Saga and History Tour 15 days / 14 nights - June to August - 4 Wheel Drive Vehicle required
Get in touch with the history of Iceland. Walk in the footsteps of the true heroes of the famous Sagas and maybe you will meet trolls, elves and the strangest characters of the Icelandic folk tales along the way. This tour brings you to the “show grounds” of the exciting Sagas; Egils Saga, Laxdæla, Grettis Saga and Njáls Saga. Visit the spots where they lived, loved, fought, died and spun yarns!
Day 0
Leave the US from Boston, Baltimore, JFK, Minneapolis, San Francisco or Orlando. Go to sleep - as it’s a short night flight!
Day 1
Welcome to Iceland! Grab luggage, pick up car, and hit the road! You could explore the Reykjanes Peninsula and (after 9 AM) soak in the Blue Lagoon on your way to Reykjavik. Overnight in one of the Fosshótels in Reykjavík or similar.
Day 2
Start your Saga tour where it all began: The National Park of Þingvellir where in historic times the yearly “Alþingi” was held. The hero of the day is Egill Skallagrímsson from Egils Saga. Then go through the beautiful backcountry through Uxahryggirdalur and into Borgafjordur, known as the Saga Valley. In the small town of Borgarnes you can find the Skallagrímsgarður park which commemorates Egil, and at Borg at Mýrar there’s another memorial, Sonatorrek. Spend 3 nights at Fosshótel Reykholt or similar.
Day 3
Borgafjordur - One of the highlights of the day is Reykholt, where Snorri Sturluson, writer of the Sagas, historian and chieftain of his time, lived. Here you find also Snorralaug, his outdoor bathing pool, still warm. Don’t miss Snorrastofa, a cultural center and an institution for research in medieval studies. Enjoy hot springs Deildartunguhver and the beautiful waterfall from lava Hraunfossar.
Day 4
Snæfellsnes – The playgrounds of Laxdæla Saga where women are the main heroes. A dramatic Saga about love, betray and the struggle between good and evil. Near Stykkishólmur you find Helgafell and there you can follow the footsteps of Guðrún, the hero of Laxdæla. There’s a museum devoted to fermented shark at Bjarnahöfn and you can hike or take a skidoo tour to the top of the glacier Snæfellsjökull. Also, a Blue Whale watching cruise from Olafsvik, or a great boat ride across Breidafjordur at Stykkisholmer.
Day 5
Dalir and Sauðárkrókur – Go west to Búðardalur and to Haukadalur to visit the replica of Eirik the Red’s home, Eiriksstaðir, and meet the old Vikings. Then drive north through Laxárdalur, the home of the people in Laxdæla Saga, continue towards Vatnsnes Peninsula and see the seals at Hindisvík.You’ll head east, and can take in the turf church Víðimýri and the excellent turf manor farm museum Glaumbær. Spend the next 3 nights at Fosshótel Áning in Sauðárkrókur or similar.
Day 6
Skagafjörður and Drangey – Spend the day in the spell of Grettir Ásmundsson, the exiled. Grettirs Saga tells us about his years surviving at Drangey Island. Take an unforgetable boat tour to Drangey, whose steep cliffs are home to puffins and countless other birds. You can also see Grettislaug, the natural hot pool where Grettir relaxed after a swim from Drangey to
Day 7
Siglufjörður, Akureyri, Öxnadalsheiði – Visit the historical sight at Hólar, where there’s also an equestrian university. Stop at the Icelandic Emigration Center in Hofsós with a focus on those who have left Iceland for North America. The Pakkhusid museum is here, one of the oldest wooden buildings in the country, brought from Denmark in 1772, as a warehouse. You could also drive through Öxnadalsheiði into Akureyri, the “Capital of the North,” with it’s interesting botanical garden and museum, and pretty fjord.
Day 8
Kjölur to Hella – Gas up and get lunch, as a great drive over the Kjölur highland road awaits you - this is why you need 4WD! Stop and take a soak at the hot spring area at Hveravellir, and find the cave where the outlaws Eyvindur and Halla lived for some years. The glaciers Langjökull and Hofsjökull have their eye on you the whole time - and after several hours of high gravel desert, you come to civilized paved road in the south. Spend the next 4 nights at Fosshótel Mosfell in Hella or Fosshótel Nesbúð in Nesjavellir (If Kjölur is closed you’ll need to drive Rt 1 south instead).
Day 9
Njála, Hvolsvöllur, Þórsmörk – The most famous Icelandic Sagas is Njáls Sags, so head to Hvolsvöllur and the Njáls Saga Museum - it’s small but very informative. Then drive through the land of Njáll and Gunnar from Hlíðarendi. Northeast of the town is Thorsmork National Park, filled with wooded hills and canyons, between three glaciers. You’ll need 4WD to get there!
Day 10
Þjórsárdalur and Stöng – Þjórsárdalur is filled with beautiful waterfalls - Gjáinn, Hjálparfoss and Háifoss. Visit the recreated farm Stöng, destroyed by the ashes from the eruption of the volcano Hekla during the Viking Age, to see how how our Saga heroes lived.
Day 11
South Iceland, Vík, Skógar – Head east along the beautiful south coast, taking in the waterfalls Seljalandsfoss and Skógarfoss, the Skógar Museum, the puffins at Cape Dyrhólaey (mid May to mid August), and stroll along the black beach at Reynishverfi and the village of Vík. You’ll be have glaciers in view for much of the day, and in some cases can get up close to them.
Day 12
Gullfoss, Geysir, Skálholt, Reykjavík – Iceland’s most famous sights - the hot spring Geysir and the golden waterfall Gullfoss. At Skálholt you find an interesting historical exhibition.. At Kerið you can walk atop a beautiful water- filled lava crater. Then head back to Reykjavík to spend 3 nights in one of the Fosshótels, or similar, in the capital.
Day 13
Reykjavík Spend the day relaxing in Reykjavík. You might want to visit the National Museum, the Culture House, the Saga Museum in the Pearl and of course the Árni Magnússon Institute where the famous manuscripts of the Sagas are on display. The Tourist Information Center downtown sells the Reykjavik Card, which gets you free entry to museums, and swimming pools and other discounts as well.
Day 14
Reykjanes, Blue Lagoon – Drive south around the Reykjanes Peninsula, and see the hot springs of Krýsuvík, the fishing village Grindavík, the lighthouse of Reykjanes and then finally to the Blue Lagoon where you can soak in the blue, warm water.
Day 15
A long morning to relax, shop, swim, before heading back to the airport in the afternoon. Drop off the car and get on the plane!
Price per person
Summer F Car 4WD $4205 - which you’ll need to travel in the highlands,
Price includes international flights from US, car with unlimited miles, 14 nights in double rooms, and breakfast. NOT included are US Departure taxes (usually$85), gas, tolls, guidebooks, lunch or dinner.
Printed copies and PDFs of all of our driving tour itineraries (and some travel advice) are available. Email or phone for PDF or printed copies.
