Our very long 2nd Day in Iceland

Today we booked a Golden Circle Tour. I'm so happy that we decided to go with GeoIceland!

Our guide must have been early because we were in the lobby at 8:30 and he wasn't there. A little after 9 am he arrived and explained that he came to our hotel first and when he didn't see us he went and picked up the rest of the group. We were in a mid-size tour van that was nice and clean.

Herman (sp) is a bubbly, outgoing and humorous guide! In addition to this he is extremely knowledgeable and passionate about Geology and Iceland.  The first part of our tour was driving through Reykjavik and the outer neighborhoods (including where he lives). This was to show us the average Icelandic homes etc. 

Our first stop was at a Travel Plaza (restaurant, restrooms, gas, etc.). Inside is a large map of Iceland and the surrounding oceans. Herman began organizing and maneuvering us to teach us about Geology and how Iceland was created. This was very informative, very funny, and a tad awkward as we were arm in arm with strangers lol.  At first Greg and I were questioning this tour. Saying "What did we get ourselves into." Is this a tour of the Natural Beauty of Iceland or a H.S. Geology class. In the end we realized it's both and so much more!!!

Yes we learned about Tectonic Plates, how many types of rivers there are in Iceland, how to pronounce Eyjafjallajokull but we also got to experience the places these events occurred.

Our next stop was Faxi Waterfall. It's a pretty stop but definitely pails in comparison to later stops. 

Our 3rd stop was at Gulfoss Waterfall. Luckily we packed ice walkers for this trip because if we hadn't I would have been slipping and sliding all over the place!! We had time to view this incredible waterfalls from several different vantage points. It was beautiful but I have a feeling it's true beauty comes out in warmer months.

The next stop was The Geysir hot spring and Haukadalur geothermal area. This was the only small complaint I have against GeoIceland and it is small. We weren't told that there would be a fee to get into this area. There are multiple steam pockets, hot springs, and the Great Geysir. The area is gorgeous and intriguing!!!

Below is a slideshow of the Geysir

Next up was Thingvellir National Park. This is the spot with Iceland's Parliament was established. This area is also broken up by the Mid Atlantic Ridge which separates the North American Tectonic Plate and the Eurasian Tectonic Plate. As you walk towards Parliament you cross over one of the most beautiful streams you will ever see. The water is crystal clear and is also the most beautiful turquoise. It's insanely beautiful!

We also got to walk further up the path to a wonderful look out area before re-boarding the bus.    

Herman also made sure to stop along the way for plenty of photo's. Including some that he would get boisterous about since the weather was so perfect and the views were beyond clear lol. During out ride Herman would sing us some Bjork, tell us some jokes, and then tell us one of the most outrageous and yet true stories!

We were told about Elves that live inside of a rock in a neighborhood near Reykjavik. Construction workers were trying to make a two lane road in this neighborhood. Oddly every time they began work their machines would just stop working. Eventually they asked a woman who can speak with Elves to come and help them. The woman explained that the Elves didn't want a two lane road but would be willing to compromise with a one lane road. 

To prove that he wasn't lying to us Herman drove us to that neighborhood. Sure enough there was a two lane road that came down to just one lane. Next to that one lane was a giant rock. A large plaque was place nearby telling the same story. Herman even went one step further and stopped a local boy who was walking by. Needless to say the boy confirmed the story!!

We were the first of our group to be dropped off. When we stepped out of the bus we both agreed that this was truly an amazing day!

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We hurried into our room at the Hilton Reykjavik Nordica. Then ran down to Vox restaurant for our dinner reservation. For those reviews visit here. 

That evening we had a Northern Lights Tour booked with Iceland Offroad. Our experience with a Northern Lights Tour wasn't as great as it could have been but I feel that the response we got from the company was pretty good. Because of their response we would go on another tour with them.
 
Our tour was originally scheduled for a Friday night. Unfortunately the weather wasn't great. Iceland Offroad stayed in contact with us via email and eventually moved it to Saturday night. Saturday night we were picked up and met with 3 other cars. We didn't end up seeing the Northern Lights (not their fault), we didn't receive any help with our camera, we didn't have a guide with a camera, and we didn't get any hot beverages. We also weren't offered another tour since we didn't see the Lights (I guess we should have been more vocal and asked about this). 

When we got home we emailed the company and explained about our tour. I was speaking with Stefan and in the end I was happy with the response. Stefan explained that unfortunately mistakes happen, he spoke with his staff about this occurrence, and did offer us a refund. In my opinion I think it was they were just a bit overwhelmed with the amount of people on this evenings tour. We weren't looking for (and chose not to accept) a  refund because while things weren't perfect we did go out and did enjoy a lovely night under the stars. We wanted to tell them our story and hopefully get an understanding response from Iceland Offroad. In the end that's exactly what we got so we would still recommend them to our friends.