• 3 Dinner (D)
• 4 Breakfast (B)

• London: Your Trip Manager will advise you on who you’ll share your room with. On this trip, you’ll stay in a multi-share room with other travellers of the same sex.
• Reykjavik: The climate in this region is unpredictable due to its geographical location. In shoulder season (May, September, and October) you can expect temperatures to vary between single digits and warm sunny days, while from June until September temperatures can reach up to 25 C (77 F) during the day with July being the warmest month. During summer, Iceland also regularly experiences 24 hours of daylight, so you can truly make the most of your sightseeing!
• Reykjavik: It is always a good idea to bring a warm windproof jacket. No matter which time of year you decide to travel, it can get quite cool at night especially outside of the cities, so we recommend that you bring a warm jacket or fleece. It is also recommended to bring along comfortable walking shoes, waterproof jacket & pants, sunscreen and a hat.
• Reykjavik:
  Your trip offers an optional glacier hike and with the varied weather conditions of Iceland its essential you dress for the occasion. Please pack the following: 

  Hiking boots (if you do not have these, you are able to hire them from the Mountain Guides) 

  Waterproof jacket 

  Warm socks  

  Hat and gloves
  Warm trousers/pants (pack a waterproof outer layer if you have it) 

• Reykjavik: The Northern Lights are more common during the winter months, when it gets darker earlier and the sky is clear and free of light pollution. The Northern Lights (AKA the Aurora Borealis) are a natural display of coloured lights in the night sky of the northern hemisphere. They’re a natural phenomenon, so it can never be guaranteed. But you’ll have a higher chance of seeing them the further up north you go. (Fingers crossed…) 
• Reykjavik: The currency of Iceland is the Icelandic Krona (ISK). ATMs are readily available, and most places accept credit/debit cards. 

• Reykjavik: Dine on a delicious dinner with your new found friends and toast the beginning of a wonderful adventure – the possibilities are endless!!
• Midgard: Stay at this wonderful camp, decked out with a sauna. Plus, if you’re lucky, you might even catch the northern lights from while you’re warming up in the hot tub here!  There’s also a cosy communal area with board games.  
• Geysir: Get your camera ready for this jumping geothermal wonder as we explore the heart of Iceland, Thingvellir National Park. And if you miss the photo op don’t worry. It’ll happen again in five minutes. Luckily! 
• Midgard: Step into the world of Icelandic farm life with a visit to Efstidalur – a farm run by four siblings whose ancestors have worked the land since 1750! You’ll get the chance to try their locally made ice cream.
• Fridheimar: Learn all about geothermal heating and greenhouse horticulture – AKA, how do you grow such delicious veggies in such a chilly climate?
• Skaftafell: Look out for the folklore-famous pony-sized horses with teal blue eyes. Fun fact: they have their very own social security numbers (yep, that’s how beloved they are!).
   
• Skaftafell: Get your camera reel a-ready for some of the weirdest and most wonderful waterfalls you’ll have ever seen in your life!
• Skaftafell: Walk the black sands on the world-famous Reynisfjara Beach and look out for the basalt pillars and unique rock formations on the coast.
• Skaftafell: Marvel at canyons, volcanoes & glaciers on a drive through Kirkjubaejarklaustur, a beautiful rural town of just 500 people.
• Jokulsárlón Glacier Lagoon: We ain’t joking when we tell you that this lagoon will absolutely blow your mind. You have some time to take in the glacial scenery & check out the world-famous Diamond Beach.

Soak in the Blue Lagoon on the Reykjanes Peninsula, where warm, mineral-rich water sits amid dark lava fields. Steam rising from the milky-blue pools makes the contrast between geothermal heat and Iceland’s cool air especially vivid.

Bathing is offered as an optional opportunity at additional cost and bookable on tour. The lagoon provides a different way to experience the peninsula’s geothermal activity: immersed in its warmth rather than viewing it from the surrounding landscape.

Visit Efstidalur farm for a close look at Icelandic dairy farming. See the cattle and taste ice cream made on the farm, connecting a familiar treat with the people and animals behind it.

Run by four siblings, Efstidalur belongs to a family whose ancestors have worked this land since 1750. This Make Travel Matter Experience offers an insight into rural life beyond the Golden Circle’s better-known natural landmarks.

Visit Jokulsárlón Glacier Lagoon to watch icebergs drift across still water beneath the Breiðamerkurjokull glacier. Their shapes and colours change as the ice moves toward the Atlantic.

