Day 1
Arrival. Reykjavík is approximately 40 km from Keflavík International Airport. If your flight arrives in Iceland early daytime, in a few hours, you will have time to see the main street, Laugavegur, stroll by the harbour (and why not eat a piece in one of its restaurants or coffee houses), visit Harpa and Hallgrímskirkja church. If you have a little more time, a visit to an Icelandic swimming pool is necessary, even if you have time to go the following day.
Day 2
Enjoy breakfast in Reykjavik (Icelandair Marina hotel or Grái kötturinn are good -the breakfast options are not cheap but are delicious with good sized portions!). Then off to the golden circle! The journey leads you to the Thingvellir National Park, where the Icelandic parliament was created around the year 1000 and then you can visit Geysir where you will see geysers and fumaroles on site. After 130 kilometres further along the way, you will arrive at Gullfoss, the golden waterfall. On your return, visit the small crater Kerid located near Highway 35; there’s a toll fee of 400 ISK for access. We then advise you to spend the night at Selfoss (70 kilometers), or Borgarnes (190 km).
Day 3
Stop to admire the Basalt columns at Gerduberg, about fifty kilometres from Borgarnes; then go to Arnarstapi on the Snaefellsnes peninsula. Arnarstapi is 120 kilometers from Borgarnes (240 km from Selfoss, if that’s where you wish to spend the night) Arnarstapi or Stapi is a small fishing village with a fascinating old trail that runs along the coastline to Hellnar. It is a short walk about half an hour and along the way you can admire the old houses rented to fishermen and the birdlife.
Ten kilometres after Hellnar is Djúpalónssandur beach, worth a glance; it is a beautiful pebble beach where you can admire mysterious forms of rocks emerging from the ocean. Continue your road a bit further, and adore the seal colony at Ytri Tunga, or take a guided expedition on the glacier Snæfellsjökull. Spend the night in the area, for example at Búðir hotel or The Freezer Rif hostel.
Day 4
Hellissandur and Rif are two small fishing villages that are located two kilometres apart. If travelling to these two villages on foot, you will have the chancellors to see many magnificent birds along the way. Grundarfjörður and Stykkishólmur are also two small towns to visit; the first Grundarfjörður will offers breathtaking views of the church mountain Kirkjufell.
Stykkishólmur has a large cultural life, especially in the summertime; visit the Norwegian house, the local museum, the modern church famous in Iceland for its unusual form and the Water Library exhibition. You can spend the night at Reykhólar, about 180 kilometers from Grundarfjörður.
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