Cornelius Amann
October 06, 2026
5/5
Women-only Iceland: the Ring Road, Glacier Lagoon and Lake Myvatn
9 days around Iceland for women only, led by a See Sight Tours woman guide: the Golden Circle, two nights near Vik, Jokulsarlon by boat, the East Fjords, two nights at Lake Myvatn and a short flight back from Akureyri.
9 days · Round trip from Reykjavik · up to 12 guests
Icebergs on the Jokulsarlon glacier lagoon Photo: Jakub Hałun, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:J%C3%B6kuls%C3%A1rl%C3%B3n_glacier_lagoon,_Iceland,_20240719_1141_2541.jpg)
The facts
At a glance
- Length
- 9 days, 8 nights
- Start and end
- Round trip from Reykjavik
- Group size
- 7 to 12 guests
- Longest drive
- 4 h on day 2No drive day is longer than 4 hours.
- Activity level
Moderate
Walks of 1 to 5 km most days on uneven and often wet paths; the longest is about 1.5 hours to Svartifoss and back with a steady climb, and the rocky path to the edge of Dettifoss. The roughly 500 steps at Skogafoss and the Hverfjall crater rim are optional. Up to about four hours a day in the minibus, broken by stops, and you can stay with the vehicle at any stop.
- Meals included
- 8 breakfasts, 5 lunches, 2 dinners
- Room of your own
- + CAD 1,450 (estimated price)
- Season
- April to October
Highlights
Why this trip
- A slow first evening in Reykjavik: a frank briefing from your woman guide and an early welcome dinner, back by about 9 pm
- Reynisfjara at about 8:30, before the day coaches, then about an hour and a half with a local woman knitter or farmer near Vik, where we can confirm one
- Out among the icebergs of Jokulsarlon on an included amphibian boat, then Diamond Beach across the road
- Petra's Stone Collection in Stodvarfjordur, gathered over a lifetime by one woman from the mountains around her home
- Lunch at the highland farm of Modrudalur and Dettifoss from the canyon edge
- Two nights at Lake Myvatn: Hverir early, Dimmuborgir and the Nature Baths included
- A women's history walk in Reykjavik with a local woman guide: the Althing, the 1975 women's day off and Vigdis Finnbogadottir
- Room sharing matched with another woman on request, or a room of your own at a price shown up front
What makes this trip different
Short drives, all published
Every drive is listed day by day, and none is longer than 4 hours.
Free time is part of the plan
Free time and choices are marked on the days they fall.
Solo without the penalty
A room of your own is + CAD 1,450 (estimated price).
Day by day
Itinerary
The longest drive is 4 h, on day 2.
Tap any stop on the map to open that dayClick any stop on the map to open that day
Arrive in Reykjavik
Keflavik International Airport to your hotel in Reykjavik
- Early welcome dinner
- Stay in Reykjavik
- Drive about 45 min
Fly into Keflavik International Airport (KEF), about 50 km from Reykjavik across the lava fields of the Reykjanes Peninsula.
Morning
Many flights from North America land early in the morning, so we drive you into the city and ask the hotel to hold your bags until your room is ready; early check-in is something we request but cannot promise.
Evening
Nothing is planned until the evening, so sleep, walk the old centre between the harbour and Hallgrimskirkja, or try a city geothermal pool. At about 6 pm your woman guide meets the group in the hotel for an unhurried briefing: how the days are paced, what to wear for wind and rain, how the pools and changing rooms work, how far apart the toilets are on the road, and anything you want to ask. Then a short walk to an early welcome dinner in the centre, at a women-run restaurant where we can confirm one with your dates. You are back at the hotel by about 9 pm.
Included
- Transfer from Keflavik International Airport (KEF) to your hotel
- Welcome briefing with your woman guide on pacing, pools, the road and getting around
- Early welcome dinner in central Reykjavik
Free time: Free until the 6 pm briefing; back at the hotel by about 9 pm
The Golden Circle and down to Vik
Reykjavik to Thingvellir, Geysir and Gullfoss, then south to Seljalandsfoss and Vik
- Breakfast and lunch
- Stay in Vik
- Drive about 4 h
We leave Reykjavik at 8 am to reach Thingvellir National Park, about 45 minutes away, before most of the day buses. Iceland's parliament, the Althing, first met here in 930, and the park is listed by UNESCO. Walk down through the Almannagja rift, along the edge of the North American plate, to the Law Rock and the Oxararfoss waterfall. It is about an hour on to the Geysir geothermal field, where Strokkur erupts every few minutes, and ten minutes more to Gullfoss, where the Hvita river drops in two steps into a narrow canyon.
