The document provides a travel plan and information for a trip to Iceland. It includes an itinerary with activities planned for each day from July 19th to August 3rd such as visiting waterfalls, glaciers, hot springs, whale watching and partying in Reykjavik. Background information on Iceland is also given covering geography, history, culture and facts about Icelandic horses, whales and traditions.

1. ICELAND Information and Travel plan

2. Travel PlanI like planning – then I know I have things under control. I know this trip is costing you a lot and probably your 1 and only trip you will take to Iceland. So I want everyone of you to see and experience as much as possible. Since you are arriving and leaving on different times. I think it could be advice to make little plan so everyone will see and do what the came here for. This is only a suggestion and we can change it any time or just stay in Reykjavík. It is all up to you – and what you want.

3. About IcelandIceland is in the North Atlentic Ocean and on the Mid-Atlentic Ridge.Population is about 320,000.Capital and largest city Reykjavík and there live 2/3 of the population.It is volcanically and geologically active.

4. The Mid- Atlentic Ridge splits Iceland a part. One half is in North America the other half is in Europe. Even though Iceland is closer to Greenland ( North America) then mainland in Europe it is included in Europe for cultural reasonsIceland is one of the most active volcanic regions in the world, with eruptions on every three years.

5. Icelandic HorsesWhy are Icelandic Horses thought special? Well they are almost pony sized and from all other horses in the world they have 2 unique ways of walking/running. So Icelandic horses have 5 ways while other have 3 Transporting animals to Iceland is very strict. We have only 1 brand of sheep, cows, chicken and horses. If Icelandic horse is transported outside the country it is not aloud to have it transported back to Iceland.

6. WhalesIn Iceland you can go watching the whales but here whale is also haunted and killed. It had been banned for a long time but recently we started this again. Icelandic government says researchers show the whales are getting to many and eating all the fish from us but others say whales are still to few. I don’t know what is right or wrong in this.. :S

7. Funny facts about Iceland Reykjavík means “Smoke-bay”’ that Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday are named after the Norse Gods: Tyr, Odin, Thor and Frey Beer was banned in Iceland until 1989 Most Icelanders graduate from University at the age of 25-30 Iceland has twice as many sheep as people Boxing wasn’t allowed until 2002 We nearly have 24 hours of sunlight during summer During December we hardly even see the sun We have 13 Santa Clauses We have myths about the Santa Clauses´ parents We learn English from the age of 8 years and danish at 11

8. “Sigurrós” (a very successful Icelandic music band) was woted the 10th best band in the world (by Newsweek) We have made it to The Guinness Book of Records for drinking Coke. Icelanders consume more Coca-Cola per capita than any other nation We go to the movies more often per capita than any other nation Iceland was the first country in the world to have a female presidentOur surnames consist of our fathers first name and then “son” or daughter” We have the cleanest water in the world! We heat our houses with thermal water as well as our outdoor swimming pools Some of the scenes for the movie “Lara Croft” (starring Angelina Jolie) were filmed on an Icelandic glacier. Also several James Bond movies Most of us graduate from High school at the age of 20? Most nightclubs open at around 21:00 after midnight and close up around 8-9 in the morning?! We can read scripts that are more than thousand years old, and that they are even taught in High school as Icelandic literature. We believe in elves and dwarves (in a sort of myth-way)

9. Icelandic is the oldest living language in Europe. Modern Icelanders are still able to read 1000 years old saga.Iceland has one of the highest literacy rateing in the world, 100%. In fact, more books are published per capita here than in any other country.Althingi is the oldest existing parliament in the world – founded in the year 930.President VigdísFinnbogadóttir, elected 1980 was the first women in the world to be elected head of state.Current prime minister, JóhannaSigurðardóttir is the first official gay prime minister.Gay people are allowed to get married.

10. 19th of JulyI pick up Maiwen, Lucie,Daniela and Miriam at Keflavik airport. We stay in my home in Reykjavik this night.

11. 20th of JulyWe go and look at Kleifarvatn and Krísuvik and look at the big lava around. We end in my family farm so you can look at some more landscape.

12. 21st of JulyWe drive in Hvalfjörð(Whalefjord) and I'll show you waterfalls, black coast and the fjord.If the weather will be good we can sunbath on our boat and then end again in my family farmhouse and go fishing in the lake. In evening we try our Jacuzzi

13. 22nd of JulyWe look at my horses and go horseback riding. Then we go back to Reykjavik and try our outside swimming pools. In evening we go partying in center of Reykjavik. Spend night in my home in Reykjavik.

14. 23rd of JulyIf its good weather we go to a handmade upheated beach in Reykjavik and also just look at the Centrum of the city. If we are in the mood we go partying again :D

15. 24th of JulyThomas arrives  we go pick him up at the airport. Depends on what the time is if we just take an easy evening in Reykjavík or start the tour around Iceland.

16. 25th of JulyWe start our tour  We drive to Thingvellir, Gullfoss, Geysir, Kerið, Seljalandsfoss and stop at my aunts farm and camp there over the night. There are extremely beautiful mountains and caves we can look at. She lives underneath Eyjafjallajökull but there is where last volcanic eruption happened.

