4.8 Stars (43 reviews)
Excellent, the trip of a lifetime!
Ultimate Iceland Adventure, January 1970
4.8 Stars (43 reviews)
The Stelkur trip around Iceland gave hearty servings of the history, culture, geology and ethos of this remarkable island. Sure, we all knew the island had volcanoes and glaciers, but I for one was not aware of the tremendous impact of glacial flooding on the island and its people. This trip hit so many high points that it was almost dizzying, from puffins and whale spotting to black sand beaches littered with remnants of icebergs, to seemingly countless waterfalls and glacier views, to vigorous and rewarding hikes, superb cooking by our guide, solitude on the hut to hut portions (we saw one other hiker during 4 days), tales of Icelandic heroes, trolls and elves. Our guide, Solvi, was a natural teacher, gifted storyteller and even sang us to sleep one night with an Icelandic lullaby. He surprised us often with little outings or touches that were not listed on the official itinerary and made us feel like we'd been let in on special secrets. We looked for kids rescuing young puffins who had not made it to water, tobogganed down a huge black sand dune, and snatched blueberries from the bushes that lined the trails as we hiked. There was magic in the air on this trip!
Ultimate Iceland Adventure, January 1970
4.8 Stars (43 reviews)
Excellent, the trip of a lifetime!
Ultimate Iceland Adventure, October 1200
4.8 Stars (43 reviews)
I loved how much of Iceland we were able to see. We lucked out with great weather. The hut to hut hiking was amazing and I appreciated all of Solvi's knowledge and many skills.
Ultimate Iceland Adventure, January 1970
4.8 Stars (43 reviews)
Our "Stelkur" trip was great, and our guide Sölvi was awesome! He shared so much information with us as we toured his beautiful country about its geography, history, culture, etc. Hiking through the eastern fiords was amazing - unspoiled beauty and quiet. We thoroughly enjoyed it.
Ultimate Iceland Adventure, January 1970
4.8 Stars (43 reviews)
Excellent, the trip of a lifetime!
Ultimate Iceland Adventure, January 1970
4.8 Stars (43 reviews)
Overall, the trip was very enjoyable. The activities were entertaining, informative, well-organized, and nicely varied. The guides were outstanding - personable, well-informed, very competent, and a pleasure to be with. My only complaint, and it doesn't really rise to the level of a complaint, but for lack of a better term, I'll use "complaint", is the balance of touristic "sight-seeing" and the hiking: I would have preferred fewer sight-seeing stops and more days of hiking. A couple of additional comments: 1) Although they sounded enticing in the description, the kayaking and the glacier hike felt a little perfunctory; I would have preferred a multi-day kayaking expedition and at least a full day of glacier hiking. 2) I realize that you don't really have any control over this, but I was disappointed that all of the tour members, agreeable and friendly as they were, were from the US; I was hoping to meet more international travelers. All the better that the guides were locals! I was very pleased with the accommodations - they were all clean, comfortable, and reflective of Iceland. My favorites were the hotel in Gulfoss and the huts on the hiking portion. With those reservations stated, I shall definitely recommend the Stelkur tour to my active friends. On the whole, a very enjoyable time.
Ultimate Iceland Adventure, January 1970
4.8 Stars (43 reviews)
The best part of the trip was the 5 days of hiking hut to hut - in one view - glaciers, snow-covered peaks, fjords, wildflower meadows, tumbling waterfalls, bubbling streams and rivers - and, except for the water and the birds, both of which make delightful sounds, a wonderful quiet.
Ultimate Iceland Adventure, January 1970