Private Tour in Iceland: 2018

Monday, October 8, 2018

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.

Sunday, October 7, 2018

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.

Thursday, August 30, 2018

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.

Land of the midnight sun

Iceland is home to a number of curious natural spectacles providing a constant source of surprise to visitors all year round. You can experience it yourself by travelling with Glacial Experience on a private tour.

Apart from the long, dark nights of winter and those sensational northern lights, which illuminate the night skies between September and April every year, Iceland is one of the few places in the world where you can observe the midnight sun. During the summer months (from mid-May to mid-August), Iceland is flooded with daylight for almost twenty-four hours a day and for a short span of time in June, the sun is still visible at midnight – a phenomena known as the midnight sun. The light is mostly direct but there are a few short hours before dawn when the sun remains dipped just below the horizon casting an enchanting glow in the skies behind the mountains and beyond the sea.

The midnight sun, which can be observed in Iceland and other countries with high latitudes such as Greenland and Norway, happens as a result of the Earth’s axis which is tilted towards the sun during the summer. The effect is reversed at the South Pole, and also during the winter when it’s tilted away from the sun giving us those long dark days instead.

If you’re wondering how on earth we sleep, the answer is we either use blackout blinds or sleep masks. Sometimes we don’t even bother and stay awake to enjoy the midnight sun and those few magical hours before dawn.

Exclusive Retreat - 7 Days Experience

A truly unique way to experience the best sides of Iceland, visiting the Golcen Circle, travelling to Þórsmörk (Thorsmork) on a super jeep, experiencing lava and glacier from within and feeling the ultimate luxury at the new Blue Lagoon Retreat 5 * hotel and spa.

You´ll experience Iceland in a unique way, staying the first two nights in the new luxury Blue Lagoon Retreat five star hotel and spa. We´ll take you to the magnificent volcanic cave Víðgelmir and the ice tunnel in Langjökull glacier, where you will see the glacier from within. We stop at Hraunfossar waterfall where you can see the glacier water flowing out from the lava after having travelled through and under the lava, filtered from all dirt and sand and flowing totally clear to its own river again.

We travel the so called Golden Circle which is basically three stops: at Thinvellir National Park where you can see the two tectonic plates seperate and where the settlers from Norway founded the parliament in the year 930, making it the oldest parliament on the world. We go see the Geysir (geyser) geothermal water spout, Gullfoss waterfall and the Secret Lagoon, an old geothermal swimming pool built in 1891. We stop for lunch in the Friðheimar tomatoe farm where we´ll have their delicious tomate soup with home baked bread, and, if you like, Bloddy Mary as well as tomatoe juice and tomatoe ice creem. You can add snowmobile tour on Langjökull glacier as well as a horse riding tour to this day, if you´re interested.

Now is the time for a Super Jeep Tour! We travel on a modified SUV with big tires to Thorsmörk, a wonderful place close to where the infamous Eyjafjallajökull glacier eruption took place in 2010. We deflate the tires, making it more comfortable to drive on the uneven gravel road, we visit the Nauthúsagil narrow canyon where your challenge is to return with your feet dry! We continue along the mountains, crossing between 15 and 20 rivers and driving in to a huge glacier lagoon that broke in 2010 and is now empty, allowing us to enter and drive almost to the glacier itself. We lunch in a place called Básar, your driver guide will fire up the grill and bbq you a delicious filet of Icelandic lamb.

Day 6 in this trip is the day you´ll see Iceland from above: we go on a helicopter ride to see the glaciers from above as well as the long black beach of South Iceland. We´ll land and have a nice lunch in a secret place!

After an intensive week it´s time to spend the last night at the Blue Lagoon Retreat five star hotel and spa, allowing you to enjoy the various services in the spa, guaranteeing a total relax of body and mind before you leave the country next day. The airport is only a 15-20 minutes drive from The Blue Lagoon.

Needless to say, but you´ll be travelling in new luxury vehicles!

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.

Saturday, May 26, 2018

In Iceland, a Literary Tour Explores Rich History

Iceland is not only Geysers, northern lights, world cup or whale hunting! It´s literature also, a literary history that goes back to the 11th century.

The journalist Dean Nelson wrote an article in New York Times about the cultural life in Iceland:
“Standing in the dark outside the Reykjavik public library in the relentless damp chill that comes with a light rain at 40 degrees, I kept trying to zip up my jacket. The charcoal sky was a shade lighter than the inky ocean a few blocks away, but it was noon, not twilight. I had a few minutes to bundle up before an outdoor walking tour on literary Iceland began. As if on cue, the zipper snapped off in my hand.”

See the full article here.

Secret to Iceland’s Tourism Boom? A Financial Crash and a Volcanic Eruption

REYKJAVIK, Iceland — Iceland has discovered the secret to a booming tourist industry: First have a mammoth financial implosion, then an enormous volcanic explosion.The collapse of the Icelandic krona after the 2008 financial crisis transformed this Arctic island packed with 35 active volcanoes into a top destination by making it cheap for visitors.

A great article in New York Times by KIMIKO DE FREYTAS-TAMURANOV about how volcanic eruptions attract guests and travellers to Iceland!

The article is here.

Can puffins fly?

Somtimes we are asked if puffins can fly! And the best answer is to go see the puffins fly.

Puffins are not good flyers, like eagles or hawks, but they fly! They have short wings and thus have to move them fast in order to move their heavy body around. During the nesting time they fly back and forth from their nest. Their nest is in a hole they dig into the ground and from the hole they fly to the sea hunting small fish they then bring to the young ones.

