We had a good experience. They were at the port on time and the guide did a good job explaining the stops and moving things along. The guide was friendly and we never felt rushed.
First stop, Goðafoss waterfall. I love waterfalls, and Iceland has no shortage of them. I’ve seen a lot of waterfalls in my life and this one is up there. Not to mention, it’s hard to pass on a waterfall named God of Waterfall.
Next, we went to Skútustaðagígar to see the pseudo craters. Pseudo craters are quite unique because it’s formed when volcanic eruptions flowed over wetlands. The hot lava made the wetlands boil instantly, creating steam eruptions, which formed these craters. They aren’t true craters because they aren’t caused by lava itself – it’s the steam eruptions that created these craters. There are many hiking trails around these craters and it was beautiful.
Also at this stop, we got to taste some authentic lamb stew! At the entrance of the craters, there’s a little Café shop called Kaffi Sel. They sell this amazing lamb stew (with unlimited refills) and some local beer. I had lamb stew at some other ports in Iceland, but this one was the best (and cheapest).
Next stop, we visited Dimmuborgir, also called “The Black Fortress” or “Dark Castles”. This area is made of lava fields, with various rock formations and caves. This is one of Iceland’s most popular attractions due to its unique looking rocks, the folklores surrounding it, and the filming of Game of Thrones.
There are many Icelandic folklores revolving around “yule lads“. They are half-ogre, half-troll creatures that were probably originally created to keep children indoors during harsh winter months. Over the course of the years, the stories have changed flavors and the yule lads are getting less scary, and now they are even wearing Santa suits and bearing gifts! Supposedly you can see some of the yule lads in Dimmuborgir. The guide took us on some hikes around here.
Next stop – Stand on the continental rift between Europe and the Americas! There’s also a small lava cave here called Grjótagjá. Some Game of Thrones scenes were filmed here as well. This is a thermal cave, although temperatures have been slowly dropping over the years. This cave is free to visit, but no swimming is allowed. When we went, it was rather crowded as well, making it difficult to even get a picture (but Teddy managed!). There’s something really powerful about standing on the continental rift – the split is so big that I don’t think it’s safe to stand on each side with one leg. You can really see the power of nature when you walk close to the opening. (There’s also a strong Sulphur smell that will keep you from being there for too long.)
Next stop is Námafjall Geothermal Area (also known as Hverir). I won’t lie, this place smells so strong of Sulphur that it was, let’s just say, easy to pass gas undetected. There are lots of fumaroles and boiling mud pots, surrounded by Sulphur crystals of many different colors. It’s unique and fun to walk around. There are ropes that protect you from getting too close to the hot and active areas and I would suggest respecting those boundaries.
Next we went to the Mývatn Nature Baths. Our tour did not include a dip in the pool but the scenery here is absolutely gorgeous. We have a hot tub at home so I don’t typically like paying extra for hot tub access elsewhere. I’m also not so convinced that these natural hot tubs have healing properties like they say, especially since they definitely destroy my hair. Nonetheless, I’m glad we stopped here because the baths are just breathtakingly beautiful and we enjoyed our lunch here overlooking those baths. For our lunch, we enjoyed some sandwiches made with local salmon and some beer. It was wonderful.
To end the tour, we were given the option of being dropped off in town, so we can walk around the city, or being taken to the cruise port. Since the cruise port is easy walking distance from the town, we decided to be dropped off in town and walked around the city. At one point, the driver also made a quick stop so we all could take a picture of our beautiful cruise ship.
This was a great way to spend the day and I highly recommend it.
Dia de excursión inolvidable: Akureyri emplazada en una ria preciosa con ballenas en la desembocadura, el camino hacia Myvatn es una preciosidad, llegas a la laguna y te impacta pero falta lo mejor, la subida hacia la tierra volcánica con emanaciones sulfurosas, colores ocres y cielo azulado. Puedes creer que has llegado a otro planeta o que estás soñando pero no, pellízcate porque todo es real. Uno de los sitios más bonitos que conozco.
On a recent cruise, we signed up for this tour. We signed up far in advance and had to wait to find out if the tour was going since Saga requires at least 10 people. Ultimately 18 people were on the small, very comfortable bus. The guide and van were waiting at the port gate and we were introduced to Saga’s tour guide Thor - Thor had grown up in the area which added to the tour because he included a lot of personal stories to what we saw (his parents farm for example). The on-line description of the tour is very accurate with the exception that Thor changed the order to avoid arriving at Godafoss waterfall in the morning when the ship's tours would be there too. Lake Mývatn area is considered by many to be the most beautiful place in Iceland and I can’t disagree.This tour covered everything worth seeing in the area - a walk through the pseudo craters of Skútustaðagígar at Lake Mytvan, lava fields of Dimmuborgir with incredible formations, a hot geothermal area with bubbling mud and steaming vents, the continental rift between Europe and the Americas and a huge waterfall – Godafoss. The tour included several stops where we could buy snacks or sandwiches. The tour has lots of walking, some flat, some with ups and downs, much of it on unpaved surfaces. You don't need to be in great shape to do this tour but you must be able to spend a half day getting in and out of the van on your own and walking. This tour was money well spent and is highly recommended