Aug. or Sept. 2026: ICELAND with Spike!

Most international flights leave at night to arrive in Iceland the following morning. I’ll help you choose the right flight for you.

We start our tour in Iceland’s vibrant capital, known for its colorful buildings, rich cultural & food scene, and the iconic Hallgrímskirkja church. I’ll give you a guide to the city for a few hours of exploring before our official Welcome Dinner.

After breakfast, we board our Mercedes Sprinter for Iceland’s “Golden Circle.” Our first stop is Thingvellir National Park where you can stand between the North American and Eurasian tectonic plates where they meet – one foot on each continent! Then we will visit an active geothermal hot springs area where you’ll see Strokkur Geyser erupt, shooting boiling water up to 65 feet into the air. After lunch, you’ll see Gulfoss – one of the most powerful waterfalls in Europe, over several multi-step tiers and cliffs into the canyon below. Finally, a chance to walk into the crater of the (inactive) Kerið volcano formed about 6,500 years ago. It’s red volcanic rock and crystal blue lake water creates a visually stunning geological wonder. We will settle for the night in Selfoss – a pedestrian-friendly college town with a trendy food hall.

See Seljalandsfoss: a path allows us to walk behind the tall, cascading waterfall. And Skógafoss: one of Iceland’s largest and most powerful waterfalls, known for its impressive spray and vibrant rainbows. Then we will spend time in Fjaðrárgljúfur Canyon… don’t worry about how to pronounce it – even the Icelandic people struggle with the name! This impressive, moss-covered canyon has steep walls and a winding river; it was formed at the end of the last Ice Age, about ten thousand years ago. The canyon was virtually a secret to visitors until Justin Bieber recorded a video for “I’ll Show You” here (Google it!) 9 years ago. More recently, this location was the backdrop for Game of Thrones. The views are insane!

Vatnajökull – Europe’s largest national park offers vast ice capped mountains, volcanic landscapes and the largest glacier in Europe. First, we’ll visit Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon where you will see huge icebergs floating out to the Atlantic Ocean and maybe some wildlife including seals and dolphins. We will also walk on Diamond Beach, where giant sparkling chunks of ice wash ashore and glisten like diamonds against the black sand. There will also be an optional add-on experience here: your chance to ride in an amphibian boat or zodiac raft right up to the floating icebergs and glacial wall. Have you ever tasted 2,000 year old ice? At night, we are in some of the darkest skies in Europe, so we will be on the lookout for Northern Lights. When the conditions are right, the colorful Aurora will dance right over our heads!

We visit Skaftafell and “hike” (a 45 minute walk) to Svartifoss. It’s a striking waterfall renowned for its unique backdrop of dark hexagonal basalt columns that resemble a black organ pipe. The hike also offers impressive views of the Skaftafellsjökull glacier and Iceland’s tallest mountains next door. Tonight, we settle in Vik – a picturesque coastal village nestled beneath dramatic cliffs, known for stunning views of the Atlantic Ocean and a good craft brewery. It’s Iceland’s southernmost town and another good place to spot Northern Lights. There may also be an optional add-on experience available here to go horseback riding on the black sand beach (depending on weather).

Reynisfjara is a dramatic black sand beach with rock towers and huge, powerful waves. We will visit in the morning before the crowds and day-trippers arrive at this popular sight. Then, Dyrhólaey Cape to see its stunning panoramic views of the rugged coastline, black sand beaches, and striking rock formations including the famous arch-shaped cliff. You’ll walk away with some stunning photos of this area. Iceland is home to more than 60% of the world’s entire Atlantic puffin population. These cute seabirds spend most of their time out at sea. They can dive underwater for up to one minute and come up to the surface with ten fish in their colorful beak! Puffins form breeding colonies all summer over this section of ocean so maybe we’ll see some at the tail end of their migratory season here. At the top of the cape, we’ll also see the famous Dyrhólaey lighthouse and a panoramic view for miles in all directions.

On the west coast of Iceland, Reykjavik is the country’s capital and largest city. Today is our chance to relax, explore some landmarks and enjoy Iceland’s incredibly pure foods. Trace Iceland’s Viking history, experience the cafe culture by the bustling harbor and of course, do some souvenir shopping. If you like bars & clubs, they stay open until 5am in social Reykjavik! Optional add-on experiences today include whale watching or a visit to the geothermal Sky Lagoon spa or the infamous Blue Lagoon!

Bid farewell to Iceland. You’ll have one last chance to enjoy some coffee on a lazy morning and do some last souvenir shopping this morning as most flights depart for the U.S. in the afternoon.