Seven Day Self Drive Campervan Tour of South and West Iceland with Aurora

Selvík 5, Keflavík

We offer a complimentary shuttle service from either…

A complimentary shuttle runs from Keflavík International Airport, or from a hotel in Keflavík town, to the office five minutes from the airport.

Sun Voyager

The Sun Voyager sculpture by Jón Gunnar Árnason was built to carry a message of hope and freedom. It stands by the sea with mountains behind it.

Harpa Concert Hall and Conference Centre

Harpa, the concert and conference hall, with architecture drawn from Icelandic nature. Entry to see the building is free, though there is a small parking fee not included in the price.

Costo extra

Hallgrimskirkja

Hallgrimskirkja sits close to downtown Reykjavik and the Rainbow Street. The tower gives a 360 degree view over the city: the church is free, the tower has an admission fee not included here. With time left on arrival day, FlyOver Iceland shows the country's landmarks from the air. That is a recommendation only, admission is not included and you book it on the supplier's website. Allow 1 hour 30 minutes including the drive from Hallgrímskirkja.

Costo extra

Gerduberg basalt columns

The day opens at the Gerðuberg cliff, partly made of basalt columns 14 metres high. What makes them worth the stop is how geometrically regular they are.

Budakirkja

The south coast of the Snæfellsnes peninsula starts with a short stop at Búðir church, one of only three black churches in Iceland and heavily photographed for it. The Búðir hotel is a little further on, and seals turn up in the water now and then.

Arnastapi is worth a small stop as the area is renowned for…

Arnarstapi is worth a short stop. Erosion has cut an arch clean through the rock on the beach, called Gatklettur, which is Icelandic for the hole in the cliff.

Vatnshellir Lava Cave

At 2 pm, a lava tube 8,000 years old and 32 metres underground. Spiral stairs lead down into a chamber left behind by heavy lava flow. Helmet and headlamp provided.

Djúpalónssandur is a black pebble beach where sailors were…

Djúpálónssandur is a black pebble beach where crews were once chosen on the spot. Men were tested by lifting stones weighing between 23 and 155 kg, and by carrying or throwing heavy driftwood. The stones are still there, along with the rusted remains of a shipwreck. Nothing has been tidied away.

Saxholl Crater

The day can end at the Saxhóll volcanic crater. Wooden steps lead up to the rim of the 100 metre (328 ft) crater, an easy walk with a view over the sea, the lava fields and, on a clear day, Reykjavík on the horizon.

Kirkjufellsfoss

A full day. It opens in Stykkishólmur, a fishing village known for its fish, and Súgandisey island with its lighthouse. The harbour connects to the island by road and the climb up the hill is short, with a view worth the effort.

Today promises to be an eventful day

Several waterfalls today, starting with Hraunfossar, which is not one fall but hundreds of small streams coming out of the lava along a long stretch of riverbank.

Hraunfossar Lava Waterfall

Barnafoss, the children's waterfall, sits next to Hraunfossar. Here the water forces its way through a gap in the lava all at once.

Barnafoss

Deildartunguhver, the largest hot spring in Europe, in Reykjadalur, the valley of smoke. From a safe distance you can watch the water bubble at 97°C and feel the heat coming off it.

Deildartunguhver Thermal Spring

The day finishes in the geothermal water of the Krauma spa, next to Deildartunguhver. Four pools fed by a constant natural flow, with no chemicals needed to keep the water clean.

Krauma

The Golden Circle starts at Þingvellir national park, a UNESCO World Heritage site. Öxará waterfall and the Silfra fissure exist because the crust is pulling apart here, and the same ground carries the political history of the country. Entry is free; the parking fee is not included in the price.

Thingvellir National Park

At 11:30 AM, the warm water of the Fontana baths, with the lake in view from the pools.

Costo extra

Laugarvatn Fontana Geothermal Baths

Geysir next, where Strokkur sends a column of hot water up to 15 metres. The geothermal field around it has fumaroles, mud pots and openings where boiling water comes straight through the crust.

