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 Join our road trip fully around the North Atlantic volcanic island of Iceland. After more than a quarter of a century leading tours in Iceland, this is our first gay group tour itinerary fully around Iceland on their famed Ring Road. We start and end in the cultural capital of Reykjavik. Next, we will head to the vibrant green and glacial southern coast. Then, rounding further east, on to the steep sculpted mountains and long glacial valleys of the East Fjords. Next, we head to the northern reaches full of grand waterfalls, volcanic and geothermal wonders, even whales. A last surprise finds us on the far western peninsula, studded at its end by the mighty Snaefellsness volcano and glacier, before returning to Reykjavik in time for Pride.
Our gay group tour starts and ends in Reykjavik, the northernmost capital in the world. A relaxing soak in a peaceful and rejuvenating spa will help introduce us to this unique culture where daily soaks often substitute for happy hour. Not far away, the south coast offers a variety of natural and cultural wonders to explore before we spend the night close to Europe’s largest glacier and a lagoon of icebergs, which we cruise around in a zodiac the next morning.
After the East Fjords amaze us with nature and geothermal soaks, the north beckons, with the largest waterfall in Iceland, volcanic cinder cones, more soaking, and even a whale cruise in the north Atlantic.
Wrapping back around to the west, we drive out the Snaefellsnes peninsula for a quaint stay and excellent meal in a country hotel, followed by a glacier visit the next morning on the edge of the volcano where began the descent to the center of the earth as told by Jules Verne. Avoiding the deep descent (and the ultimate resurfacing on Strombolli, a volcano in Italy), as told in that story, our tour ends with two nights in Reykjavik to enjoy the city and Gay Pride festivities.
• Immerse in the Nordic culture of these true Vikings in Reykjavik & Akureyri
• Soak in natural geothermal spas across the country
• Savor exquisite meals in settings that seem otherworldly
• Sail among icebergs in the south, whales in the north
• Hydrate in the rainbow mists of grand glacial waterfalls and surging geysers
• Enjoy walks along rugged coasts and in sculpted valleys
• Celebrate Pride with the locals and one of their largest parades of the year
Day 1 -
Despite its tumultuous geologic footing, Iceland will welcome us with vistas of pristine nature, unique geology, and Viking culture. On the way to the hotel, we will pass fresh lava beds laid down by the recent volcanic ruptures. Soon followed by broad volcanic plains and glacially stunted mountains that are blanketed with thick matts of soft Icelandic moss. In the distance, ribbons of contemporary life lead into the country’s largest city, Reykjavik; beautifully set on a harbor that fronts the North Atlantic.
Depending on flight arrivals, we may have a wonderful soak today to help ease you into the Nordic culture. Otherwise, we will enjoy the nearby luxury soak on our return to Reykjavik later in the trip. Explore on your own before we gather this evening for our welcome dinner.
Day 2 -
Explore the geologic, geothermal and glacial effects on the landscape during today’s tour through southern Iceland. Our first stop will be Thingvellir National Park. Located on a grand rift that continually separates as the Eurasian and North American tectonic plates pull away from each other. This rift served as a great sound chamber beginning in 930, when the Vikings held their first parliament meetings there. Every few years, representatives from communities around the country would meet here to establish laws and resolve disputes. Great waterfalls, a geyser basin, and black sand beaches will fill our afternoon before we rest for the night in Vik.
Day 3 -
Black basalt from thousands of years of lava flows has been eroded into small pebbles and fine black sand, filling southern beaches. We will stop at one this morning, Reynisfjara, for a short walk. Keep an eye out for playful Atlantic puffins making a crash-landing on the hillsides as they return from the sea with beaks full of small fish.
Next, we will have great vistas of the largest icefield in Europe, the Vatnajokull. It looms high on the mountains to our north. View multiple tongues of ice falling over the mountain edges as they reach for the sea. The glacial lagoons that these glaciers create at their terminus are occasionally filled with icebergs that have calved off the end of the glacier. We will stop at a less crowded lagoon for a zodiac boat ride though and between these icy blue sculptures. We will make a stop along the beach nearby. If we are lucky, the surf will have broken icebergs into hundreds of dazzling shards, appropriately called diamond beach. Before and after the glacial lagoon, we will enjoy a walk overlooking or maybe even into two spectacularly glacially carved canyons (30-70 minutes each). We will then overnight in a simple country hotel near Hofn.
Day 4 -
Our next two days bring us around the southeastern and eastern portions of Iceland. Here the mountains and ocean merge in unique, stunning beaches such as Stokksnes, or sharp, picaresque headlands like the Vesturhorn. Here we will walk, reflect, and explore. Depending on energy and weather, we will have a hike or two to waterfalls or up canyons and chasms. Don’t fret, because evening hot tubs await with magnificent views. And if you happen to enjoy birds, these eastern shores are particularly special. A lucky few may even sight reindeer in the distance.
