ROCK AROUND THE RING ROAD
SOLD OUT
MAY 28 – JUNE 12, 2023
TOUR
It is listed in Patricia Schultz’ book as one of the “1,000 Places to See Before You Die”. “It” is Iceland’s Route 1 aka The Ring Road, an 832 mile stretch of road which circumnavigates the nation passing by many of Iceland’s greatest natural treasures…boulder littered volcanic plains, elf cities, gushing waterfalls, sparkling glaciers, troll rocks….
Krummi Travel presents “Rock Around the Ring Road” a rollicking 15-day multi-cultural and geological survey of this extraordinary highway with loads of surprises tucked in along the way and of course ample amounts of laughter and candy. Your geologist on the journey is Tom Alena who led this very same trip in 2012, 2015, and 2017 and STILL returns for punishment! Tom has an incomparable ability to make sense out of rocks. He is also a meteorologist and that comes in quite handy in a country known for its weather mood swings. Tom is warm, passionate, patient (he’ll need all he can muster) and fun! He is also a diminutive fellow so there is a good chance he won’t be eating a lot of candy. He also sleeps a good deal in the van. This is great for incriminating photo ops and eating his portion of the candy.
Also on the van will be our Chilean Ambassador, Roberto Ignacio Ruiz Paredes. Roberto has served as a guide on our trips to Patagonia in 2014 and 2022 and will guide us when we return to Patagonia in November 2023. He is the Puma Whisperer and on our trip will give us insight into his country and culture. You will be amazed by the similarities shared by Iceland and Chile! We can also dispatch Roberto to do things we are too old, incapable, or too lazy to do. He will report back to us with photos and video. He too can put up with your nonsense.
Fridrik Runar Gudmundsson is our Icelandic guide. I can’t even begin to describe what this man means to Krummi Travel. I have no doubt that Fridrik is Iceland’s greatest guide..He is so knowledgeable in all aspects on the country…culture, nature, and everything in between. He sings, tells stories, and makes remarks that will have you howling for days! You will want to take him home with you but that is illegal.
You will be meeting many other Icelandic friends along the way. None of this is your beeswax. Behave yourself, be surprised, amazed, and don’t ask questions.
HIDEOUS PRICES (BUT IT’S NEARLY ALL INCLUSIVE)! :
Price per person Single Occupancy (when available) In one spot you may have to shack up with another single: $8800
Price per person Double Occupancy: $8000
ONLY 10 SPOTS AVAILABE! DON’T DRAG YOUR FEET!
REFUND POLICY: In the event that you have to cancel your trip due to unforeseen circumstances, Krummi Travel offers the following trip cancellation policy.
The purchase of travel insurance to provide coverage for unexpected travel cancellations, medical emergencies, and baggage loss is the responsibility of each individual and should be pursued through your personal insurance agent.
- Trip cancellations received more than 12 weeks prior to departure are subject to a cancellation fee of 10% of the total tour price.
- Trip cancellations received 8 weeks prior to departure are subject to forfeiture of 25% of the total tour price.
- Trip cancellations received within 5 weeks of departure are subject to the forfeiture of a 100% of the total tour price.
Price includes roundtrip economy class flights from Boston, New York or Newark (based on $600) to Keflavik, airport taxes, all ground transportation in Iceland, the services of an amazing Icelandic guide who will totally put up with your questions, jokes, pranks, and will return the favors in kind, accommodation for 15 nights at cozy hotels around the country MOST with private facilities, breakfast and dinner each day, some lunches, and many other surprises which are none of your beeswax…
Not included: Transportation to and from Boston / New York / Newark, anything that has to do with your drinking habit, some lunches, that $300 sweater you have been eyeing, and any extras (when available) like horseback riding, and gratuities for Fridrik, Tom, and Roberto at the end of the journey.
Departure from Boston: Sunday, May 29, 2023. Returning Monday, June 12, 2023.
