Best of Iceland $2,699.00 - Featuring Northern Lights - Direct Travel

Best of Iceland
Featuring Northern Lights
          JANUARY 5‐11, 2020

      $2,699.00
  per person based on double occupancy

           This is not an SFEA Official Sponsored Event.

Tour Highlights
Northern Lights: Iceland is close to the Arc c circle making it an ideal loca on to view the Northern Lights.
While we cannot guarantee you will see the lights we have selected this des na on and me of year to
increase your odds. Guaranteed darkness is the single most important factor in seeing the Northern Lights, in
daylight the Auroras are invisible.

Other features on tour will be:
Reykjavik
Thingvellir Geysir
Gullfoss Water Falls
Ska afell Na onal Park
Lake Jökulsárlón Glacier
Skogafoss
Selialandsfoss

Includes
   Round Trip Flights From Chicago O’Hare
   Airport Transfers
   5 Nights Accommoda ons
   Full Breakfast Daily
                                                     Hotels
   2 Three Course Dinners
                                                        Fosshotel Reykavik Centrum*
   Comfort Entrance Visit to the Blue Lagoon
                                                        Fosshotel Glacier Lagoon*
   Reykjavik City Tour With Guide
                                                        Hotel Kria*
   Northern Lights Boat Tour with Guide
                                                     * Other similar hotels may be used if necessary.
   Visit Aurora Reykjavik Northern Lights Center
   Visit Pingellir Na onal Park                    Not Included
   Visit Seljalandsfoss Na onal Park                  Drinks During Included Tour

   Visit Ska afell Na onal Park                       Meals Or Refreshments Not Men oned

   Entrance to Lava Center Exhibi on & Cinema         Other Ac vi es Or Tours Not Men oned

   Northern Lights Land Tour With Guide               Gratui es For Guides & Drivers

Northern Lights Tour Overview:
Iceland is a country known for its natural wonders: You see cascading waterfalls, smoking geysers, colorful
volcano craters, a spectacular ice lagoon with floa ng icebergs and black lava beaches, all set against a In
Thingvellir, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, walk through the ri valley that marks the separa on between
two of the world’s major tectonic plates. You will have the opportunity to walk on the Black lava beach,
traverse the Golden Circle, enjoy Seljalandsfoss and Skógafoss Waterfall, plus see the amazing Jökulsárlón
Glacier Lagoon. backdrop of gli ering glaciers and restless geology.
On this tour of Iceland, you will have the best chance to see the Northern Lights both with a tour in the
country and a boat ride from Reykjavik. We have also included some out‐of‐the‐ordinary experiences to
make your Iceland vaca on special.

Daily I nerary:
Day 1: January 5, 2020 ‐ DEPART CENTRAL ILLINOIS
Travel by motor coach from Central Illinois to Chicago O’Hare and board our flight to Reykjavik.

Day 2: January 6, 2020 ‐ ARRIVE IN REYKJAVIK
Day 1: Arrival – Transfer Keflavík airport via Blue Lagoon to Reykjavík
Your group will be picked up at Keflavik Interna onal Airport. It is only a 20 minutes’ drive passing the town
of Keflavik and a large lava field before we reach the Blue Lagoon. What an unusual and unique start of a
holiday in any country! The Blue Lagoon is one of Iceland’s most popular a rac ons, a natural geothermal
pool in the middle of a large and drama c lava field and an oasis that owes its existence to a nearby
geothermal power plant. We stop for 1½ ‐ 2 hours for a refreshing bathe or a swim in the invi ng,
rejuvena ng and pleasantly warm mineral‐rich water (36°C‐38°C/100‐110°F), famed for its reputed healing
proper es. An indoor pool and geothermal sauna are also on the site. Bathing in this surreal environment is a
unique experience no one should miss. The Blue Lagoon’s warm water and natural ac ve ingredients like
mineral salts, silica and blue green algae help you relax and escape the stress and strain of daily life. From the
Blue Lagoon it takes about 45 minutes passing lava landscape and several suburbs before reaching Reykjavík,
the northern most Capital city in the world. Overnight: Fosshotel Reykjavík Centrum (D)

