The Extravelgance Team Is Visiting Incredible Iceland

Join Us On The Adventure!

Dates:

November 5-12, 2023

Cost:

$3,500 per person based on double occupancy. Single supplements are $700. Sold out - contact us at bgextravelgance@gmail.com to be placed on the waiting list.

Join us on this exploration of Iceland to experience majestic glaciers, active volcanoes, hot thermal pools, stunning waterfalls, breathtaking geysers, and a host of other “wow” moments. You will see many of the sites highlighted in our 7 Things to See When You Travel to Iceland post.

This small-group tour will include the best Iceland sites and activities. We will drive the Golden Circle, explore the Snaefellsnes Peninsula, discover the capital city of Reykjavik, view the dramatic landscapes of the South Coast, and take a rousing jeep tour of the Þórsmörk Valley. Along the way we will also relax in the waters of the Blue Lagoon and, of course, pursue the Aurora Borealis (Northern Lights).

This tour is coordinated by Amanda Drum & Deidra Stephens and is intended to be for friends, family and readers of our blog. All money collected will be spent on trip expenses.

What's Included:

7 Nights Lodging (double occupancy); 5 nights Reykjavik Centrum Hotel (or similar) & 2 nights Magma Hotel (or similar)
Breakfast at hotel each morning
2 Lunches; welcome lunch at Blue Lagoon Lava Restaurant and lunch at Friðheimar Greenhouse, a tomato farm
1 Dinner; closing dinner at Ingolfsskali Viking restaurant
Tour Transportation in 16-person mini-bus to all locations mentioned in itinerary
Blue Lagoon Premium Admission including robe to use while there
Lava Cave Admission
Þórsmörk Valley Jeep Tour
Gratuities for tour guide

What's Not Included:

Flights to and from Iceland
Special Transfers outside of tour parameters
Meals & Beverages outside of tour parameters
Travel Insurance; we strongly advise you purchase travel insurance

Itinerary:

Sunday, November 5 - Arrival, Blue Lagoon & Northern Lights

After an early morning arrival, we will rejuvenate ourselves soaking in the geothermal waters of The Blue Lagoon. Feel free to dress first if you wish, or head to our Welcome Lunch at the Blue Lagoon’s Lava Restaurant in your robe. We will make our way to Reykjavik after our meal.

The drive from Blue Lagoon to Reykjavik is about 40 minutes. Once in Reykjavik the guide will drive you around and show you the main landmarks. This also helps you to get to know the downtown area faster. Google Maps works very well in Reykjavik so no worries about getting lost on your own in the small downtown area.

Check into the Hotel Reykjavik Centrum about 3 p.m. Take a little time to settle in. The remainder of the day is on your own in to check out Reykjavik or resting.

If the weather permits, we will depart around 8:00 p.m. to chase the Northern Lights! This tour will take 2-5 hours depending upon how far out of the city we need to go to see the Aurora. It is not possible to see the Aurora Borealis in overcast conditions. So our guide will let us know if we are going to chase the lights another night instead.

Monday, November 6 - The Golden Circle

As we head toward our day’s adventures, we will take a little time to explore a Lava Cave. We will explore the cave in an easy and enjoyable manner. The cave is covered in large rocks and difficult to pass in many places. A footbridge and several paths have been built over the roughest terrain making the it accessible to most people. Impressive lighting in the cave highlights the changing colors and clearly shows the powerful volcanic activity that formed the tunnel.

For lunch (included) we visit Friðheimar Greenhouse, a tomato and horse farm that serves the best organic tomato soup in Europe.

Today we do the Golden Circle which includes:

Thingvellir National Park where the oldest still active parliament in the world was established in the year 930. In Thingvellir the American and Eurasian tectonic plates are side by side.
Kerid Volcanic Crater, an old volcano that erupted 5500 years ago. Today there is a big crater with a lake in the bottom.
Geysir Geothermal Area, where you can see the original Geysir. He has been quiet for the past 10 years but his little brother Strokkur is very active and erupts every 5-8 minutes shooting water 30 – 40 meters into the air.
Gullfoss Waterfall which plummets down 32 meters in two stages into a rugged canyon which walls reach up to 70 meters in height. On a sunny day, a shimmering rainbow can be seen over the falls.

