Iceland Active Private Tour + Laugavegur Trail

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Why You Should Go

It’s no hyperbole to state that Iceland is one of the most truly otherworldly places on Earth! The tiny country’s contrast in nature, topography, and outdoor activities make this an idyllic private tour and trekking destination. The reasonable climate also makes it a suitable destination to visit year-round. Despite what you may think, Iceland is not as frigid as people make it out to be. Due to the warm waters and winds that travel north from the Gulf Stream, Iceland enjoys a climate with moderate temperatures, that even in winter, rarely descends below 32 degrees Fahrenheit.

Based on the unprecedented rise in Iceland’s tourism, particularly during the peak June – August season, you must book nine months to one year in advance in order to the secure the highest quality guides, hotels, and trek (lux!) permits.

Among our favorite activities/sights is the Laugavegur Trek (among the most beautiful hikes in the world, including luxury camping), the many relaxing and therapeutic hot water baths, including the Blue Lagoon, whale watching, lush, green Fjaðrárgljúfur Canyon, and Icelandic horse-riding.

Based on the limited number of high-quality accommodations and guides, coupled with the extraordinary tourist demand in this tiny country, Iceland private tour costs are among the highest in the world. During the three-month, peak, summer season (June – August) Iceland hosts nearly 700,000 tourists despite the country’s total population being only 350,000. Two million people a year visit Iceland, however, we have never known the country to be crowded with tourists. Over the past several years, Iceland has experienced an incredible, 25% per year tourist growth!

Best Travel Time: Summer

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Laugavegur Trail

HOW MUCH WILL THIS TRIP COST?

Dependent on exact logistics and seasonality, our comprehensive private luxury tour costs are upward of

USD $6,000 – $7,000 per COUPLE per DAY.

  *Inclusive of all luxury accommodations, private guide/driver, meals per itinerary, INTERNAL air flights/rail /private transfers, & all taxes/service fees.

Sample Itinerary

11 Days

Each private luxury tour is custom to the wishes of each client. This itinerary is a sample. Partnering with our long-established relationship with United Airlines, our sister company, TRAVNET, may provide competitive Polaris/Business Class international airfare, along with mileage points conversion.

1

Day 1

Fly to Reykjavik
Through our sister company, premium air provider TRAVNET, we may assist with your international airfare, as well as with mileage points conversion.

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Reykjavik
2

Arrive Reykjavik + Transfer to Blue Lagoon
Upon arrival at Keflavik Airport in Reykjavik, you will be privately transferred to the Blue Lagoon Spa. The world-renowned Blue Lagoon is heated by geothermal energy and contains skin nurturing mineral salts and silica.

Meals: Lunch
Accommodations: The Retreat at Blue Lagoon

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Private lagoon at The Retreat at Blue Lagoon
3

Day 3

First Day of Trekking: Reykjavik/Laugavegur
During the drive to the trail, you will pass by the Hekla volcano and other volcanoes in the Dómadalur area. Arriving in Landmannalaugar at noon, you will meet your guide and, after lunch, explore the area including the crater Ljótipollur and the canyon Grænagil. Those up to it may even climb the Bláhnjúkur Peak. You will camp at Landmannalaugar for the night.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Accommodations: Laugavegur Luxury Camp

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Laugavegur Trail
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Landmannalaugar
4

Day 4

Trek Landmannalaugar/Hraftinusker/Álftavatn
As you make our way towards Álftavatn, you will pass small gorges, hot springs, and yellow mountain ridges, ascending up Hrafntinnusker. Following, you will descend down into the gullies of Jökultungur with hundreds of steaming hot springs and mud pools and a picturesque view of the Álftavatn area (Swan Lake) and the Mýrdalsjökull and Eyjafjallajökull glaciers. In the afternoon you will arrive at Álftavatn, your camp for the night.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Accommodations: Laugavegur Luxury Camp

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Hikers viewing the Eyjafjallajökull Volcano
5

Day 5

Trek Álftavatn/Emstrur
You will continue south across the Mælifellssandur sand plains, crossing a few rivers. The Mælifellssandur sand plain stretches south hemmed in by the Mýrdalsjökull ice cap to the east. At the south of the sand-plain is the Emstrur area, a green spot where the farmers used to take their sheep in the old days for summer grazing. Close by is the canyon of Markarfljótsgljúfur, that you can visit en route to camp or after a short break at camp.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Accommodations: Laugavegur Luxury Camp

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Emstrur Desert, Iceland
6

Day 6

Trekking + Transfer Þórsmörk / Fjaðrárgljúfur Canyon
Following breakfast at the camp and a little more trekking, you will be transferred from Þórsmörk to the Fjaðrárgljúfur canyon, considered one of the most beautiful canyons in the world. After trekking through the Canyon, you will visit the black beach of Reynisfjara and Dyrhólaey cliff, before being transferred to Hotel Ranga for the evening.

