Self-Drive – The Best of South and West Iceland

Highlights:
Blue Lagoon
Reykjavík

Arrival at Keflavík Airport. Pick-up of rented vehicle and drive to
Reykjavík for your first night’s stay in Iceland. Depending on your
arrival time, we recommend that you make a stop at the famous
Blue Lagoon on the way and have a swim in the geothermal warm
water.

Highlights:
Snæfellsnes Peninsula
Snæfellsjokull National Park
Búdir
Arnastapi
Breidafjördur Bay

From Reykjavik you head to the Borgarfjörður region on your way to Snæfellsnes Peninsula famous for the majestic Snæfell volcano/glacier. Day spent exploring the numerous places of
interest include the basalt pillars of Gerðuberg, Búðir with its small wooden church surrounded by a lava field, Arnarstapi, a small fishing village and Djúpalónssandur, a black sand beach. On the north of the peninsula, you will drive along the shore of the Breiðafjörður Bay, passing through charming fishing villages.

Highlights
Deildartunguhver
Reykholt
Hraunfossar Waterfal
Thingvellir (Þingvellir) National Park

From Snæfellsnes you head back to the Borgarfjörður Region to explore this region better. You can make a stop at Deildartunguhver hot spring (the biggest in Iceland in terms of water production per second), Reykholt and the Hraunfossar waterfalls where the water flows out from beneath a lava field into the river below. You continue to Thingvellir (Þingvellir) National Park, considered a geological wonder of the world. This is a highly interesting area both from the geological and the historical point of view. Here you can see the effects of the tectonic plate movements which have opened cracks and fissures in the earth’s crust.

Highlights:
Gullfoss Waterfall
Geysir
Seljalandsfoss and Skógarfoss Waterfalls
Skógar museum

Now it is time to visit some of the most interesting and famous areas of Iceland. In the geothermal area of Geysir the hot spring Strokkur ejects its water column high into the air every 5 – 10 minutes or so and here numerous small springs boil and bubble. Afterwards you only have a short drive to Gullfoss, which many
regard as Iceland’s most beautiful waterfall. On your way along the south coast, you will pass the pass Seljalandsfoss waterfall, and you can actually walk behind it. A little further you pass Skógarfoss waterfall, one of the highest in Iceland. Next you can stop at the magnificent Dyrhólaey Cape. You can either take the road up to the top of the cape and have a look at the bird cliff there or drive to a beautiful black sand beach at the foot of the cape. (Please note that Dyrholaey is closed during nesting season from May 15 til June 23 and from midAugust the puffins will have gone to sea!).

Highlights:
Eldhraun
Kirkjubaejarklaustur
Skaftafell National Park
Svartifoss Waterfall
Jokulsarlon Glacial Lagoon

Today you will drive across the impressive black sand plain
Mýrdalssandur, the beautiful Eldhraun lava field and the immense and remarkable Skeidarársandur outwash plains with lovely views of the outlet glaciers of the great Vatnajökull, the largest glacier in Europe. Make a stop to enjoy the breathtaking sights of the Skaftafell National Park, an oasis surrounded by glaciers and black sand with many hiking possibilities and at the spectacular Jokulsarlon glacial lagoon. Enormous icebergs drift on the the lagoon and you can take a 30-40 min boat trip around them.
Overnight in the Vík/ Klaustur area.

Highlights:
Reykjavík
Blue Lagoon

Drive back to Reykjavík through Selfoss and Hveragerði. Now you can either take some time to relax in Reykjavik or drive to the famous Blue Lagoon, on the Reykjanes Peninsula, where you can enjoy a relaxing swim in geothermal water.

Drive back to Keflavík airport for your flight back home. Or book an extra night in Reykjavík, the vibrant capital of Iceland!