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00 354 847 4133 contact@alkemia.is
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Adventure off the beaten tracks in Iceland in 4×4

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1548
From 8 to 20 days
Keflavik
Keflavik
Min Age : 6 years
DetailsPriceItineraryGood to knowPhotosReviews
Tour Details

This trip is for those who want to explore Iceland off the beaten tracks, in an unspoiled way.

We offer a more adventure-oriented itinerary, in total autonomy, in 4×4 either with camping gears or nights in refuges. This way of travelling, will allow you to discover the most secret regions of Iceland. An ideal journey for lovers of wide open spaces, solitude and authenticity. Leave the famous road number 1, which goes around the country and set off to explore the interior.

From the Fjallabak region, passing through the Sprengisandur desert to the Askja volcano, discover the uninhabited regions of the country. The climate is harsher there than on the coast and the roads are only tracks, accessible only a few months of the year, with an all-terrain vehicle. By following these roads, you enter areas still preserved from mass tourism, composed of glaciers and volcanoes, lakes and rivers, vast desert areas, waterfalls, lava fields, fumaroles, hot springs…

Highlights of this trip
  • Tailor-made itinerary. Thanks to our knowledge of the field, we can create a unique stay for you, based on your interests and what you like. Between places not to miss and more intimate and protected sites, you are embarked on a personalized adventure.
  • Trip off the beaten tracks. Iceland has become a fashionable destination that receives more and more visitors every year. If you want to feel being alone, the only option today is to get away from the touristic sites and set off to explore the wildest and most remote places in Iceland .
  • An adventurous but safe trip. When it comes from off the beaten tracks trip you need to make room for the unexpected and adventure. Chaotic roads, fords, capricious weather, Iceland is unveiling its charms slowly by slowly. With us, you’ll be prepared and alert. By going through our agency you are guaranteed to drive a vehicle adapted to your itinerary, have a detailed and marked route and all the information needed to travel with peace of mind. Finally, during your stay, you can stay in touch with our team for any help and advise in the event of a problem.
Our commitments
  • A selection of partners engaged in more responsible tourism.
  • A real tailor-made trip designed for you.
  • Refund of excursions not carried out for reasons beyond your control (weather, cancellation by the service provider).
  • The option to request a change in the booking of your accommodation, subject to availability.
  • The guarantee of working with a local agency.
  • We are contributing to the reforestation of Iceland with the planting of around 1 tree for 4 people.
Price

Included

  • Nights in huts, in dormitory with sleeping bag. Camping site on request and guesthouses available depending on the itinerary.
  • When in guesthouse, buffet breakfast included. Our accommodation sometimes offer a kitchen and / or hot bath on site. Bedsheets and towels are provided. We try to choose as much as possible eco-friendly accommodation.
  • 4x4 rental car with unlimited mileage, taxes and SCDW insurance included, refund of the deductible 0 €. Vehicle picked up and drop off at Keflavik Airport.
  • Optional: whale watching, natural baths, walk on the glacier, horseback riding, snowmobile, kayaking, diving, rafting...
  • Personalized travel book. Includes a general presentation of Iceland, various tips and a day-by-day program including supplies, suggestions for visits, advice for walks and hikes, as well as a detailed information for each accommodation. Map 1: 600,000 and hiking maps.
  • Our contact and locale assistance

Not included

  • International flight from 200 € departing from Europe
  • Meals and petrol
  • Personal cancellation and repatriation insurance
  • Optional: Additional of 2nd driver supplement between 25 and 40 € to be paid only at the rental agency.
Itinerary

D1: Arrival and beginning of the adventure

This itinerary is given as an indication. Although there are not many roads, there are many possible routes for you to explore the highlands of Iceland. We are here to offer you the route that will best suit your desires: long or short walks, volcanic sites, approach of the glacier, observation of the flora and fauna… all of which can be combined with the discovery of some of the sites included in the Jewels of Iceland itinerary.

On your arrival at the airport you’ll be picking up your car and have enough time to buy all you need for your trip into the Highlands and the uninhabited land of Iceland. The first step will depend on your arrival time. 

Driving distance between 5 to 100 kms. 