The reason for the question is probably the likeness between the puffins and penguins. Travelleres sometimes see the puffins as very small penguins, as well as other species of what we call “black birds”, svartfuglar in Icelandic.

Why so many animals on the highways?

One of many things that surprises travelers in Iceland is seeing sheep crossing highways and walking freely everywhere. And this isn‘t limited to sheep. During winter time you can expect reindeer walking along the road, or you might see them while driving in South-East Iceland or on the East coast.

In May the lambs are born, stay for one or two weeks at the farm, and then the gates are opened! The Icelandic sheep goes wherever she wants with her offspring the whole summer. Nothing stops her. She goes up and down mountains and valleys, crosses rivers and bridges, and is very difficult to catch. The benefit is that the lambs eat wild plants and grass, which is why the lamb meat is sosucculent. This is why travelers in Iceland can expect to see sheep and lambs almost everywhere they travel.

When driving on Icelandic roads it is important to be watchful and cautious when you approach sheep close to the road, especially when you discover that the mother sheep is on one side of the road and her lambs are on the other. One will probably run over the road just before you pass them. Quite a number of lambs are killed this way every summer.

Sheep with horns are rams, right?

No, that‘s not the case. Sheep can be divided into two groups: those with horns (Icelandic: hyrnd) and then those with no horns (Icelandic: kollótt). Travelers normally don‘t see the rams because they‘re kept at the farms, often in a group of 5-10. You know them by their bold and strong face and they‘re bigger than the females. And they also either have horns or not.

Artwork and Architecture of Iceland

One thing you may notice as you walk the streets of Reykjavik and other urban areas of Iceland is that most of the artwork looks and feels like the landscapes of Iceland. The art galleries are filled with sculptures, paintings, drawings and photographs all showing either an emotion evoked or a literal interpretation of the landscapes you experience as you explore the island. You may see sculptures that look like the waterfalls crawling their way down the mountaintops. You may also see others that defy gravity and are inspired by the geysers bursting up through the earth. Or you may notice dark quirky portraits of individuals that elicit emotions similar to those you feel as you drive through the moss covered lava lands. Even sculptures inspired by Icelandic history tend to merge with their surroundings; for example the work of Jón Gunnar Árnason, The Sun Voyager, in Reykjavik is enveloped by the ocean and the skies and is placed in a way that allows it to sing to the sun a dream of hope and progress as intended by the artist.

Another thing you may notice is that Icelandic architecture is filled with geometrical designs found in the natural landscape. For example, the basalt columns of the Black Sand Beach in Vik can be found as inspiration for the Hallgrímskirkja church in Reykjavik and many other buildings. It is most rewarding to walk through the cities and notice these inspirations and how the homes and buildings typically have a direct relationship with their surroundings. Many of the homes use large windows to reflect the snowy landscapes or the oceanic backdrops allowing them to merge beautifully with the nature. For example, the Harpa concert hall in Reykjavik built on the western coast of the North Atlantic Ocean has a dark glass façade with drops of color inspired by the basalt landscapes of Iceland. It additionally merges beautifully at certain times of day with its oceanic landscape.

While there is not necessarily many colors found in the natural landscapes, Icelandic artwork tends to explore color in unimaginable ways. The murals throughout Reykjavik, convey political or inspirational messages with combinations of colors that provide a stark contrast to its landscape. While minimally found in the natural surroundings, the expansive colors used are often inspired by the colors found in the northern lights throughout certain times of year. While this may not always be intentional, these inspirations are often seen built into the cultural landscapes of the country. As you adventure through Iceland, make sure to observe the architecture and artwork, its relationship with its surroundings, and their inspirations of natural landmarks and this will make your trip that much more enjoyable!

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.

Wonders of the Highlands

A super-jeep tour to the Icelandic highlands is your dreams coming true! You´ll be travelling over one river after the other (no bridges!), from one mountain to another, from one breathtaking view to another.

This is a dream tour that few people do. The six days tour include four days on the highlands, away from the national roads where we´ll have to cross quite a lot of rivers, hike to beautiful places and just stop, go out of the SUV, turn the engine off and enjoy the silence. A 1-3 hours hike is involved in every one of the four days, all depending on your physical level and interests.

First day is day of arrival og the day is planned depending on your time of arrival. If you are coming from the United States you´ll probably arrive early in the morning and why not go straicht to the Blue lagoon? You won´t anyway be able to check in to your hotel until 2 pm (unless you pay for it).

We start our trip from Gullfoss waterfall, that´s where the highlands begin, and we drive to Kerlingarfjöll, a beautiful place with accommodation, geothermal energy and mountains and hills in all colours. We stay there overnight in a newly built guesthouse.

We continue north and east of Kerlingarfjöll and drive along the Thjorsá river to Sultartangi. From Sultartangi we enter the Landmannaleið road towards Rauðufossafjöll and there we stop and hike to the magnificent waterfalls, Rauðufossar (means Read Waterfalls).

We then drive to our accommodation in Hrauneyjar, The Highland Center.

After a good night rest we continue the tour towards the Eldgjá Canyon, passing the Landmannalaugar where we´ll hike to the Green mountain.

The last day is back again and driving the beautiful road Fjallabaksleið syðri, passing mountain Mælifell, Strútslaug and Álftavatn lake. This is the last day of four days driving the unbeaten path, where very few people experience ever in their life. We drive to accommodation on the south coast.

The last day is day of departure with the option of visiting the Blue lagoon on the way to the airport, if you didn´t do it on the first day.

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.