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Not planning ahead

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  • Mistakes You Should Not Commit While Planning a Private Tour of Iceland
  • Not planning ahead
Not planning ahead
  • March 28, 2023 March 28, 2023
  • Discover Iceland

Not planning ahead

One of the biggest mistakes you can make when planning a private tour of Iceland is not planning ahead.

Previous postMistakes You Should Not Commit While Planning a Private Tour of Iceland

Our Tours

Private Tours in Iceland
DAY TOUR
249,900 kr.

Golden Circle | South Coast | Combo Private Tour

Seeking professional help from a tour guide
SUPER JEEP
209,900 kr.

Thorsmork Nature Valley | Private SuperJeep Tour

Iceland Super Jeep
MULTI DAY
0 kr.

South Coast & Jokulsarlon | Multi Day Private Tour

300,000 kr.

South Coast Ice Cave & Jokulsarlon | 2 Day Tour | Private Tour

Private Tours in Iceland
189,900 kr.

Golden Circle | Gullfoss - Geysir - Þingvellir | Private Tour

star rating  Without hesitation, Discover Iceland is the way to go! I booked a trip to Iceland at the end of December 2019 through early January to celebrate my husband's birthday and... read more also to experience NYE in Iceland. Initially, I was interested in renting a car and doing a self-drive however after much research about how unpredictable the winter weather can be and how dangerous it could be to drive if roads are icy and windy, I felt that would not be the best idea. I was not interested in being on a bus with a whole group of people and wanted to do something more private. After reviewing many companies, I came across Discover Iceland through internet research and considering how many amazing reviews they received, I reached out to the company by email and requested info on a 3 day tour of Golden Circle and South Coast tour. The owner Georg emailed me back almost immediately, and after several emails back and forth (including on weekends!) narrowing down precisely what we wanted to do, I booked it! He was very flexible with our requests and was honest and quick to reply to any questions. I felt very comfortable having chosen this company.

Prior to start of our private tour, we arrived in Iceland and did rent a car for 1 day since I wanted to try that experience at least locally. We went to the Blue Lagoon and explored Reykanes peninsula on our own which is also really interesting to do! On NYE, we walked around Reykavik and then after dinner, went to see one of the traditional Iceland bonfires on the beach despite being belted sideways by icy rain! Then, we walked to Hallgrimskirkja church to see the incredible NYE fireworks at midnight!! Unforgettable!

The next morning, New Years Day, we were up early to start our 3 day private tour! Our driver Bjartmar picked us up at our hotel in a Superjeep and he was very kind and informative about many things! I felt very safe in the Superjeep and it was so comfortable! I was so happy that we didn't have to drive the rest of our trip because we were so tired from the jet lag, lack of sleep, and long hours of darkness which would have been dangerous to drive in. Iceland is extremely beautiful in daylight, but when you are visiting sites all day in the cold and then have to drive long distances in early complete darkness without anything to look at, you could easily fall asleep at the wheel. We started with the Golden Circle and we had been booked to do snowmobiling at Langjokull but George had emailed me 2 days earlier to inform me that the snowmobile company had cancelled it in advance due to poor forecasted weather conditions on the glacier. Georg was very prompt in offering an alternative activity and suggested we book another snowmobiling tour the following day on a different glacier on the South coast, which we agreed to. I was disappointed that we couldn't go snowmobiling at Langjokull but in hindsight, I am glad they cancelled it after hearing on the news a few days later about a different tourist group being trapped overnight in the snow on the glacier due to a blizzard. Iceland winter weather is definately not to mess with!

After visiting Gullfoss, Bjartmar attempted to drove us up to Langjokull glacier anyway, since we couldn't go snowmobiling, but we ended up turning around halfway there due to poor conditions on the road. I was glad that he took our safety into consideration and knew when to change plans since he is familiar with the roads. The drive itself was adventurous, very bumpy, and the scenery was outstanding! We stopped at one point to get out and take pictures and it was sooo windy! On our way back, we stopped for a late lunch at Fridheimar which was incredible!

The next 2 days, we did the South Coast tour. Bjartmar first took us to a waterfall in a hidden cave that not many tourists go to and we were lucky enough to be the first and only people there. We did have to carefully walk into the cave through a vigorous stream and on rocks but thankfully my waterproof boots did their job and the waterfall was incredible and worth it to see!! We found out that our rebooked snowmobiling tour on a different glacier got cancelled as well that morning due to poor weather conditions so Georg was able to book us with an ATV tour instead that day. I was so thankful for his quick communication with us about any last minute changes. After visiting the waterfalls, we did our ATV tour which was actually longer than expected, we drove around on the ATVs for about 2 hours and saw such incredible scenery including going to canyons, through rivers, blacksand beach, and the plane wreck. It was a very worthwhile activity to do!! Then, we tried to go to Dyrholaey but the road to get there was blocked by seawater so be prepared for unexpected conditions when traveling to Iceland! We finished the day at Reynisfjara Beach and Bjartmar took us to a great brewery for dinner in Vik. It was really cool to hear his stories about Iceland, his family, and how living in Iceland really is! He was very personable, funny, and it was great to know him!

On our 3rd day, Bjartmar drove us to Jokulsarlon and we went to the blue ice cave and did a mini glacier hike as well which was incredible!! We were lucky enough to witness seeing a rare phenomenon at sunrise called a nacreous cloud (arctic icicle cloud at the ozone layer) which was one of the most beautiful things I've ever seen in the sky, I couldn't stop staring at it. We were not able to see the Northern lights during our trip unfortunately, but this definitely made up for it! After our tour, we stopped at the lagoon and then Diamond Beach. On our return trip back to Reyjkavik, Bjartmar stopped at a local pizza place in a small south coast town for a late lunch and the pizza was so fresh and delicious! The food in Iceland was outstanding!

I was so happy to have found this tour company and they do such an amazing job with organizing and finding the perfect itinerary just for you. Bjartmar was an incredible driver and tour guide and only made our experience in Iceland much more private, safe, and fun. I look forward to definitely coming back to Iceland for a longer stay and with my kids next time to show them Iceland's beauty. I would definitely use Discover Iceland again.

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GlobeTrotting113621
January 25, 2020

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Discover Iceland ehf is a registered tour operator by the Icelandic Tourist Board. We answer emails promptly day and night, but take phone calls only during local business hours.

Discover Iceland ehf

Hamarshöfdi 4 - 110 Reykjavík
+354 691 5155 (WhatsApp)
info@discover.is

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