ITINERARY
May 28 / 29 Day 1: Welcome to Iceland
Fly from Boston to Keflavik, Iceland on Icelandair. Upon arrival collect your bags .You may wish to hit the duty free shop for libations, as alcohol in Iceland is very expensive. NOTE: THE ALCOHOL YOU PURCHASE MUST BE CONSUMED IN YOUR ROOM OR OUTSIDE AND NOT IN THE DINING ROOM OR COMMON AREAS OF YOUR HOTELS. Waiting outside will be the smiling face of Fridrik Runar Gudmundsson. We’ll be whisked away for a light breakfast and a swim at Iceland’s remarkable Blue Lagoon. Yes. It is a tourist trap but we’ll get there early enough to avoid the riff raff. You’ll feel refreshed and 25 years younger! It’s lava, lava, lava, unbelievable seascapes, geothermal fields, and so much more. We’ll wind our way along the coast and hike at the eruption site at Geldingadalur (March 2021 – August 2021). Lunch will be in the Green House Town, Hveragerdi before landing at our hotel for two nights. You are free to relax until dinner. A group repast will end this exhausting but rewarding day.
MAY 30: The Golden Circle
After an EARLY breakfast, board the van to take in Iceland’s remarkable Golden Circle. It is imperative that we arrive early before the hoards of buses arrive from Reykjavik! This is a right of passage for any visitor to Iceland. You’ll enjoy seeing the Geysir area..all geysirs are named after it! Strokkur erupts every 7 minutes…without fail! Then it’s off to the grand Golden Falls, Gullfoss! Our tour ends with remarkable Thingvellir where the world’s first parliament was established in 930 AD. This breathtaking UNESCO World Heritage Site is also one of the few places on our planet where you can stand in between two tectonic plates! Lunch will be taken along the way. Dinner either at the hotel or in town. After dinner this evening Tom will give us a talk on what we can expect as we launch ourselves onto the Ring Road tomorrow morning.
MAY 31: The Beautiful South, Heavy on the Rocks!
After breakfast we’ll set out for a very aggressive tour of the geosites along Iceland’s south coast. Waterfalls are ubiquitous. So are glaciers and the volcanoes hidden beneath them. We’ll end up at our hotel, unpack, and then board super jeeps for an ureal up close look at a glacier and the black sand beaches surrounding our hotel with our super cool new friend, Johann. Dinner at the hotel.
JUNE 1, 2: Glacial Ice Cubes, Deer, Horses!
After and early breakfast board the bus to visit more spectacular geosites near our hotel. Getting an early start ensures we won’t run into busloads of tourists arriving from Reykjavik. We’ll head southeast to one of Iceland’s tourism Holy Grails, Jokulsarlon Glacial Lagoon. This place can only be described as “A Fairy Tale”. The icebergs have been calved off of Europe’s largest glacier, Vatnajokull. We’ll also wander the nearby beach; a graveyard for icebergs which have floated down Iceland’s shortest river to their final resting place on the shores of the icy North Atlantic. Demerits for calling it “DIAMOND BEACH”! UGH! During our stay in the area we’ll also visit Skatafell National Park, home to one of Iceland’s most beautiful waterfalls, Svartifoss. Our cozy hotel for the next two evenings is smack dab in the middle of reindeer country!
JUNE 3, 4, 5: Dropping Out Down East!
After breakfast it’s on the road again as we leave the Ring Road to meander in and out of the East Fjords.. Stodvarfjordur is home to the quirky rock museum of Steinasfn Petru, collected by Petra Sveindottir and now displayed in her home. This is one of the world’s largest collections of rocks! Her children still live in the house, so as you take in this astonishing collection you’ll observe among the rocks and minerals family photos and other personal effects. It’s surreal and terribly wonderful! Ultimately we are ending up in one of my favorite places in all of Iceland. We’ll park the van and be taken by jeeps to our hotel, a remote farm house where you can indulge in some Iceland’s most spectacular nature, owned by one of the nicest people you will ever meet. He has opened up his home to our group only!!! Ask former Krummi Travelers about their experience at Skalanes. These days of rest and relaxation will be one of the highlights of your trip! Roberto will give a talk about the Puma of Patagonia and treat us to an authentic Patagonia Barbeque. There will be S’Mores under the midnight sun.. There will be other surprises and of course none of this is any concern of yours.
