ICELANDic tour with tents
Its nature, wildness and unpredictable weather is what we love Iceland for. While staying there, we can feel the spirit of Nordic beliefs and see how much the cultural roots mean to the inhabitants. It all makes us feel at home and we want you to experience it as well. But what is it to experience Iceland without getting to know the greatest values of Iceland?
The West Fjords, around where we will be travelling, together with the Snaefellsnes and Reykjanes peninsulas, is one of the most spectacular region of this beautiful country. No wonder it’s called “Iceland in a nutshell”, a place where we can experience all the natural riches of the island: the geysers, waterfalls, caves and lava fields, hot springs, glaciers and even a volcano.
So little is enough to experience Iceland in all its glory, to be able to stroll along black beaches in search of resting seals, look for puffins, or listen to legends and stories while enjoying the lobster soup. Although our trip is not a short one – 1500 km is quite a number – we guarantee that you will definitely get some rest. Choose to see the beauty of this rarely visited region with us! We advise you to take a camera with a large memory card, as each photo you take can turn out to be the photo of your life!
A 8 day trip will be conducted around the Western Fjords, giving you the opportunity to get to know Iceland in a nutshell. The total length of the route is 1500 km. About 85% of it will be the ride through the high quality asphalt, while the other 15% of the riding will take place on gravel roads. We provide accommodation on the proven, good-class campsites.
This is a unique trip in our offer, because we will use 4×4 cars with tents on the roofs.
Main attractions
Reykjavik – the northernmost capital of Europe, an agglomeration where almost 2/3 of Iceland’s population lives in with many interesting, hidden places.
Hot springs – a very popular attraction in Iceland, there are at least a dozen of them along our way. Regardless of the weather, swimming in hot springs is always a very pleasant experience.
Ytri Tunga – the best place to watch seals lying in the sun from a very close distance.
Waterfalls – Kirkjufelsfoss, which is one of the most photogenic waterfalls with the Kirkjufell mountain in its background, or Dynjandi (Fjallfoss), in our opinion the most beautiful waterfall in Iceland, are just two examples of many waterfalls on our route.
Látrabjarg – 14 km long cliff, up to 440 meters high, is the largest bird’s breeding ground in Europe and the westernmost point of Europe at the same time.
Trip formula
A 8 day trip will be conducted around the Western Fjords, giving you the opportunity to get to know Iceland in a nutshell. The total length of the route is 1500 km. About 85% of it will be the ride through the high quality asphalt, while the other 15% of the riding will take place on gravel roads. We provide accommodation on the proven, good-class campsites.
This is a unique trip in our offer, because we will use 4×4 cars with tents on the roofs.
TOUR PROGRAM
Day 1
We will land in Keflavik, a town located on the picturesque, but very severe Reykjanes Peninsula, near the capital of Iceland, Reykjavík. The first day will be devoted to the airport transfer and a short acclimatization. We will also get familiar with the cars. We will prepare for the journey starting the next day.
Day 2
Reykjavik – Ólafsvik, 240 km
Leaving Reykjavik we will head in the northwest of the island towards the Snæfellsness Peninsula with the National Park of the same name. There is the famous Snæfellsjokull glacier from the Julius Verne’s books. On the peninsula you can find literally everything that a tourist in Iceland is looking for. There are a lot of unique rock formations, lava fields, beaches where you can find seals, majestic glacier, volcano, caves and geothermal springs. The journey will start with crossing the undersea tunnel, the Whale Fjord, located at Hvalfjordu. The fjord is treated like a kind of “gate” to the west. On the way, we will visit the small town of Borgarnes, which can be reachead by one of the longest bridges in Iceland leading through the next fjord – Borgarfjordur. Our route will lead us along the peninsula with magnificent views of mountain ranges and interesting rock formations. We will stop at the spectacular basalt cliff – Gerðuberg. Going further west, we will visit the village of Buðir and Arnarstapi with many interesting lava formations. In one of these places we will stop for a coffee in a restaurant overlooking the sea. Another place for a short stop will be the unique rock formations, the Londrangar cliffs. The next stop will be the black beach Djupalonssandur, which is one of the most beautiful black beaches in Iceland. Then we will go to the other side of the glacier and reach the small town of Ólafsvik, where we will stay for the night.
Day 3
Ólafsvik – Vesturland, 300 km
We will leave picturesque Ólafsvik and go east of the peninsula, riding around the glacier. Along the way, we will pass many interesting vantage points where we will be able to see the Western Fjords. We will stop at the famous Kirkjufell mountain – it is 463 metres high and is one of the most frequently photographed mountain in Iceland. We will continue through the fjords which will lead us to the picturesque Berserkjahraun lava field. There is a famous farm with a museum in its neighbourhood, dedicated to the quite unique delicacy of Iceland – a shark. You can taste there a local specialty called „hákarl” – it’s prepared from the fermented polar shark meat. Our next stop will take place in the largest peninsula in Stykkishólmur, where we will have a lunch and coffee. We will enter the cliff with a lighthouse and see the Breiðafjörður fjord and small islets from the top. Leaving the city, we will stop by Saint Helga (Helgafel), „a mountain of wishes”. This particular mountain was considered a sacred place and the first temple of Thor was built there. The journey will take us along a picturesque path deep into the fjord. Depending on the weather, we will get to the hotel near Vesturland by the gravel or asphalt road.