17. Þingvellir (Thingvellir)It’s a national park and has been declared a world heritage site by UNESCO both for cultural & historical significance as well as natural & geological uniqueness.There you can walk in a valley or dive in crack and on one side is America and the other Europe. There our parliament was founded in 930. Biggest lake and very old lava. Here you can go snorkeling in Silfra.

18. Geysir and GullfossYou all know Geysir but Gullfoss is one of the most powerful waterfalls in Europe.

19. KeriðVolcanic crater lake.

20. SeljalandsfossA waterfall you can walk behind.

21. Eyjafjallajökull

22. 26th of JulyWe go to Þórsmörk, if the rivers are not to big we go on the cars but we might have to take a bus. We end again in the farm in evening we walk to this mountain swimmingpool

23. Þórsmörk (Thorsmork)Is one of the brightest pearls on the stirring of beautiful areas of the country, surrounded by rugged and majestic mountains, glaciers and glacial rivers, decorated with small birch woods and silver lined with humming stream. Its rather difficult to describe the charm of this area. – the forest of Thor, the thunder god.

24. SeljavallalaugThe swimmingpool is situated in a short and anarrow valley at the foot of the Eyjafjallajökull.

25. 27th of JulyWe move on to Skógarfoss, Dyrhóley, Mýrdalssandur, Mýrdalsjökull, Kirkjubæjarklaustur, Foss áSíðu, Dverghamar, Kirkjugólf, Núpsstaður, Fjaðrárgljúfur and camp in Skaftafell this night. Depends on if we go on a glacier tour. If we would do that this day or the next.

26. Skógafossyou can walk up to the waterfall and also up to the top on look down

27. Skógartypical old icelandic farms + museum

28. Dyrhóleyyou can go down to the cost and also on the top and have a view of a long black cost line

29. Mýrdalssandurwe drive through big area that is covered with black sand and just black sand

30. Mýrdalsjökull – Glacier

31. Kirkjubæjarklaustur – small town

32. Foss áSíðu & Dverghamrar

33. KirkjugólfThe place is named church floor, the rock in the ground could be made buy people but this is just mother nature

34. Núpsstaðurold houses surrounded with beautiful mountains

35. Fjaðrárgljúfurbeautiful canyon

36. Skaftafell – national park beautiful place underneath Vatnajökull.

37. 28th of JulyWe should take one day to drive to Landmannalaugar. It has hot spring to bath in and very colorfoul mountains and is in middle of nowhere in Iceland

38. Landmannalaugar

39. 29thof JulyWe look at places around Skaftafell, Vatnajökull, Svartifoss and Jökulsárgljúfur. Here they offer a trip to the glacier + sailing on the lagoon for proximately 78 Euros. I think we should drive to next stop Egilsstaðir. On the way you would see Skeiðársandur end Hallormstaðaskógur. It depends on what you want – but this is a big festival weekend so we could find a big party somewhere.

40. Vatnajökull – biggest glacier in Europe and a national park

41. Svartifossthere is an 1 or 2 hour walk up to here

42. Jökulsárlónlagoon full of big ice cubes

43. Skeiðársanduranother long area covered with black sand, when there are eruptions in the glaciers the glacier-rivers get so big that they wash away everything and leave it like this.

44. Hallormstaðaskógur – the only forrest in all Iceland

45. 30stof JulyWe will drive to Húsavík and on the way see Dettifoss, Ásbyrgi and then stop for whale watching or the Phallological Museum (more then 100 mammal penisis). We need to decide where to camp because next big town Akureyri will be crouted of people.

46. Ásbyrgir

47. Dettifoss

48. Penis Muesems

49. Whale watching

50. 31stof AugustWe should look at Mývatn, Dimmuborgir ant then drive straight to Reykjavík and take a little party time there.

51. Mývatnlake situated on volcanically active area., also splits to N-america and Europe.

52. Dimmuborgir

53. 1stof AugustBlue lagoon

54. Blue LagoonThe Blue Lagoon (Icelandic: "Bláalónið") geothermal spa is one of the most visited attractions in Iceland. The steamy waters are part of a lava formation.The warm waters are rich in minerals like silica and sulphur and bathing in the Blue Lagoon is reputed to help some people suffering from skin diseases such as psoriasis.[1] The water temperature in the bathing and swimming area of the lagoon averages 37–39 °C (98–102

56. 2 nd & 3rdof AugustChilling and saying goodbye

57. LinksTravelbook– http://danny.oz.au/travel/iceland/why-reykjavik.htmlBrochurs about Iceland in all languages http://www.visiticeland.com/TravelGuide/Icelandbrochures/Tour to volcanic glacier and more http://snow.is/index.php?option=com_frontpage&Itemid=30The biggest glaciers http://www.vatnajokull.is/english/Tours/Summer/Video about south Iceland – intresstinginformations about everything you will see http://snow.is/index.php?option=com_n-flashvideo&Itemid=49