A 6-day self-drive New Year holiday in the quiet countryside of Iceland's South Coast, with frozen waterfalls, Þingvellir National Park, geothermal pools and a chance of the northern lights.
Price from 1304 EUR per person
If you are interested in receiving more information about this tour, please fill in a quick form below to provide us with more information about your travel expectations. You will then be connected with your specialized travel agent who will assist you throughout the planning and provide a fully detailed quote. Please note that this itinerary can be adjusted and customized to meet your travel needs and preferences. The package can also be offered as a privately guided tour if a self-drive option is not what you had in mind for your Iceland experience.
Welcome to your New Years Eve holiday in Iceland. After touching ground at Keflavík International Airport, make your way through the Christmassy decorated airport. After clearing customs, you will collect your rental vehicle. Afterwards, you are ready to start your winter self-drive adventure! After a long flight, you will have a relaxing day in the countryside of Iceland. Make your way to Selfoss, where the nearby town of Hveragerði has a lot to offer. Enjoy your time in this small lovely town, visiting exhibitions and learn some Icelandic history. Hveragerði is located conveniently in a high-temperature area, so do not be surprised to see many greenhouses in this village. If interested in geothermal powers, we highly recommend visiting Hellisheiði Geothermal Interactive Exhibition. In the afternoon, make your way towards Hella, where you will stay for the next couple of nights. In the evening and if you are not too tired, we highly recommend hunting for the magical dancing Northern Lights if the forecast is favorable. Please note that the itinerary for this day is flexible and can be arranged and adjusted depending on your preferences and expectations, considering also the weather and whether you feel more active or relaxed.
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Hellisheiðarvirkjun is one of the largest geothermal power plants in the world, sitting on the Hengill volcanic ridge just 20 minutes from Reykjavik. It powers and heats much of the capital region, and its on-site exhibition gives visitors a genuinely interesting look at how Iceland turns volcanic energy into everyday life.
Iceland is often dubbed as the land of Fire and Ice, and we agree with that. Today you will be visiting the famed South coast of Iceland. Iceland is a highly active volcanic island and the best way for you to learn about its volcanic history is at the LAVA Centre, an interactive exhibition! Soon after leaving Hvollsvöllur, you will find the most glorious waterfall, Seljalandsfoss waterfall. This unique waterfall has a height of 60 meters in one drop! In the summertime, visitors can actually walk behind the waterfall to get a 360° view of the drop. This won’t be the only waterfall you will see on today’s road trip, the next one is just up ahead. The powerful Skógafoss waterfall, with a total width of 25 meters and a total drop of 60 meters will be a breathtaking sight, before you continue to your next location. Nearby, you will see Mýrdalsjökull glacier on your left-hand side, where you can join various glacier activities, such as Snowmobiling tours, glacier walks and ice climbing. Reynisfjara beach is eye-catching as it is not like every other beach you see. You will soon discover that the sand and pebbles are black, due to volcanic activity from Mýrdalsjökull glacier, which lies above the powerful volcano Katla. On the beach, you will get a perfect view of the Reynisdrangar ocean cliffs. This is the perfect opportunity for a nice afternoon/evening walk. Take extra care though, as the waves are especially strong and have caused serious and fatal accidents. Now you’ve come to your turning point. Make your way to your accommodation where you will stay for a second night.
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Seljalandsfoss is a 60-meter waterfall on Iceland's South Coast, fed by meltwater from Eyjafjallajökull glacier flowing down the Seljalandsá river. It is one of the first major waterfalls visitors encounter heading east from Reykjavík along the Ring Road, about 120 kilometers from the capital. What makes it unusual among Iceland's waterfalls is a path that runs around the base of the cliff and directly behind the falls, allowing visitors to stand inside the curtain of water and look back out through it. The walk takes about 10 minutes and the cavern behind the falls is large enough to move around comfortably, though the path becomes extremely slippery and is closed in winter when ice makes it dangerous. The waterfall faces west and catches sunset light particularly well in the late afternoon. A second waterfall, Gljúfrabúi, is hidden inside a narrow gorge two minutes drive east and is worth the small detour.
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Skógafoss is one of Iceland's largest and most visited waterfalls, dropping 60 meters over a 25-meter wide curtain of water on the South Coast near the village of Skógar. The sheer volume of spray it produces means that on clear days, single and double rainbows are almost guaranteed, making it one of the most photogenic spots in the country.
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Reynisfjara is Iceland's most famous black sand beach, sitting on the South Coast just west of the village of Vík í Mýrdal, about 180 kilometers from Reykjavik. The beach is framed by a wall of hexagonal basalt columns and the three offshore Reynisdrangar sea stacks, which folklore says are trolls turned to stone by the rising sun. It is regularly cited as one of the most dramatic non-tropical beaches in the world, and is equally well known for its powerful and unpredictable sneaker waves, which can surge far up the beach without warning.
