After Reykjavik hotel pickup, hop inside your climate-controlled Super Jeep, a 4x4 specially equipped to tackle Iceland’s rugged terrain. Meet your group of no more than six passengers, and then enjoy the views of the stunning west coast as you travel north to the Snaefellsnes Peninsula.
Hear about this untouched peninsula, immortalized by Jules Verne in his novel, Journey to the Centre of the Earth, from your guide, and learn about its Viking heritage and folk tales, beloved by Iceland’s artists, writers, and musicians.
On arrival, enjoy a comprehensive tour of the peninsula’s scenic highlights, and quaint towns and villages. View Snæfellsjökull, the towering, snow-covered volcano on the peninsula’s tip. Take photos of the rock formations here, and watch for kittiwakes as your guide explains how Verne imagined the volcano’s crater as the entrance to the earth’s center.
Pause at Skarðsvík beach to admire its golden sands and cliffs, and drive through folklore-steeped Lóndrangar to see its basalt pinnacles that look like a seaside rock castle, and rugged cliffs frequented by puffins and fulmars.
Stop for photos at Búðir, where a tiny church stands picturesquely against Snæfellsjökull volcano, and visit the villages of Hellnar and Arnarstapi, tucked among basalt mountains and connected by a spectacular coastal road that winds past rock formations.
Keep your camera ready, too for the harbor town of Grundarfjörður, set beneath Mt. Kirkjufell, a stunning, cone-shaped mountain replete with waterfalls that’s one of Iceland’s prettiest spots.
You’ll also visit Stykkishólmur, one of Snæfellsjökull’s most charming towns, and known for its environmental sustainability. Admire the pastel-hued buildings, see the well-preserved traditional houses in the center, and take in the surrounding coastline, home to colonies of seabirds.
After a day’s exploring, return to Reykjavik where your trip ends with a hotel drop-off.