Itinerary - Iceland Expedition: Wild Camping and Waterfalls
Welcome to Iceland!
Arriving in Reykjavik
Flights to/from the UK are not included in the package, so you can decide where to leave, at what time and with the airline you prefer. This is to give you your maximum freedom of choice!
Check-in at the hotel in Keflavik. What better way to get to know each other than with Icelandic culinary specialties in a beautiful setting overlooking the sea? Let's toast to the beginning of our adventure!
Not included: food and beverages
From the Golden Circle to Skogar and its waterfalls: Seljalandsfoss and Skogafoss
In search of geysers!
In Iceland we will have to get used to seeing something completely different from the previous day every day - this is a land of a thousand surprises... we just need to move away from the capital to realise it. After picking up our rental cars and our tents, we start the day walking the Golden Circle , and encounter one of the natural phenomena Iceland is famous for - the name already explains what we are about to admire: the word "geyser" in Icelandic means "to issue in streams" and that is exactly what we will see... boiling water "shot" at tens of meters in height at a constant rate. Next stop? Gullfoss , an immense waterfall, the first of many we will see on this trip!
The most beautiful waterfalls in Iceland
We continue towards Seljalandsfoss: have you ever been behind a waterfall? We can do it here because hidden behind Seljalandsfoss there’s a magical cave. We’ll need waterproof clothes though, that’s for sure! We continue our journey until we reach the second waterfall of the day (which is also our favourite!): Skogafoss! After dinner, let’s see if there’s someone brave enough to get outside to look for a natural hot spring. Challenge accepted?
Included: overnight stay, car rental
Money pot: fuel, entrance fees
Not included: meals and drinks
The black sand beach of Reynisfjara and the glacier lagoon of Jokulsarlon
The black sand beach
Good morning Iceland! We are very ready to start this fourth day of travel and this morning we go up to the Dyrholaey viewpoint , a rocky plateau with a huge stone arch that rises not far from the coast - where we will be able to admire the landscapes and all their vast beauty! Then we go down for a barefoot walk (for the bravest!) on the black sand beach of Reynisfjara: it will be an almost otherworldly experience to walk on this impressive dark surface, which almost seems to engulf its guests. Here, the only sounds you will hear are the noise of the wind, which always blows very strongly, and the angry waves crashing on the shore. It truly is magical.
Jokulsarlon lagoon
We finally arrive at this glacial lagoon , where the largest glacier in Europe, Vatnajokull , descends from the mountains and almost reaches the coast. Seeing this colossal bank of ice creates an emotion that you experience few times in your life, and it will be even stronger if we are lucky enough to witness the creation of one of the icebergs floating in the bay. .Here, if the weather is good, there will be the possibility of participating in excursions aboard an amphibious vehicle: we will leave on dry land and then enter the water, arrive offshore and board an iceberg, to pick up a piece and… taste it! Once we reach Hofn, we set up our tents and can choose whether to taste a delicious soup in one of the local restaurants or cook something together on the campsite.
Included: overnight stay, car rental
Money pot: fuel, entrance fees
Not included: meals and drinks
East Fjords and relaxation in the thermal water pools of Egilsstaðir
The East Fjords
Having said goodbye to the glacier, we travel 170 km and are already immersed in a completely different landscape: the eastern fjords , famous because in the summer their beaches see thousands and thousands of puffins , birds that resemble a mix between the body of a penguin and the beak of a toucan. Here it is possible to descend to Seydisfjordur, where we can explore the surroundings by taking a mountain bike ride or crossing the fjord by kayak.
Egilsstaðir
In the afternoon we reach what is considered the only town in eastern Iceland - it only has 2,000 inhabitants! Here we will have some free time to relax - we've figured it out by now: Icelanders love spas , and at this point in the trip, we are for sure keen! After a day of chilling out, we then set up the tents for the night - we're literally in the middle of nowhere, so the sky, if clear, will be one that keeps you looking up for hours!
Included: overnight stay, car rental
Money pot: fuel, entrance fees, access to thermal pools
Not included: meals and drinks
Discovering nature: Dettifoss waterfall and trekking in Ásbyrgi Canyon
His Majesty Dettifoss
It is the queen of the waterfalls of Europe: Dettifoss! The most powerful on the continent, with summer peaks of 1.5 million liters of water per second. The water jumps up to 44 meters, generating splashes already visible from 1 km away, and you can get really close, in total safety and without any artificial structure. Again, as in Gullfoss, there will be only us and the power of nature.
