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Kirkjufell - West Iceland

The Great Exploration of Iceland and Greenland

(16 days / 15 nights)

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See more of the fun and fascinating North Atlantic

Combine the two great wonders of the North Atlantic – Iceland and Greenland. This unforgettable journey combines a classic drive around Iceland’s Ring Road and a nature adventure on Greenland’s rugged west coast. You’ll enjoy relaxing free time in the capital cities and small villages, and you will also have the opportunity to enjoy guided hikes and boat safaris, incredible scenery that changes by the day, fascinating cultural experiences and an exciting range of optional activities.

Greenland bookings are closed for 2023.
Dates for 2024 will open later this year.

Travel style

Self-Drive i

Interest

Classic i, Hiking i, Inuit culture i

Season

Jun - Aug

Departure

See Calendar

Itinerary

A day-by-day plan to guide your arctic adventure.

  • Day 1: Welcome to the North

    On arrival to Keflavik International Airport, you will be greeted by a driver who will bring you to your accommodation in Reykjavík. After settling in, the rest of the day is free for you to explore the vibrant city centre with its abundance of museums, restaurants and bars to suit all tastes. If you're interested in checking out Icelandic design or experiencing the city's thriving coffee culture, head to the main street, Laugavegur, and enjoy its various shops and cosy cafes.

    Spend the night in Reykjavik.

    Attractions See Activities for this day
  • Day 2: Welcome to Greenland

    Board a morning flight with Air Iceland Connect from Keflavik International Airport to Narsarsuaq. Transfer from the airport to the pier by boat through Erik's Fjord to Narsaq. Enjoy the route to the town, before you transfer to the hotel by car for check-in and an information and welcome meeting followed by short city tour of Narsaq.. Relax in the evening and enjoy an included dinner.

    Spend the night in Narsaq.

    Attractions
  • Day 3: Norse Ruins & Scenic Nature Hike

    Narsaq, which means “the plain” in Greenlandic, is a charming town known for its colourful wooden houses, where modern living is mixed with ancient traditions. It is an area of great geological and historical interest. Several interesting minerals can be found only a short hike from the town in the Kvanefjæld area as well as the Viking ruins of Dyrnæs and the Landnamsgård which are among the oldest Viking ruins found in South Greenland dating back to AD 1000.

    Spend another night at Narsaq.

    Attractions
  • Day 4: Explore Nuuk, the Smallest Capital in the World

    You have the morning to relax, sleep-in or to do some last-minute sightseeing. In the afternoon, you will board your flight to your next stop, the small and friendly capital city of Nuuk. After arriving and settling in at your hotel, the rest of the day is free for you to spend at your leisure.

    For a good overview of Greenlandic history and culture, spend some time at the National Museum, which houses a large collection of objects such as kayaks, umiaks and ceremonial costumes. The Nuuk Art Museum also houses many traditional artworks. For a taste of more modern art and culture, head to the Katuaq cultural centre, which is also a great place for a coffee break.

    Spend the night in Nuuk.

    Attractions
  • Day 5: Icebergs under the Midnight Sun

    Today you will fly to your next destination: the charming village of Ilulissat, situated about 250 km north of the Arctic Circle. Ilulissat is best known for its location at the mouth of the 56 kilometre-long Ilulissat Icefjord, which was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2004. On arrival, you will be taken to your accommodation and then you can enjoy the rest of the afternoon as you wish. Later in the evening, you will set sail for a guided late-evening cruise through the majestic Icefjord, which awes visitors with its maze of giant icebergs illuminated by the rosy glow of the midnight sun. Settle in at your hotel, and in the evening, enjoy an included dinner.

    Spend the next two nights in Ilulissat.

    Note: We strongly recommend booking optional activities well in advance with your travel consultant at Nordic Visitor. Please note that some activities are subject to a minimum number of participants along with having specific travel departure dates. Contact your travel consultant for more details.

    Attractions
  • Day 6: Explore Ilulissat as you wish

    The day is free for you to create your own adventure! You can choose from a wide range of exciting optional excursions, such as helicopter rides over icebergs, boat tours to the Eqi glacier with its enormous chunks of calved ice, village walks, whale watching safaris or excursions to the small, remote settlements in the area. In the evening, enjoy an included dinner.

    Note: We recommend booking the optional activities in advance through your travel consultant at Nordic Visitor, though you may also book activities at your hotel in Ilulissat during your stay.

