Based in the heart of the south west’s beautiful countryside, this 4-night self drive is a fabulous summer break in Iceland. What’s not to love about spending a few nights in a stylish country hotel, enjoying fine food and exploring some of Iceland’s most enigmatic natural wonders – bathed in the glow of the midnight sun? We’ve known and loved Hotel Ranga’s supreme comfort and welcoming charm for many years.
Your place in the country
Drive 90 minutes from Reykjavik and you will find the luxury, ranch-style Hotel Ranga nuzzled by a river on the green plains of Southwest Iceland. You’ll be instantly struck by the peace and tranquility. Every room has a view of the river or towards Mt Hekla. Ranga is also renowned for its charming hospitality and superb food. Prepare to be wowed by seriously fresh seafood, mountain-reared lamb and a flavour explosion of Icelandic wild mushrooms, berries and herbs. You’ll want to linger over dinner, but afterwards it will still be light during mid-summer thanks to the glow of the midnight sun. Time perhaps for a relaxing dip in one of Ranga’s outdoor hot tubs, enjoying the long, beautiful sunset?
Exploring nearby natural wonders
With the freedom of a rental car you will be able to make the most of the long summer days by exploring the Golden Circle and South Coast. Geysir, Thingvellir and the waterfalls of Gullfoss, Skogafoss and Seljalandsfoss are all within easy reach. Optional activities range from horse riding to 4WD superjeep tours exploring the wild and beautiful Thorsmork valley deep in the Highlands. Ranga’s state-of-the-art solar telescope, meanwhile, provides an opportunity to observe the sun in glorious detail, studying sunspots and other features of the midnight sun.
Itinerary
On arrival at Keflavik international airport collect your rental vehicle and head off along the scenic coastal road to Hotel Ranga – your home for the next three nights.
Hotel Ranga, near Hella
After enjoying one of Hotel Ranga’s famous buffet breakfasts, drive north through beautiful rural countryside towards the Golden Circle – Iceland’s celebrated trio of natural wonders. Easily visited during a day’s gentle touring, the triple whammy of Gullfoss, Geysir and Thingvellir showcases Iceland’s rugged, volcanic beauty.
At the geothermal hotspot of Geysir, you can follow paths between bubbling springs and watch the obligingly regular Strokkur shoot scalding water 30m into the air. There’s wild water at Gullfoss too. This twin-tiered waterfall is a thunderous concoction of rapids, cascades and spray, squeezed into a narrow canyon and garnished with a rainbow. Calm and serene by comparison, Thingvellir has mysterious pools of gin-clear water. The flooded Silfra fissure is actually a rift between the Eurasian and North American plates. It is also the site of Iceland’s first parliament, founded in 930.
Return to Ranga for your second night’s stay, and perhaps use the hotel’s solar telescope to study the sun in startling close-up before it sets. At this time of year, you will often be treated to long, beautiful sunsets.
Optional Experiences
Eyjafjallajokull by Superjeep
Snowmobiling on Eyjafjallajokull Glacier
Thorsmork and Eyjafjallajokull volcano by Superjeep
Katla Ice Cave Tour
Snowmobiling on Myrdalsjokull Glacier
Snorkelling Silfra Day Tour
Another sensational drive beckons today. This time head southeast, following Iceland’s iconic Ring Road along a narrow coastal plain between black sand beaches and towering cliffs, volcanoes and icecaps. After crossing the Markarfljot river, stop to admire Seljalandsfoss – a delicate 60m-tall horsetail plume cascading from an ancient sea cliff. Walk behind the waterfall into an overhang dripping with emerald-coloured mosses. A little further on, Skogafoss catches your eye. It cascades over the edge of former sea cliffs in a 25m-wide curtain of thundering water.
Beyond Skogafoss, the road crosses wide gravel plains scratched by rivers. Look west and you might see the Westman Islands offshore. To the north, however, looms a far more overwhelming presence – Myrdalsjokull. This 600 sq km ice cap slumps over the Katla volcano, but a tongue of ice – the Solheimajokull glacier – snakes tantalizingly towards the coast. It’s a wonderful opportunity for a guided glacier walk.
How far you want to continue along the South Coast is entirely up to you. You may choose to drive to Vik where you can walk along dramatic black sand beaches towards troll-like sea stacks or even opt for a the long drive to the glacial lagoon, Jokulsarlon, and back. During mid-summer it remains light long into the night! Returning to Hotel Ranga, relax in one of the outdoor hot tubs, enjoying one of Ranga’s extraordinary sunsets, before dinner.
Optional Experiences
Blue Ice Experience
Ice Lagoon Zodiac Boat Tours
Boat Trip on the Jokulsarlon Glacial Lagoon
Ice Adventure on Vatnajokull Glacier
Head back towards Keflavik, where you will spend the night at the Northern Light Inn. Located next to the Blue Lagoon, why not take a relaxing dip at the Blue Lagoon or enjoying some sightseeing on the Reykjanes Peninsula
Northern Light Inn
Optional Experiences
Blue Lagoon
This morning return your rental car and checking in for your flight home
Prices & departures
What's Included
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Accommodation in rooms with private bathroom
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Daily breakfast
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Car rental throughout with unlimited mileage
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No charge for additional driver
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24 hour emergency assistance from our team during your holiday
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No surcharge guarantee
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Full financial protection
From £837 Excluding Flights
4-8 Nights
Apr-Sep
Prices are per person based upon 2 sharing, subject to availability. Your Travel Specialist will confirm the exact price based upon your tailored requirements, inclusions, and travel dates.
Make this trip yours
Every trip you see here can be adapted to suit you using inside-out knowledge to create one-off experiences created just for you.
Eric
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Sea turtles snorkelled with
10
Visits to Iceland
We create holidays that are as individual as you are. And we’ve been doing it for 40 years, crafting each and every holiday using our in-depth knowledge and enthusiasm for our destinations. Whatever your brief, we’ll create an amazing trip for you to get excited about. That might mean adapting one of our existing itineraries or we’ll build you one from scratch.
Experts with real experience
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Phoebe
Travel Specialist
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Jenna
Travel Specialist
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Freya
Travel Specialist
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Jo
Travel Specialist
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Eric
Travel Specialist
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Gary
Travel Specialist
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Ben
Travel Specialist
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Dawn
Head of Customer Experience
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Lauren
Travel Specialist