Day 4
Vesturland – Breiðavík, 225 km
We will set off in the morning heading for the Icelandic Western Fjords. It will be a day filled with many great views and impressions. We will ride through the winding roads along the fjords, seeing the sea on one side and the mountains on the other. We will stop at Flókalundur, which has its name from the famous Wiking Hrafna – Flóki. He was the first known Viking who came to Iceland and tried to live here. It reached the shore just at Flókalundur, where there is also a small hot spring with geothermal water, where you can relax with a view of the sea. On this day we will reach Breiðavík, where we will stay overnight. From here, we will have only a few minutes to Latrabjarg, the westernmost point in Iceland and in the whole Europe.
Day 5
Breiðavík – Þingeyri, 240 km
The next day will start with riding through the gravel roads and visiting the Latrabjarg cliffs, the westernmost point in Europe. These famous cliffs are a perfect place for observing the sea birds, including puffins. With the good visibility from the cliff, it’s easy to spot the shores of Greenland. We will also stop at beautiful, this time golden, beaches and the aviation museum. After that, we will make some stops in many places with the great views and rest in a hot spring. Another spot will be the waterfall Dynjandi, which is 100 meters high, which makes it the fourth largest waterfall in the whole Iceland. Leaving the waterfall, we will move further to the northern part of the fjords to the village of Þingeyri, where we will spend the night.
Day 6
Þingeyri – Hólmavik, 230 km
Leaving the small town of Þingeyri, we will head to Ísafjörður, the largest city in the Western Fjords. Approximately 2,600 people live there. After visiting the town, we will continue our journey winding along the fjords. We will stop at several points to take some photos and then we will reach Hólmavik, a city that is associated with magic; there’s even a magic-themed museum in it.
Day 7
Hólmavik – Reykjavik, 275 km
The 7th day will be spend on asphalt and gravel roads. We will follow the Icelandic routes leading from the Western Fjords to the capital of Iceland. On the way to Reykjavik, we will stop at tourist attractions and get to the top of the Grabrok crater. We will also see the picturesque Glanni waterfall. Heading towards Reykjavik, we will ride past Deildartunguhver, the largest geothermal source in Europe. We will take a scenic route along the Borgarfjordur fjord and return to base in the evening.
DATES AND PRICES
Dates:
1st – 8th July 2023
Prices:
1900 euro per person in case of two people traveling in the car;
2600 euro per person in case of one person traveling in the car.
The price includes: transfers from and to the airport in Keflavik (KEF) for a suggested flight, Dacia Duster car rental with a two-person tent on the roof and camping equipment for the time of departure, accommodation on campsites (including all taxes) with electricity and shower purchased, guide care, insurance tourist t-shirts, recorded photo-video materials.
The price does not include: costs of the airline tickets, accommodation beyond the indicated departure dates, meals, motorcycle fuel and any own expenses, fines or tolls.
TOUR PROGRAM
Fun Facts
• Iceland is located at the hot point of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. It has many volcanoes (15 are active), hot springs and geysers. Icelanders take advantage of this – statistics say that even 85% of homes are heated by geothermal energy! Excess of warm water is used to heat pavements and streets, so that winter does not snow on them.
• The expedition around the island will pass the largest glacier in Iceland – Vatnajokull, which has an area of about 8000 km2, and the top of this ice cap is at an altitude of 2210 m above sea level. Some episodes of “Game of thrones” were shot here 🙂
• Tectonic plates of Eurasia and North America meet on the island. Their movements literally tear the island in half at a rate of one centimeter per year.
• During the expedition to the Western Fjords, we will reach the westernmost point of Europe. Heading straight to the south, the first mainland on which we would come across is … Antarctica.
• The longest day in Iceland lasts almost 21 hours, so does the longest night…
• Winters in Reykjavik are statistically warmer than in New York. This is due to the warm Gulf Stream flowing from the south. Unfortunately, strong winds and rains makes it more uncomfortable.
• Most Icelanders speak English, although the older generation has a better knowledge of Danish.
• Icelandic is the oldest language spoken in Europe. Icelanders are able to read the original 1000-year-old sagas in the original. This is the language used by the Vikings a thousand years ago. At the same time, this is also one of the most difficult languages on Earth.
• Icelanders enjoy the longest expected life in the world (80.2 years for men and 83.3 for women).
• Due to cheap geothermal energy, Iceland is the only place in Europe where bananas are grown in greenhouses.
• In Iceland, over 80% of the population believe in elves.