D2: Kerlingarfjöll, the mountain of witches

 
You start this trip with a quick visit of the Golden Circle, one of the most tourist sites in the country before actually entering some more remote areas following the Kjolur route, which crosses the country through a high plateau that passes between two glaciers. Mid way you get to the mountains of Kerlingarfjoll. There you’ll be able to walks in the heart of a geothermal area with solfatares. Another world, where everything is both powerful and impermanent. In the evening you will have the opportunity to bathe in a natural hot spring, an unforgettable experience.
Driving distance approx. 250 kms. 

D3: Along the Kjolur and geothermal energy at Hveravellir

You continue to drive up North, through the high plateau of Kjolur towards the solfatares area of Hveravellir, an amazing and smoking oasis in the desert. There you have another opportunity to swim in the middle of nature. Further North, you will bypass Lake Blondulon, to take a secondary track, which will take you to a more deserted part of the highlands through a beautiful valley then to what is known be the Sprengisandur (the desert that wears out horses) until the Laugafell refuge, where there too, a magnificent natural bath awaits you.

Driving distance approx. 200 kms. 

D4: On the way to Askja volcano

Your destination today is the volcano Askja and its caldera, in the middle of a pumice desert. It is easy to understand why NASA carried out its astronauts for their training here, for their stay on the moon … You can walk to the still smoking lava fields from the last eruption that took place in Holluhraun in 2014. Night in a refuge in the heart of these amazing landscapes.

D5: Exploration of Kverkjöll

You can choose to spend one or two days in this fascinating place, a volcanic massif located on the edge of the Vatnajökull ice cap. From the refuge, it is possible to reach the glacier tongue and approach an ice cave with its incredible blue reflections. There is also a river of warm water. The site is dangerous and it is recommended to be accompanied by a guide with the appropriate equipment. You will be able to enjoy almost alone these breathtaking and wild landscapes.

D6: Nyidalur Oasis

Today you are reaching the center of Iceland. In the middle of this immense desert that is the Sprengisandur, the Nyidalur refuge is the only real oasis in the heart of the largest cold desert in Europe. Although low, you will be happy to see some vegetation. Around you, the chain of mountains and glacial tongues of Vatnajökull, cuts itself above the immense mineral expanse.

Driving distance approx. 150 kms. 

D7: In the heart of Landmannalaugar mountains

You now drive in direction of the South and enter the region of Fjallabak a natural reserve and join the famous mountains of Landmannalaugar. Volcanic activity has forged reddish craters, rhyolite mountains, deep valleys and lava fields that border deep blue lakes. Hiking day and last night in a refuge.

Driving distance approx. 150 kms. 

D8:Back to the capital

It’s time to return to Reykjavik where you can spend a few hours to enjoy a peaceful return to civilization in this small capital on a human scale. Visit some iconic sites like Hallgrimskirkja Church and Harpa Cultural Center. Depending on your flight schedule, route to the airport for a late evening flight or last night in the city center before your departure tomorrow morning.

Driving distance approx. 200 kms.

Map

Good to know

  • Itinerary: on this self-drive tour we create a tailor-made itinerary following the length of your stay in Iceland and your personal interest according to our knowledge of the country as travel agency. A day by day itinerary will be given on an indicative basis and accommodations (in refuge or guesthouse) will be booked for you in advance. We provide you with all necessary maps and a trip information package with practical information that allows you to enjoy your vacation in the best possible way; tips on where to buy food, good restaurants, places to go – places to avoid, inescapable sites, our personal knowledge of Iceland and our experience as a local travel agent.
  • Transport: For this self-drive trip, only a 4×4 is required in order to be able to drive on gravel roads and cross fords.
  • Accommodation: For this itinerary we suggest in priority refuges, in order to stay close to the untouched areas of Iceland. Refuge are confortable, heated with gaz and fully equiped for cooking. You just need to bring all food with you. Drinking tape water is available on site. Hot shower (fee) and WC are found in separate building. Beds are in dormitory in sleeping bag (not provided). Sometimes small cottages are available for families (usually 5 or more guests). As the choice can be limited in some regions of the country, it is important to book your stay as soon as possible to benefit from the largest possible offer. Contact us for any specific request.
  • Period to travel: we offer this itinerary only from mid-June to end of September due to weathers conditions and closure of those roads the rest of the year. 
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