    Attractions
  • Day 7: Back to Iceland

    Today it’s time to say goodbye to this majestic land, but you can still fit in some last-minute souvenir shopping or a stroll around town. On the return flight to Reykjavík in the afternoon, enjoy the stunning views over the rugged mountains and its surrounding landscapes.

    On arrival to Reykjavik, head to your hotel and enjoy the rest of the afternoon and evening as you wish.

    Spend the night in Reykjavik.

    Attractions
  • Day 8: The Golden Circle

    Collect your rental car in the morning and begin your journey on the classic “Golden Circle” route, home to some of Iceland’s most popular attractions. Start with a visit to Þingvellir National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site where you can walk on a path in the rift valley between the North American and Eurasian tectonic plates. Next is the Haukadalur geothermal area, the location of Geysir—the original “geyser”—and its more active neighbour, Strokkur, which spouts water every few minutes. End the circle with visits to the majestic Gullfoss waterfall and the old implosion crater of Kerið.

    Spend the night in the Hvolsvöllur area.

    Driving distance approx. 250 km / 155 mi.

    Attractions Attractions Attractions Attractions
  • Day 9: Waterfalls & Volcanic Beaches

    Start with visits to the Seljalandsfoss waterfall, where you can experience walking behind the misty cascade, and the gorgeous Skógafoss waterfall just a short drive down the road. Further ahead at Vík, you can make a stop at the black volcanic beach south of the village to see the dramatic rock formations of Dyrhólaey and Reynisdrangar. If you have time today, you can also make a stop at the stunning Fjaðrárgljúfur canyon or even join an exciting guided excursion by foot or snowmobile on a glacier.

    Spend the night in the Kirkjubæjarklaustur/Skaftafell area.

    Driving distance approx. 220 km / 137 mi.

    Attractions Attractions Attractions Attractions Attractions Attractions Attractions Attractions Attractions Attractions
  • Day 10: Glaciers & Floating Icebergs

    Enjoy Skaftafell, part of the immense Vatnajökull National Park and a place of great natural beauty with many interesting hiking trails, including a scenic path (3 km round-trip) to the beautiful Svartifoss waterfall. This area is also full of opportunities for more adventurous pursuits, such as guided glacier-walking or ice-climbing excursions. Then, head to the amazing Jökulsárlón glacier lagoon, where you can join a boat ride among the maze of floating icebergs (optional).

    Spend the night in the Höfn or Djúpivogur area.

    Driving distance approx. 210 km / 130 mi.

    Attractions Attractions Attractions Attractions
  • Day 11: Fjords & Fishing Villages

    Your drive along East Iceland today is characterised by spectacular fjords, tranquil fishing villages, rugged tundra and sweeping landscapes. Today’s destination is the otherworldly Lake Mývatn in North Iceland, where you will have many unusual natural wonders to explore, like the Krafla volcano, the Námaskarð pass, the massive Hverfell crater and the lunar-like pseudo-craters at Skútustaðir.

    Spend the next two nights in the Lake Mývatn area.

    Driving distance approx. 415 km / 258 mi.

    Attractions Attractions Attractions Attractions Attractions Attractions
  • Day 12: Lunar Landscapes of Lake Mývatn

    Use this day to discover the wonders beyond Lake Mývatn. You can start the day with an optional whale-watching trip from the village of Húsavík, “The Whale Watching Capital of Europe”. From there you can drive through Jökulsárgljúfur—part of Vatnajökull National Park, visiting such sights as the hoof-shaped Ásbyrgi canyon and the most powerful waterfall in Europe, Dettifoss. For a perfect ending to this day, we highly recommend bathing under the glow of the midnight sun in the warm geothermal waters of the Mývatn Nature Baths.

    Return to your accommodation in Lake Mývatn for the night.

    Driving distance approx.200 km / 124 mi.

    Attractions Attractions Attractions Attractions Attractions Attractions
  • Day 13: Explore North Iceland

    Spend the first half of the day around Lake Mývatn as you wish. We recommend a visit to Goðafoss (“The Waterfall of the Gods”) on your way to the charming town of Akureyri, where you will find many interesting little shops and museums as well as the world's most northerly botanical garden. After your break in Akureyri, you can either head straight to the Skagafjörður area or take a detour on the way there to Tröllaskagi (“The Peninsula of the Trolls”), where you can enjoy fantastic scenery of mountains, cliffs and fjords. Then, continue through Siglufjörður, which was once the centre of Iceland’s herring fleet, and make a stop at Hofsós to relax in the thermal pool (optional) before arriving to Skagafjörður, an area known for its abundance of purebred Icelandic horses.

