Programme

Here you can see what we have booked for the trip. These are all confirmed as of 1st December 2010. Meal times are not shown.

Saturday 6th August

08:00 - Meet outside Silver End Co-Op to catch coach\minibus to Heathrow

13:00 - Flight Departs

15:00 - Arrive in Iceland (Iceland stay on GMT so 1 hour behind us)

20:00 - Haunted Iceland Walking Tour

The Goecco Outdoor 90 min to 2 hrs Haunted Walk is still Reykjavik's most popular walking tour. All of their stories are thoroughly researched and will delight even the skeptics in the group! The tours are offered in the evening, when the atmosphere is just right for a good ghost story..

Sunday 7th August

09:30 - Swimming at Laugardalslaug (next to Hostel)

13:00 - City Walking Tour (after Tour will be some free time in the City)

90-120 min walk through Reykjavik focusing on Icelandic culture, history, dining, shopping and entertaining.

Monday 8th August

08:00 - Golden Grand Slam Tour (11 hour day tour)

The trip starts with a stop at Þingvellir National park. Þingvellir is a UNESCO world heritage site and the original birthplace of the oldest existing parliament in the world. In addition it is the place where the great tectonic plates of America and Europe meet and the rift valley is clearly visible.

Next we walk through the geothermal area of Geysir, the home of the one and only Geysir. There the ground gurgles, bubbles and super heated water escapes from the ground with enormous force. Next we stroll down to Gullfoss, the undisputed queen of Icelandic waterfalls. Gullfoss is an amazing sight, the water rushes down three steps of lava layers with breathtaking power and grandeur.

Drumbó basecamp is our following stop and there we eat lunch before heading out for a great rafting trip on Hvítá river. Afterwards the showers and sauna are at hand before entering the road again back to Reykjavík.

This trip has it all; stunning natural beauty, interesting history, amazing geological wonders and a great rafting adventure!

Tuesday 9th August

09:00 - Lunar Landscape Adventure - including Blue Lagoon (10 hour day tour)

The lunar landscape at Reykjanes, with all it´s volcanos and different lava formations, gives you a good idea why Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin came to Iceland to practice their moonwalk. Our adventure is not quite as extreme but still very extra terrestrial. You might call this a "hot" tour since we experience geothermal power, blowing steam, hot springs and endless lava before a relaxing soak in the Blue Lagoon.

We start by going driving up to the geothermal area around Hengill volcano and visit the geothermal powerplant. Not only do we get to go into the powerplant but we also drive into the lava field and feel first hand the power of a blowing borhole.

We then continue through a secret little track where we need to cross an unbridged river many times before we get back to a main road (our driverguides love this bit). We don't stay long on the main road but go into another lavafield where you have the opportunity to do some caving in a lava tube cave.

A bit further we see how Icelanders still dry fish in the lava field just outside of the capital area - even if it's just a few miles from the city, it still the middle of nowhere. A few minutes later we are again away from all city lights off-roading on the Super-Jeep in lunar-like landscape which is vast, barren and deserted with many volcanoes and endless lava. We are in fact driving right where the tectonic plates meet; the Eurasia-plate and the North America-plate. This is the reason why the Reykjanes Peninsula is so volcanic.

We make our way along the rough tracks to Lake Kleifarvatn, a secluded mountain lake with black sanded beaches. At Seltun in Krysuvik we will explore a large geothermal area with many hot springs, boiling mud pools and blowing steamvents. Some journalists have said this are to be more facinating than other more known than the more famous Geysir area. There are certainly fewer people and it is a strange and colorful world.

In the spring it's worth while to take a look at the Atlantic ocean from the sea cliffs at Krýsuvik which is brimming with sea birds. Later in the afternoon we go by the back roads to the Blue Lagoon for a relaxing soak before heading back to Reykjavik.