Afternoon
Lunch is included near Gullfoss. In the afternoon we drive south through farm country to Seljalandsfoss, which faces west and is at its best in afternoon light; when the path is free of ice you can walk behind the curtain of water, so keep a rain jacket handy.
Evening
We reach our hotel in or near Vik in the early evening. This is one of the two longest driving days, about four hours, split by five stops.
Included
- Thingvellir National Park with your guide: Almannagja, the Law Rock and Oxararfoss
- Geysir and the Strokkur geyser
- Gullfoss
- Lunch near Gullfoss
- Seljalandsfoss in the afternoon light
Activity: Short, well-made paths at Thingvellir, Geysir and Gullfoss. The path behind Seljalandsfoss is wet and slippery; waterproofs help.
Reynisfjara, Dyrholaey and Skogafoss
Vik to Reynisfjara and Dyrholaey, then west to Solheimajokull and Skogafoss, and back to Vik
- Breakfast
- Stay in Vik
- Drive about 1.5 h
A short driving day, and the reason we stay two nights. We are at Reynisfjara, ten minutes from Vik, by about 8:30, before the day coaches from Reykjavik: black sand, the basalt columns of the Gardar cliff and the sea stacks of Reynisdrangar offshore. Sneaker waves run far up this beach without warning, so we keep well back from the water. Next is Dyrholaey, the headland with a great sea arch, where puffins nest from about May to August; parts of it can close in the nesting season. Then we walk to the snout of Solheimajokull, a glacier tongue of the Myrdalsjokull ice cap, and on to Skogafoss, a 60 m fall that throws rainbows on sunny days.
Afternoon
Lunch at Skogar is your choice. Back near Vik in the early afternoon, we spend about an hour and a half with a local woman knitter or sheep farmer, where we can confirm one with your dates: wool from fleece to sweater, and how a farm runs. The rest of the day is free.
Included
- Reynisfjara black sand beach early, before the day coaches
- Dyrholaey headland and sea arch
- Walk to the snout of the Solheimajokull glacier
- Skogafoss
- An afternoon with a local woman knitter or sheep farmer near Vik, confirmed with your dates
Optional experiences
- Guided glacier walk on Solheimajokull with crampons (extra, price shown at booking)
Easier option: Skip the walk to the glacier snout and wait in the minibus, then see Skogafoss from the bottom.
More active option: Climb the roughly 500 steps beside Skogafoss to the top and walk the first stretch of the Fimmvorduhals trail past the waterfalls upstream.
Free time: Late afternoon and evening free in Vik
Activity: Reynisfjara has dangerous waves: stay well back from the water at all times.
Skaftafell, Jokulsarlon and Diamond Beach
Vik across Eldhraun to Skaftafell, then Jokulsarlon and Diamond Beach, ending in Hofn
- Breakfast, lunch and dinner
- Stay in Hofn
- Drive about 4 h
We drive east across the Myrdalssandur outwash plain and the moss-covered Eldhraun lava field, laid down by the Laki fissure eruption of 1783 and 1784, with a coffee stop in Kirkjubaejarklaustur. At Skaftafell, part of Vatnajokull National Park, listed by UNESCO in 2019, we walk up through birch scrub to Svartifoss, a waterfall framed by dark basalt columns: about 1.5 hours there and back, with a steady climb.
Afternoon
Lunch is included near Skaftafell. In the afternoon we reach Jokulsarlon, the lagoon at the foot of the Breidamerkurjokull glacier, and go out among the icebergs on an amphibian boat, about 40 minutes on the water, often with seals hauled out on the ice. Across the road on Diamond Beach, pieces of ice carried out to sea wash back onto black sand.
Evening
The last hour is an easy drive along the foot of the ice cap to Hofn, a fishing town known for its langoustine, where dinner is included, at a women-run kitchen if we can confirm one for your dates.
