This past fall my teenage daughter and I returned to Iceland to celebrate her 16th birthday. Typically, when I travel I prefer to explore places on my own and I’m not a big fan of tours. Iceland, however, is a different story. When we go to Iceland, we prefer to see this profoundly beautiful country through the eyes of an experienced tour guide. Here are our 5 favorite tours in Iceland for people who don’t like tours. They all originate in Reykjavik, which is the most common central jumping off point.
In my opinion, Iceland is best seen through the eyes of a tour guide. It’s remarkable how much more Icelanders know about geology than the average American. Because the land they live on is one of the most active volcanic regions on earth, terms like geysers, hot springs, lava fields, geothermal energy, and tectonic plates seep into their bodies at a young age and become a part of their everyday vocabulary. In addition, the tour guides are either locals who have been learning about their land since they were small children, or people who have come to Iceland to study these phenomenons. And either way, they know a lot more than I could ever learn on my own with a travel book in hand.
Golden Circle Tour
Let’s start with the obvious – The Golden Circle Tour. By far the most popular (and crowded) tour on the island, this tour is like Iceland 101. Even if you don’t like tours because of the crowds, this is one that is worth enduring. Be sure to search for the small group version of no more than 20 people, for a more intimate experience. The reason it is so popular is you will experience many of Iceland’s wonders in under a day. It’s also an easy ride from Reykjavik.
The Golden Circle tour covers a ring in Southern Iceland full of natural wonders. The tour can be done in a half day (5-6 hours) or a full day with a few extra add-ons (9 hours). Every Golden Circle Tour covers 3 main stops at a minimum. The Strokkur Geyser is about 90 min away from Reykjavik and erupts every 4-8 minutes. Visitors gather around like geyser paparazzi to wait to see hot water shoot up to 100 feet in the air. Second, the Gullfoss Waterfall lies in the canyon of the Hvítá River. There are 2 dramatic drops (36ft and 69ft) which can be seen from one vantage point. Lastly, Thingvellir National Park is site of the worlds longest running parliament from the 10th to 18th century. Here you will see the ruins of the parliament and also have the opportunity to walk between two tectonic plates.
There are many Golden Circle tours available with options to add on or make your day shorter or longer. If you have a full day, we like the Small Group Golden Circle Tour with Kerid Crater & the Ice Cream Farm as add-ons.
Landmannalaugar Hike
Slightly further afield, but no less fantastic are the Icelandic Highlands. An uninhabitable volcanic desert, the Highlands give you a totally different perspective from the rest of the country. They are a raw and powerful energy center where new lands are regularly forged by erupting volcanoes. We found this to be an extraordinarily unique place for a hike. The rugged landscape consists of colorful mountains and deep valleys and is completely uninhabitable. The trip is about 3 hours each way, but the final hour of the ride is over the volcanic desert and can be very rough. The hike itself lasts about 5 hours, is moderately difficult, and is only available in the summer months. We did the tour with Extreme Iceland and our guide was terrific. If hiking isn’t your thing, consider experiencing this area in a Super Jeep tour by the same company. Recommended for ages 8+.
Glacier Lagoon tour
The third best tour is one of my all time favorite tours in the world. This tour happened when we explored the southern coast of Iceland. We went for the glacier lagoon but we got so much more. We were picked up by our guides at 8am and didn’t get back until 1am so it was a very full day! Our day was started at the black sand beaches of Vik. Next we went to Svartifoss (the Black Falls) and the little town of Höfn before we got to the highlight of the tour. The Jökulsárlón glacier lagoon and Diamond Beach. On our way back we stopped at 2 different waterfalls and managed to squeeze in an hour long hike along a canyon. Read my blog post here on the detailed events of the day with Gateway to Iceland’s Glacier Lagoon Tour.
Two day Snaefellsnes Penninsula tour with Viator
The Snaefellsnes Penninsula in Western Iceland is often referred to as “Iceland in Miniature”. With its charming fishing villages, beautiful mountains and volcanic craters, you can find a little bit of everything.
Since it takes a little over 2 hours to arrive to the penninsula, and another few hours to drive around it, we liked the overnight aspect of this small group tour. We were picked up at our hotel in Reykjavik and spent the first full day driving around the penninsula with a well informed guide who grew up in the region. Then we were brought to a nearby hotel in a tiny town called Bogarnes for the night. We were picked up the next morning by another guide and spent the 2nd full day in the area of Borgarfjordur exploring lava caves, visiting waterfalls, and experiencing the beautiful Krauma spa. We were returned to our hotel in Reykjavik around 7pm that night.
Snowmobile and Ice Cave Tour
The 5th tour we recommend in Iceland for people who don’t like tours is the Snowmobile and Ice Cave experience. Picking up in either Reyjkavik or in Gullfoss (90 min from Reyjkavik), it goes to the base of the 600 year old Langjökull Glacier in a 4×4 mini bus. Warm clothes are provided by the guides as you learn the safety features of snowmobiles. Speeding across the ice on snowmobiles – sometimes in whiteout conditions – is an exhilarating experience! The snowmobile tour takes you to the Langjökull Ice Cave. Descending into the cave and seeing the breathtaking beauty of the cave is definitely a must see! Recommended for ages 8+.
Want more Iceland? See: Exploring the Land of Fire & Ice, Where to Eat in Reyjkavik, and Ice (Iceland) Baby!