Day 3: January 7, 2020 ‐ REYKJAVIK
Day 2: Reykjavík City tour – Aurora Reykjavík – Northern lights tour
The city centre is a maze of narrow alleys framed with old mber houses from late 19th to early 20th centu‐
ries punctuated with more recent buildings. Reykjavík is the oldest se lement in Iceland (late 9th century)
but became a town rela vely recently, in 1786. We will learn about life in the city from the very beginning of
se lement in Iceland to the present day. We stop by the church of Hallgrímskirkja and drive through the uni‐
versity district, past the Nordic house (Nordic cultural centre, designed by Alvar Aalto) and the Na onal Mu‐
seum. In the very city centre we stop by the City hall, which juts into the small lake of Tjörnin. Nearby are the
Lutheran Cathedral (1847) and the House of Parliament (1881) and monuments to Jón Sigurðsson (19th cen‐
tury Independence hero) and also a sculpture of Skúli Magnússon, the father of the town itself. On the lake
are many birds: many kinds of ducks, whooper swans and various seagulls and arc c terns (depending on
season). We also drive by the harbour to observe fishing vessels of different sizes, whale hunters and whale
watchers. The latest addi on to Reykjavík is the concert/conference hall of Harpan (the Harp) built on the
northern waterfront of the town centre whose drama c design captures and reflects the light of the city,
ocean and sky to thrilling effect. Later, we will visit Aurora Reykjavík, an interes ng northern lights exhibi on,
where we will learn everything about this amazing natural wonder. The day ends with a northern lights
cruise. (The rou ng of this city sightseeing tour is subject to change). Overnight: Fosshotel Reykjavík Cen‐
trum (B)

Day 4 : January 8, 2020 ‐ LAVA CENTER—SELJALANDSFOSS—SKOGAFOSS
We drive first over a lava plateau and then into the southern lowlands of Iceland. The route passes through
some of the pre est countryside in Iceland with fields, farms and villages towards the Eyja allajökull and
Mýrdalsjökull glaciers in South Iceland. Under Eyja allajökull is the volcano that erupted in the spring of 2010
and caused all the problems with air traffic over Europe. A er a visit to the LAVA Center, we reach Sel‐
jalandsfoss, a graceful ribbon‐like waterfall, which drops from an overhanging lava cliff. It is possible to walk
behind it, but do not expect to stay dry!. We con nue to the impressive Skógafoss waterfall (62m, 203 feet)
and is among the most beau ful waterfalls in Iceland. Overnight: Fosshotel Glacier Lagoon. (B)

Day 5: January 9, 2020 ‐ JÖKULSÁRLÓN —REYNISFJARA—VIK
We arrive at Ska afell Na onal Park, a part of
Vatnajökull Na onal Park that is today the largest
Na onal Park in Europe. In Ska afell you can
enjoy amazing alpine and glacier scenery and
hopefully the view of Iceland’s highest mountain,
Hvannadalshnjúkur (2110m, 6923 ). We con nue
to Jökulsárlon glacial lagoon. Vatnajökull is
Europe’s largest glacier and covers about 8 % of
Iceland and the average thickness of the ice is 400
meters (1300 feet). Under the ice‐cap are s ll ac ve volcanoes. A er a short stroll on the black lava sand
beach with spectacular high surf of the North Atlan c and several stranded icebergs we return direc on of
Vík, where we will visit the volcanic black sand beach of Reynis ara. Here are interes ng caves and
impressive rock forma ons, including columnar basalt. In summer birds nest in the cliffs, including puffins
and fulmars. A er a storm the spectacular high surf of the North Atlan c pounds the cliffs. From Reynis ara
you can enjoy stunning views of picturesque Dyrhólaey promontory, a 120m spur of rock and featuring
natural arch, that stands in water deep enough to allow boats to pass through. Overnight: Hótel Kría. (B)

