Northern lights have started!

A number of travellers come to Iceland for one reason: The northern lights. People probably don´t know that the northern lights are swirling above our heads all year, but in summer we just don´t see them because of the long and bright nights. You need darkness in order to see them.

Soon the organized northern lights tours will start from Reykjavík and other towns and places in Iceland. Sometimes you don´t have to go far from Reykjavík in order to enjoy the spectacle, just a 15 minutes drive, and sometimes you have to drive 1-2 hours. All depends on the clouds and you can see the prognose for the sky on www.vedur.is.

If you want to travel away from all lights then a tour to the highlands might be an option: https://glacialexperience.is/destination/wonders-of-the-highlands/

For more details visit our site:: Langjökull glacier, Blue lagoon, Luxury travel Iceland, Dyrhólaey cape, Iceland Super jeep tour, Gullfoss waterfall tour & Luxury tours in Iceland.

Thorsmörk is the paradise for hikers and all nature lovers

There are so many interesting, challenging and beautiful hiking trails in Iceland that it is impossible to name them all. Thórmörk is kind of a "highland" though not far from Reykjavík. From Seljalandsfoss waterfall, the one you can walk behind, there is 30-50 min drive on a good SUV, called super jeeps in Iceland. The best and most importantly safest way to make the most of your trip is to hire a private guide or book a private tour in and around the island.

Básar is a beautiful place in Goðaland. To get there you have to cross almost 20 rivers. In Básar you can bbq your lunch and from there there are several hiking trails and opportunities. One of the that takes about 4 hours is mountain Útigönguhöfði. The video above is taken from the top and you can see the fantastic view.

There are several hiking opportunities in and around Thorsmörk. There is the popular hiking tour between Thorsmörk and Landmannalaugar that usually takes 3 days to complete. Another popular hiking experience is between Básar and Skógafoss, 25 km and takes a whole day.

You want to come and experience Thorsmörk yourself? Contact us and we´ll find out how. Together.

For more details visit our site:: Langjökull glacier, Blue lagoon, Luxury travel Iceland, Dyrhólaey cape, Iceland Super jeep tour, Gullfoss waterfall tour & Luxury tours in Iceland.

It's blueberry season in Iceland!

It’s blueberry season here in Iceland – the time of year when Icelanders go off to the countryside to pick ripened blueberries and crowberries which grow in vast quantities in heathlands and around the foothills of mountains. You can find wild berries growing in most parts of the country, but they say the juiciest can be found up north.

Berjamó - an Icelandic tradition

It's tradition with many families here in Iceland to spend the day collecting wild berries; an activity known as Berjamó. When they get home, they make jam, juice and muffins out of the bounty, or simply serve the blueberries with skyr, cream and sugar for a refreshing dessert. If you don't have time to venture far from the capital you can find berries around Mount Esja and Heiðmörk. There are also many professional foragers in Iceland, so if you don't have time for Berjamó, you can find fresh Icelandic blueberries for sale in the supermarkets.

Icelandic recipe for blueberry jam

• 500g of blueberries
• 1 & 1/2 dl of water
• 350g of sugar

Boil the blueberries in water for five minutes. Stir the berries into a paste. Add the sugar into the mix and simmer for another ten minutes. Pour into clean jars and seal. Enjoy on any occasion! 

Plan your visit to Iceland with Glacial Experience and find out how you can pack a blueberry-picking adventure into your trip! 

For more details visit our site:: Langjökull glacier, Blue lagoon, Luxury travel Iceland, Dyrhólaey cape, Iceland Super jeep tour, Gullfoss waterfall tour & Luxury tours in Iceland. 

Start preparing for 2019: Highlands in June through September

You can not describe with words the beauty of the Icelandic highlands. It´s unique, remote, only accessible by big SUV, or super jeep as they are called in Iceland. Since the highlands are higher than the lowland around the coastline the snow stays longer and some places are only free of snow in the beginning of July. August and September are the best months to travel, free of snow and you´ll have the northern lights as a bonus!

Glacier has designed a fantastic 6 day trip to the highlands. We have been scouting the roads and places this summer, testing the accommodation and the food, measuring the time it takes to go from one place to another and we´re confident that we have a fantastic trip, far away from everything, where you can travel a whole day without meeting anyone! The benefit of a private tour is the flexibility: customer is king and you can decide a lot how the trip is executed: Do you like a lot of hiking or not at all? That´s totally up to you. We at Glacial Experience are all trained and experienced driver guides and hikers, used to cross voluminous rivers and floods.

The 6 days trip is divided into

• day of arrival,
• 4 days on the highlands.
• day of departure

I travelled this trip with high school friends last week, we took the 4 days as in the scheduled trip and it was just fantastic. Many of them had never been to these places and they were overwhelmed by the vast terrain with no people, only a few birds and then mountains, peaks, ice, rivers and all the colours.

For more details visit our site:: Iceland private tour, Private luxury tours Iceland, Kerlingarfjöll,  Seljalandsfoss waterfall & Svartifoss waterfall.

Rettir — the big Icelandic sheep round-up

With those glorious shades of autumn in progress, September is a particularly colourful time of year to visit Iceland. It marks the return of the northern lights, the start of the cultural calendar and it's also the time of year when Rettir takes place – the great Icelandic sheep round-up. As one of the oldest traditions in the country, it provides one of the highlights of the season for countryside communities.

