October 8th – 16th, 2024
Citizens of the USA, EU countries, UK, Canada, Australia and New Zealand are allowed to enter Iceland without a visa. Iceland is a part of the Schengen Zone, a European zone consisting of 27 countries. As a citizen of any of the mentioned countries, you are allowed to spend 90 days out of any 180-day period in the Schengen Zone as a whole.
For the guests who are arriving on the morning of October 8th (or in the days prior), we have been able to arrange a visit to the Blue Lagoon.
This activity is complimentary, and will include transportation from the airport to the Blue Lagoon, premium admission into the Blue Lagoon and transportation to our hotel in Reykjavik in time for check-in at 3:00pm. For those arriving before October 8th, we will book you spots on a shuttle from Reykjavik to the Blue Lagoon to meet the group and enjoy this excursion.
→ Arrivals – October 8th (morning arrivals only)
Please follow the below instructions upon arrival at Keflavík International Airport in Reykjavik:
→ Arrivals – (all other days/times)
If you’re arriving before October 8th or in the afternoon of October 8th, we’ve arranged your FlyBus transfer to the Alda Hotel.
Your tour leader, Sakai, will be reachable on WhatsApp at all times. You can always call him or send him a WhatsApp message at +1 510 806-5488
Please note: When arriving into Iceland, you are sometimes required to fill out a landing card or tell the immigration officer where you will be staying in Reykjavik. Here are the details:
Alda Hotel (Laugavegur 66-68, 101 Reykjavík, Iceland)
Please note that the arrival and departure airport for this tour is the Keflavík International Airport (KEF) and your flight to/from Iceland should be for this airport only.
We will set up a WhatsApp chat 2 weeks prior to the start of the tour that will include all of the participants as well as your tour leader. This will allow everyone to get to know each other in advance, ask questions and communicate with your tour leader both before and during the tour. It will be very useful for you to have WhatsApp available to you during the tour as this will be the main method of communication.
Your tour leader for this adventure is Sakai Naismith. Backed by over 20 years of travel experience and a decade as a tour leader, Sakai has an in-depth understanding and passion for exploration. He’s not only a veteran in global travel, but he’s also led many of The Women’s Travel Tribe tours, making him the perfect leader. Sakai will introduce himself and share more details about himself and the trip when we create the WhatsApp group chat approximately 2 weeks prior to the tour.
**Our tour leader will be there to ensure the trip runs smoothly and our local guides are there to share the wonders of their country!
The local currency in Iceland is the Icelandic Krona (ISK). The current exchange rate is $1 USD = 140 ISK.
In terms of spending money, you should estimate an average of $40 – $50 USD per day for all of your needs. This would be for meals that are not included in the tour, basic purchases (laundry service, snacks, etc) as well as any activities you choose to do on your own.
Iceland is mainly a cashless society, with credit cards serving as the primary method of payment. Regardless, it’s always a good idea to carry some cash with you in case of emergency.
As for exchanging money, the best method is via ATM machines which are everywhere in country. This is the easiest so that you don’t need to carry around large amounts of cash.
However, check with your bank at home as some banks charge high foreign transaction fees every time you withdraw money overseas.
If using an ATM is not an option, or the fees are too high, simply bring USD, Euros or GBP to exchange at money exchange offices that are located all over the country.
Tipping in Iceland is not generally a part of the culture, but it is always appreciated. Here’s a general guideline:
➜ Restaurants – 5% – 10% if a service charge is not already added to the bill
➜ Hotel staff – 400 ISK if someone helps you with luggage or anything else
➜ Our drivers – We recommend that each person gives a $50 USD tip that we will split among the 2 drivers that we will use during the tour
➜ Tour leader – If you wish to tip your tour leader, they will always be greatly appreciative
*Tips for local guides and waitstaff at included meals are already included.
Iceland has generally strong internet throughout the country and all of our accommodations will have WiFi.
For those who wish to have a data connection on their phone throughout the tour, the easiest way will be to purchase an E-SIM before the trip, as this will allow you to stay connected from the moment you land at the airport.
We can also set up local SIM cards upon arrival for those who wish. Just make sure you have a GSM-enabled unlocked phone in order to use a foreign SIM card.
Another option is to activate your home network’s ‘international plan’ which will allow you to continue using your phone as you would at home, with access to a data connection, for a fee that usually ranges from $5 – $10 per day.
October 8th: Reykjavik / Arrival day
October 9th: Reykjavik ➜ Golden Circle ➜ Reykjavik
October 10th: Reykjavik ➜ South Coast
October 11th: South Coast
➜ Included meals: Breakfast
October 12th: South Coast ➜ Reykjavik ➜ Akureyri ➜ Northern Lights
October 13th: Akureyri ➜ Dettifoss ➜ Lake Myvatn ➜ Akureyri
October 14th: Akureyri ➜ Reykjavik
October 15th: Reykjavik
October 16th: Reykjavik / Departure day
➜ Professional tour leader
➜ Small group (maximum 12 participants)
➜ Accommodation (8 nights – 3.5* and 4* hotels)
➜ Breakfast every day, 5 lunches and 5 dinners
➜ Transportation in Iceland (private van and internal flights)
➜ Local English-speaking guides throughout the trip
➜ All mentioned activities and entrance fees
➜ All airport transfers (via FlyBus)
➜ Flights to/from Iceland
➜ Passport/visa fees
➜ Meals and activities not mentioned
➜ Travel insurance (mandatory)
➜ Gratuities
That’s all for now! If you have any questions at all, please don’t hesitate to send us an email at team@wanderingearl.com.