Enjoy a relaxing day in the countryside. There are many things in the area, such as Kerið, a volcanic crater displaying its frozen crystal-clear water. One of the most unique sights in Iceland is the beautiful Friðheimar: a local farm that produces tomatoes all year round: a beautiful location, surrounded by nature: you can visit the premises, walk around the greenhouse and learn more about the power of our geothermal energy. Escape the cold and enter this cozy space, take a tour and have a nice warm meal in the beautiful indoor restaurant. In the Golden Circle area, you will also find many great geothermal pools and hot pots. Near Friðheimar Tomato farm is Flúðir, the home of the Secret Lagoon, a natural pool with hot water and rising steam, that only add magic to an already breathtaking location. If you are looking for a more luxurious experience, we highly recommend visiting Fontana Spa, its hot pots and saunas. Stay another night in the same accommodation as the night before.
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Kerið is one of Iceland's most striking volcanic craters, a 6,500-year-old caldera filled with vivid aquamarine water and ringed by steep red and black volcanic rock. It sits right off Route 35 on the Golden Circle route, making it one of the easiest natural wonders in Iceland to add to a day trip.
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Laugarvatn Fontana is a geothermal spa on the shores of Lake Laugarvatn in the heart of the Golden Circle, about an hour from Reykjavik. Its steam rooms are built directly over natural hot springs, its pools overlook the lake, and it is the only place in Iceland where you can watch traditional rye bread being baked underground using geothermal heat. Please note that Fontana is currently undergoing a major renovation and is scheduled to reopen in June 2026.
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The Secret Lagoon, known in Icelandic as Gamla Laugin or the Old Pool, is Iceland's oldest swimming pool, established in 1891 in the geothermal area of Hverahólmi near the village of Flúðir in South Iceland. The pool is fed entirely by natural hot springs and maintained at 38 to 40 degrees Celsius year-round without chemical treatment. A small geyser called Litli Geysir erupts every few minutes beside the pool. The lagoon closed from the late 1940s until 2014, when it was renovated and reopened.
Today you will explore the wonderful Golden Circle. Make your way to Geysir in the morning, where you might have the place all to your self, as the group tours from Reykjavík are yet to arrive. Geysir hot spring area is the home and the namesake of all geysers around the world! Geysir hasn´t been active for a long time, but its little brother Strokkur keeps gushing up warm waters, every 5-10 minutes. Make sure you see this natural miracle erupt! Nearby you will find Gullfoss or the “Golden Waterfall”, one of the most beautiful waterfalls in Iceland, with the ground around it covered in ice and likely shielded with snow! This photogenic and alluring waterfall is the perfect place to take your Christmas card photo. Be careful when taking in the sights, as the ground can be slippery. To complete the Golden Circle, one cannot forget the Þingvellir National Park. This unique park is one of a kind, where you can walk between the North American and the Eurasian tectonic plates. Þingvellir is also a part of UNESCO World Heritage sites, as it is the world´s oldest parliament. Enjoy a leisurely walk in the park and admire all the stunning natural beauty & history. Make your way back to your accommodation, where you will celebrate the New Year, with a festive meal and seeing the sky light up with colorful fireworks.
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Þingvellir National Park is Iceland's first national park and its only UNESCO World Heritage Site, sitting 47 kilometers east of Reykjavik at the first stop on the Golden Circle. It is the site of the Alþingi, Iceland's parliament, which first convened here in 930 AD, making it the oldest continuously operating parliament in the world. The park also straddles the rift valley between the North American and Eurasian tectonic plates, one of the few places on earth where the Mid-Atlantic Ridge can be seen and walked above sea level.
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Gullfoss, meaning Golden Falls, is one of Iceland's most powerful and visited waterfalls, dropping 32 meters in two dramatic tiers into the narrow Gullfossgjúfur canyon on the Golden Circle route. Fed by glacial meltwater from Langjökull glacier, it carries an average of 140 cubic meters of water per second in summer, producing a roar and a cloud of mist that can be heard and felt long before the falls come into view.
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The Geysir geothermal area in the Haukadalur valley of South Iceland is one of the three main stops on the Golden Circle and home to the hot spring that gave the English language the word geyser. The Great Geysir has been erupting intermittently for thousands of years and at its peak could blast water up to 70 meters into the air, but it is now largely dormant, erupting unpredictably and rarely. Its neighbor Strokkur, whose name means the Churn, erupts reliably every 5 to 10 minutes to heights of 15 to 40 meters and is the reason visitors gather here. The wider geothermal field contains dozens of hot springs, bubbling mud pools, fumaroles, and smaller geysers, making it worth exploring beyond just waiting for Strokkur. The site is free to visit year-round.
