We visit the place where the two tectonic plates, the North American and the Eurasian plate, are moving away from each other. Few places in the world offer a better and clearer view of this massive geographic activity. The biggest natural lake in Iceland is also located at Thingvellir National Park and hosts a great variety of fish and bird life. Thingvellir is also an important place for Icelandic national history. At Thingvellir Icelanders founded their parliament in 930 a.d. where the chieftains had their annual meeting every summer. The name “Thingvellir” translates to “Parliament Plains”.

The Geysir geothermal area hosts hundreds of colorful hot springs and two geysers, erupting hot springs. One is called “Geysir” and name giving for all the geysers in the world. Today, however, it erupts very seldom. The other geyser is called “Strokkur” and erupts every 5 minutes up to 40 meters.

The melting water from Iceland´s second biggest glacier, Langjökull, falls into a deep canyon forming the majestic “Golden Falls”. On a sunny day, you can see the glacier Langjökull in the distance and enjoy a rainbow in the mist of the waterfall, an Instagram blockbuster waiting to happen!

Going towards the center of the Highlands we will pass the most active volcano in Iceland, Mount Hekla.

We will explore the stunning crater lakes in the area, such as Ljótipollur (The Ugly Pond)

We will spend some time at Frostastadavatn (lake of the frosty place).

Once we reached the center of the Highlands, you can choose whether to try one of the many beautiful hike trails, or relax in the natural geothermal hotsprings of Laundmannalaugar.

Before heading back to the hotel, we will make one more stop to a secret waterfall, þjofafoss.

The adventure continues as we head into the “Valley of Thor” Þórsmörk – crossing the rivers several times along the way. We mark the first stop at Nauthusagil waterfall, a secluded but worthwhile highlight of the day.

Here, we can take a hike to explore the volcanic and glacial surroundings and check out the amazing views.

Further west along the coast is Skógafoss waterfall. Skógafoss is an incredibly picturesque sight. Tucked in a little gorge, the river Skógá tumbles down a 60 meters cliff before continuing down the landscape towards the Atlantic Ocean. Alongside the gorge a staircase can take you to the shelf above the waterfall for stunning views. See if you can count your steps on your way up.

Heading further west, we visit the black sand beach of Reynisfjara where the massive waves of the Atlantic meet the unique basalt columns in the cliffs above the sand. Rock pillars in the water and the cliffs of Dýrhólaey are seen in the distance. This area of the south is also a paradise for bird lovers, as Puffins and dozens of other unique species nest on top of these cliffs in the summertime from June to August.

The adventure begins when your arrival is announced by the powerful theatrics of Seljalandsfoss. Bring a raincoat and you’ll be able to make the short hike behind the falls. The scene behind the fall and the trembling ground from the power of the falling water makes for an automatic Instagram blockbuster!