Destination Guides

GEOGRAPHY TOURS

Golden Circle Tour
Stops include the Pingvellir National Park, the only place in the world where the Mid Atlantic Ridge can be observed above sea level. Appreciate the interaction between tectonic and glacial influences at Gullfoss Waterfall as well as the Geyser geothermal area with its hot springs. Witness Strokkur the most famous and active geyser in Iceland which erupts every few minutes. Then it is time to head back to Reykjavík over the Hellisheiði plateau, passing the geothermal village Hverageroi on the way.

Reykholt Greenhouse
Iceland uses its abundant geothermal energy to heat greenhouses in which fruits and vegetables are grown. You can visit greenhouses at Reykholt in western Iceland where cucumbers, tomatoes, other vegetables and flowers are grown and learn about this important industry.

Hellsheidi Power Plant
The Hellsheidi Power Plants Visitors Centre displays a geothermal energy exhibition. It explains how geothermal energy is used in a sustainable manner in Iceland.

Hverageroi Geothermal Park
Take a guided walk around the hot springs and learn about the geology and history of this unique area. In Geothermal Park you can find mud pools that produce material for natural mud baths.

Quake 2008 Exhibition
The exhibition presents the causes and effects of the 2008 earthquake in Hverageroi. The simulator allows visitors to experience a powerful earthquake that is over 6 on the Richter scale.

Secret Lagoon
This is a great alternative to the Blue Lagoon and offers a more authentic Icelandic hot springs experience with geothermal waters which hold 38-40°C all year.

Kerid Crate
Originally a cone volcano that collapsed after an eruption and filled with water, the remaining caldera is composed of red volcanic rock and is around 55 m deep, 170 m wide and 270 m across.

Geyser Exhibition Centre
The Geyser Exhibition Centre presents information on geothermal wonders, Northern Lights, earthquakes and ice caves through a dynamic multimedia show including an earthquake simulator.

Lava Tubing
This is an incredible opportunity to experience caving through a lava tube. Groups will descend into the lava tubes to discover more about their formation and will see interesting forms of lava stalactites and different rock formations making this an experience of majestic and almost indescribable beauty.

South Shore Adventure
The drive from Reykjavik over the mountain pass Hellisheioi offers a magnificent view of the wide plains formed by glacial rivers, now fertile farmland in south Iceland. Stop briefly at the greenhouses of Hverageroi before proceeding east through small villages and farmlands to the majestic mountains towering over the coast, including the towering strato volcano EyjaHallajökull, probably the most famous volcano in the world since erupting in March 2010. The tour continues with a stop at the spectacular waterfalls Seljalandsfoss and Skógarfoss, the beautiful sited village of Vík and Reynishverfi, a black sand beach with views of sea stacks and Dyrolaey before heading back to Reykjavík.

Glacier Walk
Take the rare opportunity to see Sólheimajökull, a glacier tongue extending south from the Mýrdalsjökull Glacier, study the outwash plain, and witness glacial processes in action. During the 3 hour tour, you will be walking on the southernmost glacier in Iceland where you will experience pure ice with amazing landscape.

Iceland Erupts Visitor Centre
Colourful graphics, incredible photos and clear text explain the local volcanic system and the frequency of eruptions in Iceland. For many, the highlight of their visit is the dramatic film, which shows the incredible power and scope of the eruption as well as how we met the challenges of clean-up and recovery.

Skaftafell National Park
Skaftafell National Park is one of Iceland’s most outstanding areas of natural beauty dominated by the glacier Vatnajokull, Europe’s largest ice cap. You can continue on to the Jokulsarlon Glacial Lagoon where huge icebergs, float and grind together in the still, deep waters of the lagoon.

Westman Islands
This part of the town is known as ‘Pompeii of the North’ and is within a group of 15 islands, situated off the south coast of Iceland. During this excursion, you will venture out to magnificent ocean cliffs and also have the opportunity to see the nesting ground of 10 million Atlantic puffins.

Eldheimar Museum
The exhibition focuses on the 1973 volcanic eruption in Vestmannaeyjar, without a doubt one of Iceland´s biggest natural disasters. Visitors get a glimpse into people’s lives on Heimaey before the eruption that would change their lives forever. The people of Heimaey had to leave their homes in the middle of the night and evacuate the island, many of them never saw their homes or any of their belongings ever again.

Reykjanes Peninsula
This tour is designed to take a closer look at the ‘real Iceland’ away from the tourist hotspots. Visit Lake Kleifarvatn to look at pillow lava the foundation of Iceland, before stopping in the Seltún geothermal area, where the volcanic heat has formed thermal springs, steam vents, and mud pools. Visit Stampar volcanic fissure demonstrating two hornitos together with Reykjanesviti, home to Iceland’s oldest lighthouse perched on top of a volcanic cone. The day concludes with a visit to the bridge between continents en-route to Reykjavik and the Perlan Centre which supplies Reykjavik with geothermally heated water.

