6-Day South Coast, Golden Circle & Westfjords Tour

Pick-up in Reykjavík from 9:00. You start with the Golden Circle: Þingvellir National Park, where the tectonic plates pull apart; the Geysir area, where Strokkur erupts every few minutes; and Gullfoss. Heading south you may see Hekla volcano on a clear day, and at Seljalandsfoss you can walk behind the falls when the path is open. Night at Hotel Geirland or similar near Kirkjubæjarklaustur.

A day of ice. You see the icebergs on Jökulsárlón and the ice on Diamond Beach, then walk the easy trail to Svartifoss in Skaftafell, framed by basalt columns. The highlight is the Katla ice cave, where you spend about two hours with a guide and all the safety gear. Second night at Hotel Geirland or similar.

On the way back west you stop at Fjaðrárgljúfur canyon (weather permitting), cross the moss-covered Eldhraun lava field and walk on Reynisfjara black sand beach with its basalt columns and sea stacks. The last big stop is Skógafoss, with 527 steps to the top for a view over the coast. Night in Reykjavík at Hótel Ísland or similar.

You leave Reykjavík heading north. Stops include Eiríksstaðir, a rebuilt Viking longhouse at the home of Erik the Red, the Vatnsfjörður nature reserve and the Garðar BA 64 shipwreck, the oldest steel ship in Iceland. In the afternoon you reach Látrabjarg, Europe's westernmost point, where puffins nest on the cliff edge in summer, and then the beach at Breiðavík. Night at Hótel Flókalundur or similar.

The morning starts at Rauðisandur, a 10 km beach of pale red and golden sand. You then drive through the fjords to Dynjandi, a 100-metre waterfall that spreads out like a bridal veil, with smaller falls below it. Later you stop at the pier in Önundarfjörður and drive up to the Bolafjall viewing platform, 636 metres above the sea. Night in Ísafjörður at Hotel Torg or similar.

The last day starts at Ósvör, a restored fishing station, and Óshólar lighthouse. Then you follow the fjords of Ísafjarðardjúp to the Arctic Fox Center in Súðavík and to Hvítanes, where seals rest on the rocks. The drive back to Reykjavík goes through Hvalfjörður, with drop-off between 16:00 and 19:00 depending on the roads.