Iceland – Island of Fire, Ice, and All-Night Summer Sun
For the past 47 years Goway has been sending Globetrotters to some of the world’s most interesting and exotic destinations. One of those is Iceland, a convenient stopover en-route to Europe, and a star destination in its own right.
Iceland embodies nature at its best, all concentrated and easily reached in one small, well-connected country. It boasts around 330 species of birds, thousands of waterfalls, hundreds of hot springs, and fifteen active volcanoes, not to mention the midnight sun in summer and the northern lights in winter. Nowhere else on earth offers such a landscape.
The long days of summer mean plenty of daylight hours to hike through the pristine wilderness, take a four-wheel drive over a glacier, or swim in a thermal pool. In winter, the countryside is bathed in the eerie light of the Aurora Borealis, local festivals abound, and snow sports are a must.
With well-developed infrastructure and a population generally fluent in English, Iceland also boasts a rich Viking heritage. Some sites include the world-famous Blue Lagoon with its claimed healing powers, and the very popular stopover option, the Golden Circle. The “Circle” takes you to the largest waterfall in Europe, Gullfoss Falls, the largest geyser, naturally located in Geyser National Park, and the world’s first and longest lasting parliament at Thingvellir.
It is also in Thingvellir that once can Iceland slowly being pulled apart. This is the point where the European and North American tectonic plates slowly pull apart from each other. One very cool option (pun intended) is the chance to dive or snorkel in the glacial waters that fill the gap between the two continents.
Icelandair offers a free stopover of up to seven days in Reykjavik en-route to Europe with an easy overnight flight travelling to Iceland and a same-day arrival when coming home. This makes Icelandair, an ideal travel partner for getting to and from Iceland.
With the popularity of Iceland ever growing, accommodation is one of the biggest challenges when booking a trip. Goway’s set departure coach tours take this headache out of the equation, as all accommodation is pre-booked and confirmed by the Iceland tour provider.
Three recommended coach itineraries are: Iceland Complete, Volcanoes & Glaciers Coach Tour from Reykjavik Iceland, and Mountain & Fjords Iceland Coach Tour from Reykjavik.
Roads in summer in Iceland are easy to navigate a self-drive trip offers maximum freedom to explore. However, self-drive Globetrotters will still have an itinerary in hand. Goway designs its own SET departure self drives to ensure travellers enjoy pre-booked and confirmed accommodation, particularly in the busy summer. Two choices are the 10-day Active Iceland Scheduled Self-drive and the 7-day Iceland Explorer Scheduled Self Drive.
Those who favour cruising over driving may wish to look at the Iceland Circumnavigation Cruise, ten days sailing from Reykjavik aboard the Ocean Diamond around Iceland offers all the amazing sites, spectacular scenery, and an excellent insight into the country. See majestic fjords, cascading waterfalls, mighty glaciers, remote fishing villages, abundant wildlife, and active volcanoes by day and cruise in style and comfort at night.
Iceland is all about the remote natural sights, but a proper Iceland tour also needs time in and around the capital, Reykjavik. There are three and four day Reykjavik stopovers, any of which are ideal for those travelling to and from Europe.
Dining opportunities abound in Reykjavik. There are even some budget options from a hot dog (the most popular meal), to locally made burgers (No McDonalds in Iceland!), right up to more traditional local choices such as horse and puffin. Diners can also enjoy simple but awesome fare like fresh fish ‘n’ chips.
Easily accessible, visitors can travel in Iceland with either coach tours, self-drive itineraries, or something fully customized. Iceland affords a number of travel options, all with opportunities to meet the famously welcoming Icelanders.
