ESCURSIONI A TERRA

Venture into the beautiful Thingvellir national park - a UNESCO World Heritage Site only about 30 miles from Reykjavik, and ranking at the top of Iceland’s attractions. This national park offers outstanding sceneries of mountains surrounding a vast lava plain covered in green moss and wild flowers. Head to the Geyser area where you’ll see hissing springs, bubbling pools and other geothermal phenomena. Lunch will be served nearby, amongst these scenic surroundings.

Another highlight of your day is the Gullfoss waterfall. The ‘Golden Waterfall’ is the most famous of the country’s many waterfalls. Here, the river Hvita drops 96 feet in two falls, creating an awesome spectacle. Being located on an old magma chamber, Hveragerdi is notorious not only for its abundance of hot springs, which heat the community’s greenhouse industry, but also for its earthquakes.

A scenic drive takes you through Laugardalur (“Warm Water Valley”) passing the city’s main sports and recreation area as well as one of the most popular outdoor geothermal swimming pools. The road leads you past the open-air museum at Árbær, a regional museum where old houses of historical value have been preserved.

Next, cross the Ellidaar River, one of the world’s cleanest salmon rivers known to flow through a capital city. Eventually you’ll reach Alftanes peninsula where the President’s residence is located. The view from the peninsula over Reykjavik is excellent.

Returning to the city’s hustle and bustle you’ll drive to Perlan, The Pearl. Perlan has a viewing deck that offers great panoramic views over Reykjavik, making this a perfect photo stop.

From one famous landmark to the next, you’ll head towards Hallgrimskirkja, the church that dominates the city skyline with its imposing tower. Then drive through the charming old quarter of Reykjavik with its colorful wooden houses and narrow streets, past the University of Iceland complex and along the city pond, Tjornin, with its rich birdlife. Reaching the old harbor, you’ll have a quick photo stop. Following the coastline, you’ll get to Hofdi house, where the summit meeting between President Ronald Reagan and Secretary General Mikhail Gorbachev was held in 1986.

View many of the geothermal wonders in the surrounding countryside and delve into Iceland’s distant past at a museum that celebrates the Vikings. On the outskirts of Reykjavik, you will pass through Hafnarfjörður – a town situated on an ancient lava flow – and then pause at Kleifarvatn, a large deep lake with a hot spring that an earthquake created. Volcanic eruptions and violent seismic events have left their marks throughout the lava-covered Reykjanes Peninsula. In the multi-hued geothermal fields around Krysuvik, you will see columns of steam rising high into the air and boiling mud pools that reveal the constant activity beneath the earth’s surface. The nearby Viking World Museum will be just as eye-opening. The highlight is an exact replica of a famed Viking ship. The ship is seaworthy as it was sailed 4,200 nautical miles from Iceland to New York to commemorate Leif Erikson’s journey to the New World more than a thousand years ago.

HIGHLIGHTS
• Behold a striking landscape of geothermal activity in the surrounding countryside.
• See steam vents, bubbling mud pools and a lake with an earthquake-induced hot spring.
• View a seaworthy replica of an ancient ship in the Viking World Museum.
• Arrive at the airport in plenty of time to catch your flight.

HELPFUL HINTS
• Dress in weather-appropriate clothing.
• Wear flat comfortable walking shoes.

Gain insight into how the Hellisheiði power plant creates sustainable energies and how Iceland’s unusual geology affects the climate. The power plant produces almost all of Reykjavik’s energy by harnessing the geothermal heat that lies beneath the earth’s surface. But that’s just for starters. The plant also takes advantage of an innovative process known as carbon fixation to store waste CO2 underground, and through electrolysis it produces hydrogen, another green fuel. The plant has even been instrumental in creating Iceland’s infrastructure for electric vehicles. The exhibits within the power plant clearly explain all the systems, just as the Wonders of Iceland museum at Perlan describes the country’s geological phenomena. While browsing its exhibits, you will learn about volcanoes, plate tectonics, earthquakes and geothermal power. The museum’s ice cave and glacier displays are particularly insightful, as they show what would happen if Iceland’s ancient glaciers melted due to climate change.

HIGHLIGHTS

• Explore an innovative power plant that supports numerous green technologies.
• Learn how waste CO2 can be safely stored underground for millions of years.
• Browse the Wonders of Iceland museum for an understanding of the country’s geology.
• View exhibits that present the effects of climate change, now and in the future.

HELPFUL HINTS

• Dress in weather-appropriate clothing.
• Wear flat comfortable walking shoes.

