Iceland Grand Adventure - the Ring Road

Embark on the Iceland Grand Adventure along the Ring Road, a comprehensive tour showcasing the country’s diverse landscapes, from glaciers to fjords. Enjoy a luxurious, fully customizable experience around Iceland’s scenic route.

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The Plan

Iceland Grand Adventure - the Ring Road

The Iceland Grand Adventure is a completely private tour whereby circumnavigate the island and get the most of what Iceland has to offer. With our private trip, you will get the most out of your visit. This tour is available from 8 days to 14 days depending on guest preferences.

Thorsmörk and Eyjafjallajökull Adventure

Our favorite tour of the lot has to be the Thorsmörk and Eyjafjallajökull Adventure. Ony accessable in winter by superjeep and in summer by 4x4 SUV's, this area of Iceland is arguably the most unique. With the glaciers, waterfalls and rugged volcanic landscape, this adventure will leave with you memories for life.

Most of the waterfalls we will see on this tour are on the perimeter of Eyjafjallajokull Glacier. Seljalandsfoss has a scenic narrow drop of 60 meters into a glacial lagoon which gives visitors a unique sight. More adventurous visitors (which we are) can walk behind the falls for an even more breathtaking view from behind the water drop.

We may decide to leave this stop until the of the tour for better photo opportunities as the sun won't shine on this beautiful waterfalls itself until the afternoon.

Additionally, we'll visit Gígjökull Glacier up close.

Waterfalls and Volcanoes Adventure

The main attraction on this adventure is waterfalls but we will also look further east to Dyrhólaey and Reynisfjara Beach. Dyrhólaey, used to be an island thousands of years ago when the shoreline was further inland but is now a peninsula and easily recognizable due to its iconic cliff extending from the side with a large hole through the bottom of it. In the summer time, it's also a wonderful opportunity for our guests to catch a glimpse of the little cute puffins Iceland has become famous for.

Another waterfall did you say? We will also stop at the slightly wider Skógafoss. This is one of Iceland’s most picturesque waterfalls and probably one of the most photographed one: a true symbol of the natural forces of Iceland. There is a wonderful opportunity to hike up the almost 400 step walkway up to the side of the waterfall to get a viewing from the top which can make for great photos. Don't be surprised to see people walking with day packs as Skógafoss is the beginning/end of the popular hike across Fimmvörðuháls and into Thorsmörk, about an 8-hour hike.

Just a bit further down the road, we have an option of visiting another waterfall that is not visible from the road, Kvernufoss Waterfall. Hidden a few hundred meters in a small valley, like Seljalandfoss, Kvernufoss gives us the opportunity to walk behind it but with the added bonus of having fewer people around. Further east is Reynisfjara Beach and its iconic pillars, Reynisdrangar.

Without a doubt, Reynisdrangar has become one of Iceland's most iconic sites as they have been featured in many Hollywood films due to their formidable size and eerie needle-like appearance protruding through the shoreline. The surf at Reynisfjara is strong, unpredictable and in some cases lethal, so please use care when walking on the beach, especially for guests that are traveling with young children.

Finally, an option is to have a look at the remains of an abandoned DC-3 airplane which crashed in Sólheimasandur in the 70s before we head back to Reykjavik. Please note that as of the spring of 2016, the landowner has limited automobile traffic towards the wreckage, however, you do have the option of walking to the DC-3 with an estimated 45 minutes each way.

Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon Adventure

Continuing on our route towards the east, we drive past the mountain of Lómagnúpur, which rises formidably next to the ring road. About a half an hour later, we are in Skaftafell National Park, which holds includes Vatnajökull, Europe’s largest glacier and Iceland’s highest peak, Hvannadalshnúkur. It’s truly one of Iceland’s most iconic sights.

Beyond Skaftafell National Park are two Glacier Lagoons, Fjallsárlón and Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoons. Both are in the foothills of Iceland’s largest glacier and Iceland’s highest peak, and well worth a look. In good weather, the environment is a setting for some spectacular photos.

Jökulsárlón Glacial Lagoon is the better known of the two with many Hollywood movies having been filmed there. Here we have an option to take a Zodiac boat tour on the Lagoon. On the coast, the chunks of ice from the glacier have melted to form what has recently become known as Diamond Beach.

Vestrahorn and the East Fjords

We continue on the ring road, counter-clockwise towards the town of Höfn, a small fishing community that prides itself on their langoustines, ideal for lunch.

A few km east of Höfn is one of Iceland’s most iconic places, Stokksnes and Vesturhorn.

Driving further onto the East Fjords, past the towns od Djúpivogur and Breiðdalsvík and finally the fjord of Fáskrúðsfjörður and the old fishing town of Búðir. We head across one last mountain pass and arrive shortly in the town of Egilsstaðir where we will stay for the night.

Before we check into the hotel we may opt for a visit to the wonderdul geothermal pools at Vök Baths to unwind after the day's touring.

The Vök Baths is a geothermal destination on the beautiful Lake Urriðavatn in East Iceland. Vök Baths harnesses the geothermal power of the region to create a unique bathing experience with amazing views of the rest of the lake and the surrounding area.

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Details

EVERYONE'S LOVING IT

About this tour

My wife and I spent three days in Reykjavik and seven days on a guided trip around the southern, eastern and northern coasts of Iceland. The weather was glorious for almost our whole stay. We arranged the trip with the patient help of Arnar Baldvinsson, who runs Adventure Patrol and took care of all the details…

Keith Stevenson

West Hartford, CT

My wife and I just returned from a spectacular trip planned by Adventure Patrol, and we cannot recommend the experience highly enough! The owner of Adventure Patrol, Arnar, was extraordinarily easy to work with as we discussed our hopes and expectations in the weeks before the trip…

Jim S

Massachusett

This was an amazing trip, and we fell in love with Iceland! From helping us plan the trip to the trip itself, Adventure Patrol did an excellent job of crafting a trip that exceeded our expectations and ensured that the trip details were on point. Our guide, Egill, was very knowledgeable, personable, and had a great sense of humor…

Glutes

Atlanta, GA

We were in Iceland in January 2024. We joined a trip that friends of our had organized with Adventure Patrol. They worked with our friends to develop an itinerary for the trip that turned out great. We stayed in both Reykjavik and Vik, and the accommodations they chose and the itinerary they planned were perfect…

paulwalczyk

Bel Air, MD

We took a 10 day trip to Iceland, arranged by Adventure Patrol. The owner, Arnar, was very attentive to our thoughts about what we would like to do and see, and patiently worked with us through several iterations of our itinerary. We greatly benefited from his local expertise and contacts in curating and arranging every aspect of our trip…