Itinerary

Day 1:
Noon pickup in Reykjavik at the BSI Bus Terminal or your inn for the 3.5 hours drive to Sauðárkrókur. Along the way you will visit still-active Vidimyri church, a stunning example of 17th century Icelandic architecture, and the Glaumbear Farmstead, dwarf sod houses, eventual home of Snorri Thorfinnson – the first Viking born in North America at Newfoundland’s L’Anse aux Meadows.  In Sauðárkrókur, you can test your bikes, visit the nearby geothermal heated swimming pool, or stretch your legs on the back of an Icelandic horse before dinner. Optional flights are available from Reykjavik to Sauðárkrókur through Air Iceland: www.airiceland.is  D (Meal inclusions provided for guided trips.  Self-guided trips include breakfasts only)
Hotel Tindastoll, Sauðárkrókur; or Hótel Varmahlíð, Varmahlíð

Day 2: 57km/35 miles
From Sauðárkrókur, ride through a river valley known for its horses and ethereal blue light.  Picnic in the mountain-nestled village of Holar, seat of the bishop from 1106-1801 and the last stronghold of the Catholic Church during the Reformation.  You can visit the cathedral, restored to its original state.  Afternoon ride along the coast of Skagafjordur to Hofsos, where you can visit the Icelandic American Heritage museum. Transfer back to Hotel Tindastoll at day’s end. BLD
Hotel Tindastoll, Sauðárkrókur; or Hótel Varmahlíð, Varmahlíð

Day 3: 69km/42 miles
Follow the coast around the Tröllaskagi Peninsula – Peninsula of Trolls – to lunch in Siglufjörður, a small fishing town once known as the herring centre of Iceland.  A visit to the Herring Era Museum will give insight into the boom that hit this region during the 20th century.  Later, views of Grimsey Island increase the beauty of the ride. BLD
Brimnes Hotel & Cabins, Ólafsfjörður

Day 4: 60km/37miles
An easier ride along the coast toward Akureyri, acknowledged as the home of some of the world’s most beautiful people, and known by golfers for the Arctic Open Championship. Visit the botanical gardens, old houses, and relative abundance of restaurants and bars, where the fun is heightened by the location near the Arctic Circle. B
Hotel Kea, Akureyri

Day 5: 108km/67 miles
Follow the Eyjafjörður coast from Akureyri toward Laufas, where a well-preserved farm building depicts past daily life. Lunch at Storutjarnir, or Iceland’s most spectacular waterfall, Gođafoss – Falls of the Gods. Follow the salmon-rich river valley to the coast at Husavik – locally proclaimed the whale-watching capital of Europe, and home of an interesting whale information centre.  BLD
Kaldbaks-kot, near Husavik

Day 6: 50km/31 miles
Today’s ride takes you past a small geyser, large greenhouses, and along a lava river valley with pseudocraters – formed by cooling lava bubbles instead of by extraterrestrial impact - toward Lake Myvatn, where the best summer weather in Iceland helps one appreciate its myriad islands, ducks, and pretty vistas. BLD
Hotel Reynihlid; or Hotel Gigur, Myvatn

Day 7: 37km/23 miles - morning ride around Lake Myvatn, and afternoon van ride to the Jokulsargljufur Canyon National Park.
Today is a day to enjoy the unique Myvatn surroundings. After a morning circumnavigation of the lake on your bike, the afternoon can be spent visiting outlying attractions with your guide, or taking an optional sightseeing flight to oversee Iceland’s dramatic interior, including Askja – the world’s biggest caldera – where US astronauts trained for moon landings. BLD
Hotel Reynihlid; or Hotel Gigur, Myvatn

Day 8: Transfer to Reykjavik
This is an approximate six-hour drive. Optional flights from Akureyri are available to Reykjavik through Air Iceland. B

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