Iceland has a way of making you feel small, fast. This 13-day Great Round Tour strings together the country’s biggest geology hits and the quieter byways, with a guide who keeps the day moving and the context clear. I love that it stays small-group (max 12) and that your meals and lodging are largely handled, so you can focus on the views and the walks.

You’ll also like the guide, Jens Olafsson, if you enjoy storytelling that connects rocks, history, and place. He’s noted for smart timing and for handling the annoying stuff too, like registration each time you switch hotels. One possible drawback: the pace is intense. Most stops are short, and you should be ready for lots of driving and some walking on uneven paths.

Key reasons this Iceland loop works

• Small-group size (up to 12) for a more personal pace and better chances to ask questions.
• Major sights plus quieter stops, including Westfjords roads that many bigger tours skip.
• Food is covered: breakfast every day and dinner most nights, with lunch left for you to manage.
• A clear, guided itinerary, with admission included for Skógar Museum and a boat tour on the Glacial Lagoon.
• Light hiking, real payoffs like Svartifoss and a crater walk, with moderate fitness as the requirement.

Price and value for a 13-day Iceland package

At $7,228.71 per person, this is not a budget trip. But the math changes once you look at what you get for the money: 12 nights of accommodation, 12 breakfasts, 11 dinners, and a guided route that covers a huge chunk of the island. You’re also getting included admission for the Folk Museum of Skógar and the Glacial Lagoon boat tour, plus many stops on the route don’t charge admission based on the schedule.

The biggest value move here is time. To do Iceland solo at this pace, you’d be booking hotels nonstop, driving long distances, and stitching together timing, tickets, and directions. This tour gives you structure, and it keeps the schedule tight enough to feel like you truly covered Iceland in 13 days, not just hit the postcard sites.

That said, you should plan for extra costs. Lunch is not included, and beverages cost extra. If you’re trying to control spending, I’d bring your own plan for midday meals, even if it’s as simple as grabbing something and turning it into a picnic when the route gives you a good spot.

The small-group setup, your guide Jens Olafsson, and how that affects the trip

This tour caps at 12 travelers, and that changes the vibe immediately. You’re not lost in a big bus crowd. You hear the guide, you can ask questions without waiting, and the group can shift a little when weather and road conditions demand it.

The guide named in the standout feedback is Jens Olafsson, and the pattern in those notes is practical: expert driving, strong pacing, and real context. You’re not just stopping at places and taking photos. Jens is set up to give you the “why it looks like this” angle, from Parliament-era history at Þingvellir to how geothermal areas like Hverir and Krafla form.

There’s also a comfort factor that people don’t think about until they’ve tried it. You change hotels often on a multi-day loop, and the tour includes guided help with those nightly registrations. That reduces stress when you’re tired and wet and want to get dinner done and asleep.

What the itinerary really feels like: intense, scenic, and built for walking shoes

This is a drive-heavy, scenery-heavy road trip. Days include a mix of quick viewpoints, short hikes, and one or two longer activity blocks. Many stops are timed around 20 to 90 minutes, so you should treat each stop like a “hit and absorb” moment, not a half-day excursion.

The tour does allow for walking, and the fitness note calls for moderate physical fitness. You’ll likely want hiking shoes with decent grip, plus a rain shell. Even when the ground looks stable, Iceland loves to hide slick spots, loose gravel, and sloped terrain.

If you’re the kind of traveler who wants long museum time or unhurried meals every day, this may feel rushed. If you want Iceland’s variety in a compact window, it’s built for you.

Days 1 to 2: Reykjavik to Þingvellir, Gullfoss, and Geysir

Day 1 is simply about getting settled in Reykjavik, with the tour starting at Hótel Klettur, Mjölnisholt 12-14, 105 Reykjavík, and ending back at the meeting point later on. It’s a smart first day, because jet lag plus Iceland roads is not the best combo.