Included
- Eldhraun lava field and Kirkjubaejarklaustur
- Skaftafell and the walk to Svartifoss with your guide
- Lunch near Skaftafell
- Amphibian boat trip on Jokulsarlon
- Diamond Beach
- Dinner in Hofn
Easier option: Skip the climb to Svartifoss and walk the flat path from the Skaftafell visitor centre towards the Skaftafellsjokull glacier.
Activity: The Svartifoss path climbs steadily on gravel; good shoes help. Life jackets are provided on the boat.
Vestrahorn and the East Fjords
Hofn to Stokksnes, then along the East Fjords by Djupivogur and Faskrudsfjordur to Egilsstadir
- Breakfast and lunch
- Stay in Egilsstadir
- Drive about 4 h
We start at Stokksnes, a short drive east of Hofn, where the jagged Vestrahorn mountain rises behind black sand dunes; the land is private, and the small entry fee is included. Then the road leaves the glaciers behind and follows the coast north, in and out of the fjords. At Djupivogur, a fishing village that joined the Cittaslow network in 2013, walk out to Eggin i Gledivik, 34 granite eggs along the harbour, one for each bird species that nests in the area.
Afternoon
Lunch is included on the way. In Stodvarfjordur we stop at Petra's Stone Collection, a house and garden filled with stones and minerals that Petra Sveinsdottir gathered from the surrounding mountains over most of her life, open in season. Faskrudsfjordur was a base for French fishermen until the early 20th century and still signs its streets in French and Icelandic. A tunnel takes us through to Reydarfjordur and over the Fagradalur valley to Egilsstadir, beside the long lake of Lagarfljot.
Evening
It is about four hours of driving, broken by these four stops and lunch; the evening is free.
Included
- Stokksnes and Vestrahorn, with the landowner's entry fee
- Djupivogur and the Eggin i Gledivik sculptures
- Lunch in the East Fjords
- Petra's Stone Collection in Stodvarfjordur (in season)
- Faskrudsfjordur
Optional experiences
- Vok Baths, floating geothermal pools on Lake Urridavatn near Egilsstadir (extra)
Free time: Evening free in Egilsstadir
Across the highlands to Dettifoss and Myvatn
Egilsstadir across the highland plateau to Modrudalur, then Dettifoss and Lake Myvatn
- Breakfast and lunch
- Stay in Lake Myvatn
- Drive about 3.5 h
Route 1 climbs from Egilsstadir onto a high, open plateau of gravel and old lava, the emptiest country of the trip.
Afternoon
Late in the morning we turn off to Modrudalur, at about 469 m one of the highest farms in Iceland, with a small turf-roofed church the farmer built in 1949; lunch is included at the farm's cafe. From there we head north on a paved road to Dettifoss on the west bank of the Jokulsa a Fjollum river, where grey glacial water about 100 m wide drops some 45 m into the Jokulsargljufur canyon. Spray drifts over the path and you can feel the ground shake. The walk to the edge is about 1 km each way over rocks, and Selfoss is a short way upstream. In the afternoon we cross the Namaskard pass, past steaming slopes we come back to in the morning, and down to Lake Myvatn, our base for two nights. About three and a quarter hours of driving.
Included
- Modrudalur highland farm and its turf-roofed church
- Lunch at Modrudalur
- Dettifoss and Selfoss with your guide
Easier option: See Dettifoss from the first viewpoint, a shorter walk, and skip Selfoss.
Free time: Evening free at Lake Myvatn
Activity: The paths at Dettifoss are rocky and wet with spray; wear waterproof shoes.
Lake Myvatn
Hverir, Dimmuborgir, Grjotagja, Hverfjall and the Skutustadir pseudocraters, around Lake Myvatn
- Breakfast and dinner
- Stay in Lake Myvatn
- Drive about 1 h
We start at Hverir, below the Namafjall ridge, at about 8:30, before the day groups: boiling mud pots, hissing steam vents and ground streaked yellow and orange with sulphur. The smell is strong, and the path is roped for a reason, so we stay on it. Back at the lake, walk the lava labyrinth of Dimmuborgir, where towers and arches were left standing when a lava lake drained about 2,300 years ago, then look into Grjotagja, a small cave with a hot spring in a fissure (bathing is not allowed). Hverfjall, the tephra crater beside the lake, is about 1 km across, and the climb to its rim is today's active option.
