Your Custom Travels

with Photography Instructors Laura Gingerich and guest Icelandic local co-lead

Present

Experience Iceland

A week long adventure through the wild landscapes of majestic Iceland. Explore the natural beauty and wildlife from horseback in the north, sample world class cuisine in Reykjavík, learn the cultural dynamics from a local perspective, and unwind in the famous geothermal pools.

September 30th-October 7th, 2022 SOLD OUT

September 2024

$5,750 per traveler ($1,500 deposit)

+$250 Single Occupancy Fee

Your Trip Includes:

*      8 days & 7 nights as detailed in the itinerary. Reykjavík & Húsavík 

*      Ground transportation as described 

* Domestic flights between Reykjavík and Húsavík

*      Accommodations while visiting Iceland. 4 star luxury hotel in Reykjavík and modern guesthouse outside of Húsavík

*      Experienced tour guides (English)

*      All Meals

*      All activities as described in itinerary 

Not Included:

*     Baggage fees are common upon check-in at the airport.  These fees are the responsibility of the passenger

*     Fees for theatrical or live performances outside of our tour itinerary are the responsibility of the passenger

*     Travel insurance is recommended for all travelers, in the event that they need to cancel

*     Items from the Mini-Bar

* International flight to Reykjavík, Iceland

* Transfer from airport arrival in Reykjavík to hotel

* Hotel nights before official beginning of tour (September 30th)

ITINERARY:

DAY 1 SEPTEMBER 30th (Friday)

REYKJAVÍK - GOLDEN CIRCLE, ICELAND

Today marks the official start of our tour. Welcome to the beautiful country of Iceland! This nordic island nation is best known for its dramatic landscape with volcanoes, geysers, lava fields and hot springs, but it also has wonderfully friendly people, excellent food, and more to offer than most visitors expect!

Breakfast is at your leisure this morning, but try to be ready in the hotel lobby with the group by 10:30am.

We will be staying in a beautiful luxury property in the heart of Reykjavík, with views of Hallgrímskirkja just down the road. Though the hotel itself is modern and grande, the building holds many claims to fame, including being the birthplace of a Nobel prize winning author and the continuous home for over a century of two of the most prominent local businesses, an excellent bakery and haberdashery.

10:45am Pick up at the Hotel. Today we will take off right away with an experience of the famous Golden Circle, a one of a kind drive through the beautiful variety of landscapes that make up this country. First we will visit Pingvellir National Park, a UNESCO site covered in lava rocks and moss, and the original location of the nation's parliament 1000 years ago.

Next we visit the Geysir geothermal area which goes off every 10 minutes and is surrounded by hot pools and steam vents.

Finally located in the heart of the Golden Circle is the Gullfoss waterfall whose majesty requires taking time and photography to enjoy it.

Lunch is included during the Golden Circle tour which takes a total of about 6 hours. We will be exploring the natural beauty of this area for most of the day!

5:00pm- After a few hours on the road, we will make our way back home to Reykjavík and put our feet up as we enjoy happy hour today at one of the top 50 bars in the world and are transported to a very different environment by the ambiance and expertly crafted cocktails.

8:00pm- Dinner tonight will be a unique experience blending the 1970s with today in creative ways that go beyond your expectations. Housed in the old workshop of a famous furniture designer, named for a hippy rock satire song critiquing the Icelandic government, and serving dishes prepared by some of the most renowned chefs in the country, our first dinner will show you the pieces of Iceland that are hidden from those who have yet to experience this special place in person.

DAY 2 OCTOBER 1ST (Saturday)

REYKJAVÍK

Breakfast at your leisure this morning at the hotel, but be ready to leave the Hotel by 9:30am.

10:00am - Today we explore the city of Reykjavík through a private VIP walking tour. We will begin our journey this morning near the highest point of the city, the impressive Hallgrímskirkja church, and then we will make our way down through the rest of the most important sites. Our local guide will regale us with stories of Icelandic history, local culture and customs, and make us feel at home in Reykjavík. This will be our proper introduction to the capital city and will leave us excited for more special experiences over the next few days.

1:00pm - Lunch is Included: Simple yet refined, traditional yet modern, this welcoming family owned gem takes local concepts and infuses them with international flavors to create something new.

4:00pm - In a continuation of juxtaposing the past and present, after lunch we will make our way to a unique family operated distillery making the only whiskey on the island using some unexpected methods. Their whiskey and other spirits are of a very high quality owing to the freshness of their ingredients and their techniques impart a special flavor we will experience during our tour.

After an exciting day exploring the city, we will return to the room and relax for a bit of time before getting ready for our evening activities.

Dinner is Included: Set in a 160 year old building with a 140 year old mahogany grand piano at its center, this enchanting food cellar offers relaxing live music and bursts of flavor every moment of your experience.

