Kjölur and Golden Circle Exploration from Reykjavik

At 8:30am, get picked up from your centrally located Reykjavík hotel. Meet your local guide, jump aboard a comfortable 4x4, and get ready for a 14-hour journey into Icelandic nature.

Driving east out of Reykjavík, join the Golden Circle, a popular tourist trail that takes you to three of the country's national treasures. Stop first at the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Thingvellir. This was the site of Iceland's first, viking-era, parliament, established in 930, making it one of the oldest in the world. Here you also have the unique experience of walking between two continents as it is where the North American and Eurasian tectonic plates meet.

From Thingvellir, it's around an hour's drive to the mighty Gullfoss waterfall. Watch in awe as its teeming waters plunge into a 105-foot (32-meter) canyon. Next, head for the Geysir geothermal area and marvel as bubbling Strokkur geyser erupts every five to 10 minutes.

Kjölur, a plateau in the mountainous center of Iceland, is only accessible in summer. With its glaciers, volcanoes, and lava fields, it is like nothing else you have ever experienced; a true gem for nature lovers, far off the beaten track. Discovered by the earliest settlers and recorded in the Book of Settlements, the Kjölur area was known for its outlaws, thieves, ghosts, and evil spirits as the desert and hard conditions of the region provided them a shelter. Hear tales of this remote area as you see natural treasures and breathtaking panoramas along the road near Langjökull, 'The Long Glacier.' If the weather is clear, you will see Hofsjökull, the third largest glacier in Iceland and the largest active volcano in the country.

Take in the view of the mountain massif Kerlingarfjöll with its varied colors, due to the diverse geology of the mountain. The volcanic rhyolite stones of shimmering red brings out the wonderful colors of yellow and green of the numerous hot springs and rivulets. This remote and peaceful place is a favorite of not only hikers and nature lovers, but filmmakers too.

After a full day of exploration, drive back your Reykjavík hotel, arriving back at around 10:30pm.