Days 5 & 6 -
As we turn north, more beauty awaits, with a few small hikes. Followed next, by a stop at Dettifoss, the most powerful waterfall in Iceland. This thundering curtain of water, 330 feet wide and 150 high, is fed by the giant Vatnajokull Glacier. As we have seen with many of the waterfalls we visited, rainbows are ever-present. Ásbyrgi is next, a perfect crescent of cliffs created by huge glacial floods. Returning to an active area for geothermal and volcanic activity, we may stop at the Namuskard geothermal area. Here hissing steam vents, bubbling mud pots, cracked earth and pungent sulphur create a mysterious scene.
Our destination for the next two nights, and the area we explore tomorrow, is the Lake Myvatn region. This is a geothermal site that was formed by a massive eruption more than two-thousand years ago. Numerous volcanoes are nearby. We’ll visit one or two: Krafla and/or Viti volcano. Later we will see unique lava formations that are found in and around the shallow lake. This includes pseudo craters that are formed when lava flows over wet ground, heating water underneath and trapping steam. As the steam pressure mounts, the area explodes, creating these unique false craters. Our afternoon hike brings us up to the rim of a 2500-year-old volcanic crater. From here, we will have fantastic views across Lake Myvatn and surrounds. Then as we come down the far side, we will enter Dimmuborgir, the “Dark Castle”. This sculpture playland is filled with unique lava formations.
On one of these days, we can also arrange time for those who are interested to enjoy a few hours of horseback riding on an Icelandic horse (additional expense). These horses are the genetically same horses that were brought by the Viking settlers a thousand years ago. And they have a smooth riding 5th gait, called the tolt, that is rare among breeds.
Day 7 -
Departing Myvatn, we will travel north to the charming fishing village of Húsavík. From here we will head out to sea for several hours of watching for whales (humpback, minke, maybe orcas), dolphins and other marine life. Enjoy a relaxing afternoon, with a wonderful soak in a forest spa before stopping in Akureyri for the evening. Akureyri is Iceland’s second largest city, located on one of the northern fjords. It has easy access to shops, cafes, and an evening back in an urban environment.
Day 8 -
Continuing our loop back towards the capital, we will stop first for a cultural outdoor museum experience at Glaumbaer. Then two scenic stops, including one of Iceland’s most photographed mountains and waterfalls, Kirkjufell. This evening, we are staying in a lovely country hotel with a delicious dinner. Should you awake during the night, step outside and enjoy the dark sky filled with the wonders of the Milky Way overhead.
Day 9 -
The Snaefellsjokull volcano nearby, at the end of the peninsula, is capped by a glacier that can be seen for miles. It beckons us. Today we take a snowcat tour onto the glacier and then to the top, or as near to the top as we can get, offering views all the way to the West Fjords on one side and to Reykjavik on the other. This volcano is said to have tremendous energy powers and it is truly bigger than life. We will hear tales of it having been featured in several books, including Halldor Laxness’s “Under the Glacier”, and Jules Verne’s “Journey to the Center of the Earth”. It was even once to be the landing site for extraterrestrials. Afterward, enjoy a warm lunch and a wonderfully peaceful coastal hike will follow. Next, we will drive to Reykjavik, where we have two more nights to enjoy.
Day 10 -
Your day is unstructured today, but your guide will have discussed the many sights and experiences there are to enjoy in Reykjavik: from walks and sculpture gardens to the Culture Hall Harpa, the Viking long house museum, and even the famous Icelandic penis – err Phallological — museum. Not to be confused with the always packed, nearby stand selling famed Icelandic hotdogs, pylsurs, which too are well worth a nibble. If we didn’t have a nice group soak on our arrival day in Reykjavik due to flight arrival issues, we will arrange it for today.
Reykjavik celebrates its annual Gay Pride festivities with a large parade in the center of town this afternoon. As that date gets closer, we will update you with specific times to join us to watch together, if you wish. And this evening we celebrate our Icelandic adventures together with a grand farewell dinner at one of Iceland’s nicest restaurants.
Day 11 -
Enjoy the city at your leisure before your departure for your flight. Breakfast and an airport transfer to Keflavik International Airport are included, but no other activities are scheduled today.
