West Iceland Adventure Day Tour

This thrilling tour takes you to Borgarfjordur, the heartland of the Icelandic Sagas, for a day of exploration, natural wonders and relaxation. Here you’ll see untamed landscapes that will help bring Viking history to life, including secret waterfalls, unique Husafell Canyon Baths, hot springs and medieval Icelandic heritage sites.

Itinerary:

• Hraunfossar
• Deildartunguhver
  
• Barnafoss
  
• Husafell
  
• Langifoss
  
• Glanni Waterfall
  
• Husafell Canyon Baths
  
• Reykholt

Deildartunguhver
Deildartunguhver is famed for being the most powerful hot spring in Europe, with more than 180 liters of boiling hot water flowing from it every second. It has such an incredible output that it provides the hot water for all the towns and villages in this part of Iceland, as well as heating a row of greenhouses here too. 

You can really feel the raw power of Mother Nature as you walk safely on boardwalks through the billowing clouds of vapor around the bubbling hot springs, or you can look at them from the viewing platform.

Hraunfossar
A short drive further onwards into West Iceland brings us to Hraunfossar, a magnificent series of waterfalls that run for nearly a kilometer across the Hallmundarhraun lava field. Hraunfossar is being translated as the “Lava Waterfalls”, but nowadays only crystal-clear waters rush over the edges of these rugged volcanic cliffs, fed from the nearby Langjokull glacier and tumbling into Hvita (White) river. 

It’s an extraordinary opportunity to see countless waterfalls cover such a large area, with several viewing platforms allowing you to enjoy them from different perspectives!

Barnafoss
Nearby you will find another beautiful waterfall, but this one has a sad story connected to it. This is Barnafoss, or “the waterfall of the children”. The tragic tale told about it is that there used to be a natural stone arch making a bridge over these tremendously powerful falls. One day many years ago, two children from a nearby farm fell down when they were trying to cross the river. The grief-stricken mother had destroyed the bridge, so that no other families would ever suffer the same fate.

Husafell
Husafell is a magical place, set between the two glaciers of Eiriksjokull and Langjokull, with birch tree forests, waterfalls, traditional turf houses and cute little elf houses to delight the children too.

After a good look around Husafell, you’ll transfer to a specially prepared 4WD vehicle, and we’ll begin to make our way along rugged mountain passages that aren’t usually accessible to other visitors.

Langifoss
We’ll make a stop along the way to see Langifoss, a spectacular two-tiered waterfall that plunges through a steep ravine into the depths of the Deildargil canyon. Langifoss and Deildargil are astonishing sights and the best-kept secrets in the area, barely even marked on a map or Instagram, but our tour reveals their glories to you. There is an easy path to a viewing platform that overlooks the canyon and the waterfall too.

Glanni Waterfall
The Glanni Waterfall on the Norðurá River is said to be the dwelling place of elves and trolls. During our visit, we noticed that this waterfall was situated near a golf course nearby an old lava flow (called the Grábrókarhraun lava field) and the hamlet of Bifröst. The falls were one of those wide river-type waterfalls that we saw quite a few of in the country, but this one segmented into at least three side-by-side drops as well as each one having multiple tiers.

Husafell Canyon Baths
The highlight of your tour comes next – an authentic Icelandic hotpot experience in the splendid setting of Hringsgil canyon, magically combining a serene soak in a hot spring with the enchanting landscapes all around you.

This is a spellbinding place that has to be seen to be believed, with three geothermally-heated pools of varying temperatures (30-41°C or 86-105°F), a cold-water pot and a cooling waterfall, all designed to blend seamlessly into the natural environment.

The Husafell Canyon Baths have a maximum of 20 visitors at a time, making it more of a luxury experience, without crowds of other people. Imagine relaxing in these healing hot springs while taking in the spectacular views of the steeply surrounding canyon, marvelous mountains and glistening glaciers!

Reykholt
The inspiration for the Husafell Canyon Baths can be found at Reykholt, the last stop on your thrilling tour into the heart of West Iceland. Snorralaug (Snorri’s Pool) is a traditional natural hot spring, where local people have bathed since the 12th century. This pool was first mentioned in the medieval writings of Snorri Sturluson, a famous Icelandic poet and chieftain, who used to live and bathe here too. Snorralaug is now a protected archaeological site, and Snorri’s story is a significant part of Iceland’s history.