At nearby Diamond Beach, fragments of glacial ice wash onto black volcanic sand, creating a vivid contrast along the shore. This paired visit shows the journey of ice from glacier to lagoon to ocean, with time to take in both landscapes.

Contiki

Share a welcome dinner with your fellow travellers in Reykjavík and get to know the group over a meal. It is a hosted start to the journey rather than an evening spent finding your own way around the capital.

Conversation offers a first taste of the trip ahead: a chance to compare hopes for Iceland’s waterfalls, volcanic landscapes and winter skies while settling into the city’s sociable atmosphere.

Explore Þingvellir National Park, where broad lava plains and fissures mark a rift between the North American and Eurasian tectonic plates. The park’s open landscape makes Iceland’s geological forces visible at ground level.

This UNESCO World Heritage Site is also central to Icelandic history: the Alþingi, one of the world’s oldest parliamentary assemblies, was founded here around 930. Walk through a landscape shaped by geology and national heritage in the heart of the Golden Circle.

Watch Strokkur erupt in the Geysir geothermal area, where steam rises from the ground and hot water bursts into the air. Its frequent eruptions give you time to observe the pool swell before the water surges upward.

Heat beneath Iceland’s volcanic terrain drives this display, making Strokkur one of the Golden Circle’s clearest encounters with geothermal energy. Stand back, feel the cool air against the drifting steam and keep your camera ready.

Visit Gullfoss to see the Hvítá River plunge in two stages into a rugged canyon. Viewpoints reveal different angles on the falls, from the broad upper cascade to the water disappearing into the gorge.

Its name means “Golden Falls”, though winter can give the surrounding rock and spray a stark, icy appearance. Hear the force of the river and see why this waterfall is one of the defining sights of Iceland’s Golden Circle.

Step inside a geothermal greenhouse at Friðheimar and discover how tomatoes can grow in Iceland’s cool climate. Learn how naturally heated water supports cultivation, bringing productive warmth to a landscape better known for glaciers and lava fields.

The visit connects Iceland’s renewable geothermal resources with everyday food production. Surrounded by rows of tomato plants, you will see how local growers have adapted horticulture to the island’s conditions.

Unwind in the rooftop sauna and hot tub at Midgard Base Camp, surrounded by the quiet of Iceland’s southern countryside. Warm water and cool outdoor air make this a restorative way to take in the setting.

The camp’s communal spaces add a relaxed, sociable feel to the stay. On a clear, dark night, you may glimpse the northern lights, but the aurora is a natural phenomenon and cannot be guaranteed.

Visit Seljalandsfoss and Skógafoss, two striking waterfalls along Iceland’s south coast. Seljalandsfoss drops over a former sea cliff, while Skógafoss forms a broad curtain of water that sends mist across the ground below.

Seen together, the falls reveal the variety of this coastline’s dramatic terrain. Listen to the thunder of falling water and take in the contrast between dark rock, open sky and white spray; conditions around the falls can be wet and slippery.

Walk the black sands of Reynisfjara near Vík and examine the beach’s striking basalt columns and offshore rock formations. Volcanic sand, Atlantic surf and dark cliffs create one of Iceland’s most distinctive coastal scenes.

The columnar basalt formed as lava cooled and fractured into geometric shapes. Admire the sea stacks from a safe distance: powerful, unpredictable waves make the shoreline hazardous, even when the water appears calm.

Explore the scenery of Vatnajokull National Park and view Svínafellsjokull, an outlet glacier flowing from Iceland’s vast Vatnajokull ice cap. Look for ridges, crevasses and shifting tones of blue and grey across the ice.

The park brings together glaciers and volcanic terrain on a remarkable scale. See how flowing ice shapes the landscape from a viewing area; walking on a glacier is a separate optional activity requiring appropriate equipment and guidance.

Discover the Reykjanes Peninsula, where geothermal ground, rugged coastline and volcanic rock reveal the forces beneath southwest Iceland. The route offers opportunities to take in local scenery, including views around Lake Kleifarvatn.

Rock formations frame the lake, while steaming geothermal areas give this peninsula a character distinct from Iceland’s glacial south coast. Take in the contrast of water, lava and rising steam; the precise sights visited may vary.

Join an optional glacier hike for a closer encounter with the ice of the Vatnajokull region. With specialist guidance, explore the glacier on foot and observe the ridges, textures and crevasses that are difficult to appreciate from a viewpoint.

This activity is at additional cost and bookable on tour. It is subject to conditions and requires suitable warm, waterproof clothing and hiking boots; boot hire may be available through the mountain guides.