Wednesday 10th August

08:20 - Group One Horse Riding / Group Two off to Laugardalslaug when it opens

13:00 - Group Two Horse Riding / Group One off to Laugardalslaug

For those that opted out of Horse Riding then can spend the day in the pool\spa etc

This tour goes through meadows and lava fields. On our way we pass several farms, which give us an idea of how the agriculture, and particularly the horse breeding, have developed in the last decades. On the way we have a good opportunity to experience the gait tölt on the many good tölt paths. At the end of the tour you are invited to our Hotel for coffee and something homebaked. Total riding time is 1.5 - 2 hours

Thursday 11th August

09:00 - South Iceland & Glacier Super Jeep Tour (10 hour day tour)

Walk behind a waterfall, cruise on the white plains of a glacier and go off-roading on a black sand beach, your driver guide will take you to all of these places in the modified Super Jeep, while you enjoy the beautiful countryside of south Iceland.

Your journey begins driving east from Reykjavik and toward Eyjafjallajokull glacier, the volcano that caused all the trouble spring 2010. There you stop at Seljarlandsfoss freefalling waterfall. A short path leads behind the waterfall, where you can feel the spray and drizzle on your face and see it from an interesting perspective.

Refreshed, you travel to Myrdalsjokull glacier where, powered by the Super Jeep, you travel up to the glacier and if conditions allow, drive on the glacier. On a clear day, there is a great view of the south shore, the two glaciers and the two famous volcanoes; Eyjafjallajokull and Katla.

After getting back to ground level you go to Skogafoss, a beautiful waterfall which flows down from a high cliff. Near the waterfall is the Skogar folklore museum, where you can see old turf houses and tools and household objects made in the late 18th and early 19th century.

Heading towards the ocean, you go off-roading on a black sand beach and enjoy the view of Reynisdrangar, strange basalt sea stacks that stand out from the ocean. Close by is Dyrholaey, a small peninsula which forms an arch into the sea. In the summer many puffins make their nesting at Dyrholaey. Please note that Dyrholaey is closed from May 1st until June 25th to preserve birdlife.

On the way back to Reykjavik we pass the town of Hveragerdi. The town is built on a geothermal hot spot and many inhabitants make their living from greenhouse cultivation.

Friday 12th August

08:00 - Leave Hostel to do the 2.5 mile Coastel Walk to the Harbour

09:00 - Whale Watching Tour to Puffin Island

The whales most frequently seen on tours with Elding are the Minke whales, Humpback whales, Dolphins and Porpoises other speces are sometimes spotted.

We leave from the Old Harbour of Reykjavik (pier Ægisgarður), which is located in Ægisgarður.

For your comfort and warmth, we have special suits on board we can lend you, but we do advise you to wear your warmest clothes - hats, scarves, gloves etc – as it can get very cold, even on the warmest of days. We also offer hot drinks and
light refreshments on our on-board café. Alternatively, you can sit inside the boat in the warmth, where you can watch the whales outside from large windows.

We have excellent guides to tell you about your trip and describe what you can see and where to look, together with an introduction and safety guide.
We tell you about the seabirds and nature in the Faxofloi bay. How much we see depends on the sea conditions and season, but our qualified guides are
happy to try to answer all your questions.

Depending on the tide and sea we start or end the trip by going to either Akurey or Lundey to watch the puffins (May 15.-Aug 15.) No two whale
watching trips are the same, we need to be flexible and organize your trip taking sea conditions, weather and seasons into account. We rarely have to
go further than 15 nautical miles from the harbour.

Afternoon - Free time in the City to do the last bit of shopping for gifts and souvenirs

Evening - We go to the Viking Village for our last evening in Iceland. There is sure to be singing and Dancing!

Saturday 13th August

After breakfast it will be time to pack, have lunch, check out and get the coach back to the airport to be there by 13:00

16:10 - Flight Departs

20:10 - Arrive in UK (back in BST)

22:30 - Estimated arrival time back in Silver End