Geysir

Gullfoss drops 32 metres into a deep crevasse and covers everything nearby in spray. When the light catches the droplets, rainbows are routine. Fridheimar Restaurant and Farm is worth considering: horse breeding, horse shows, and a tomato farm run on geothermal energy with biological pest control, plus a restaurant built around the tomatoes. That is a recommendation only, admission is not included, and you book it yourself by email to [email protected] or by phone on (+354) 486 8894. Allow 1 hour 30 minutes including the drive from Gullfoss.

Gullfoss Falls

Keríð volcanic crater is roughly 3,000 years old. In summer the ground around it runs to strong colours; in winter it is at its best when the lake at the bottom catches low sunlight on a frosty day. There is a small admission fee to walk up, not included in the price.

Kerid Crater

More waterfalls today. Seljalandsfoss falls 60 metres and has a path running behind the water, which is why it turns up in so many photographs. The area is free; the parking fee is not included.

Costo extra

Seljalandsfoss

Skógafoss is fed by meltwater from the Eyjafjallajökull and Mýrdalsjökull glaciers. Standing close means noise, spray and rainbows when the light hits the droplets.

Costo extra

Skogafoss

Fjaðrárgljúfur Canyon is one of the fixtures of the south coast: a winding gorge, a cold river and sheep grazing on the edges. Justin Bieber filmed a music video here in 2015.

Fjadrargljufur Canyon

Diamond Beach: black sand covered in ice blocks from the glacier, in every size and shape, catching the light like cut glass.

Be ready to have an outer-world experience today! The…

Today is the ice cave tour, run by Local Guide of Vatnajökull. It takes half a day: a super jeep drive into the glacial valley, then a hike to the mouth of a naturally formed blue cave. The cave melts and reforms every summer, so no two seasons produce the same one.

Today you will experience an Ice Cave Tour

Dyrhólaey, Doorhill Island, is what is left of an island from thousands of years ago. The 120 metre rock formation has a hole through the middle that ships once sailed through. It is now a heavily visited site and home to a great deal of birdlife.

Dyrholaey

Reynisfjara beach and the Reynisfjall cliff, walled in basalt columns you can sit on. Offshore stand three rock stacks, said to be trolls who tried to reach shore and were caught by the daylight.

Reynisfjara Beach

At 1:30 pm, the Icelandic Lava Show, where real molten lava is poured in front of you in a controlled version of an eruption. For anyone interested in how people lived here centuries ago, the Skógar Museum holds 15,000 artefacts across three museums and six buildings. That is a recommendation only and admission is not included. Allow 1 hour 30 minutes including the drive from the Lava Show.

Lava Show - Vik

The day starts at Kleifarvatn, the largest lake on the Reykjanesbær peninsula and among the deepest in Iceland at nearly 100 metres. The water comes up through the porous lava around it, and there are enough fish to attract anglers. The shore is lava under moss a thousand years old. With time before your flight, the Blue Lagoon is the usual last stop. Recommendation only: admission is not included and you book it on the Blue Lagoon website. Allow around 2 hours 30 minutes including the drive from Kleifarvatn.

Kleifarvatn Lake

Time at the Gunnuhver geothermal area, with its steam vents, hot mud pools and ground coloured by minerals, and the Reykjanes lighthouse in the background.

Gunnuhver Hot Springs

The last day starts on the Reykjanes peninsula at the Bridge Between Continents, where you can stand between the Eurasian and North American plates.

Bridge Between Continents

Back at the office there are hot drinks, souvenirs and someone to tell about the trip. The shuttle can take you to the airport or to your hotel in Keflavik if you ask.

After arriving at our office

After arriving at our office, get some warm drinks, check on the souvenirs or share your memories from your trip with us! Our shuttle service can bring you to the airport or your hotel accommodation in Keflavik if requested.