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 22 Hill 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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
57hours is committed to providing safe outdoor adventure experiences. We require all guides using our platform to have a COVID-19 safety plan and to make the details of that plan accessible to travelers. In most cases, group sizes will be reduced, guides will avoid overcrowded locations, and other safety measures will be met depending on the location and activity.
We also expect clients to respect local regulations and take measures to protect themselves, guides and the communities they’re traveling to. For more information on COVID-19 measures in Iceland, please refer to the official COVID-19 guidelines for traveling to and within Iceland.
Please contact us if you have any questions or require further information. We are happy to provide you with the most up-to-date information!
What you get on this adventure:
Note: Special dietary requirements can be accommodated.
What’s not included:
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 the equipment you need to bring:
As you’ll tour Iceland in a minibus, you can leave all your belongings there during your walks. Dress comfortably and for the weather in clothes you can move in. We suggest bringing clothing appropriate for the season. Layers are best and don’t wear jeans.
Group sizes and prices:
Hiking in Iceland can be arranged for larger groups. Contact us to make arrangements.
Min. age requirements:
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.
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