Day 6 : January 10, 2020 ‐ GOLDEN CIRCLE ‐ GULLFOSS ‐ GEYSIR ‐THINGVELLIR
This excursion includes many of the scenic natural wonders for which Iceland is justly renowned. We reach
the ac ve geothermal area of Haukadalur which contains the geysers Geysir and Strokkur and many other
hot springs. Most ac ve nowadays is Strokkur, erup ng hot water and steam to eleva on of 25 metres (82 )
every 5‐7 minutes. We drive to the mighty waterfall of Gullfoss ‐ the Golden falls ‐ perhaps the most beau ful
in the country. Here the glacial river of Hvítá (white river) tumbles 32 meters (105 ) in a double cascade. On
a sunny day a rainbow is very likely in the massive spray. Over a scenic route we reach Þingvellir (Thingvellir)
Na onal Park (1930) and UNESCO World Heritage Site (2004) and stroll around the country’s most sacred
site, home of the oldest exis ng na onal parliament in the world, the Alþingi, and major events in the history
of Iceland. Thingvellir is a place of fascina ng natural beauty, a spectacular geological vista, set on a vast
plain flanked by large fissures, right by Iceland’s largest lake, Thingvallavatn. The Mid‐Atlan c ri is clearly
visible; a ri that is forming as Iceland is being pulled apart by tectonic forces. Here the North‐American and
the Eurasian con nental plates dri apart by 19mm (¾”) a year and a ri valley is forming. Overnight:
Fosshotel Reykjavík Centrum. (B, D)

Day 7: January 11, 2020 ‐ REYKJAVIK TO KEFLAVIK AIRPORT ‐ HOME
Your vaca on ends with breakfast this morning. We fly to Chicago and then transfer by motor coach back to
Bloomington, IL. (B)
Note: In rare cases, a change of i nerary might be necessary during programs in Iceland, should snow, road and
weather condi ons not allow to follow the scheduled i nerary, and certain outdoor ac vi es/day tours might be
cancelled. In this case no refund will be given, but GJ‐Travel will try to find reasonable alterna ves where and whenever
possible.

Rates & Terms:
Double Occupancy $2,699.00 | Single Occupancy $3,299.00
A deposit of $500 is required in order to guarantee space for this Iceland tour.
Final payment is due by October 18, 2019. Once paid, monies are non‐refundable. No excep ons.
Therefore Trip Cancella on & Travel Protec on Insurance is highly recommended.
Direct Travel highly recommends travel insurance which provides reimbursement coverage for trip
cancella on for covered medical reasons, and other benefits including bankruptcy/default, trip delay, missed
departure, accident medical expense, sickness medical expense, common carrier AD&D, 24‐hour AD&D,
baggage and personal effects, baggage delay and more. Full policy details are available on request. We have
two op ons our regular policy for $204.00 per person or a cancel for any reason policy for $265.00 per
person. Please note that the cancel for any reason policy will refund up to 80% of trip cost when you cancel
for a non covered reason.
There is a limit of 44 passengers for this tour. Will be escorted by Direct Travel with 20 par cipants.

For Reserva ons or Informa on Contact:
                   Sandy Polley
            Direct Line: 309‐834‐3736
Main Office: 309‐834‐3739 or Toll Free: 866‐592‐0455
           2412 E. Washington Suite 4A

Northern Lights Best of Iceland ‐ January 5‐11, 2020
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                             2412 E. Washington Street, Suite 4A in Bloomington, IL 61704.
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Responsibility/Informa on: This tour is arranged and operated by Direct Travel in common with other agents. Direct Travel acts only as an
agent for other par es, firms or corpora ons providing services herein. By issuance of tour creden als Direct Travel is not liable for injury,
damage, loss, accident, delay or irregularity which may be occasioned by reason of defect in any vehicle, or for failure to carry out such
arrangements as men oned; nor for the misconduct of such other par es, terrorist ac vi es, war or natural disasters. Direct Travel reserves the
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