Lake Myvatn Sightseeing Tour
There are few areas better than Lake Myvatn for viewing the Northern Lights and discovering the wonders of the Icelandic winter. The area is renowned for its natural beauty and geological wonders. Myvatn is approximately 470 km from Reykjavik, so an overnight stay is recommended.

Blue Lagoon Tour
The Blue Lagoon is a unique wonder of nature, with pleasantly warm mineral-rich geothermal water in the middle of a black lava field. The naturally high levels of silica and minerals give the Lagoon its rich blue colour. Facilities include modern changing rooms and showers, an indoor geothermal pool, a winter garden, restaurants and other services. A visit to the Blue Lagoon is both invigorating and exciting whether one bathes there surrounded by snow in the middle of the winter or in the long summer daylight.

Northern Lights Tour
The Northern Lights, also known as the Aurora Borealis, are a spectacular natural phenomenon, often seen dancing around in the fantastic colours across the Arctic sky. The Northern Lights can be seen when certain weather conditions are fulfilled, usually during crisp, cold and very still evenings.

Aurora Reykjavik Northern Lights Centre
Catch the Northern Lights no matter what the season. The exhibition, features a continuously running HD panoramic film of these amazing auroral displays in Iceland. Here students can read up on the auroras through stories and legends, learn about the science behind this amazing phenomenon and gaze at spectacular Northern Lights photography from top Icelandic photographers.

Volcano House Reykjavik
Documentary shows focus on some of the most famous eruptions of Iceland, as well as talking about the causes and effects of Icelandic volcanology in general. There is also a hands-on geology exhibition featuring many different mineral samples, lava, pumice and ash from famous eruptions, giving students great insight into the geology of Iceland while surrounded by dramatic photographs of different eruptions.

 

REYKJAVIK CITY HIGHLIGHTS

Reykjavik City Sightseeing Tour
During this tour, you will see the old town centre, the Parliament, the cathedral, the harbour, the Pearl, the National Museum and Hofdi (the summit site of 1986). You will then drive past the city’s Salmon River, proof that Reykjavik is a pollution free capital, and the Arbaejarsafn outdoor folk museum, which offers an interesting contrast to the modern buildings of the most recent part of Reykjavik. The tour then continues past the city’s largest outdoor swimming pool in Laugardalur, heated by hot springs.

Whale Watching
Catch sight of whales, dolphins, porpoises and seabirds from the fantastic internal and external viewing areas, aboard your luxury ship during this 3-hour tour. This trip is subject to weather conditions.

Laugardalur Botanical Garden
Reykjavik’s answer to Central Park, though obviously on a much smaller scale, is unusual in that it’s one of the most wooded parts of the capital. There are an arboretum and a woodland area and you can also see where the original hot springs were, where women used to cook and clean.

National Museum
The museum offers a comprehensive historical overview of Iceland’s past from the days of the Settlement right up to the birth of the Republic in 1944. Tickets for the National Museum are valid for Culture House too.

Reykjavik Art Museum
Located in the former warehouses of the Port of Reykjavik, this museum features exhibitions from the Erró Collection, as well as from general collections.

Hallgrimskirkja Cathedral
Hallgrímskirkja (Hallgrim’s Church) in Reykjavik is the tallest and most striking church in Iceland. A Lutheran cathedral, Hallgrimskirkja is named after an Icelandic poet and clergyman, Hallgrímur Pétursson (1614-74), the author of the Passíusálmar and other works. He was one of the most influential pastors during the Age of Orthodoxy.

National Gallery of Iceland
The museum owns the most valuable collection of works by Icelandic artists in the country. The collection also includes an impressive array of works by internationally renowned artists such as Pablo Picasso, Edward Munch, Karol Appel, Hans Hartung, Victor Vasarely, Richard Serra and Richard Tuttle.

The Pearl and Viking Saga Museum
The Pearl was originally designed by Ingimundur Sveinsson. Perlan is situated on the hill Öskjuhlíð where there have been hot water storage tanks for decades. In 1991 the tanks were updated and a hemispherical structure placed on top. One of the water tanks at Perlan has recently been cleared in order to hold the Saga Museum there. It tells you about the Icelandic sagas as well as some other history.

Hofdi House
It was one of the many wooden houses built in Iceland in the early 20th century, but probably one of the most beautiful. It still bears many signs of its original purpose, such as the letters FR, the abbreviation of the French Republic the name of the consul and the year of its construction above an inside door.