Afternoon
After lunch on your own, the pseudocraters at Skutustadir, made by steam explosions when lava ran over wetland, ring the south shore. The afternoon is free, and your entry to the Myvatn Nature Baths is included: milky blue geothermal water looking out over the lake. As at every Icelandic pool, you shower without a swimsuit first in a women's changing room; your guide can ask about a private cubicle.
Evening
In the evening we sit down to a group dinner.
Included
- Hverir geothermal field early in the morning
- Dimmuborgir lava formations with your guide
- Grjotagja cave
- Skutustadir pseudocraters
- Myvatn Nature Baths entry
- Group dinner at Lake Myvatn
Easier option: Skip the Hverfjall climb, take the shortest marked loop in Dimmuborgir and go to the Nature Baths earlier.
More active option: Climb the steep path to the rim of Hverfjall and walk part of the way around it, with the whole lake below; about an hour.
Free time: Afternoon free
Activity: Stay on the marked paths at Hverir: the ground beside them can be scalding.
Godafoss, Akureyri and the flight to Reykjavik
Lake Myvatn to Godafoss and Akureyri, then a domestic flight to Reykjavik
- Breakfast and lunch
- Stay in Reykjavik
- Drive about 1.5 h
On the way west we stop at Godafoss, the waterfall of the gods, where the Skjalfandafljot river falls about 12 m in a broad horseshoe. The story goes that around the year 1000, when Iceland adopted Christianity, the lawspeaker Thorgeir threw his carvings of the old gods into it. Akureyri, the largest town outside the capital area, sits at the head of the long Eyjafjordur fjord.
Afternoon
Your guide walks you up the steps to Akureyrarkirkja and through the botanical garden, then we sit down to lunch in town. In the afternoon we fly from Akureyri to Reykjavik's city airport, about 45 minutes in the air, instead of spending five hours on the road.
Evening
A short transfer brings you to your hotel in the centre by late afternoon, and the evening is yours: a walk along the harbour, a soak in a geothermal pool, or dinner out with the group if you like.
Included
- Godafoss
- Walk in Akureyri with your guide: Akureyrarkirkja and the botanical garden
- Lunch in Akureyri
- Flight from Akureyri (AEY) to Reykjavik (RKV), with transfers at both ends
Free time: Evening free in Reykjavik
Activity: Domestic flights carry a smaller checked-bag allowance than international ones; we confirm the allowance with your final itinerary.
Reykjavik and home
Reykjavik to Keflavik International Airport
- Breakfast
- Drive about 45 min
Morning
A slow breakfast, then at about 9:30 a local woman guide, confirmed with your dates, walks the group through Reykjavik's women's history in about an hour and a half. At Austurvolur, in front of the Althing, she tells how women over 40 won the vote in 1915, and all women by 1920, and how Ingibjorg H. Bjarnason became the first woman elected to parliament in 1922. On 24 October 1975 most Icelandic women stopped work for the day, at home and in offices, and filled the streets of the centre; five years later Vigdis Finnbogadottir was elected president, the first woman in the world chosen in a national vote. Women walked out again in 2005, 2016 and 2018, and on 24 October 2023 tens of thousands stopped work for the whole day. The walk ends near the old harbour, with time for coffee.
Afternoon
Your transfer to Keflavik International Airport, about 50 km and 45 minutes away, is timed to your flight; many flights to North America leave in the late afternoon, which leaves time for the walk.
Evening
Your guide checks each transfer time the night before.
Included
- Women's history walk in central Reykjavik with a local woman guide (about 1.5 hours)
- Transfer to Keflavik International Airport (KEF)
Easier option: Skip the walk and spend the morning at the hotel or a city pool.
Free time: Late morning free
Activity: Book a flight leaving after about 3 pm to join the walk, since you reach the airport around 12:30 and long-haul flights need about 3 hours; for an earlier flight, the transfer leaves after breakfast.
