country. I’ll be back (again!)
C
Cris & Janine

Saga was our tour guide in December 2019 – we don’t normally go on tours, but not wanting to drive in Iceland in winter and not knowing the language or culture we thought it best to try a tour. Definitely the best decision ever!!! Saga was brilliant!!! She’s friendly, young, full of energy without being over the top, competent, knowledgeable, accommodating (we had someone with a broken foot on our tour and the lengths Saga went to, so that she could participate, were so far above & beyond the call of duty it was phenomenal). Saga also had a wonderful way of incorporating a relevant story of Icelandic Culture into whatever adventure we were embarking on – we could’ve listened to so many more hours of her stories (and Love the accent!). Absolutely fantastic – Highly recommended!!

M
Madelon

Saga guided us through beautiful Iceland. I was impressed by Iceland, but also impressed by Saga! Very engaging lady with many talents: from active walk guide, and cool driver, to relaxing meditation mentor, with beautiful storytelling about the history and culture of Iceland. Takk fyrir, Saga!

K
Kelly B.

I spent a week traveling around the gorgeous scenery of Iceland with Saga and let me say–she is an incredible host. Not only is her knowledge of the country vast, she is also patient and caring for all of her guests. As a solo female traveler, Saga made me feel like I was just on a holiday with friends! Whether it was a glass of wine, history lesson, or trek on a glacier – she guided us through those experiences with ease and intrigue. Her itinerary was the perfect combination of adrenaline-packed adventures and relaxation. All said and done, I can’t recommend Saga and Viking Women enough, solo female travellers and friend groups alike.

Things to know

  • Included:

      • An experienced, local hiking guide and driver with extensive knowledge of the area
      • 9 days of guided sightseeing and hiking in Iceland
      • Transportation during the tour with a minibus (headset)
      • Accommodation at hotels for 8 nights
      • Welcome and goodbye dinner
      • Breakfasts at hotels
      • All special equipment
      • Greenhouse visit with lunch, secret lagoon, glacier hike, ice cave visit, whale watching, blue lagoon
      • All other mentioned activities from the itinerary
      • Airport drop-off
      • WhatsApp group created shortly before the tour starts

    What’s not included:

      • Transportation to and from Iceland
      • Airport transfers
      • Travel insurance and medical insurance — optional
      • Guide gratuities — optional
      • Lunches and dinners not mentioned in the itinerary
  • This winter hiking tour in Iceland is beginner-friendly! No special skills are required, as you’ll be walking and sightseeing for the majority of the tour. You’ll only do two hikes lasting around 3 hours, but other than that, you’ll be leisurely exploring Iceland!

  • Here’s a list of clothing & footwear you need to bring:

      • Waterproof hiking boots (with padded ankle and good arch support, well broken in, suitable for rocky terrain and snow)
      • Casual clothing for the evenings
      • Down jacket
      • Winter pants
      • Underwear
      • Synthetic or wool thermals
      • Long-sleeved synthetic or wool shirt
      • Towel & swimsuit
      • Synthetic or wool fleece
      • Sun & rain hat
      • Wool hat
      • Gloves (wool or pile)
      • Waterproof membrane gloves
      • Wool socks
      • GoreTex rain/wind jacket
      • GoreTex rain/wind pants
      • Buff or face covering

    Here’s a list of personal items & equipment you need to bring:

      • Daypack (large enough to fit all items you might need throughout the day)
      • Main luggage (which will be transported to the hotels)
      • Waterproof cover for your daypack
      • Sunglasses
      • Water bottle or water bladder
      • Sunscreen
      • Hand sanitizer
      • Hiking poles (optional)
      • Camera (optional)
      • Medicine
      • Hygiene and beauty products
      • Towel
      • Cash or a debit/credit card

    Your main luggage will be transported by transport vehicle, and you will not have access to it until you reach your accommodation in the afternoon. Everything needed for the day’s trek must be in your daypack.

    You are allowed to take one piece of luggage on the tour. Your guide advises you not to bring a massive one—there are luggage lockers at four centrally located places in Reykjavik where you can store your extra luggage.

    For your own well-being and safety, we strongly suggest following the advice of this equipment list. This includes having good quality rain gear, tops, and bottoms. Cotton clothing is not appropriate for any strenuous outdoor activity—nor are jeans and cotton t-shirts. Modern outdoor clothing is by far more comfortable and will greatly improve your experience.

  • Group sizes and prices:

      • For this guided winter hike in Iceland, the max client-to-guide ratio is 10:1.
      • It takes a minimum of 6 people for a tour to operate. The cost does not decrease as the group grows.
      • In case you would like to ensure a room for yourself, and not share it with anybody, there is a possibility of a single room for an additional fee.

    Hiking in Iceland can be arranged for larger groups. Contact us to make arrangements.

