Other activities in Iceland
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Arctic Adventures
With young and enthusiastic staff, this company specialises in action-filled tours – rafting, horse riding, quad bike tours, glacier walks etc.
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North Sailing
North Sailing operate their whale-watching tours from Húsavík harbour. It has a fleet of beautiful old-school boats, including the 20-tonne oak schooner Haukur. Their popular ‘Whales, Puffins & Sails’ tour stops at beautiful Lundey, and overnight trips to Grímsey are possible a few times during the summer.
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Mountain Guides
This adventurous company offers a wide range of hiking and climbing tours, including day trips to Heiðmörk (near Reykjavík), Hengill and Sólheimajökull, and a series of ice-climbing and trekking tours around Skaftafell. It also provides equipment rental and private guiding for more serious climbers.
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Mountaineers of Iceland
Specialises in adventure tours, including day trips to the Golden Circle and Hengill, multiday super-Jeep expeditions, snowmobile and photographic tours, glacier tours, white-water rafting, kayaking, canyoning and horse riding.
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Bjarnarhöfn
On the northeastern edge of Berserkjahraun is the farmstead at Bjarnarhöfn – a must for every traveller with a taste for adventure (literally). Smell that? Yup, it’s rotting shark flesh – the farm is the region’s leading producer of hákarl (putrid shark meat), a traditional Icelandic dish. The on-site museum details the fragrant history of this culinary curiosity by displaying restored shark fishing boats, harpooning tools, and explaining the fermenting process. Each visit to the museum comes with a complimentary nibble of the delicacy in question. Some say it tastes like a sponge dipped in ammonia; we thought it was somewhat similar to old cheese. Before you…
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Erpsstaðir
When the peanut gallery starts moaning ‘are we there yet?’ you know it’s time to pull off the road. Erpsstaðir is the perfect place to stretch your legs – especially if you’ve got the brats in tow. Like a mirage for sweet-toothed wanderers, this dairy farm, on Rte 60 between Búðardalur and the Ring Road, specialises in delicious homemade ice cream. You can tour the farm, greet the buxom bovines, then gorge on your favourite flavour – we liked ‘ kjaftædi’ (which literally means ‘mouth watering’, but is best known as a euphemism for ‘bullshit’). Erpsstaðir also offers accommodation (from Ikr13,000) if you’re contemplating ice cream for…
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Bláfjöll
Iceland’s premier ski slopes are at 84-sq-km Bláfjöll, which has 14 lifts and downhill, cross-country and snowboarding facilities – and gets swamped by eager city dwellers when the snow begins to fall. Passes cost Ikr2000/550 per adult/child six to 16 years, and you can hire skis, poles, boots and other gear at reasonable rates. The resort is located about 25km southeast of Reykjavík on Rte 417, just off Rte 1. A shuttle bus leaves from the Mjódd bus stand southeast of town once per day in season – check with Skíðasvæði ([tel] 530 3000; www.skidasvaedi.is; Pósthússtræti 3-5, IS-101 Reykjavík) for departure times.
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Seatours
Seatours runs a variety of boat tours, and offers sea angling equipment rentals (Ikr6600). Our favourite trip is the ‘Unique Tour’ – a 2¼-hour boat ride (adult/under 16 years Ikr5950/free), which takes in postcard-worthy views of the bay and its myriad islands. Kodak moments abound as the boat passes colonies of puffins and eagles, and haunting basalt formations (keep your ears peeled for the gruesome legend of ‘hanging rock’!). Towards the end of the trip a net is lowered into the sea, and pretty soon there’s wiggly shellfish ready to be devoured raw (absolutely delish – we promise).
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Árbæjarlaug
It’s a step out of town, but the slickly designed Árbæjarlaug is well known as the best family pool: it’s half inside and half outside, and there are lots of watery amusements (slides, waterfalls and massage jets) to keep the kids entertained. Take bus 19.
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Geothermal Swimming Pool
Try the tangle of water slides or one of the soothing hot pots at the town’s geothermal swimming pool located in the municipal sports complex. If you’re lucky, you might catch the local basketball team (Iceland’s best) practising their tricks.
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Air Iceland
Iceland’s largest domestic airline runs a wide range of combination air, bus, hiking, rafting, horse-riding, whale-watching and glacier day tours around Iceland from Reykjavík and Akureyri. It also runs day tours to Greenland and the Faeroes from Reykjavík.
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Laugardalslaug
Laugardalslaug is the largest pool in Iceland, with the best facilities: an Olympic-size indoor pool, an outdoor pool, four hot pots and a whirlpool, a steam bath, and a curling 86m water slide. Take bus 14.
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Gentle Giants
Gentle Giants, with their flotilla of lovingly restored fishing vessels, operate their whale-watching tours from Húsavík harbour. It also runs special trips to lovely Flatey – you’ll most likely see whales along the way.
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Vestfjarðaleið
This friendly company runs day trips to Þórsmörk, Landmannalaugar, Snæfellsnes and the Golden Circle, as well as a five-day hiking trip from Landmannalaugar and Þórsmörk and four-day hikes from Hengill to Þingvellir.
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Norðanhestar
Norðanhestar, located just beyond the campsite site at Hamrar, offers scenic riding trips, horse-wagon tours and short sightseeing excursions in Akureyri’s old town district.
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Haffari
Haffari offers sightseeing and sea angling tours (three hours; adult/child Ikr3900/1950), departing from Akureyri’s old port. Trips depart at 3.30pm and 8pm daily.
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Highlanders
This super-Jeep operator offers tours up to Landmannalaugar, Hekla, Langjökull and along the south coast. It also offers rafting on the Þjórsá river in southwest Iceland.
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Swimming Pool
The town’s impressive swimming pool, with its indoor and outdoor pools, saunas, hot pots and a gym, is at the top end of Tjarnarbraut, north of town.
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Jeppaferðir Ehf
Based at Hörgsland, the Jeppaferðir Ehf company does tailor-made 4WD tours to surrounding areas, including Lakagígar. Contact it for prices.
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Reykjavík Excursions
The most popular bus-tour operator has summer and winter programs. Extras include horse riding, snowmobiling and themed tours tying in with festivals.
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Reykjavík Tours
Reykjavík Tours runs a two-hour ‘Historic Houses’ walking tour around the centre. It departs from outside the main tourist office.
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Touris
This super-Jeep operator offers Golden Circle tours with an off-road highland drive, and 4WD tours to Langjökull, Þórsmörk and Landmannalaugar.
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Guðmundur Jónasson Travel
Offers day excursions along the Ring Road and into the highlands, and can arrange super-Jeep trips, self-drive holidays and group travel.
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Ísafold Travel
Tailor-made tours for small groups and individuals, including angling, geology, hiking, photography, wellness and women-only tours.
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Iceland Rovers
Runs a range of adventure day tours to Hekla and Landmannalaugar, northern lights tours, and history and geology tours.
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