Tuesday, November 7 - South Coast Tour

After an early morning hotel check-out, we drive along the South Coast of Iceland, beside the dramatic landscape of Eyjafjoll Mountains. It was here that the famous Eyjafjallajokull Volcano erupted in 2010, spreading dramatic clouds of ash. The South Coast day tour is an indispensable part of your Iceland itinerary. It features beautiful waterfalls, black beaches, extraordinary vistas, majestic glaciers and a glimpse of a volcano.

The South Coast is characterized by the Eyjafjoll mountains and the Myrdalsjokull Glacier, where the massive volcano Katla rests. Among highlights today are Seljalandsfoss Waterfall, Reynisfjara black sand beach, Dyrholaey Puffin Island, and many other places. We will stop for lunch at a local restaurant (not included).

We will check into the Magma Hotel for a two-night stay.

Wednesday, November 8 - Skaftafell National Park

From the hotel we head east to Skaftafell National Park. You drive through the Laki Lava Fields that erupted in 1784 killing 20% of the population and almost half of all livestock in Iceland. We stop at Fjadrargljufur, a canyon shaped 9000 years ago as the Ice age glacier melted.

Our main stop of the day is Jokulsarlón, a glacier lagoon and one of Iceland’s best known and most beautiful natural wonders. The lagoon was created first about 70 years ago and then developed into a lake after the glacier started receding more and more. It is Iceland´s deepest lake about 250 meters (820 feet). Giant icebergs float on the lake and slowly make their way to the ocean, where the they are broken by the waves and spread around the black volcanic sand below the glacier lagoon.

This beach is also known as the Diamond Beach and is a must see! The diamond beach is a dream location for photographers and a magical place to see as the ice on the black volcanic sand looks like enormous diamonds.

Our next stop is Fjallsarlon. Game of Thrones fan will recognize this as where the dragon was killed. This ice lagoon is less known than Jokulsarlón, but well worth the stop. It is much smaller than Jokulsarlon, so you can see the glacier is calving into the lake and icebergs floating around.

Along the way, we will stop for lunch (not included).

Thursday, November 9 - Þórsmörk Valley Jeep Tour

It is time to say farewell to the South Coast and head back to Reykjavik. As we make our way, we will stop for a fabulous tour of the Þórsmörk Valley. Þórsmörk is a magnificent valley named after Þór (Thor), the god of Thunder. It is one of Icelanders favorite places to go when they want to unwind from the daily grind.

The first stop of the day is at one of Iceland’s loveliest waterfalls, Seljalandsfoss. Here the sure-footed can walk behind the thundering cascade but be careful as the trail is narrow and a bit slippery. Extra caution is especially needed during the winter and good footwear is recommended.

Now it’s time for more action as we head toward the Gigjökull glacier tongue. The driver will deflate the tires for some serious jeep action, including splashing through glacier rivers. Gígjökull is one of 2 glacier outlets from Eyjafjallajökull and the site of the infamous volcanic eruption in 2010.

Our final stop is in Básar, one of the most beautiful spots in Þórsmörk where you can take a short hike around the area. It’s uniquely located between three glaciers, Eyjafjallajökull, Mýrdalsjökull and Tindafjallajökull. The ring of glaciers and mountains shield the valley from the harsh weather conditions of the Icelandic highlands, the ideal conditions for a micro-climate.

We will have an opportunity for a light lunch on the road (not included). But save your appetite because this evening we will dine like a Viking at the Ingolfsskali Restaurant (included). After dinner, we will head back to Reykjavik for a few final nights at the Hotel Reykjavik Centrum.

Friday, November 10 - Free Day in Reykjavik

There are so many things to do in Reykjavik! Consider a whale watching tour, visit the amazing museums the capital city has to offer, or just stroll around the city to get a feel for the local life.

Saturday, November 11 - The Snæfellsnes Peninsula

Today we will explore the incredibly diverse peninsula of Snæfellsnes. Along the way, you will see impressive basalt columns forming geometric patterns in the cliffs and if we are lucky, we will visit a secret place where not many tourists go (weather permitting).

For lunch we stop in at a cute local restaurant (not included). Then it is a short drive to the famous Kirkjufell Mountain, likely the most photographed mountain in Iceland. The mountain has been used at least 2 times as a backround in the Game of Thrones. The journey continues along the way passing through the fishing towns of Hellissandur and Rif before arriving in Snæfellsnes National Park. The national park has many great locations to explore including Svörtuloft Lighthouse, a yellow beach, and dramatic ocean cliffs.