Discover how renewable energies are harnessed along the Golden Circle, one of the most extraordinarily scenic roads in Iceland. At the massive Hellisheiði power plant, you will see how volcanic geothermal energy is used to supply all but a fraction of Reykjavik’s power. You will also gain an understanding of how waste CO2 from the steam is stored underground to prevent it from escaping back into the atmosphere. Following lunch you will continue for an enlightening tour of the Brúarvirkjun hydroelectric plant will reveal how it supplies sustainable energy by capturing the power of the Tungufljót River. A hydroelectric plant was proposed at the glorious Gullfoss waterfall, as well, until an environmentalist stepped in. You will be awed by its pristine natural beauty and that of the Pingvellir National Park. Still, Iceland is committed to alternative power sources, especially using geothermal energy to heat greenhouses. You will see the force of that power at Geysir, where columns of boiling water spew high into the air.

HIGHLIGHTS

• Drive along the Golden Circle, one of the most picturesque roads in all of Iceland.
• View two power plants—one of them geothermal, the other hydroelectric.
• Learn how waste CO2 can be safely stored underground for millions of years.
• Watch columns of geothermally heated water spew into the air at Geysir.
• Visit two pristine natural attractions—Gullfoss waterfall and Pingvellir National Park.

HELPFUL HINTS

• Dress in weather-appropriate clothing.
• Wear flat comfortable walking shoes.

Discover how the forces of nature have shaped Iceland at an interactive museum and see some of the architectural treasures that define Reykjavik. While browsing the cutting-edge Perlan Museum, you will learn about glaciers in the world’s first indoor ice cave, observe life at the largest seabird cliff in Europe through augmented reality and experience the full spectrum of the Northern Lights in the museum’s planetarium. Other exhibits describe the wonders of plate tectonics, volcanoes, earthquakes and geothermal power in fascinating detail. From the observation deck that encircles the museum’s futuristic-looking dome, you will enjoy a panoramic view of Reykjavik. As you drive through the engaging capital city, you will see many of those landmarks up close, including the majestic Hallgrimskirkja Church. Before heading for the airport, you also pause at Hofdi, a stately house visited by heads of state such as Ronald Reagan and Mikhail Gorbachev, who held a summit there in 1986.

HIGHLIGHTS
• Browse enlightening exhibits on Iceland’s natural history in the Perlan Museum.
• Enjoy the ultimate view of Reykjavik from the museum’s 360º observation deck.
• Settle in for a panoramic drive through Reykjavik and stop for photos along the way.
• Arrive at the airport in plenty of time to catch your flight.

HELPFUL HINTS
• Dress in weather-appropriate clothing.
• Wear flat comfortable walking shoes.

A pleasant drive takes you through Hafnarfjordur town, picturesquely located on an ancient lava flow. Take a road less traveled, along the enchanting Kleifarvatn Lake. One of the deepest lakes in Iceland, it offers a great photo opportunity and a chance to stretch your legs.

Reach the geothermal fields of Krysuvik, shaped by volcanic eruptions and the violent movements of the earth. Here you’ll witness the powerful jets of steam escaping from deep below the earth’s crust and purple and yellow pools of boiling mud of the solfataras.

Head across the impressive volcanic plateau of Reykjanes, crossing the bustling fishing village of Grindavik. As you make your way over the lava-covered Reykjanes peninsula to the outskirts of the little town of Njardvik and the Viking Museum. The museum has five independent exhibitions about the Viking Age and the settlement of Iceland, including a Smithsonian exhibition about the Vikings of the North Atlantic. Its main attraction is the Viking ship Íslendingur (the Icelander), an exact seaworthy replica of a Viking vessel that was discovered in Norway in 1182.

Nearby is the Blue Lagoon, with its warm, mineral-rich and healing waters. The blue color of the water, the steam and the 13-foot high lava wall surrounding the Lagoon succeed in creating a unique atmosphere. This natural and very popular health spa is now a major attraction in the region, one of the most visited places on the island. This is not a swimming-pool for regular swimming, rather a unique relaxing bathing experience which you will definitely enjoy.

Ease into the naturally heated waters of a geothermal lagoon and enjoy a panoramic driving tour past key landmarks that define Reykjavik. Inspired by Iceland’s spa culture, Sky Lagoon is an outdoor oceanfront infinity pool designed to restore mind, body and soul. There you will indulge in The Ritual, a multi-step wellness immersion that will leave you deeply relaxed by partaking in the soothing hot springs, detoxifying sauna, stimulating fog-mist, reinvigorating body scrub and more. It will be an experience unlike any other, especially considering the lagoon’s gorgeous setting overlooking the sea. The drive through Reykjavik will be enlightening in a different way as you pass icons such as the futuristic rotating glass dome of the Perlan museum. You will also pause for photos at the majestic Hallgrimskirkja Church and at Hofdi, a stately house often visited by heads of state such as Ronald Reagan and Mikhail Gorbachev, who held a summit there in 1986.