Meals: Breakfast & Lunch
Accommodations: Hotel Ranga

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Fjaðrárgljúfur Canyon
7

Day 7

Fly Reykjavik/Akureyri + Transfer to Lake Mývatn
Following breakfast at Hotel Ranga, you will be privately transferred to the Thrihnukagigur Volcano. You will be lead across a lava field before being professionally lowered into the belly of the volcano to see the incredible complexity of the crater. You will then be privately transferred to your onward flight to Akureyri.

Meals: Breakfast
Accommodations: Hotel Laxá

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Inside the Thrihnukagigur Volcano Tour
8

Day 8

Lake Myvatn Private Tour
Your full-day tour will include the Námafjall volcanic area and the Mývatn Nature baths, where the water reaches a temperature of about 265°F! A local lunch located inside a cowshed is available as well.

Meals: Breakfast & Lunch
Accommodations: Hotel Laxá

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Lake Mývatn
9

Day 9

Húsavík (Whale Watching!) + Fly Akureyri/Reykjavik
Your day will begin with a visit to the Húsavík Whale Museum, an excellent educational stopover before you board a small boat on Skjálfandi Bay. Here, you will have the chance to view several marine wildlife such as orcas, humpback whales, blue whales, and dolphins. Following your excursion, you will be privately transferred to the airport for your flight to Reykjavik.

Meals: Breakfast
Accommodations: The Retreat at the Blue Lagoon (or various, quality, 4-star hotel options convenient for city shopping)

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Orca off the Icelandic coast
10

Day 10

Gullfoss & Golden Circle Private Tour
Your last day in Iceland, you will take a trip to the Hvítá River, where you will be able to see it plunge 105 feet. You will then journey to a geothermal area where you can view magnificent geysers.

Meals: Breakfast
Accommodations: The Retreat at the Blue Lagoon (or various, quality, 4-star hotel options convenient for city shopping)

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Hvítá River and Gullfoss
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Golden Circle
11

Day 11

Fly Reykjavik/Home

Meals: Breakfast

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Reykjavik

Hotels

The Blue Lagoon is the only 5-star luxury hotel in Reykjavik and offers a private, otherworldly Iceland experience. Situated on a man-made geothermal hot spring like no other,  this property offers the ultimate solution to overcrowded lagoons: completely private access! The silica and chalcedony minerals cause the water to turn a milky, ethereal blue and is one of the most popular attractions in all of Iceland. The Retreat at the Blue Lagoon has taken this ultra-lux hotel to a whole new level of pampering. The 62-suite hotel/spa/resort features terraces overlooking the lagoon (!), floor-to-ceiling windows in every room, and Moss, their signature Michelin-recommended restaurant, onsite.

The Retreat Spa is built into 800-year-old lava flows and features steam rooms and therapeutic “bathing chambers” carved directly into the rock. Our family’s four-hour spa experience here was among our most memorable anywhere! Included is the “Blue Lagoon Ritual” featuring a silica, algae, and mineral body treatment provided in three connecting rooms. Following our ritual and massage, the Retreat’s “Nest” was a fitting space to end with a blissful nap. The Nest provides unique suspended chairs with floor to ceiling windows looking out at the therapeutic water of the Blue Lagoon. Kudos to the Retreat’s mastermind, Grimur Saemundson! This truly is a remarkable place.

The Retreat at the Blue Lagoon

View More Info >>

The Blue Lagoon is the only 5-star luxury hotel in Reykjavik and offers a private, otherworldly Iceland experience. Situated on a man-made geothermal hot spring like no other, this property offers the ultimate solution to overcrowded lagoons: completely private access! The silica and chalcedony minerals cause the water to turn a milky, ethereal blue and is one of the most popular attractions in all of Iceland. The Retreat at the Blue Lagoon has taken this ultra-lux hotel to a whole new level of pampering. The 62-suite hotel/spa/resort features terraces overlooking the lagoon (!), floor-to-ceiling windows in every room, and Moss, their signature Michelin-recommended restaurant, onsite.