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• All group transportation within Iceland;
• Scheduled airport transfers on arrival and departure;
• All accommodations for ten nights;
• Tour guide accompanying the group at all scheduled locations;
• Breakfast every day, 5 lunches, and 7 dinners;
• 3 entries for geothermal soaking experiences;
• Whale watching excursion
• Guided snowcat excursion towards top of glacier
• Daily hikes and other activities
• Entry fees as listed in the itinerary
• Services of a knowledgeable gay group host (with a minimum number of participants)
• HE Travel provides complimentary Medical & Evacuation Insurance for every US Resident on our group tour who does not have other coverage.
• Airfare;
• Souvenirs
• Snacks
• Admissions for activities not mentioned as included, or for entry fees for soaking beyond the included three entries (or additional services while soaking)
• Horseback riding or other additional activities;
• Meals not listed here;
• Alcoholic beverages;
• Optional activities;
• Gratuities for Icelandic guides and HET host.
This tour starts and ends in Reykjavik, Iceland, with flights in and out of the nearby international Keflavik Airport (KEF).
We include airport transfers on the first and last days of the tour (or on other days if you book your pre or post tour hotel through us). The tour lasts 11 days and 10 nights. On our first day, Day 1, select a flight that arrives by mid-morning, then meet in our hotel lobby after lunch, at 1 PM, for a short walking tour followed by a geothermal soak. Depart anytime on the last day.
Activity Level: 2+ of 5. Our trip is designed for energetic and flexible individuals with a spirit of adventure who like to be active and have a positive attitude.
This trip is rated a 2, but may have a few optional offerings for those who might like to go a bit further. Please be in decent shape to take this trip. No need to be super fit, but being able to walk up to a few hours at a time would be ideal. You should be comfortable on uneven, rough, and sometimes wet surfaces from time to time (especially after rains and around waterfalls), with walks ranging from 30-minutes to two hours, although you can sit-out most walks and often enjoy amazing vistas not far from the van in most cases. Depending on the group, a few walks may be offered that involve an elevation gain of 400-600 feet (starting not much above sea level), but the guide will explain options to you the evening before to allow you to best assess for yourself. There will also be a few city walks. The iceberg cruise may require that you be comfortable stepping over the side of the zodiac hard-sided raft. Many waterfalls and canyon walks have unprotected steep drop offs, and wet steps, so you should take care.
Most of our trips draw more single travelers than couples. When couples do join us, it’s usually because they’re looking forward to interacting with a gay group; if they wanted a holiday by themselves, they wouldn’t have signed up to travel with us. Furthermore, the activities included with our trips serve as natural ice-breakers. Within a day, you’ll be traveling with friends.
You don’t need to pay the single supplement if you’re traveling alone. We’ll be happy to match you with a roommate. Pay the single supplement only if you want a bedroom to yourself.
From North America, Icelandair offers flights from several gateway cities: Boston, New York JFK, Newark, Washington Dulles, Minneapolis/St. Paul, Denver, Seattle, Toronto, and Halifax. Delta also offers a daily summertime flight.
From Europe, Icelandair offers flights to Reykjavik from several cities. Since airlines regularly change their routes, you should check with Icelandair, a travel agent, or online for up-to-date schedules. At the airport, small islands have their advantages: it takes only minutes after your plane touches down outside Reykjavik before you’ve collected your baggage.
Iceland is a Scandinavian country, with similar attitudes: Most people have better things to do than worry about whether you’re gay or straight. There are strong civil rights protections for gay people (including the right to marry), and homophobic attitudes have never really taken root. Perhaps because of this generally accepting attitude, there has never been a strongly developed gay culture as in some other world capitals.
Reykjavik has a few gay organizations, a gay disco, and several clubs that serve a mixed clientele. Things don’t really get moving at the clubs until after midnight, so most of us are more likely to go out for a night at the end of the trip, rather than the beginning.
For several years now Iceland has experienced a series of fissures that have broken open in the broad volcanic plains not far from the famed Blue Lagoon. The most recent one in late 2024 had lava flows that blocked access to the lagoon, unfortunately. To date, none of these ruptures have been explosive, nor cause much concern for flights or the locals living in Reykjavik, about 30-minutes away. These ruptures are very different than the explosive Eyjafallajokull that caused world-wide air traffic issues over a decade ago.
Iceland is a land very much created by and impacted by volcanoes. And their scientists strive to maintain careful watch and a warning system to keep the public informed. For more information, see Iceland Met Service.
The Gulf Stream has a moderating influence on Iceland’s climate. Expect daytime summer temperatures in the southwest to range from the fifties to the low seventies, Fahrenheit. Odds are, you’ll experience a full gamut of these temperatures. You can also count on some clear, sunny days, with blue sky from one horizon to the other; and some overcast or rainy days. And you can count on variability. A day that begins with a grey cloud cover can give way to blue sky by noon.
Be prepared for this range: pack a warm fleece jacket, and something waterproof, as well as a few t-shirts.
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