    Min. age requirements:

      • If you are older than 18, you’re good to go.
  • To get to Reykjavik, the starting point of this tour, most people fly into Keflavik International Airport. From there, you have a 45-minute drive to Reykjavik by bus or a cab. Buses leave the airport every hour, 24/7, so you don’t have to worry about getting delayed.

    You’ll meet your guide on day 1 at 6 p.m. at the Exeter Hotel in downtown Reykjavik, where you’ll have an introductory meeting and a welcome dinner with your fellow hikers. Please note that airport pick-up is not included.

  • We highly recommend that you cover all your bases with both emergency medical and travel insurance. To make your booking and traveling experience as carefree as possible, we partnered up with Redpoint—the official 57hours insurance partner!

    Redpoint tailors their insurance packages for adventure travel, offering a comprehensive travel program, even in remote locations. Trip cancellation, natural disasters, pandemic coverage, medical evacuation, primary medical expenses—regardless of the travel interruption that may happen, Redpoint will have you covered.

    Once your booking is confirmed and your trip is paid in full, you will be offered to purchase Redpoint’s insurance. If you need any help or require more information, let us know and we will be happy to help!

  • Iceland, the “Land of Fire and Ice”, has forever lived with volcanic activity. Minor and major eruptions have occurred every few years since the island was formed. Some of Iceland’s appeal, aside from sheer natural beauty, surely stems from this very fact.

    However, every new eruption, such as the recent Reykjanes Peninsula fissure, will make some travelers, tourists, and adventurers uneasy, especially given the fact that sensationalist media is not immune to misinformation and speculation.

    Since we work with a number of expert local guides in Iceland, we thought we’d share their input and fill you in on what’s actually going on.

    First of all, air traffic has not been affected. Flights to and from Keflavík International Airport and Reykjavík Domestic Airport are operating as they always do.

    Second, the effects of volcanic activity have been localized, with some roads closed, and all services in Iceland operating as usual. Reykjavik, the capital, is around 40 km (25 miles) away from the volcanic fissure, and life there is as normal as ever. 

    And third, trips offered by 57hours are taking place much further away, and are thereby even less likely to be affected by the volcanic activity, being perfectly safe for adventurers. Naturally, the authorities (and guides) are monitoring the situation and doing everything possible to keep both local residents and visitors safe and well informed.

    In case you have any additional questions or dilemmas, feel free to get in touch with either your guide or 57hours. For more information, please visit:
    https://safetravel.is/
    https://www.visiticeland.com/article/volcano-info

    Or watch the video with Dr. Matthew Roberts from the Icelandic Meteorological Office explaining the recent volcanic activities in Iceland:
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QA3-BXYuYrw

  • Deposits

    You can secure one of the 2024 dates with a 30% deposit upon booking. The remaining 70% of the trip price is to be paid 90 days prior to departure, at the latest.

    Secure your early bird spot for 2025 or 2026 with a 10% deposit! This tour gets sold out very quickly, but with early-bird booking, you will be the first one to know about any new upcoming dates. Pick your preferred dates without the risk of your bucket list adventure selling out!

      • Only 10% of the total amount should be paid as a deposit upon booking. This deposit is non-refundable, but can be transferred to another 57hours adventure any time in case the dates don’t suit you.
      • Once the dates are set, you can confirm your booking by paying another 20% of the total amount.
      • The final balance is due 3 months (90 days) prior to departure.

    Cancellations

    Booking fees are non-refundable in all cases. During checkout, however, you can choose one of 57hours’ flexibility options:

    Basic

    • In case of cancellation within 48 hours after booking, the amount paid is fully refundable.
    • For cancellations 60 or more days before the trip, you are eligible for a 70% refund of the trip price.
    • For cancellations 0-59 days before the trip, there is no refund.

    Flexible

    • In case of cancellation within 48 hours after booking, the amount paid is fully refundable.
    • For cancellations 60 or more days before the trip, you are eligible for a full refund of the trip price.
    • For cancellations 30-59 days before the trip, you are eligible for a 50% refund of the trip price.
    • For cancellations 0-29 days before the trip, there is no refund.

    Super Flexible

    • In case of cancellation within 48 hours after booking, the amount paid is fully refundable.
    • For cancellations 30 or more days before the trip, you are eligible for a full refund of the trip price.
    • For cancellations 0-29 days before the trip, you are eligible for a 50% refund of the trip price.
  • 57hours partners with Redpoint Travel Protection, offering you a fully integrated program with a single point of contact for all your needs, from emergency services to travel assistance and protection claims. We highly recommend purchasing a comprehensive protection policy from Redpoint, which will protect you both before and during your travels. Before your departure, your investment is protected by the trip cancellation benefit. Once you depart, your policy provides coverage for trip interruption, medical assistance and rescue, baggage loss, trip delay, and more. Once you complete booking with 57hours, we'll create bespoke quote for you (and your group), making sure you're fully protected for the adventure ahead.
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