A spectacular small group tour around Iceland, exploring remote and rugged landscapes that see far fewer visitors than the famous Golden Circle. This eco-conscious trip also focuses on traditional Icelandic culture for a thoroughly satisfying itinerary.
Escape the tourist trail to circumnavigate IcelandThingvellir National ParkMeet a local stone carverSpend the night at the oldest hotel in IcelandDip your toes in the Arctic OceanIcelandic delicacies and schnapps tastingWhale-watching cruiseSail between icebergs in the East FjordsTake part in a local tree-planting projectDrive the Golden Circle, with a stop at the Blue Lagoon
Iceland's landscapes, sculpted by fire and ice, draw travelers with whales, waterfalls and Northern Lights.
Vacation information
TOURS WITH ADDED COMFORT:
This tour offers a more elevated way to travel. It includes carefully selected accommodation, a smaller group size and local knowledge delivered by the most experienced tour leader, plus daily inclusions, handcrafted signature experiences and all the extras taken care of.
ACCOMMODATION:
Accommodation on this tour is handpicked to bring you closer to the destination while ensuring exceptional comfort and service. A highlight of this trip is a memorable Feature Stay in a unique property of historic or cultural significance, offering a deeper connection to the place you are visiting.
WHAT'S INCLUDED:
This tour comes with more included meals, authentic signature experiences and even the tipping kitty rolled into the tour price, so you can focus on enjoying the destination.
Reviews
1 Reviews of Iceland small group tours with added comfort
4 out of 5 stars
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Reviewed on 01 Nov 2023 by Jackie Whittakee
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your vacation?
Seeing Samarkand and Khiva, the latter where we stayed inside the ramparts. Seeing the lovely tiled mausoleums, mosques, and palaces.
2. What tips would you give other travelers booking this vacation?
It is very busy, You are on the go, morning, noon and night and with the group virtually every moment of the vacation so be prepared for this.
3. Did you feel that your vacation benefited local people, reduced environmental impacts or supported conservation?
Yes, we went around several local handicraft places in each city where artisans were making pottery or painting or weaving so it could have benefited them, although most of the things were too heavy or big to pack into a suitcase, so very few purchases were made.
4. Finally, how would you rate your vacation overall?
Very informative, the guide was excellent, a new experience
Responsible Travel
As the pioneers of responsible tourism, we've screened this (and every) vacation so that you can travel knowing we've worked to maximise the benefits of your vacation to local people and places, and minimise any negative impacts.
Planet
We continue to search out activities that are suitable for our travelers, while also finding suppliers that are making concerted efforts to reduce their environmental impact. This trip includes a visit to an eco-farm in the Hvolsvollur Valley. The farm owners are the leaders in responsible tourism and sustainability in Iceland and will share with travelers the history of settlement in Iceland and the deforestation that took place, making way for farmland. They’ll then show travelers their tree planting project, implemented on their own farmland, and contributing to lowering carbon dioxide and counteracting soil erosion. Travelers are encouraged to get their hands dirty and participate in planting more trees during the visit.
We provide training to trip leaders on water consumption best practices and how to encourage their travelers to follow these principles too. As tap water is safe to drink in Iceland, we encourage travelers to bring a reusable water bottle that they can refill throughout the trip. This reduces the number of single-use plastic water bottles disposed of by our travelers. We continue to work with local suppliers on water management initiatives. For example, encouraging hotel owners to provide water refill stations, and in-room signage requesting short showers, repeated towel use and turning taps off.
People
Our tour leaders provide travelers with an Icelandic language sheet when they join this trip. Leaders conduct a quick lesson to help travelers become more confident with commonly used words and phrases. Travelers can then be polite and friendly in their interactions with locals, using greetings, please and thank you to show their respect. Tipping isn’t customary in Iceland and our local leaders will discuss this with the group during the welcome meeting. This ensures that neither locals nor visitors are made to feel uncomfortable in situations where it might be common practice to tip in other countries.
Our trips maximize the opportunity for travelers to engage meaningfully with local culture and communities. Many experiences on our trips also support traditional cultural practices – whether artisanal, culinary or otherwise. In turn, this helps to sustain and preserve these traditional practices so that future generations may continue to learn, enjoy and benefit from them. During this trip around Iceland, travelers will meet a local stone carving artist, Liston, at his studio in Grundafjordor. He will explain his technique, inspiration and the history of this art form in Iceland. ?