The Retreat Spa is built into 800-year-old lava flows and features steam rooms and therapeutic “bathing chambers” carved directly into the rock. Our family’s four-hour spa experience here was among our most memorable anywhere! Included is the “Blue Lagoon Ritual” featuring a silica, algae, and mineral body treatment provided in three connecting rooms. Following our ritual and massage, the Retreat’s “Nest” was a fitting space to end with a blissful nap. The Nest provides unique suspended chairs with floor to ceiling windows looking out at the therapeutic water of the Blue Lagoon. Kudos to the Retreat’s mastermind, Grimur Saemundson! This truly is a remarkable place.

The luxury, 51-room, log cabin-style Hotel Ranga is our most frequently requested hotel in Iceland. Located 60 miles southeast of Reykjavik, one of the biggest draws of the Ranga is its reputation for outstanding Nordic cuisine, using its gourmet restaurant concept “Famer’s Market.” The property’s location overlooking the salmon-rich East Ranga River surely provides a plentiful supply of this delicious food! Though we are not big timber design fans, the timber and terra-cotta floors and handmade furniture at the Ranga certainly create an open and comfortable atmosphere. The hotel was renovated in 2008 under the management of its engaging and friendly owner, Friorik Palson.

Hotel Ranga

View More Info >>

The luxury, 51-room, log cabin-style Hotel Ranga is our most frequently requested hotel in Iceland. Located 60 miles southeast of Reykjavik, one of the biggest draws of the Ranga is its reputation for outstanding Nordic cuisine, using its gourmet restaurant concept “Famer’s Market.” The property’s location overlooking the salmon-rich East Ranga River surely provides a plentiful supply of this delicious food! Though we are not big timber design fans, the timber and terra-cotta floors and handmade furniture at the Ranga certainly create an open and comfortable atmosphere. The hotel was renovated in 2008 under the management of its engaging and friendly owner, Friorik Palson.

Opened in 2014, the 80-room “green” Hotel Laxa is far and away the finest hotel in northern Iceland/Mývatn Lake area. Using western, 5-star luxury hotels as a reference point, we consider the Laxa to be an upper 3-star/4-star property, but certainly the highest quality among the limited choices here. The Laxa rooms are quite spacious, with big windows and nice views, all integrating a modern, minimalist design, or as a client once put it, “upscale spartan”. The property’s Eldey restaurant is noteworthy for creating menus around northern Iceland’s unique, organic ingredients, with their smoked arctic char and lamb being most popular. Another big plus at the Laxa is its ideal location: only one mile from Lake Mývatn and a 30-minute drive to the Mývatn Nature Baths.

Hotel Laxá

View More Info >>

Opened in 2014, the 80-room “green” Hotel Laxa is far and away the finest hotel in northern Iceland/Mývatn Lake area. Using western, 5-star luxury hotels as a reference point, we consider the Laxa to be an upper 3-star/4-star property, but certainly the highest quality among the limited choices here. The Laxa rooms are quite spacious, with big windows and nice views, all integrating a modern, minimalist design, or as a client once put it, “upscale spartan”. The property’s Eldey restaurant is noteworthy for creating menus around northern Iceland’s unique, organic ingredients, with their smoked arctic char and lamb being most popular. Another big plus at the Laxa is its ideal location: only one mile from Lake Mývatn and a 30-minute drive to the Mývatn Nature Baths.

Request Custom Itinerary

1

Thank you for your interest in Kipling & Clark. We look forward to serving you!


Please note we specialize in global private luxury travel, including private guides and drivers throughout,

high-quality accommodations, inclusive of safari lodges and ryokans, in-country rail/air, and all taxes/service fees.


Dependent on destination and seasonality, our comprehensive private tour costs are upward of USD 5K-6K per couple per day.

                                         (312) 351-3121

                            rlynch@kiplingandclark.com



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Location

Overview

Temperature
Highs: Mid 50’s
Lows: Mid 30’s
Area
103,000 SQ KM
39,769 SQ MILES
Capital
Reykjavik
Population
328,000
Language
Icelandic
Currency
Krona

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