DAY 3 OCTOBER 2ND (Sunday)

REYKJAVÍK

Breakfast will be at our hotel this morning with a departure of 9:15am.

10:00am: First stop this morning is the beautiful Church of Hallgrímskirkja. Though we began our walking tour near here yesterday, today we will enter and summit the tower of one of the most impressive structures in Iceland. From this height we will be able to see nearly all of Reykjavík and will have a phenomenal vantage point for photos. In addition, as it is Sunday morning, we will have the privilege of seeing the local congregation begin to arrive for their traditional service as we make our exit back out into the city.

On the city streets once again we will move in a very different direction from the stark greys and whites of Hallgrímskirkja, to the kaleidoscope of colors adorning the walls of nearby buildings in the form of graffiti murals. We will enjoy a truly unique experience this morning as a renowned local artist will lead us to some of his favorite examples of the blossoming street art scene and explain their importance to the community and artistic movement.

12:30pm: After working up an appetite and learning about one of the colorful aspects of the city, we will enjoy a different, though no less diverse, education on Reykjavík's culinary roots through a special food focused walking tour. Our expert de cuisine will take us to their favorite local haunts and help us to continue to understand how certain traditions began and have evolved through time.

Following the theme of education, we will soon find ourselves immersed in a creative museum environment with ice caves to explore, exhibits detailing the natural and cultural features of all corners of the island and Iceland’s historical eras. We will leave this fun experience with a much greater understanding of the lands we will explore on horseback in the coming days.

The rest of the afternoon is free to wander about or relax at the hotel as you may want to get off your feet for a little while before dinner.

Dinner: Ambitious food in an eye popping setting is what you have to look forward to tonight as we dine under a green canopy and have our expectations dashed by a slew of creative flavor combinations you won't recognize!

DAY 4,5,6 OCTOBER 3rd -5th

REYKJAVÍK-HÚSAVÍK

Breakfast at our hotel (time will be based on air time)

This morning we will prepare to go to the domestic airport to catch our flight to the northern city of Húsavík, a short hour long flight, which will transport us to our second home away from home. We will be spending three nights together staying at a modern guesthouse on a beautiful horse farm a few miles outside of the city where we will be in touch with nature and truly get to know the wild aspects of Iceland.

Our days in this amazing part of the country will be relaxed yet exhilarating, filled with landscapes only experienced in this part of the world. Sightseeing will frequently be on horseback as we will have access to many of the gentle horses on the farm and open trails with expert riding guides at the helm. During the days here we will ride over black sand beaches, visit many incredible waterfalls, peer down into glacial canyons and go whale, and northern lights watching! Relaxing in geothermal & seawater mixed baths will take the strain out of our muscles and leave us feeling refreshed for the rest of our adventures!

All meals will be included throughout these three days either at the guesthouse or picnic style along the trails.

DAY 7 OCTOBER 6TH

HÚSAVÍK - REYKJAVÍK

Breakfast at our guesthouse.

This morning we will prepare for our return flight to Reykjavík which departs at 11:00am.

Once we land in the capital, we will check back into our hotel for our final evening in Reykjavík.

1:30pm: Hungry from our travels this morning, we will have a taste of the town we just left, as the star chef of this acclaimed steakhouse and seafood restaurant was born and raised in Húsavík, honing his skills both in his home town and around the island as a whole. After exploring every nook and cranny for the best recipes and traditional bar-b-q secrets around the country, he settled down in Reykjavík, opened this restaurant and won best chef of Iceland in the same year.

After lunch we will have the afternoon free at our leisure to do some final shopping, packing, relaxing, revisiting previous favorites, or simply enjoying a beverage during your final afternoon in Iceland.

8:00pm: Once we are refreshed and ready for our evening, we will meet in our hotel lobby to walk to our final celebration. Tonight we will enjoy the best views in the house as we sit a short distance from the chefs as they prepare our eclectic meal in a very luxurious yet comfortable setting. With Argentinian Chef Carlos Gimenez at the head, whose pedigree features the legendary El Bulli kitchen, this restaurant's world-class international flair meets traditional Icelandic ingredients in perfect harmony.

DAY 8 OCTOBER 7TH

REYKJAVÍK

Departures to return to USA.

PHOTOGRAPHY INSTRUCTOR

Roni Chastain

DEPOSIT

A $1,500 deposit is required to guarantee your reservation, which will be applied towards the cost of your tour.  Deposits are generally non-refundable, except in rare cases when we cannot confirm all components of a booking at the purchase price.  In the event that the trip must be post-poned due to Covid closures, your funds will be transfered to a later date of travel.

FINAL PAYMENT

Any pending balance must be paid in full at least 90 days prior to departure.  If your booking falls within the 90 days, payment in full is expected at the time of booking.

Single Suplement

The single suplement will be $250 for single occupancy.

PROTECT YOUR TRIP WITH TRAVEL INSURANCE FROM ALLIANZ