The Icelandic Beer Adventure (July 2021)
Join us for another Smiling Grape travel extravaganza for beer and travel lovers as we discover what the booze is like in one of the world’s most beautiful countries: Iceland! But alcohol has had a tough time here as in 1915 60% of the country voted for a total ban on beer, wine, and spirits! Amazingly beer remained banned in Iceland until 1989 as the government argued that access to beer would tempt young and less-educated people into irresponsible drinking! As a result Iceland developed a vibrant underground brewing industry and we will do our very best to check it out. We will also discover the famous sites as well as going the off the beaten track where no tourists venture!
Day One
- Guests arrive at leisure in Reykjavik and check in to our Airbnb or Hotel.
- Reykjavik city tour.
- Brewery tour number one.
- City pub crawl making sure we make the happy hours last!
- Overnight at Reykjavík.
Day Two
- We visit ‘Fly Over Iceland’, a cinematic 4D experience with motion seating and a wraparound screen, simulating flight over mountains and glaciers! Smells and wind will be included too…
- Brewery tour number two.
- Distillery tour.
- We continue our pub crawl across the city.
- Overnight at Reykjvík.
Day Three
- We leave Reykjvik early for our long distance drive to the north of Iceland!
- Enjoy a beer bath in Árskógssandur where we can soak in a tub of beer! Good news: each room comes with its own beer tap with an unlimited supply from which to refill your glass. Bad news: you only have 25 minutes to drink as much as you can!
- If you are not too keen on soaking in beer, then there is an outdoor hot tub with excellent views of mountains and fjords.
- We check into our hotel in Dalvik, a small fishing village located in the eastern part of Trollaskagi Peninsula.
- If we have time we can visit the beautifully named island of Grimsey for an afternoon of whale watching, horse riding or hiking.
- Our bar crawl tonight is slightly shorter as there are only three bars in the town but a warm welcome from the locals is guaranteed!
- Overnight at Dalvik.
Day Four
- Today we take a leisurely drive down to stunning Akureyri, the second largest city in Iceland.
- We spend the day relaxing in the city.
- Visit to brewery number three.
- Tonight we will be organising a very special wine tasting whilst watching the Northern Lights. There is little light pollution in Akureyri and the longer nights make it perfect for Northern Lights spotting and wine drinking!
- Overnight at Dalvik.
Day Five
- An early start as we take a long distance drive to the south of Iceland. The journey on the way will be epic and dramatic.
- Visit to brewery number four and five.
- We check into our hotel in Fossatún, a settlement located on the banks of the river Grímsá. The area is known for its beautiful hiking routes and after a pub crawl, we will go on a hike in search of the magical elves and trolls (50% of the Icelandic population believe in these magical beings...) and finish the evening in a hot tub sampling the local fire water admiring the Northern Lights!
- Overnight at Fossatún.
Day Six
- Today we visit the the Snæfellsnes Peninsula, a region in western Iceland known for its dramatic landscapes. At its western tip, Snæfellsjökull National Park is dominated by Snæfellsjökull Volcano, which is topped by a glacier. We will take a hike through the lava fields to black-pebble Djúpalónssandur beach and enjoy a puffin sandwich for lunch.
- Fossatún pub crawl.
- Overnight at Fossatún.
Day Seven
- After our busy week of sampling the local beers, we will have a relaxing day experiencing the Krauma geothermal spas with even more beer!
- We will join the locals lounging around at the pools before exploring Glymur, Iceland’s tallest waterfall, the Breioafjorour archipelago and Mount Kirkjufell.
- Overnight at Reykjavík.
Day Eight
- We start early to experience Iceland off the beaten track.
- Sheep head lunch and brewery visit number six.
- Farewell dinner and drinks.
- Final pub crawl.
- Overnight at Reykjavík.
Day Nine
- The famous Golden Circle tour.
- Lunch and sad farewells.
- End of tour.
- International flights home.
Tour Cost: £1900.00
Included
- Activities mentioned in the itinerary
- Brewery and distillery tours
- Accommodation on a twin sharing basis
- Transport
- Western and local guides
Excluded
- International flights
- Meals
- Drinks
- Optional tours and excursions
- Single supplement
- Visas (if required)
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