Next we head to one of Iceland’s most beautiful beaches, Djupalonssandur, a black pebble beach. The Lóndrangar basalt cliffs, uniquely formed remnants of basalt volcanic dikes, are not far away and well worth the stop. Here we walk up a hill to get the best possible picture of the strange formation.

We stop at Arnarstapi where we see Gatklettur “Arch Rock.” This is a huge rock the waves have eroded and formed. If weather allows, we can drive up to Snæfellsjökull Glacier and enjoy the great view over the peninsula. Snæfellsjökull was featured in one of the great works of classic sci-fi literature: Journey to the Center of the Earth by Jules Verne.

Sunday, November 12 - Farewell

If you have time before your flight, soak up as much of Reykjavik as possible before you depart. You will have plenty of time to sleep on the plane!

Register:

To register for the trip, please email bgextravelgance@gmail.com with the subject line “Incredible Iceland.” You will receive instructions on how to pay a $500 deposit to reserve your spot on the trip. The remaining amount is due September 1, 2023. We only have room for up to 14 participants, so reserve your space ASAP!

Frequently Asked Questions:

Who is planning this trip?

This trip is being planned by Amanda Drum and Deidra Stephens. We are coordinating this as individuals, not as a business so we can travel with our friends, family and blog readers. We are working in conjunction with an Iceland-based tour provider called Iceland Go Tours.

Can I take my children on this trip?

This trip itinerary is designed for adults, so only ages 18 and up are allowed.

What is the group size?

The group size will be between 10-16 travelers. We need a minimum of 8 people to sign up to go, and we are capping the trip at 14 (in addition to Amanda and Deidra). If we do not have 8 people sign up by September 1, 2023, we will cancel the trip and return your deposit.

I’ve signed up for the trip, but now I can’t go. Now what?

If it is before September 1, 2023, you will forfeit your deposit, but you will not be responsible for the final payment. If it is after September 1, 2023, your deposit and final payment are forfeit. We will make every effort to refund anything that we can get back after this date, but we cannot guarantee anything.

You suggest purchasing trip insurance. What type do you recommend?

We are definitely not insurance experts, but if there is anything we’ve learned over the past few years, travel insurance is super important! At minimum, purchase travel insurance that will cover the following:

Medical expenses and emergency evacuation – most U.S. based health insurance does not provide coverage abroad and Medicare is not accepted. You should make sure your policy includes both medical expenses coverage as well as emergency evacuation coverage.
Trip delay – with the travel industry being in such a turmoil lately, it’s smart to insure against travel delays. This insurance typically reimburses for food, lodging, rebooking flights, and other expenses as a result of weather, airline maintenance issues, civil unrest, and illness. Look for a policy that covers COVID-19.
Trip interruption – sometimes you are delayed in departing for a planned trip, or you have to cut a trip short due to illness, injury, or a family emergency. Make sure your policy includes coverage for trip interruption in the amount you spent on the trip.
Baggage loss – unfortunately, losing your luggage is a real problem these days. Make sure you have some sort of coverage in case you have to replace all of your clothes and toiletries if the airline loses your luggage. Yes, the airline will usually give you some money for this, but it’s a hassle to collect! And this coverage is in most insurance you will buy anyway.
Trip cancellation – you want to make sure that you have a policy that will pay the costs of your trip if you cancel for a covered reason such as illness, injury, death of traveler or a close family member or traveling companion, military deployment, civil unrest, family emergencies, and jury duty. Read the fine print to make sure you understand what the policy covers and what it does not.
Optional: Cancel for Any Reason (CFAR) – this coverage will increase the price of your insurance substantially and will only reimburse you 50-75% of trip costs (depending on the policy). But if you want the luxury of being able to back out of the trip at any time for any reason (not just covered reasons as stated above), this coverage is ideal.

With this in mind, here are a couple of options (again, we are not experts and cannot personally vouch for these policies):

Safe Travels Outbound (affiliate link) – covers all of the above except trip cancellation and CFAR.
Safe Travels Voyager (affiliate link) – covers all of the above including an optional CFAR rider.
You may also search for other policies on Insubuy (affiliate link), SquareMouth, and InsureMyTrip.

Is the itinerary final?

The itinerary is subject to change at any time before and during travel. We will not cut any included activities unless weather conditions prohibit them, but the order in which we visit things may change due to hotel availability, traffic conditions, or other unforeseen circumstances.