- Reykjavik1 night
- Vik2 nights
- Hofn1 night
- Egilsstadir1 night
- Lake Myvatn2 nights
- Reykjavik1 night
- Overnight stop
- Day trip
- By boat or train
Wildlife and weather: From May to July the nights barely get dark, and puffins nest at Dyrholaey from about May to August. April and October can bring snow on the high passes, so your guide may change the order of stops on the day. The Northern Lights need dark, clear skies, so they are only possible on departures from about late August, in September and October, and in April.
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Before you book
Right for you?
Good for you if you want
- Women who want to see the whole of Iceland with other women and a woman guide
- Solo women travellers who do not want to drive Iceland themselves and want a matched roommate
- Travellers who like two nights in a base and no more than about four hours a day on the road
- An all-in price instead of paying for each boat, pool and car park on the spot
Not for you if you want
- Couples or mixed groups: book our Iceland: the Ring Road, Glacier Lagoon and Lake Myvatn trip, or a private departure
- An all-women crew: your minibus driver may be a man
- Travellers set on Snaefellsnes or the Westfjords, which this route does not reach
- The Northern Lights as the main aim: a winter trip suits that better
- Step-free access: many paths are uneven, wet or stepped
Minimum age: 18
Book flights after we confirm your seat.
8 nights
Where you'll stay
Your hotels are named in your trip confirmation.
- Reykjavik1 night
- Vik2 nights
- Hofn1 night
- Egilsstadir1 night
- Lake Myvatn2 nights
- Reykjavik1 night
One price
What's in the price
Included
Accommodation
- 8 nights: 2 in Reykjavik (the first and the last), 2 in or near Vik, 1 in Hofn, 1 in Egilsstadir and 2 at Lake Myvatn
- Hotels of a 3-star-plus standard with private bathrooms, central where the town allows, chosen with women travellers in mind; we name each hotel when we confirm your dates
- Room sharing matched with another woman on request, or a room of your own for a supplement
Transport
- Private transfers from and to Keflavik International Airport (KEF)
- A private minibus and professional driver for the group from day 2 to day 8
- The domestic flight from Akureyri to Reykjavik on day 8, with transfers at both ends
- The amphibian boat on Jokulsarlon
Your guide
- A See Sight Tours woman guide with the group from the day 1 briefing to day 9, including on the flight from Akureyri
- A local woman guide for the Reykjavik women's history walk
Activities
- Thingvellir National Park, Geysir and Gullfoss
- Seljalandsfoss, Reynisfjara, Dyrholaey, Solheimajokull and Skogafoss
- An afternoon with a local woman knitter or sheep farmer near Vik, confirmed with your dates
- Skaftafell and the walk to Svartifoss
- Jokulsarlon boat trip and Diamond Beach
- Stokksnes and Vestrahorn, with the landowner's entry fee
- Djupivogur, Petra's Stone Collection in Stodvarfjordur (in season) and Faskrudsfjordur
- Modrudalur, Dettifoss and Selfoss
- Hverir, Dimmuborgir, Grjotagja and the Skutustadir pseudocraters
- Myvatn Nature Baths entry
- Godafoss and a guided walk in Akureyri
- Women's history walk in Reykjavik
- All parking and site fees for included stops
Meals
- 8 breakfasts
- 5 lunches, on days 2, 4, 5, 6 and 8
- 3 dinners: an early welcome dinner in Reykjavik, a dinner in Hofn and a group dinner at Lake Myvatn
Not included
- International flights to and from Keflavik
- Travel insurance
- Any visa or travel authorisation fee, such as ETIAS once it applies
- Lunches on days 3 and 7, and dinners not listed
- Drinks
- Tips
- The single supplement, if you want a room of your own
- Optional activities, such as the Solheimajokull glacier walk and Vok Baths
- Extra baggage on the domestic flight
- Personal expenses
Extras
- Room of your own
- CAD 1,450 (estimated price)
When you can go
Dates and prices
Pick your start date when you request to book. We check that date and confirm it in your quote.
Prefer to travel without a group or guide? Ask us about arranging hotels, transport and city tours for you to travel independently.
Before you book
Booking terms
Nothing is charged now. Full terms and the cancellation schedule come with your quote, before you accept.
