One of the hottest destinations in the world at the moment – or maybe one of the coolest if we’re talking a little more literally – we’ve just launched our new tour to Iceland, and we sure are excited!
At just 39,000 square miles and with a population the size of Leicester, this small island packs a punch when it comes to adventure travel. And, with so much to see and do, we’ve put together an exciting new tour covering the best that Iceland has to offer.
So, let us introduce you to our fantastic new destination…
The youngest land in Europe and a product of volcanic activity, it only began to rise from the Atlantic seabed around 25 million years ago. In fact, it is still developing to this day! Its newest land emerged during an underwater eruption in 1963 – It’s not even pension age!
Under its icy exterior, Iceland actually has a bubbling heart of fire with 30% of the country is actually formed from lava – there is, on average, a volcanic eruption every 5 years.
As you can imagine, this fantastic destination could keep us talking for days. But, we wouldn’t want to spoil the wonderful surprises Iceland has to offer, so to dip your toe into Iceland, here are some of our favourite things to see and do.
The Golden Circle
One of the most popular tourist routes in south Iceland, the Golden Circle takes in three major attractions, all within 100km of the capital of Reykjavik – home of Icelandic parliament, Þingvellir, Geysir and the roaring waterfall, Gullfoss.
Probably the most iconic spot on the Golden Circle, if you’re looking for some volcanic action, is Geysir geothermal area.
Geysir was the first erupting water spring unearthed and, in turn, became the first one that Europeans had heard about and has since shared its name with the natural phenomenon, albeit with a slightly different spelling, as you may see below.
A tourist hotspot, but not one to be missed, the Strokkur (Icelandic for ‘Churn’) is one of the most impressive geysers on the island. It erupts up to 30 meters every few minutes and is all down to an earthquake that unblocked the conduit of the geyser in 1789.
But, whilst there is plenty to enjoy just outside of Reykjavik, there’s plenty not to be missed if you’re staying within the city, too.
Its centre is compact and pays homage to its Viking history, sitting in the shadow of dramatic mountains, it’s certainly picturesque. It also gives you a chance to really tick something off of your bucket list… Whale watching.
Not your every-day activity, with over 20 different species of whale in the waters around Iceland, including the blue, humpback and the iconic killer whale, this unique opportunity will really introduce you to a fascinating other world, under the sea.
Lovely Lagoons
Of course we can’t talk about Icelandic wonders without mentioning the world famous, Blue Lagoon. Iceland’s most popular tourist attraction, the Blue Lagoon is a large thermal bathtub that pools six million litres of geothermal sea water from 2000 metres below the earth’s surface!
Its mineral rich and the aqua blue, milky waters sit at between 37 and 39°C, and you really will feel like you’re taking the soak of a lifetime as you pamper yourself with a healing and exfoliating mud mask containing silica, algae and other minerals that are picked up from the lava bed along the way. Nature can be so good to us…
Thundering Waterfalls
If thundering waterfalls in picture perfect settings are your thing, then here’s why Iceland could be just perfect for you.
Skógafoss waterfall once used to sit at the coastline but since the shore has receded as the island emerges from the sea, it’s left sitting an impressive 3 miles from the coast and, boy, is it impressive.
One of the biggest in Iceland at an impressive 25 metres across and a drop of 60 metres, on a sunny day, the huge amount of spray that lifts from the tumbling water actually created a single or double rainbow on sunny days. Now, that’s pretty as a picture.
It’s one of the best known waterfalls in Iceland, with its source being the volcano glacier, Eyjafjallajokull, and you can get up-close-and-personal with Seljalandsfoss. Yes, there’s actually a path leading you behind the waterfall! What a view!
But, like we said, we wouldn’t want to spoil all the fun of visiting Iceland for the first time. But if we’ve said enough to get you dreaming of a trip to Iceland, why not head on over to our website and take a look at the amazing tour itinerary for Reykjavik & the Best of Iceland?
Heading down into Melk you will make a stop off to tour the Melk Abbey, a fortified castle that is home to the Babenberg’s, Austria’s first ruling dynasty. Located on the bank of the Danube, the Abbey was originally a palace and it most certainly shows. A sight to behold with its baroque architecture, the abbey’s church is the highlight with its numerous windows and rich embellishment of marble and frescoes. The abbey contains the tomb of Saint Coloman of Stockerau, an Irish Pilgrim mistaken as a spy due to his strange appearance and was subsequently tortured and hanged.