Day 2 is the classic foundation day. You start at Þingvellir National Park, tied to Iceland’s old parliament and the geology that created this dramatic rift landscape. You then roll into Gullfoss, the Golden Waterfall. Next is Geysir, the geothermal area where boiling ground and steam tell you Iceland is powered from below.

What I like about clustering these three early is momentum. You’re learning the island’s big story fast: plates move, water roars, and heat bubbles up. The short time at each stop keeps the drive going, but the places are so recognizable that even quick visits feel satisfying.

Days 3 to 4: Waterfalls, Skógar Museum, Solheimajökull, and a glacier lagoon cruise

Day 3 is a full day of South Coast icons. You start with Seljalandsfoss, a waterfall where you can walk near it for close-up views. Then it’s Skógarfoss, one of the most photo-ready falls in Iceland. You also get the Skógar Museum, included in the tour, which adds cultural depth beyond just rocks and water.

After that, you head to Solheimajökull Glacier. You’ll have time to see the glacier and take in the stark contrast between ice and dark volcanic ground. Then come the coastal stops: Dyrhólaey for cliff and sea views, and Reynisfjara Beach, the famous black sand beach.

A quick note on Reynisfjara: this is one of those places where the ocean can be serious. Even if you’re only walking a short distance, stay alert to conditions.

Day 4 turns toward the southeast wilderness. You go to Skaftafell National Park, then hike to Svartifoss, a waterfall known for its dark basalt column backdrop. The standout experience is the Glacier Lagoon boat tour, where you’ll be cruising around icebergs. That ride is the moment where Iceland shifts from “scenery” to “science,” because you’re seeing glacial pieces float in a landscape shaped by ice.

Days 5 to 6: Eastfjords feel, then Dettifoss and the Krafla geothermal maze

Day 5 is where the tour starts feeling less like the big highlight circuit and more like Iceland in layers. You stop at Hvalnes Lighthouse, then pass through Lagarfljót and the town of Egilsstaðir. You also get a long included stop at Móðrudalur Farm, in the Modrudalur valley, noted as the highest inhabited place in the country at 469 m above sea level.

That farmhouse time matters. It’s a change of pace from constant parking lots and viewpoint lines. Even if your schedule is still busy, staying in a more remote, rural setting makes the trip feel lived-in rather than only photographed.

Day 6 is a geology lover’s day. From Móðrudalur you drive to Dettifoss, described as Europe’s mightiest waterfall, and it’s easy to see why once you’re standing there. Then you visit Asbyrgi (Shelter of the Gods), a horseshoe-shaped canyon.

The route continues into geothermal country with Krafla Lava Fields, where lava is still warm decades after eruption. You’ll also see Dimmuborgir, the lava labyrinth, and then finish with the boiling and crater features around Námaskarð (Namafjall Hverir), including bubbling mud pots and nearby pseudo craters like Skútustaðagígar.

This block is intense, but it’s also easy to understand. The stops are close enough together that you can connect cause and effect: volcanic activity, cooled lava shapes, then heat and minerals rework the ground.

Days 7 to 8: Akureyri, Hvitserkur, and the remote Strandir push to Ísafjörður

Day 7 starts with Goðafoss, the Waterfall of the Gods, then gives you free time in Akureyri. That pause is valuable. After days of fixed stops, having time to stroll and reset helps you avoid feeling like a moving camera.

You continue through Siglufjörður, and then visit Hvitserkur, the rock formation that looks like a creature standing on the coast. The time is short, but the effect is strong because it’s such a strange silhouette against the sky.

Day 8 is the start of a more remote stretch. From Hrútaf jörður, you head into Strandir, passing driftwood-strewn coastline and small black sandy beaches. The route then drives you toward Ísafjörður, with an overnight in Súðureyri, a small fishing village.

This is where the tour earns its name. The Westfjords can feel like Iceland you’d never stumble into by accident. It’s also why the drive time matters. You’re not just seeing a different region, you’re trading convenience for remoteness.