Ancient legends
We will then spend the afternoon trekking in a canyon with walls up to 100 meters high, completely covered by lush vegetation with incredible landscapes. Legend tells of how the gods, thrown into the waters of Godafoss, took refuge in Ásbyrgi, whose name means "refuge of the gods" . From here, they would continue to watch over the country.
Today we will set up tents right at the base of the canyon and admire the midnight sun!
Included: overnight stay, car rental
Money pot: fuel, entrance fees
Not included: meals and drinks
Whale watching in Hùsavìk and admiring the waterfall of the Gods
Looking for whales
Today we will wake up in Hùsavìk, a town famous for being the main port from which to whale watch . The companies that organise the excursions obviously do not guarantee sightings, but they are so frequent that the city is considered the world capital of whale watching . Hùsavìk also has an interesting natural history museum, where you can admire a stuffed white bear and various well-preserved skeletons of many species of mammals.
Myvatn
Just an hour's drive from the port of Hùsavìk, an almost post-nuclear landscape will reappear around us. In the direction of Lake Myvatn we will see: craters, steaming pools of water, bubbling mud, sulphurous soil… who knows what it would be like to survive in an environment like this? We don't want to find out.
The ultimate waterfall
Commonly referred to as the waterfall of the gods , Godafoss will be the last major waterfall we will see in Iceland. Unlike the other three, this one is less powerful, but no less spectacular: thanks to its circular , horseshoe shape - it seems to embrace you while you admire it. The nature here is the undisputed master of the landscape, which is completely devoid of any human building. We camp near the city of Akureyri: where we take advantage of the nearby supermarkets and enjoy a nice barbecue on the campsite.
Included: overnight stay, car rental
Money pot: fuel, entrance fees
Not included: meals and drinks
Whale watching excursion to be paid for by individual participants, subject to availability (the excursion may not be available or feasible for unforeseeable reasons outside WeRoad's will, eg: adverse weather conditions, sold out, etc.).
Travelling to Hvammstangi
Typical Iceland
Today, we wake up early and set off to arrive at the Snæfellsnes peninsula . Since the drive will be many hours, we will make a few stops: it will be impossible not to stop and admire the historic peat houses (a deposit of decomposed vegetable and organic remains, which in the past was used to make bricks), typical Icelandic houses that seem to have come out of a Disney fairy tale, and which still keep objects that belonged to the past inside.
Time to relax
We arrive at the Snæfellsnes peninsula and have plenty of time to enjoy this magnificent place, probably among the most famous in all of Iceland. Here we find Kirkjufell , defined as the most photogenic spot in all of Iceland. Here, let's take out our cameras and mobile phones and look for the best angle from which to shoot some awesome photos. Having filled our camera roll, we pitch our tents and prepare to spend the night here - the true photographers will wake up early tomorrow morning for more breathtaking photos of Kirkjufell at its best!
Included: overnight stay, car rental
Money pot: fuel, entrance fees
Not included: meals and drinks
Relax at the Sky Lagoon and Reykjavik
Let's enjoy the capital
Finally, we are back in Iceland capital city, Reykjavik. We have some free to enjoy the city, do some shopping (here in Reykjavik there are many second-hand markets, the most famous is Kolaportid) or visit museums.
Relax!
In the afternoon we’ll take our time to enjoy the hot, steaming waters of the Sky Lagoon, one of the most famous hot springs here in Iceland - and maybe in the whole world, who knows. What we know for sure is that this place is magical: deep blue waters, the steam, black mounds of solidified lava… let’s enjoy our time!
We are back in Reykjavik for our last night, it's time to dance! You’ll be surprised by Reykjavik nightlife, with its clubs and bars with live music. Time to celebrate and end this incredible journey the best way possible!
Included: overnight stay, car rental, entrance to sky lagoon
Money pot: fuel, entrance fees
Not included: meals and drinks
Goodbye Iceland!
Check out and goodbye
Check-out and goodbye – until your next WeRoad adventure!
End of services. The itinerary may undergo some variations that differ from what is stated above. These variations may not be predictable nor depend on WeRoad’s will, i.e. climate conditions, national holidays, strikes, etc.