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Day 1 Reykjavik
Despite its small size, you won’t be short of things to see and do in this diminutive but dramatic city. To get your bearings, take the elevator to the top of Hallgrímskirkja. This church, designed by famed Icelandic architect Gudjón Samuelsson is one of the most distinctive buildings in town. When you return to earth, visit the city’s other renowned building Harpa Concert Hall, located at the heart of Reykjavík's regenerated harbour – also the home of the Maritime Museum. Speaking of cultural spaces, tour the National Museum to learn the story of Iceland from past to present. The Reykjavík Art Museum houses an impressive contemporary collection including eye-catching pieces by Erró. And, of course, just 50 kilometres outside the city lies Thingvellir National Park, the site of Iceland’s original Viking parliament.
Day 2 Dynjandi Waterfall
Considered one of Iceland’s most impressive, this thunderous waterfall in the Westfjords region gives the impression of a bridal veil as it spreads its tumbling waters down a series of ever- growing cascades. Dynjandi is one of the most photographed sights in Iceland. Walking up to it takes 15 minutes passing five smaller waterfalls. Nearby, Hrafnseyri is the birthplace of Jón Sigurdsson, 19th-century leader of the Icelandic Independence movement. The museum includes an Icelandic turf house.
Day 3 Isafjordur & Vigur Island
Arrive today in the charming, tiny fishing harbour of Ísafjördur. The village’s touristic highlights include the Westfjord Heritage Museum and The Museum House (Old Hospital). Located at the heart of the Westfjords peninsula, it’s a great jumping-off point for exploration so journey by Zodiac to the island of Vigur – the pearl of the Western Fjords. The second-largest island in the fjord, measuring two kilometres by 400 metres, it’s a significant seabird colony, which is home to arctic terns, puffins, black guillemots and eider ducks. As one of only two inhabited islands in the fjord, Vigur is also the site of a single farm, which has been in the same family for generations. During your time on the island, you might see Iceland’s only windmill, the country’s smallest post office and oldest boat, which was built more than 200 years ago and in regular use until relatively recently.
Day 4 Akureyri
In northern Iceland on Eyjafjördur, Akureyri is known for its colourful old town, heart-shaped traffic lights and woodlands. Nearby tours of Lake Mývatn, the most geologically active area in Iceland, include lava formations, hot springs, caves and rifts, boiling mud pools, volcanic craters, the roaring Godafoss waterfall and Game of Thrones locations. Puffins nest on the inhabited island of Grimsey that crosses the Arctic Circle, while Hrísey island is said to have powerful healing energies.
Day 5 Grimsey Island
Grímsey is a remote island located 40km off Iceland’s north coast. Many people travel here for the purpose of setting foot in the Arctic Circle, the only place in Iceland where you can do so. The island is also home to fewer than 100 people, but over one million seabirds. Birdlife thrives here thanks to the lack of egg predation (there are no rats or mice on the island) and the rich, well-stocked surrounding seas. Grímsey has one of Iceland’s largest tern nesting sites and largest puffin colonies.
Day 6 Seydisfjordur
Regarded as east Island’s cultural hub, brightly painted wooden houses line Seyðisfjörður’s port. With a lively arts scene disproportionate to its small size, Seyðisfjörður has attracted many writers and artists over the years and also hosts an annual summer arts festival. Surrounded by incredible nature, the Skálanes nature reserve is a short distance from the town. The area covered by the reserve is known for its diverse wildlife with over 47 species of bird and over 150 plant species. Reindeer are also seen here, with seals and porpoises frequently spotted along the shores.
Day 7 Hofn
Southeast Iceland’s staging post, Höfn is a small town perched on a narrow neck of land, and an ideal base for exploring Vatnajökull National Park. The town itself is well known for its lobster catch, particularly high-value species like the Norway lobster. The town hosts an annual Lobster Festival in celebration of its reputation as Iceland’s lobster capital. Vatnajökull National Park is Europe’s largest and covers 14% of Iceland. This vast area encompasses massive ice caps, thundering waterfalls, glaciers, canyons, craters and volcanoes. The park’s Jökulsárlón Lagoon is within easy reach of Höfn and is Iceland’s deepest lake. Icebergs float on the surface of the water all year long, offering resting spots for passing seals.
Day 8 Heimaey
A small 13-kilometre square island off the south coast of Iceland, Heimaey’s history has been surprisingly eventful. From the escapee 16th century Irish slaves to the reaches of the Ottoman Empire and subsequent pirate invasion, the island was a place of danger and terror until the mid 18th century. Once these events subsided, for 300 years the people of Heimaey assumed that their days of action were a thing of the past. That was until 1973 when residents awoke to a devastating volcanic eruption. Fissures over a kilometre wide snaked through the town, the lava engulfing over 400 homes. Remarkably, only one person is thought to have died as a result of the eruption, with a quick rescue response ensuring that the 5,300 residents were swiftly evacuated to the safety of the mainland. Evidence of this recent geological activity can be seen just about everywhere on Heimaey and is the focus of the fascinating Eldheimar museum.
Day 8 Reykjavik
In the centre of Iceland’s sprawling capital city, the modern organ-pipe-shaped Hallgrimskirkja church dominates the top of town. Cosy bars, cafes and shops line the surrounding streets heated by Iceland's geothermal waters. The regenerated harbour is home to a striking modern concert hall. Popular trips include to the Blue Lagoon, a geothermal spa near the village of Grindavik, and the Golden Circle tour taking in Gullfoss Waterfall and the mighty Strokkur geyser in Thingvellir National Park.