The first day of 2020 and your destination of the day is on the Reykjanes Peninsula. Reykjanes Peninsula is a highly active high-temperature area and often missed by travelers. Make your way to Selfoss, and from there to Seltún, a high-temperature area with steaming waters from the boiling mud pools. There are well- marked paths, to guide you through the area safely. Continue towards the Blue Lagoon, a unique spa located in the middle of lava fields, surrounded by moss and milky blue waters. At this world-famous geothermal area, you can relax after a couple of days on the road and benefit from the effects of the lagoon’s restorative waters (entrance to the Blue Lagoon is optional and currently not included in the itinerary). Relax and enjoy in this unique environment: natural silica mud mask, warm waters and the best the Icelandic nature has to offer: we can´t think of a better way to start your 2020! If you are up for it, there are other sights that Reykjanes Peninsula has to offer, such as Gunnuhver, a high-temperature area and Reykjanes Lighthouse. Here you will also find another site where you can stand on the North American and the Eurasian Tectonic plates at the Bridge between the continents. You will stay the night in Reykjanes Peninsula.
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Gunnuhver is Iceland's largest boiling mud pool, a highly active geothermal field on the southwestern tip of the Reykjanes Peninsula within the Reykjanes UNESCO Global Geopark. Steam vents, bubbling mud pots, and fumaroles cover the landscape, with mineral deposits turning the surrounding rock vivid shades of yellow, orange, and red. It is one of the most dramatic and accessible geothermal areas in the country, just 20 minutes from Keflavik International Airport.
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Seltún is a striking geothermal field within the Krýsuvík volcanic zone on the Reykjanes Peninsula, about 40 minutes from Reykjavik. Boiling mud pots, hissing steam vents, and hillsides painted yellow, orange, and red by mineral deposits create a landscape that looks genuinely otherworldly, and a boardwalk trail makes it accessible and safe to explore up close.
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The Bridge Between the Continents is a 15-meter footbridge on the Reykjanes Peninsula that spans the rift between the North American and Eurasian tectonic plates. It is one of the very few places on Earth where the Mid-Atlantic Ridge rises above sea level, making it possible to walk between two continents in a matter of seconds. Entry is free and it is about 25 minutes from Keflavik International Airport.
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The Blue Lagoon is Iceland's most visited tourist attraction and one of the most recognizable geothermal spas in the world, set in a black lava field on the Reykjanes Peninsula about 20 minutes from Keflavík International Airport and 45 minutes from Reykjavík. Its milky-blue color comes from silica dissolved in the geothermal water, which precipitates to the surface as the water cools and scatters light in the blue wavelengths. The water is maintained at 37 to 39 degrees Celsius year-round and is rich in silica, sulfur, and algae. The lagoon was not designed. It formed accidentally in 1976 when wastewater from the adjacent Svartsengi geothermal power plant began flooding a nearby lava field. A power plant employee with psoriasis bathed in it and found it relieved his condition; word spread, and by 1987 the site had been developed for public bathing. The formal spa facilities opened in 1999.
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The Reykjanes Peninsula is a UNESCO Global Geopark in southwest Iceland, about 40 minutes from Reykjavík and directly adjacent to Keflavík International Airport, making it the first landscape most visitors to Iceland drive through. It is where the Mid-Atlantic Ridge rises above sea level, marking the boundary between the North American and Eurasian tectonic plates, and the entire peninsula is a young, geologically active landscape of lava fields, volcanic craters, geothermal springs, and sea cliffs. Since 2021 the peninsula has experienced 12 volcanic eruptions in a period geologists have called the Reykjanes Fires, the first eruptions in the region in 800 years, and visits to recent lava fields have become one of Iceland's most distinctive travel experiences. The Blue Lagoon, one of Iceland's most visited attractions, is located here.
All good things come to an end and today is the last day of your Iceland vacation. Make your way to Keflavík International in time for your departing flight back home. Us at Iceland Unlimited thank you for choosing to travel with us and hope to see you again in the future. Have a safe flight and all the best for the New Year!
Let your personal travel consultant know what other activities catch your eye and we’ll add them to your custom-made trip itinerary.
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Our Superior accommodations feature spacious private rooms with en-suite bathrooms, offering the choice of a relaxing bath or a refreshing shower, along with a private toilet to ensure maximum comfort and privacy. These rooms represent the best available lodging options, found within prestigious 4-star hotels or the finest, highest-quality lodges across each region. In Reykjavik, all Superior accommodations are centrally located, placing you within easy reach of the city's key attractions, shopping areas, and vibrant dining and cultural scenes. These accommodations provide an elevated experience with superior comfort, thoughtful amenities, and attentive service designed to make your stay truly memorable. To enhance your visit, a complimentary breakfast is included each morning, helping you start your day well-nourished and ready to explore.
Experience a higher level of comfort with our carefully selected Classic accommodations, each offering private facilities including a shower and toilet for your convenience and privacy. These lodges fall under the 3-star hotel category, providing a perfect blend of quality and value. Most properties boast an on-site restaurant where you can enjoy a variety of meals without needing to venture far. In Reykjavik, all Classic accommodations are ideally situated in central locations, giving you easy access to the city's main attractions, shopping districts, and vibrant cultural spots. This category represents a significant upgrade in both comfort and service compared to budget options, making it an excellent choice for travelers seeking a cozy yet affordable stay. To make your mornings hassle-free, a delicious breakfast is included with your stay.
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