Spa & Wellness

Itinerary for the Spa & Wellness

Day 1: Arrival & Reykjavik
Upon your arrival at the airport a private car will be waiting to pick you up and take you to Reykjavik, the northernmost capital in the world.  There the driver will give you a short introduction tour of Reykjavik, showing you the layout of the 101 district downtown, Hallgrimskirkja church and Perlan.  Then he’ll take you to your hotel where you can drop off your luggage and get settled in before heading to Laugar Spa.  Located in the green valley of Laugardalur, this 5* luxury spa is the perfect place to relax after the flight.  It’s equipped with Jacuzzis with hot and cold subterranean sea water, six saunas in the spa, all with different temperatures and scents, a relaxation room and a café.  In the evening you enjoy dinner at one of Reykjavik’s many fine restaurants and take a walk downtown to see the nightlife.
Optional skin or massage treatments can be booked in advance.
Accommodation: Hotel Borg, an elegant 4* hotel located in Reykjavik downtown, right by a number of restaurants and the main shopping street.

Day 2: The Golden Circle
In the morning you will be picked up at your hotel by a driver guide in a modified Super Jeep with raised tires and luxurious leather seats.  Your journey starts by going east out of Reykjavik and to Thingvellir national park, where the Icelandic parliament was established in 930 AD and the Eurasian- and North American tectonic plates meet, which have formed a large crevice in the lava while slowly drifting apart.  After a walk around the area you continue east to Gullfoss, the most photographed waterfall in Iceland.  It’s magnificent to see the water cascade down the 32 meter canyon into Hvita glacial river.  On a sunny day there is usually a rainbow over the picturesque waterfall.  It’s ideal to have lunch at the Gullfoss café where you can try the traditional kjotsupa, a broth soup with lamb and vegetables. Now you go off the main roads and into the wilderness where, powered by the Super Jeep, you travel onto Langjokull glacier where you have the option of going snowmobiling, or simply cruise around and enjoy the spectacular view of the white plains.  You then head to the Geysir hot spring area where the enormous geothermal heat in the ground has formed several hot springs.  Among them is Geysir, from which the English word geyser takes its meaning and Strokkur, which spouts boiling water 25-30 meters high in the air every 5 minutes or so.
Accommodation: Hotel Geysir, a very nice hotel where the rooms are like small log cabins.  It’s located just outside of the Geysir area and has a great on-site restaurant along with outdoor hot tubs.

Day 3: Kjolur
From Geysir the Super Jeep takes you north along the mountain track of Kjolur and into the highlands of Iceland.  The route lies between the two glaciers of Langjokull and Hofsjokull and on the way you have an amazing panorama of the barren landscape which was shaped in the last ice age.  You’ll take a photo stop at Kerlingarfjoll mountains which draw their name from a stout pillar, believed to be a troll woman (kerling = woman) who turned to stone at dawn.  The mountain is an interesting shape, due to ice melts in the last ice age. You then head to Hveravellir where you’ll find a number hot springs, blowing steam vents and bubbling mud pits.  The hot springs in this area are known for their strange colouring, such as bright blue and green.  Lava fields surround the area and outlaws are believed to have lived in the nearby lava caves, which you have the option of exploring.  At Hveravellir is a natural geothermal pool where you can take a relaxing soak in the wilderness. Driving north, you go to Akureyri, the capital of North Iceland.  There you’ll enjoy dinner at one of the town’s acclaimed restaurants, and in the evening you can go shopping on the main street, or visit the very nice local outdoor geothermal pool to relax.
Accommodation: Hotel Kea, a 4* hotel located in downtown Akureyri, right by the main street.

Day 4: Lake Myvatn
After enjoying breakfast at the hotel you travel east from Akureyri and to Lake Myvatn, stopping on the way at Godafoss waterfall.  Lake Myvatn is one of the most beautiful areas in the country, with countless hiking paths.  Its surroundings have incredible variety in landscapes and amazing geological formations. The whole area is extremely volcanic.  In the period 1975-1984 there were 9 eruptions and the continental drift was measured 4.8 m. There is enormous geothermal heat in the ground and it would be ideal to visit Lake Myvatn Baths where you soak in natural hot water from the ground, filled with minerals which are very good for the skin.  The water is quite similar to that of the Blue Lagoon. The driver guide will show you around the area, and you walk along the strange lava formations of Dimmuborgir, which have formed in ancient volcanic eruptions.  On a good day it’s great to hike around Krafla caldera which last erupted in 1984 and visit Namaskard where you’ll see the bubbling mud pits and sulfurus slopes.
Optional: Whale watching from Husavik on the Skjalfandi bay.  This is the most successful whale watching tour in Iceland, whales are seen 98% of the time. In the evening you return to Akureyri where you stay at Hotel Kea for another night.

Day 5: West Iceland
From Akureyri the road leads west into Skagafjordur fjord.  The region is known for its fine breeding of Icelandic horses which are famous for having five distinct gaits, including the tolt and flying pace.  The horses are short but are strong and have a sturdy build which allows them to easily carry a fully grown adult.  The road south takes you through the scenic countryside of West Iceland, through small towns and along fjords.  In the south-west Iceland is the town of Borgarnes, situated by Borgarfjordur Bay.  There you’ll visit the magnificent Hraunfossar, a waterfall that comes out of the lava.  Very close by is Barnafoss which flows through a small canyon.  Borgarfjordur is also the home of the most powerful geothermal spring in Iceland, Deildatunguhver.  If you’re interested in the history of Iceland and the Icelandic Sagas it’s ideal to visit Snorrastofa, which was home to Snorri Sturluson, writer of the Prose-Edda.  There you can see one of the oldest outdoor geothermal pools in Iceland and learn about the Vikings and the Sagas.   Driving across a mountain track from Skorradalur valley you get to Hvalfjordur (whale-fjord) and to your hotel for the night, where you will enjoy dinner at their acclaimed restaurant.
Optional: Horseback riding tour.  You get a horse that suits your previous riding experience and go on an hour-long tour in the beautiful countryside of Skagafjordur.
Accommodation: Hotel Glymur a luxury hotel in Hvalfjordur where you can enjoy the spectacular view of the grand mountains surrounding the fjord from an outdoor hot tub.

Day 6: The Blue Lagoon & Departure
From Hotel Glymur you drive further into Hvalfjordur fjord to enjoy the scenic view and head to the Reykjanes peninsula.  This is where the Eurasian and North-American tectonic plates meet which explains the geothermal heat and endless lava fields which have formed in centuries of volcanic activities.  Travelling on mountain tracks and crossing unbridged rivers you’ll visit black sand beaches by lake Kleifarvatn as well powerful hot spring areas where you’ll see bubbling mud pits, boiling hot springs and blowing steam vents.  You then head to the Blue Lagoon for a relaxing soak in the outdoor geothermal seawater.  The natural combination of silica, algae and minerals ensures that no harmful germs are in the Lagoon and leaves the skin silky smooth. The driver guide will take you to the international airport in time for your flight.

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