Iceland Winter Escape

Itinerary

• Day 1: Overnight Flight

  Sit back, relax, and pass the time on your overnight flight to Iceland by attempting to pronounce ‘vaðlaheiðarvegavinnuverkfærageymsluskúraútidyralyklakippuhringur,’ AKA the longest word in Icelandic.

• Day 2: Explore Reykjavík + Welcome Dinner

  Welcome to Iceland, the "Land of Fire and Ice,” and the home of active volcanoes, striking glaciers, really tall people descended from Vikings, and really tiny horses.

  In the evening, enjoy a Welcome Dinner of local cuisine and drinks with fellow travelers at an authentic local spot. Afterwards, you’re free to take the party elsewhere!

  Today's highlights:

  • Land at the airport and meet a waiting EF representative.
  • Transfer to your hotel to check in and check out your room.
  • Get familiar with Reykjavik with an introductory walk with your Tour Director through the Old Town Center.

  Free time suggestions

  Hallgrímskirkja Church Tower: Visit the Hallgrímskirkja church observation tower for an unbelievable aerial view of Reykjavík and the surrounding mountains.
  Micro Bar: For the best craft beer in the city, look no further than Micro Bar, with 5-10 Icelandic beers always on draft.
  The Hot Dog Stand: Icelanders love hot dogs. Hit either Bæjarins Beztu Pylsur, or the simply named Hot Dog Stand, and get a lamb hot dog with everything: raw onions, fried onions, ketchup, sweet mustard, and a mayo remoulade sauce.

• Day 3: Experience the Golden Circle + Northern Lights Cruise

  Travel the Golden Circle, a route that hits Iceland’s most magnificent natural wonders. Is there a waterfall? Yep. Geysers? Multiple. The meeting point of continental plates? Of course. Also, enjoy a delicious lunch buffet following this special adventure!

  Today's highlights:

  • Walk between two continents at Thingvellir National Park, the boundary between the North American and the Eurasian tectonic plates.
  • Explore the Great Geysir Geothermal Area, and watch the Great Strokkur geyser erupt like Diet Coke and Mentos.
  • Discover Gullfoss, better known as the "Golden Waterfall,” a natural wonder and one of the most powerful waterfalls in Europe.
  • Set sail with a drink in hand in search of the elusive Northern Lights—oh, and feel free to chill out in the on-deck hot tub while you search the sky for its famous glow. (Note: The Northern Lights Cruise is weather-dependent and available on trips departing on or after Jan. 1, 2020. Trips departing prior to that date will feature a land-based Northern Lights excursion.)
• Day 4: Explore the South Coast

  Set your sights to the south coast, a lowland region of striking waterfalls, glaciers, and volcanoes. To anyone attempting to pronounce them, we salute you.

  Today's highlights:

  • Find out what's really on the other side of a waterfall by actually standing behind the powerful Seljalandsfoss waterfall.
  • Explore Skogafoss waterfall—where, according to legend, a Viking settler left some treasure here around the year 900.
  • View the Eyjafjallajökull volcano, which erupts once every few hundred years—don’t worry, you’ll be seeing it from a distance
  • Stick your feet in the rich black sand, gawk at the giant basalt columns, and generally peak at Reynisfjara beach.
• Day 5: Blue Lagoon + Farewell Dinner

  Get ready to feel relaxed, refreshed, and rejuvenated at the famous Blue Lagoon geothermal spa. Plus, it’s your last day to cross off any remaining bucket list items. Time to get lagoon-ing!

  Today's highlights:

  • Float weightlessly in the warm, light-blue waters.
  • Remember to bring cucumbers for when you lather on a silica mud mask.
  • Sweat it out with friends in the sauna or steam rooms.
  • Kick back and take in the view from the relaxation area.

  Free time suggestions

  National Museum of Iceland: Visit the National Museum of Iceland and trace the history of the Icelandic nation from the Viking settlements to the present day.
  Fermented shark: Feeling brave? Fermented shark is one of Iceland’s national dishes, and is a must-try for the adventurous foodies out there. Be warned, it’s an all out assault on your nostrils, but apparently doesn’t taste as bad as it smells. Good luck!

  Farewell Dinner
  Share some last laughs and revisit the best moments of the trip at this included farewell dinner with the group.

• Day 6: Fly Home

  Bless, vinir!
  Translation: Goodbye, friends. Before you head to the airport, make sure to take one more group photo and grab that final drink. But this isn’t goodbye because you can always get the gang back together for another trip soon. Or if you’re feeling adventurous, we have a couple ways to keep your vacation going.

  EXTEND YOUR TRIP 2 WAYS

  1. Double the fun
  A lot of our trips line up back to back! Give us a call—we can help you add another and save big while you're at it.

  2. Go ahead or stay behind
  Extending your trip is easy! During checkout, you'll have the option to fly to (or from) the gateway of your choice for an additional fee. We'll adjust your flights accordingly, but you'll be responsible to take care of your transportation, hotels, and other logistics outside of tour.

  Note: Depending on your desired gateways, additional fees may apply.