    Spend the night in Northwest Iceland.

    Driving distance approx. 250 km / 155 mi.

    Attractions Attractions Attractions Attractions Attractions Attractions Attractions Attractions
  • Day 14: Journey to Snæfellsnes Peninsula

    On your way to Snæfellsnes Peninsula today, you’ll pass by the countless mounds of Vatnsdalshólar and the beautiful Þingeyrarkirkja church. You may also wish to make stops to the Eiríksstaðir, the reconstruction of Erik the Red’s early Viking homestead, and the hot geothermal pool of Guðrúnarlaug. Or, pay a visit to the picture-perfect fishing village of Stykkishólmur overlooking the Breiðafjörður Bay. Here, you can take a walk up to Súgandisey, the small hill overlooking the harbour with panoramic views over the town, sea and mountains.

    Spend the night on the Snæfellsnes Peninsula.

    Driving distance approx. 260 km / 162 mi.

    Attractions Attractions Attractions Attractions
  • Day 15: Snæfellsjökull National Park & Glacier

    Experience the natural magic around Snæfellsjökull National Park, with its great bird-watching opportunities, lava fields and small villages on the coast. An ideal option today is to drive around the whole peninsula, stopping to explore sights like the Dritvík Cove, Hellnar and the dramatic cliffs of Lóndrangar and Arnarstapi. Or why not test your strength, likes sailors did in the old days, with the “lifting stones” on the black volcanic beach of Djúpalónssandur. The Snæfellsnes Peninsula also offers a variety of optional activities such as horse riding, hiking and boat tours (seasonal) if you have time before your return to Reykjavik later in the afternoon.

    Spend the night in Reykjavík.

    Driving distance approx. 290 km / 180 mi.

    Attractions Attractions Attractions Attractions Attractions Attractions
  • Day 16: Departure

    Transfer by bus to Keflavík Airport in time for your departure flight. If your flight is in the afternoon, you can fit in a relaxing visit to the Blue Lagoon geothermal spa or even take a short guided tour of the volcanic Reykjanes Peninsula (optional; not included).

    Please note: due to the flight schedule between Greenland and Iceland this tour might need to be rearranged so that the flights suit your arrival and departure.

    Attractions Attractions Attractions Attractions Attractions Attractions

Optional extras

Customise your adventure with these Optional Extras.

We recommend adding your extra activities to the tour now for the best booking experience and to secure your spot, as activities are likely to sell out.

Map

Here’s a map of your travel route, to help put things in perspective.

Reviews

We don’t like to brag, so we’ll let our happy customers do it for us.

Dream vacation with the grandchildren

Our hotels were perfect. We enjoyed wonderful dinners, some in the hotels, and others along the way. We were pleasantly surprised that even the smallest hotels served gourmet meals, great food and beautiful presentation. This was the vacation of our dreams and we were blessed to travel with our daughter and two granddaughters, ages 8 and 11. We were still in Iceland when the granddaughters talked of "when we come back to Iceland". We then knew the trip was a success and we can't thank Gudrun and Nordic Visitor enough.

Accommodation

Relax in a top city hotel or guesthouse that is highly rated by visitors and handpicked by local travel experts.

Here you get to select the accommodation type of your choice for your stay in Iceland. In Greenland, we only offer Comfort Plus. With both of these you’re sure to sleep soundly and wake up ready to enjoy another day of exploration.

Budget

Rooms with shared WC and shower (or bath) in farmhouses, guesthouses or well-appointed hostels. All provide breakfast (included in..

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Comfort

Rooms with private WC and shower (or bath) in a three-star hotel or well-appointed guesthouse. All provide breakfast (included in ..

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Quality

Rooms with private WC and shower (or bath) in a three- or four-star hotel or the best accommodation available in the area at the t..

