New Year’s Celebration

This tour package includes 4 nights in Reykjavik and several guided excursions.

First, the tour guide shows the highlights of Iceland’s exciting capital city, Reykjavík.

Travel the Golden Circle route. Visit Þingvellir National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. See Gullfoss, a double waterfall that tumbles 32 meters into the Hvítá River and attracts tourists in summer and winter. Exploring the hot springs at Geysir is like watching a geography lesson in real: natural springs bubble away in the ground until the pressure becomes too high and explodes spectacularly. Geysir and Strokkur are the two biggest of the geysers there. While Geysir no longer is active, Strokkur still spouts every 5 to 10 minutes to the delight of visitors.

The New Year’s Festive Dinner is enjoyed at Grand Hotel, Festive Hall, Reykjavík.

Start the new year with an exploration of the Reykjanes Peninsula and a soak in the warm, mineral-rich waters of the Blue Lagoon.

Arrival in Iceland. Non-guided transfer from Keflavik International Airport to accommodation in Reykjavik.

Enjoy a guided Reykjavík City Tour and explore the highlights of Iceland’s exciting capital. We see the charming city center, the Parliament, the harbour and Hallgrímskirkja church, whose steeple is a landmark. We pass the Harpa concert hall and visit the Pearl, a remarkable building, and viewpoint. The city tour ends around noon.

The afternoon is free at leisure, to explore Iceland’s capital on your own or do a bit of shopping. You might consider visiting museums, galleries, and exhibitions, such as the fantastic Whales of Iceland exhibition, consisting of 23 man-made life-size models of various whale species found in Icelandic waters. At the Perlan Museum, you can walk through a unique indoor ice cave which is a replica of an ice tunnel dug straight through a glacier.

An optional Northern Lights tour can be added into your program for this evening. Inquire for more information and price.

By a scenic route we reach Þingvellir (Thingvellir) National Park and UNESCO World Heritage Site. We stroll around the country’s most sacred site, home of the oldest existing national parliament in the world, the Alþingi, and major events in the history of Iceland. Thingvellir is a place of fascinating natural beauty, a spectacular geological vista, set on a vast plain flanked by large fissures, right by Iceland’s largest lake, Thingvallavatn. The Mid-Atlantic rift is clearly visible; a rift that is forming as Iceland is being pulled apart by tectonic forces. Next we drive to the mighty waterfall of Gullfoss – the Golden falls – perhaps the most beautiful in the country. Explore the active geothermal area of Haukadalur which contains the geyser Strokkur erupting hot water and steam to elevation of 25 metres (82 ft) every 5-7 minutes. We pass the greenhouse town of Hveragerði and continue over the mountain pass Hellisheiði, an area with large lava fields and steaming valleys. Passing the geothermal power station Hellisheiðarvirkjun we learn how Icelanders use the geothermal energy to produce electricity and hot water for house heating. The tour ends in Reykjavik around 16:00.

Back at the hotel you will have enough time to get ready for the Festive Dinner at Reykjavík Restaurant. In the evening embark on a memorable New Year Firework Cruise from the bay of Reykjavík. Be ready for an amazing spectacle!

We leave Reykjavik and explore the Reykjavik peninsula with its dramatic sea shores, fascinating geology, moonscapes, lava fields and fishing villages. We make a short stop at Bessastaðir, the residence of the President of Iceland.

After a light lunch, the guided tour continues to the Bridge over the continents and the lighthouse at the edge of the Reykjanes peninsula. We reach the Blue Lagoon in the afternoon, an oasis in the lava that owes its existence to a nearby geothermal power plant. Enjoy a refreshing bath or a swim in the pleasantly warm mineral-rich water, reputed for its healing properties. We stay here for 2 hours, and we are back in Reykjavik around 19:00. Evening and dinner is on your own.

Includes:
• Lunch
• Blue Lagoon entrance fee & towel

Transfer by Flybus (unguided) to Keflavik Airport for your departure. Or, choose to add on a few extra days to explore – we can arrange for additional accommodation and tours. Just ask!