Iceland really is a magical and mystical place. The natural geological wonders, landscapes, birds and ocean life are unforgettable!

Iceland is a great place for walking and experiencing amazing landscapes. We will see marine wildlife, birds and horses. Icelandic horses are especially beautiful. On this trip we spend time hiking at the base of some of the volcanoes and glaciers and we also spend time along the sea shore. There are links to some of the places that we go to within the daily itinerary schedule. The itinerary is just a brief summary. We will hike about 4-8 miles each day depending on the weather and location. The hiking is easy to moderate, sometimes a few steep areas, but nothing too difficult.

We start out this 10 day trip in Reykjavik. This is a great area for whale watching, birding and walking the shore line. Reykjavik is a great city for art and culture. The next five days we will be taking a road trip along the southern coast. This area has amazing waterfalls, a stunning ocean shore line and great hiking trails. We will spend our last 2 days back in Reykjavik.

Highlights: 1) Whale and bird watching off the coast of Reykjavik. 2) Walking the coastline and footpaths in search of birds and adventure! 3) Standing next to incredible waterfalls and glaciers.

Printable Bird List
(This is a checklist of the birds that we have seen on this trip)

Travel Dates:
Please contact us for specific dates for the annual trip in mid May.

The weather in mid May is a combination of sunny weather changing back and forth to gloomy weather and sometimes rain. In Iceland, that is pretty much how it goes. The island gets a lot of rain, but May is the least rainiest month of the year. At the higher elevations it can still snow, but not much. The daytime temperatures will be in the 40's – 50’s and the lows will be in the 30's.

Mid May is the end of the shoulder season for Iceland, so it is a little busy, but not too much.

Group Size:
8 Travelers plus guides

Trip Length:
10 Days

Rates:
Rate per Person = $ 2,935 (based on double occupancy)
Rate for Single = $3,585

Rates are:
Inclusive: Domestic transfers and transportation, lodging, breakfast, lunch, group tours, entrance fees & Access America deluxe travel health insurance.

Exclusive: International airfare, customs & immigration fees and visas, dinner, alcohol, personal expenses such as souvenirs and expenses relating to personal choices during free time, tips for guides.

You should budget approximately $200 - $300 for meals and extras not included in tour. If you prefer fine dining, you should budget more.

Detailed Itinerary

Day 1: Fly to Iceland (fly day)
Flights are usually overnight with arrival on day two.

Day 2: Arrive in Reykjavik (arrival day)
Flights usually arrive in the early morning. We will be flying into the international airport at Keflavik. It is a 45 minute bus ride to Reykjavik from the airport. We will be staying at Eric the Red Guesthouse for the next three nights. We like Eric the Red because it is a traditional Icelandic guest house. It has a great location right in downtown Reykjavik. What is especially nice is that the house is full of art work and the breakfast is great. The owners live on site and are very interesting to talk with. Breakfast is a traditional Scandinavian offering of fish, cheese, meats, breads, cereals, etc. In Iceland the hot water is all from the thermal heat coming from the ground. So there is always plenty of hot, hot water. In the back yard of this guest house we often see Blackbirds, Redwings and Common Redpolls. Possible dining choice: The Fish Company.

Day 3: Reykjavik (birding & adventure day)
Reykjavik is the capital of Iceland and is rich in maritime history and close to numerous geological wonders. Options for today are hiking along the peninsula, whale watching and checking out the shops and museums of Reykjavik. In the harbor and along the peninsula birds like Fulmars, Gannets, Shags, Common Eiders and Long Tailed Ducks are a few of the species we will see. Possible dining choice: The Grill Market, unfortunately the website is only in Icelandic. There are great photos and the website even shows all the farmers who grow and raise the food that is served.

Day 4: Reykjavik (birding & adventure day)
A short drive from Reykjavik is the area of Hengill. Great hiking trails and beautiful landscapes here. Possible dining choice: The Gallery Restaurant has the largest privately owned Icelandic art collection in the country.

Day 5: Geysir (travel & adventure day)
Today we will be visiting Thingvellir National Park, Gullfoss and Geysir. There is a lot of great hiking in these areas and amazing rivers and waterfalls to see. We will be staying at Hotel Geysir. This hotel is directly across the road from numerous geysers that erupt regularly. The hotel has a hot spring pool. Dinner will be at the hotel.

Day 6: Fludir (birding & adventure day)
Just outside of Geysir are the Haukadalur woods, which is the largest national forest in southern Iceland. We will be exploring this forest for birds and interesting sights. From here it is a short and wonderful drive to the town of Fludir where will be staying at the Fludir Hotel. The Fludir has a very nice hot springs tub garden. Dinner will be at the hotel.

Day 7: Vik (birding & adventure day)
On this day we will be taking a Super Jeep tour with South Iceland Adventure and hiking in the Porsmörk area. This is one of the most beautiful hiking areas in Iceland. We will be staying it the seaside town of Vik. The Hotel Edda has cabins just up the hill were we will be staying for the night. Dinner will be at a local restaurant in Vik.

Day 8: Selfoss (birding & adventure day)
We will be spending the day wandering and exploring the Vik coast. There are amazing cliffs and rocks along this southern coast. This area also has beautiful sand beaches where Puffins and Oystercatchers can been seen in the coves. We will hike to the top of the Skógar waterfall and beyond towards the saddle between the Eyjafjallajökull and Katla volcanoes. In the afternoon we will be driving to Selfoss and staying at the Gesthús. The Gesthús is a camping area that also has small individual cabins that have nice bathrooms (plenty of thermally heated hot water) and kitchens. The cabins are tucked away in a small pine tree grove. The cabins are at the edge of the town of Selfoss and close to everything. It is very peaceful and cozy there. Dinner will be at the Selfoss Hotel.

Day 9: Reykjavik (travel & adventure day)
In the morning we will be visiting the wonderful and amazing thermal pool called the Blue Lagoon for a swim and a soak. Then it is back to Reykjavik where we will be staying at the Butterfly Guesthouse for our last night. Possible dining choice: The Fish Market.

Day 10: Fly Home (tears & smile)
Flights usually leave in the evening, so we will have time to visit Reykjavik one last time.

Please note: The lodging described in this itinerary is always our first choice based on availability. If we must book with our second choice, the lodging type and style is comparable.

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