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Rental car

Two Drivers Free GPS

Toyota Yaris
(Manual)
or similar

  • x5
  • x5
  • x2
  • M

Toyota Yaris
(Manual)
or similar

  • Description: Economy
  • Passengers: 5
  • Luggage: 2
  • Doors: 5
  • Transmission: Manual*
  • *upgrade to automatic available upon request

Volkswagen Golf (Automatic)
or similar

  • x5
  • x5
  • x2
  • A

Volkswagen Golf (Automatic)
or similar

  • Description: Compact
  • Passengers: 5
  • Luggage: 2
  • Doors: 5
  • Transmission: Automatic

Toyota Corolla Sedan (Automatic)
or similar

  • x5
  • x5
  • x3
  • A

Toyota Corolla Sedan (Automatic)
or similar

  • Description: Intermediate
  • Passengers: 5
  • Luggage: 3
  • Doors: 5
  • Transmission: Automatic

Toyota Corolla Station (Automatic)
or similar

  • x5
  • x5
  • x4
  • A

Toyota Corolla Station (Automatic)
or similar

  • Description: Intermediate Wagon
  • Passengers: 5
  • Luggage: 4
  • Doors: 5
  • Transmission: Automatic

Hyundai Tucson AWD (Automatic)
or similar

  • x5
  • x5
  • x3
  • A

Hyundai Tucson AWD (Automatic)
or similar

  • Description: Intermediate SUV
  • Passengers: 5
  • Luggage: 3
  • Doors: 5
  • Transmission: Automatic

Toyota RAV4 4x4 (Automatic)
or similar

  • x5
  • x5
  • x4
  • A

Toyota RAV4 4x4 (Automatic)
or similar

  • Description: Standard SUV, AWD
  • Passengers: 5
  • Suitcases: 4
  • Doors: 5
  • Transmission: Automatic

Toyota Land Cruiser 4x4 (Automatic)
or similar

  • x5
  • x5
  • x5
  • A

Toyota Land Cruiser 4x4 (Automatic)
or similar

  • Description: Premium SUV, 4WD
  • Passengers: 5
  • Suitcases: 5
  • Doors: 5
  • Transmission: Automatic

Land Rover Discovery 4x4 (Automatic)
or similar
limited availability

  • x5
  • x5
  • x4
  • A

Land Rover Discovery 4x4 (Automatic)
or similar
limited availability

  • Description: 4x4
  • Passengers: 5
  • Suitcases: 4
  • Doors: 5
  • Transmission: Automatic

Ford Transit (Automatic)
or similar

  • x8
  • x5
  • x6
  • A

Ford Transit (Automatic)
or similar

  • Description: Passenger Van
  • Passengers: 8
  • Luggage: 6-7
  • Doors: 5
  • Transmission: Automatic

Tour Information

Nordic Visitor charges a non-refundable 50% deposit at the time of booking. The remaining amount is due 60 days before arrival and is non-refundable.

Customizations: We highly recommend arranging nights in Iceland before and after your tour to Greenland. We are happy to assist you with nights in Iceland or a complete pacakge.

Accommodations in Iceland and Greenland:
You have the choice of different accommodation levels for this tour. Please note that due to different accommodation standards in Greenland, our Budget option includes Budget accommodations in Iceland and Comfort accommodations in Greenland. The Comfort option has Comfort level accommodations in both destinations.

Useful information about Greenland 

  • This tour can be arranged on other dates in June, August and September. Contact us for details.
  • The summer climate in Greenland is generally mild and dry with average temperatures of 5 – 7° Celsius. However, due to the possibility of sudden weather changes, we recommend bringing warm, waterproof outerwear, thermal layers and good hiking boots and/or rubber boots. It is also ideal to bring mosquito repellent and sunglasses.
  • The itinerary in Greenland can change without notice due to weather conditions. In the rare event that an activity is cancelled, you will be refunded for that activity.
  • The currency in Greenland is Danish Krona (DKK). We recommend bringing some Danish currency or a debit card (bank card) with a 4-digit PIN number for cash withdrawals at ATM machines.
  • See our Travel Guide for more information about weather conditions, what to pack, currency and other practical information about travelling in Greenland.
  • We strongly recommend buying travel insurance.

Please note: due to flight schedule between Greenland and Iceland this tour might need to be rearranged so that the flights suit your arrival and departure. 

Currency rate
All bookings are charged in Icelandic Króna (ISK), the official currency of Iceland. Prices displayed in other currencies are indicative only and based on the daily exchange rate as issued by the Central bank of Iceland. Therefore, conversions from ISK to other currencies will fluctuate from day to day.

After booking with Nordic Visitor
After booking your package with Nordic Visitor, you will be contacted within two working days by one of our travel consultants, who will serve as your dedicated contact person for all of your travel needs before, during and even after your holiday. Your travel consultant will provide you with details about your booking and your remaining payment (if not paid in full). You will also receive more information about what to expect during your holiday.

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Whether you have a single question or a special request, we're here for you.

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