Iceland School Trips : Small Group Travel

Day 1 - Blue Lagoon – Perlan
Fly from the UK to Keflavik and transfer to the Blue Lagoon where you can take a dip in the milky blue geothermal waters of Iceland’s most famous attraction. Continue to Perlan, a Reykjavik landmark. This futuristic glass-domed building comprises large circular tanks holding the city’s naturally-heated water reserves above which sits an outdoor viewing platform. Transfer to your accommodation in Reykjavik for an evening meal and overnight stay.

Day 2 - Hellisheidi – Thingvellir – Geysir – Gullfoss
Meet with your guide and head east to the geothermal power plant at Hellisheidi and enjoy the power plant’s interactive display and guided tour. Then on to the rift valley at Thingvellir, where the divergent North American and Eurasian tectonic plates can be found, pulling apart at an average rate of 2.5cm per year – it is also where Iceland's national assembly, the Althing, was set up in 930AD. Look out for ropey lava as you make your way across the landscape, passing many fissures. Continue to Geysir, where Iceland’s most reliable geyser Strokkur spouts every 5 minutes or so. Nearby, witness the immense power of the two-tiered waterfall Gullfoss which flows from a glacier into a rift valley. Return to your accommodation in Reykjavik or if you prefer, to a rural guesthouse.

Day 3 - Eyjafjallajokull flood plain - Seljalandsfoss – Skogar – Solheimajokull - Vik
Drive east where you will reach the flood plains near Seljalandsfoss. Witness the engineering employed to control the affects of the glacial bursts (also known as jokulhlaup) that were caused by the Eyjafjallajokull volcanic eruption. Visit Seljalandsfoss, a narrow plunge waterfall where the water plummets over a former sea cliff, far enough away from the bedrock to allow you to walk behind it. In contrast, the waterfall at Skogar is a broad, block waterfall that thunders 60m over a cliff edge. Close by is an interesting museum which looks at rural life through the ages, complete with re-constructed turf houses - a great opportunity to see how the Icelandic way of life has been influenced over the years by the country’s geography and harsh climatic conditions. After this exploration, travel to the Solheimajokull glacier to study the moraines and see first hand how the glacier is shaping the land. Continue to your farm stay accommodation close to the village of Vik.

Day 4 - Vik – Reynishverfi – Dyrholaey – Hveragerdi - Reykjavik
Visit the black sand beach and dunes at Vik, the most southerly point of Iceland. See the incredible hexagonal basalt columns and impressive cliffs of Reynishverfi. The coastline between here and Dyrholaey is worthy of study with a variety of features including Iceland’s answer to Durdle Door – an immense natural rock arch. If the roads are open, visit the lighthouse perched on the headland and perhaps spot puffins. En route to Reykjavik pass through the small ‘greenhouse’ town of Hveragerdi, a place where there is so much geothermal activity it is possible to swim in naturally heated waters here and to even boil an egg in them! If you wish it is also an ideal place to carry out a rural settlement study. The latest hot springs to have appeared here did so after the Olfus earthquake in 2008. Continue to your accommodation in Reykjavik or if you prefer, to a rural guesthouse.

Day 5 - Reykjavik tour or Whale Watching – Home
You may like to spend time in Reykjavik sightseeing, shopping or conducting studies on the urban environment. Alternatively, join a three-hour whale watching trip from the harbour (weather dependant). Transfer to Keflavik for your return flight home.