Days 9 to 11: Latrabjarg bird cliffs, red sand, and the Westfjords shoreline

Day 9 centers on dramatic coastline. You stop at Dynjandi (Fjallfoss), then go to Látrabjarg, Iceland’s westernmost point and one of the best places on the island to see birds along sheer cliffs. The schedule notes the cliffs extend about 14 km and rise roughly 400 m from the sea. That scale is hard to grasp until you’re walking near them.

Day 10 continues along the south side of the Westfjords, where the region is sparsely populated. You get Rauðasandur Beach (Red Sands), known for its red tones. It’s a nice shift from the black sand theme earlier in the trip.

Day 11 is another classic Northern Westfjords stop set. You visit Kirkjufellsfoss, then Djúpálonssandur Beach, a basalt pebble beach. The itinerary also includes a short stroll along coastal cliffs for birdlife and nature. This is a good day for a slower mindset, because you can move at your own pace without a long hike requirement.

Days 12 to 13: Grabrok crater walk, Hraunfossar, and the Keflavík handoff

Day 12 is volcanic and photogenic. You walk up to the top of Grabrok Crater, then visit Hraunfossar, the lava waterfalls, plus Barnafoss (Children’s Waterfall). These are the kinds of places where the “water effect” matters, but the ground story is also the show.

Day 13 is straightforward: you make your way to Keflavík airport. The tour ends back at the meeting point, so you’ll want to plan your final transfers with enough buffer for weather. Iceland timing can change fast, so do not cut it tight.

Lodging and meals: why the included dinners feel like part of the value

You’re getting accommodation for 12 nights, with breakfast included 12 times and dinner included 11 times. That dinner pattern is a big deal. Lunch is not included, so you’ll either eat out or bring your own picnic, but dinner being handled saves both money and decision fatigue.

Many of the best notes about the tour focus on the lodging style, including farmhouse stays. That rural hosting usually means good home cooking, and it also means you’re not stuck only in the largest towns. You wake up near the day’s scenery, which makes the first hour of each day easier.

Just remember this is not a luxury-only version of Iceland. It’s comfortable, but it’s built for function and access, not marble and steam rooms.

Who this Iceland tour suits best

This tour fits you well if you want:

• A small group experience with up to 12 people
• A road trip that balances big icons and off-main stops, especially the Westfjords
• A mix of short walks and a few longer hike moments, without going full adventure mode
• Most meals handled, so you can focus on scenery instead of planning every meal

It might feel like too much if you want slow travel, lots of free time in every town, or a schedule built around long meals and museum-level pacing.

Booking considerations: non-refundable, weather changes, and how to prepare

This trip is listed as non-refundable and can’t be changed once booked. Also, the operator can alter the itinerary due to weather or conditions outside control. That’s normal in Iceland, but it does mean you should pack with flexibility in mind.

Practically, I’d plan for:

• Layers and a rain shell
• Comfortable shoes for walking on gravel, stone, and coastal terrain
• A lunch plan mindset since lunch is not included
• A willingness to move quickly between stops

If you have an extra day or two, I’d also consider arriving early or staying later in Reykjavik. You’ll get a better pace and fewer “race the clock” moments on arrival and departure.

Should you book the Great Round Tour around Iceland in 13 days?

If you want Iceland’s best highlights plus the Westfjords, in a format that’s guided, structured, and relatively low stress, this one is hard to beat. The value comes from the big inclusions: lodging for 12 nights, breakfasts, dinners, and key paid experiences like the Skógar Museum and the Glacial Lagoon boat tour, wrapped in a small-group route.

I’d book it if you’re comfortable with an active schedule, moderate walking, and lots of driving days. Choose something else if you want a slower, room-only vacation style.

If you’re on the fence, use this simple test: do you prefer seeing more places in fewer days, or staying longer in fewer places? This tour is clearly built for the first choice, and it delivers the sense of Iceland covering a lot of ground, without feeling lost in a crowd.