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Iceland
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International · Iceland

Iceland

Volcanoes, glaciers, and the longest light you'll ever see.

Ideal length

8–11 days

Bespoke from

₹5.8L / pax

Time zone

GMT 0

Visa

Schengen

Featured packages

Featured packages for Iceland.

The Place

Summer means 22-hour days, puffins, and the Westfjords with no one in them. Winter means aurora, ice caves under Vatnajokull, and a single perfect lagoon. We split the Ring Road across 10 days with one big detour into the highlands.

Language

Icelandic, English everywhere

Plug

Type F · 230V

Driving

F-roads need 4x4

Daylight

21 hrs in June · 4 hrs in Dec

Best time

June – August, February – March

Getting there

Connect via London or Frankfurt to Reykjavik

Currency

ISK

Preferred · Why we go

Three reasons Iceland stays on our atlas.

Preferred · 01

Two countries

Summer Iceland and winter Iceland are not the same place. We run both.

Preferred · 02

Glacier cave access

Real ice caves, with the guides who carved the access paths.

Preferred · 03

Westfjords

The Iceland nobody on Instagram has been to.

When to go

Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec

Signature experiences

The reasons you came for, and a few you didn't.

Iceland — Vatnajökull ice caveWinter

Vatnajökull ice cave

Into a translucent blue chamber under Europe's largest glacier, with the guide who carved the access.

Iceland — Aurora chase with a meteorologistSky

Aurora chase with a meteorologist

Not a tour bus — a private 4x4 with a guide reading the KP index and cloud cover live.

Iceland — Highlands at midnight sunWalks

Highlands at midnight sun

Landmannalaugar's rhyolite hills and a hot-spring soak, walking at 11 p.m. in full daylight.

Iceland — Westfjords by 4x4Wild

Westfjords by 4x4

Three days on roads few people drive, Dynjandi waterfall, Arctic foxes, total quiet.

Iceland — Sky Lagoon at duskSlow

Sky Lagoon at dusk

The Blue Lagoon's smarter sibling — infinity pool into the Atlantic, no day-tour buses.

Iceland — Puffin colony at LátrabjargWildlife

Puffin colony at Látrabjarg

Europe's largest seabird cliff. Lie on the grass, lean over, they pose.

A possible shape

One way to spend your time in Iceland.

Not a fixed trip — a sketch to argue with. Every Gallivant journey is rebuilt around your dates, pace, and people.

  1. Day 1–2

    Reykjavik

    Hotel Borg. The Harpa, a Kjötsúpa lunch, dinner at Dill.

  2. Day 3

    Golden Circle

    Thingvellir tectonic rift, Geysir, Gullfoss — but at dawn, before the day-tours.

  3. Day 4–5

    South coast

    Vik, Reynisfjara black-sand, Jökulsárlón glacier lagoon. Stay at Fosshotel Glacier Lagoon.

  4. Day 6

    Glacier ice cave

    Snowcat into Vatnajökull. Three hours inside the cave, lunch on the moraine.

  5. Day 7–8

    Snæfellsnes peninsula

    Iceland in miniature — volcano, beach, fishing village, basalt cliffs.

  6. Day 9

    Sky Lagoon · home

    Two hours in the lagoon before the airport. The best layover bath in Europe.

Where you'll sleep

Three archetypes, one shortlist.

Deplar Farm, Troll Peninsula

Eleven Experience lodge

Deplar Farm, Troll Peninsula

An ex-sheep farm turned heli-ski / heli-fly retreat. Outdoor geothermal pool under the aurora.

Hotel Rangá

Aurora hotel

Hotel Rangá

A four-star country house with a wake-up call when the lights come on, and the country's best food halfway between Reykjavik and Vik.

The Retreat at Blue Lagoon

Subterranean spa hotel

The Retreat at Blue Lagoon

Sixty suites carved into the lava field, private lagoon access, a Michelin-aspiring kitchen.

On the plate

Food, drinks, and the rituals around them.

Dill, Reykjavik

New Nordic with a strong Icelandic accent. The first Michelin star here.

Lamb soup at Café Loki

Kjötsúpa — the country in a bowl. Two helpings, always.

Hot-spring rye bread

Baked in the geothermal earth at Laugarvatn. Served with smoked trout.

Skyr breakfasts

Not yoghurt. Better.

Which season

The year, in four moods.

Summer · Jun–Aug

Midnight sun, every road open, puffins on every cliff. Peak prices and bookings 6+ months out.

Aurora shoulder · Sep, Mar

Long enough nights for the lights, mild enough days for full driving. Our favourite windows.

Winter · Nov–Feb

Ice caves, full aurora season, short days but extraordinary light. F-roads closed.

Iceland 1
Iceland 2
Iceland 3

Field notes

Small things that change the trip.

Practical Iceland knowledge from people who keep going back.

  • 01

    The Ring Road in 7 days is too fast. We argue for 10.

  • 02

    F-roads (highland routes) require a 4x4 and only open mid-June.

  • 03

    Aurora is not guaranteed — even on a clear night. Three-night minimum to stack the odds.

  • 04

    Petrol is sold by the pump only with a chip-and-PIN card. We provide one if needed.

  • 05

    Tap water is the best in the world. Buying bottled water in Iceland is a small crime.

Questions

What we get asked about Iceland.

Pair this with

Trips we often run alongside.

Begin

Plan your Iceland trip.

No instant quotes. Share a few details and one of our designers will write back within a working day with a thoughtful first sketch.

Direct line · +91 98 1010 1010

Or write · hello@gallivantjourneys.com

Plan this trip

A note about Iceland.

Plan this trip