Business addresses
See Sight Tours Trips (USA): 3172 N Rainbow Blvd, Las Vegas, NV 89108, United StatesSee Sight Tours Trips (Canada): 5305 50 Avenue, #1091, Red Deer, AB T4N 4B6, Canada+1-888-961-6584Guest reviews
What guests say
Reviews from guests on our day tours.
Jane
October 06, 2026
5/5
Susan
October 06, 2026
5/5
Tom L
October 05, 2026
5/5
MandL83
October 05, 2026
5/5
Darren O
October 05, 2026
5/5
Good to know
Questions
What does the price include?
Eight nights in 3-star-plus hotels with private bathrooms, 8 breakfasts, 5 lunches and 3 dinners, private airport transfers, a minibus and driver, the flight from Akureyri to Reykjavik, a See Sight Tours woman guide throughout, and every stop in the plan, including the Jokulsarlon boat, the Myvatn Nature Baths, the women's history walk and the afternoon near Vik.
How big is the group?
The small-group trip runs with 7 to 12 women in one minibus. That is small enough for everyone to hear the guide at each stop, sit around one table at lunch and fit into a small farm or workshop. Some Iceland group tours take up to 18 guests, and coach tours far more.
Who leads the trip?
A See Sight Tours woman guide travels with the group from the welcome briefing on day 1 to the last morning, including on the flight from Akureyri. A local woman guide leads the Reykjavik women's history walk. A professional driver handles the minibus and may be a man. We name your guide when we confirm your dates.
How fit do I need to be?
Moderately fit. Expect walks of 1 to 5 km most days on uneven, often wet ground; the longest is about 1.5 hours to Svartifoss and back with a steady climb. The steps at Skogafoss and the Hverfjall crater rim are optional, and you can stay with the minibus at any stop.
I am travelling solo. Can I share a room, or have my own?
Either. Ask to share and we match you with another woman on the same departure at the shared price. A room of your own is from CAD 1,450 more, shown when you request to book and never added later; single rooms in Iceland are expensive. If we cannot find you a roommate, we tell you before you confirm.
Who can join a women-only trip?
Anyone who identifies as a woman, aged 18 and over, travelling alone or with friends, sisters, mothers or daughters. Every guest on the departure is a woman. If you want to travel with a partner or a mixed group, our Iceland Ring Road trip follows the same route, or we can run this one privately.
Is Iceland safe for women, and what about the pools?
Yes. Iceland has very little violent crime and is easy to travel as a woman; the real dangers are waves, cold and weather. At every pool and the Myvatn Nature Baths you shower without a swimsuit before swimming, in women's changing rooms, and staff check. Some places have private cubicles; tell us when you book if that matters.
When is the best time to go?
June to August brings the longest days, the mildest weather and puffins at Dyrholaey. May and September are quieter at the big sights, and September brings the first dark nights. April and October are cooler, with a chance of snow on the high passes, but have the fewest visitors.
How long are the drives?
No day is planned for more than about four hours of driving. The longest are day 2 (Reykjavik to Vik by the Golden Circle) and day 5 (Hofn to Egilsstadir along the East Fjords), each broken by four or five stops and a sit-down lunch. We fly the 390 km from Akureyri back to Reykjavik.
Do I need a visa for Iceland?
Canadian and US citizens do not need a visa for a short stay in Iceland, which is in the Schengen area. Your passport should be valid for at least three months beyond the day you leave. Check the EU's official ETIAS site before you fly, as its planned travel authorisation for visa-free visitors may apply to your dates.
How does booking work?
Pick your start date and request to book; no payment is taken at that point. We check availability and provide the final quote, itinerary and booking terms before you accept. No payment is taken when you send the request. The small group starts from CAD 7,350 per person sharing, taxes included, and the private trip from CAD 13,230 per person.
Can we travel privately or on our own dates?
Yes. Besides the small group, the trip comes as a private trip for your party only, on a date you choose, with your own woman guide and vehicle. If you would rather travel independently on your own dates, ask us from the dates section and we will quote the same route, hotels and transport.
See Sight Tours has been providing travel services across North America since 2006. Operating in 20 cities across Canada and the USA, the company specializes in small group tours that offer personalized, high-quality experiences for travelers.
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