HIGHLIGHTS

• Enjoy an indulgent spa experience at an outdoor geothermally heated lagoon.
• Submit to The Ritual, an immersive experience that will leave you deeply relaxed.
• See the highlights of Reykjavik on a panoramic driving tour.

HELPFUL HINTS

• Dress in weather-appropriate clothing.
• Wear flat comfortable walking shoes.

Drive past Perlan or ‘The Pearl’, a glass dome on the top of the hot-water tanks in Reykjavik and through the suburbs, towards Hafnarfjordur. Continue through the rugged lava fields of the Reykjanes peninsula towards the Blue Lagoon. Here, you’ll have approximately two hours to indulge in the famous waters of the lagoon. The Blue Lagoon owes its existence to the nearby geothermal power plant. This is not a swimming-pool for regular swimming, rather a unique relaxing bathing experience. The water of the Lagoon is 98° F warm, mineral-rich and reputed for its healing properties. The blue color of the water, the steam and the 13-foot high lava wall surrounding the Lagoon succeed in creating a unique atmosphere. This natural and very popular health spa is now a major attraction in the region, one of the most visited places on the island. The facilities offer a tax-free shop, café and very good changing-rooms.

Your drive back to Reykjavik takes you over the barren Reykjanes peninsula dominated by old lava-flows.

Hengill produces impressive amounts of energy by way of hydro and geothermal power – both of which are utilized to provide the capital and nearby municipalities with plentiful supplies of hot water and electricity. Stop at the geothermal plant of Hellisheidi where you’ll learn about geosciences, geothermal technology, the environment and the history of the area.

Head to the town of Hveragerdi located on top of an old magma chamber which accounts for the abundance of hot springs that bubble and hiss all around this unique little community. Take a short scenic drive passing by the town’s trademark greenhouses, and the new hot spring area; which broke through the earth’s surface following a dramatic earthquake in 2008. Stop, for short visit, to the geothermal area in the center of the town. After some refreshments, pass by the hydropower station Ljossafoss, which has been in operation since 1937.

Pay a visit the UNESCO site of Thingvellir. As you approach Thingvellir, cross the neovolcanic rift zone that slices through Iceland from northeast to southwest. Pause at the viewpoint to soak up a little of the nation’s history, here is where the world’s first parliament was formed in 930. Pass by Iceland’s largest natural lake, Thingvallavatn, to the view point located on the lower flanks of the volcano. The drive back to Reykjavik takes us through a lunar-like landscape of volcanic phenomena and other geological wonders.

Each vehicle is custom built with the biggest available road legal tires in the world. These Supertrucks are piloted by trained professionals who have an intimate knowledge of the sensitive Icelandic sub-Arctic nature.

Heading out of the city, the road leads you to The Mountain Track where you go ‘off road’. The Mountain Pass offers panoramic views over Lake Thingvallavatn, active volcano Hengill, the geothermal powerplant of Nesjavellir and its surroundings – truly a breathtaking view. Nesjavellir Power Plant, which was formally opened in 1990, powers a 190-megawatt geothermal plant, using the nearby field of boreholes, developing the largest high-temperature field in Iceland. This incredible geothermal field is in fact one of the main sources of hot water harnessed to heat houses of Reykjavik.

From Nesjavellir you’ll take the gravel road along Lake Thingvallavatn, driving along the lush farmlands of the south to the birch grown area of Thrastarlundur. Here, in this beautiful area you’ll make a short comfort stop before continuing your adventure. Head off the beaten track by way of a trail known as ‘The Thousand Waters’. Your convoy winds its way through numerous rivers, mud banks and streams before arriving back in the capital.

First, head to the UNESCO site of Thingvellir, where you’ll make a photo stop, then travel towards the Icelandic interior through the dramatic Kaldidalur Valley - ‘Cold Valley’ and Lagjokull Glacier, the second largest in Iceland. This mountain road is one of the highest mountain roads in Iceland and is only open for a limited time during the year. Here, your expert driver will take your Super Truck adventure to the next level as he takes you on a once in a lifetime journey over the ice and snow.

Head back down, and into the green woodlands of Husafell, where you’ll stop for lunch. On the return drive, you’ll stop by waterfalls of Hraunfoss and Barnafoss - two of Iceland's most picturesque, providing an ideal photo opportunity.