You’ll know you’ve arrived when you fly into Iceland’s Keflavik airport, and your first glimpse is of a strange and rather other-worldly land, with a seemingly endless, green-grey moss-topped lava field blanketing the peninsula as far as the eye can see. Meet your guide at the airport who will transfer you to your hotel for the night. If rooms are not ready, feel free to walk around the area and enjoy breakfast or lunch while waiting. Rest of the day at leisure. Consider visiting the Blue Lagoon, where you can soak away the aches and pains of air travel. (If you don’t arrive in time for a soak, you’ll have another chance at the end of your trip on the last full day.)

With the air travel melted away, it’s time to explore the Reykjanes Peninsula. This tour introduces you to the culture and geology of Iceland, with possible stops at Bryggjan (an old fishing net factory that is owned by former networkers), and Þingborg’s traditional wool factory, where you can purchase a genuine Icelandic sweater.

Lunch at a local restaurant.

On your way to your hotel, and if they aren’t inaccessible due to snow cover, stop at one of the many lava tubes that are underfoot at all times. These incredible tubes were formed when flowing lava cooled beneath a hardening surface, leaving underground mazes available for exploration.

Now that you’ve gotten an overview of Iceland, it’s time to see some glaciers up close, which you’ll do on a super-jeep tour in Þórsmörk, a mountain ridge named after the Norse god Thor. The valley of this region sits at the meeting of three glaciers: Eyjafjallajökull, which erupted in 2010; Myrdalsjökull; and Tindfjallajökull. The landscape of Þórsmörk formed from eruptions underneath the glaciers and gives the terrain a surreal effect.

Spend the day crossing unbridged glacial rivers, stopping at spectacular sites like Gýgjökull, where the eruption in 2010 first emerged. Today also presents several options for short hikes, but even if you choose not to hike, you’ll find this a breathtaking and worthwhile day.

More fire and ice beauty awaits you today, along with possible Northern Lights sightings! From your hotel, head along the south coast where you’ll see the waterfalls Seljalandsfoss and Skógafoss, the black beach at Reynisfjara, and the glacier Myrdalsjökull, the fourth largest ice cap in Iceland.

In the evening, you’ll be taken on a tour of the village. Learn about Icelandic history and culture by observing their way of life on a local farm. This will be followed by an Icelandic dinner at a local restaurant.

Since you will be staying in the countryside without any artificial light pollution, you might be able to end your night on a high note: a Northern Lights sighting! But if not, don’t worry; throughout your trip, your guide monitors weather and predictions for celestial activity to present you the best possible chances to see this phenomenon.

The next two days you will delve into the culture and beauty of Iceland while enjoying the region of Vatnajökull, the biggest glacier in Europe.

Drive along the ice cap and its outlet glaciers, and visit the Skaftafell area to enjoy short hikes. Walk along the coast of Glacier Lagoon, a large and incredibly deep lake that formed when Breiðamerkurjökull Glacier receded from the Atlantic ocean. The lake has expanded four-fold since 1970 and is expected to become a fjord (a clear example of global warming in action). You may see dramatic icebergs floating on the lagoon, or even calving from the glacier.

Get to know the history of this region a visit to the Þórbergssetur Museum of Literature and time at Skaftárstofa (the information center in Kirkjubæjarklaustur), where you can learn about the biggest eruption in Iceland’s recorded history, the Laki lava flow of 1783. Cultural exchanges abound with a local food tour and visits to the homes of local residents and farmers.

Today is a continuation of day 4, giving you an opportunity to see the sites you weren’t yet able to see.

Note that because activities throughout Iceland are very weather-dependent, your guide will monitor conditions and adjust activities to fit the weather as well as possible.

Today you’ll experience one of the most iconic areas of Iceland: The Golden Circle. This popular driving route includes three key sites: Þingvellir National Park, Gullfoss golden waterfall, and Geysir, the geothermal area including active geyser Strokkur. (Fun fact: this is the site from which the word “geyser” originated.)

Also enjoy more cultural exchanges today when you eat lunch (tomato soup and fresh bread) at a local tomato farm.

You’ve explored the glaciers, you’ve seen the Northern Lights, you’ve driven the Golden Circle…now what? You choose!

Today is a free day to spend as you wish. Reykjavík has many options, including museums, whale watching, horseback riding, a scenic helicopter ride, or, of course, just wandering the town and enjoying shops and cafes. Your guide can help you figure out what to do and “guide” you in the right direction, and depending on weather and availability, he or she may be able to offer a day trip from Reykjavík.

After spending a week exploring the country, you’ll have a good sense of Iceland’s people and culture. To that end, we cordially invite you to a 60-minute screening of “How to Become an Icelandic,” a very humorous reflection of the people and places you’ve seen throughout your time in Iceland.

Sadly, your trip comes to an end today. But, if there’s time before your return flight, visit (or return for a second visit) the Blue Lagoon for a final soak. Or, continue to explore Reykjavík at your own pace. Later, your guide will transfer you to the airport in plenty of time for your flight home.

Not ready to leave? Consider extending your stay by driving further east for a visit to ice caves located in Vatnajökull, and enjoy local cuisine with the resident farmers. Or head west to the Snaefellsnes peninsula and the ice channels on Langjökull glacier. There’s still plenty more to see in Iceland!