There are three times more sheep than people in Iceland

For most of the year, Iceland’s large population of sheep roam the mountains and valleys grazing on an abundance of wild saplings, thyme and heather.

Given that there are almost three sheep to every person living in Iceland, the process of gathering them can be quite a challenge which is why farmers rely on the whole community to help with the gathering process; needless to say, additional help from visitors is always gladly welcomed.

Round-up events usually take place on weekends in September and involve lots of walking and running in the brisk autumn air, chasing sheep, rounding them up and sorting them into pens.

Dangerous dancing at the Rettaball

Once the hard work is over and the sheep are all rounded up the day is almost always topped off with a big autumn feast, known as Rettaball. Events like this, which are usually hosted in local community centres, involve lots of drinking, singing and because of the large quantities of alcohol usually consumed, some rather dangerous dancing. After three days of chasing sheep all over the mountains, it's a wonder where they get their energy from. 

For more details visit our site:: Iceland private tour, Private luxury tours Iceland, Kerlingarfjöll,  Seljalandsfoss waterfall & Svartifoss waterfall.

Enjoying Iceland in the rain

You should never rule out the chance of rain hitting your holiday parade in Iceland, even during the season of the midnight sun, but it doesn't mean that you can't have a fabulous time.

You should never rule out the chance of rain hitting your holiday parade in Iceland, even during the season of the midnight sun, but it doesn’t mean that you can’t have a fabulous time. Unless there’s a severe weather warning advising you to stay indoors, the rain shouldn’t really stop you from enjoying Iceland or visiting any of the outdoor attractions you came to see. In fact, the mood generated when it rains not only adds a thrilling atmospheric quality to the scenery, but it also brings out the pleasant aroma of distinctive Icelandic vegetation such as aspen, birch and angelica.

Whatever the weather

Locals don’t let the rain stop them from indulging in any outdoor activities or adventures here in Iceland and the simple explanation is that they make sure they dress for the weather. In fact, one of their favourite sayings on the weather goes something like this: “there’s no such thing as bad weather in Iceland, only bad clothing.” So if you want to enjoy your summer trip to Iceland, whatever the weather, here’s what to bring:

thermals

extra socks

long and short sleeved t-shirts

a fleece jacket

a wind and waterproof shell

waterproof walking shoes

waterproof hiking pants

buff & gloves

swimsuit (visiting any of the many outdoor geothermal pools in Iceland is especially thrilling in the rain – there’s something magical about relaxing in a hot pool with cool raindrops falling on your head)

and

a positive mental attitudeAverage temperatures during the summer range from 10-13°C (50-55°F) but can go up to 20-25°C (68-77°F) on warmer days.

For more details visit our site: Private Tour in Iceland, Reykjavík guided tours, Reykjavík private tour, Iceland luxury trips, Private luxury tours Iceland & Luxury tours in Iceland.

Game of Thrones locations in South Iceland

With its epic landscapes and generous tax breaks, Iceland has become an attractive destination for film producers with big-budget films shot here, such as Justice League, Thor: The Dark World, Star Wars: The Force Awakens, The Secret Life of Walter Mitty, Prometheus and The Fast and The Furious, to name a few.

Many TV series have also been shot in Iceland, like Sense 8 and Fortitude, but the series most people are most interested in is Game of Thrones. This immensely popular show has been using Icelandic locations since its second season and has filmed extensively in both north and south Iceland.

Although you wouldn’t be able to visit all the locations in one day, you could cover many of them by taking a Game of Thrones tour. One of the more popular tours is offered by GrayLine Iceland and guided by an Icelandic actor who has appeared as many different auxiliary characters throughout the series and has some great behind-the-scenes stories to tell.

Depending on the time of year, a typical Game of Thrones tour of South Iceland might visit any of the extraordinary locations listed below:

 Thingvellir – A world heritage site of geological and historical significance where numerous different scenes were filmed, including The Bloody Gate scene when Lord Baelish and Sansa Stark travel to the Eyrie (S4E05). It also featured in the scene where The Hound and Arya take the same route in (S4E08) and in an episode where the Thenns and the Wildlings meet South of the Wall (S04E01).

 Nesavellir – A geothermal area in south-west Iceland riddled with gorgeous trails and smoking hot springs. One trail leads to the location where Arya and the Hound meet Brienne of Tarth before an epic fight scene ensues (S04E10).

 Thórufoss – A waterfall in Mosfellsdalur valley features as a Meerene location where Drogon the dragon hunts for goats (S4E06).

 Gjáin – A lush ravine in Thjórsárdalur valley with wildflowers, babbling brooks and waterfalls. This is where Arya practices her water dancing and the Hound isn’t impressed (S4E05).

 Thorveldisbæinn – A reconstruction of the ruins of the Saga age farm at Stöng. Also located in the Thjórsárdalur valley, this location is where the Wildlings and Thenns attack Olly’s village (S4E03).

 Mýrdalsjökull – This glacier in South Iceland doubled as The Fist Of The First men in season two.

 Höfðabrekkuheiði – This popular hiking area near Vik appears as the frozen wastes of wildling territory beyond the wall in season two.

Reynisfjara – The famous black sand beach next to Vík features in season seven as the beach in Eastwatch-by-the-sea.

For more details visit our site: Iceland highlands tour, Iceland private tour, Gullfoss waterfall tour, Iceland Super jeep tour, South Coast tour, Luxury travel Iceland, Ring road tours & Reykjavík tours.