JUNE 6, 7, 8: Magical Myvatn
Board the van early as we have some major traveling to do! We’ll be heading for the Myvatn district, one of Iceland’s most geologically significant areas. Along the way you’ll traverse Iceland’s desolate north. We’ll stop by a spectacular geothermal area and take a peek at the Viti explosion crater and the Krafla volcanic area. Check into our wonderful hotel now producing their very own BJOR! . It is located on the shores of the lake. Dinner is at the hotel. The evening is yours to wander this unusual landscape..unlike any other in Iceland! In the upcoming days you will visit the beautiful turf museum at Grenjaðastaður. We’ll make a brief stop in the charming seaside town, Husavik. We’ll visit some nifty fossils before heading to Ásbyrgi and the mighty Dettifoss. The horseshoe-shaped depression of Asbyrgi is part of the Jökulsárgljúfur National Park. For more than half of its length, the canyon is divided through the middle by the distinctive rock formation Eyjan (“the Island”), from which hikers may enjoy spectacular views. Down in the canyon, visitors walk through a woodland of birch and willow. Between 1947 and 1977, a number of foreign tree species were introduced, including fir, larch and pine. The small lake Botnstjörn is home to a variety of waterfowl species. Nicknamed “Sleipnir’s Footprint”, it is said that the canyon was formed when Odin‘s eight-legged horse, Sleipnir, touched one of its feet to the ground here. Legend also relates that the canyon is the capital city of the “hidden people” (huldufólk), who live in cracks within the surrounding cliffs. Dettifoss is the most powerful waterfall in Europe. You can actually stand at its edge! You will also see the waterfall Selfoss and the basalt canyon of the river Jökulsá. Our last full day in Myvatn begins with a brisk hike up the largest tephra crater in the world, Hverfjall. We’ll hike to the troll-infested lava canyon, Dimmuborgir, take a dip in the Myvatn Nature Baths, and visit one of the greatest natural history museums in the world…devoted to birds. The story behind this museum with tug at your heart.
JUNE 9, 10: Way Out West!
After an early breakfast at the hotel we’ll board the van and spend our day heading west. But first we shall make a pit stop at another of Iceland’s most glorious waterfalls, Godafoss and then make a pit stop in beautiful Akureyri, Iceland’s second largest city (population 17,500).. We’ll be settling into our cozy hotel which is located in a beautiful area just begging for exploring! You will have what little is left of your day to investigate. Dinner (and maybe a swim!) will be at the hotel.. Our next day will be spent visiting a lighthouse and its passionate keeper, Hilmar,and a ceramic artist, Kolbrun, whose work will blow your mind. Bring your wallet!. You’ll also spend quality time with of my best friends and her kids! The farm is called Haafell..the Icelandic Goat Farm and you will meet its dynamic owner, Johanna Bergman Thorvaldsdottir who has single-handedly saved the Icelandic Goat from extinction. We’ll also be visiting Hraunfossar…another spectacular waterfall and with a little luck, meet up with Pall of Husafell, an extraordinary man who is famous in Iceland as an artist but also as a musician who makes instruments from rhubarb and rock. Let’s not forget that we’ll be standing in the largest geothermal area in Iceland!
June 11: Reykjavik
Today we head to the big city! Reykjavik is the northernmost world capital. It has about 180,000 residents…nearly two thirds of Iceland’s population! Check in at the hotel. Today is yours to explore this beautiful city, its charming museums, cafes, unusual shopping opportunities. Tonight we’ll be dining in the city within walking distance of our hotel. A Farewell dinner is planned this evening. Break out your hankies.
June 12: Homeward Bound!
Kids… Don’t cry! Kiss our darling Fridrik goodbye. This has been an adventure of a lifetime! Our afternoon flight lands us in Boston at around 6:00 p.m.. Remember to purchase hot dogs and raw legs of lamb and other things you never dreamed you could bring back into the USA! It’s all because you have just visited the tidiest nation on earth! Takk fyrir!