This account tells the story of Louis, his daughter Jennifer, and his wife Sabine’s 5-day adventure tour across Iceland in June 2024. What began as a father-daughter trip evolved into a family adventure when Sabine saw the itinerary and decided to join. The focus: balancing sightseeing with active exploration, creating memories that would last a lifetime.
In early 2024, we received a request that initially seemed straightforward: a father-daughter trip with plenty of adventure. Louis contacted us wanting an activity-packed journey. After extensive discussions to understand his vision of “adventure,” we designed an itinerary balancing scenic highlights with serious hiking.
When Louis showed the final program to Sabine, she immediately decided to join. The itinerary featured day tours from Reykjavík with one overnight excursion along the South Coast.
Louis emphasized one thing from the start: he wanted an exceptional guide. For him, this would make or break the experience. Understanding that words alone wouldn’t suffice, I directed him to our TripAdvisor reviews. Reading other travelers’ experiences convinced him, and as he later told me, this was the deciding factor in booking with us.
What follows is the story of our time together: five days of extraordinary weather, breathtaking landscapes, and shared laughter.
Day One: South Coast and Glacier Adventure
Meeting the Family
I met Louis, Jennifer, and Sabine at their hotel early that morning. Being from Quebec, we conducted the entire tour in French. The trunk was loaded with glacier equipment, leaving just enough room for their luggage.
We set out for the South Coast highlights. June’s extended daylight gave us the luxury of time, allowing us to linger at each location rather than rush through. If you’re planning a similar trip, our complete South Coast guide covers everything you need to know.
Waterfalls and Black Sand Beaches
Seljalandsfoss greeted us first, its 60-meter cascade thundering into a shallow pool. We walked the path behind the waterfall, mist enveloping us as we gazed out through the curtain of water.
Just minutes away, Gljúfrabúi awaited. This hidden waterfall reveals itself only to those willing to wade through a narrow canyon entrance, a secret worth discovering.
At Skógafoss, the 25-meter-wide cascade generated constant rainbows in its spray. The raw power of water meeting rock never fails to captivate.
We continued to Dyrhólaey, the dramatic promontory with its iconic rock arch jutting into the Atlantic. The panoramic views over black sand beaches and the Reynisdrangar sea stacks were spectacular.
At Reynisfjara, basalt columns rose against crashing waves. I noticed something throughout the day: Jennifer carried a handball, and she and Louis played whenever an opportunity arose. Their bond was evident in these spontaneous moments.
The Glacier Experience
The day’s highlight was our glacier hike on Sólheimajökull. After briefing them on safety protocols and crampon techniques, we stepped onto the mighty glacier.
For over an hour, we navigated ice formations, crevasses, and meltwater channels. They even attempted the famous “Viking pushups”: drinking glacier melt water directly from the surface while doing a pushup. It’s a trick glacier guides love to share with clients during summer months, and the whole family attempted it with varying degrees of success.
We spent the night at the FossHotel Glacier Lagoon, featured in our article about the 10 best hotels in Iceland.
Day Two: Vatnajökull National Park
A Leisurely Pace
After the previous day’s exertions, we adopted a more relaxed rhythm. Our destination: the highlights of Vatnajökull National Park.
I discovered that Jennifer had brought more than a handball. She also had a kite. In a country as consistently windy as Iceland, this proved inspired, at least until the wind truly picked up.
Glacier Lagoons and Diamond Beach
At Jökulsárlón glacier lagoon, massive icebergs drifted silently toward the sea. Some were centuries old, calved from the Breiðamerkurjökull glacier. Seals popped their curious heads above the water, watching us as intently as we watched them.
On Fellsfjara (Diamond Beach), ice chunks from the lagoon wash ashore, glittering against black volcanic sand. The family scattered across the beach: Jennifer flying her kite, Louis kneeling in the sand to present Sabine with a piece of glacier ice. After capturing a few moments with my camera, I retreated to the car, giving them the privacy these moments deserve.
Among the Icebergs
At Fjallsárlón, a more intimate glacier lake, we had booked an experience: a Zodiac boat tour among icebergs.
The rigid inflatable brought us remarkably close to the floating ice mountains. More impressively, we approached the glacier’s calving edge itself, where new icebergs are born. The scale of the ice and the proximity to the glacier face left everyone speechless.
We then drove back to Reykjavík, the long summer evening extending our journey into golden light.
Day Three: Glymur and Highland Roads
An Early Start
I picked them up at dawn. Today promised adventure.
Conquering Glymur
Our first challenge: the Glymur hike, a three-hour round trip to one of Iceland’s tallest waterfalls. The trail delivers some of the most spectacular panoramas over Hvalfjörður fjord.
The route demands two river crossings, which added genuine adventure. The first crossing was manageable; the second wade through cold glacial waters proved challenging for Jennifer, though she pushed through admirably.
The waterfall itself, plunging into a narrow canyon, rewards those who make the effort. Standing at the viewpoint, feeling the cool mist and hearing the distant roar, the family understood why this hike features prominently in our tours.
The Silver Circle
After the hike, we visited Hraunfossar. These remarkable falls emerge directly from a lava field, countless rivulets of crystal-clear water seeping through porous rock to cascade into the Hvítá river below.
The Kaldidalur Track
Our return to Reykjavík took an unconventional route: the Kaldidalur highland road. While no longer classified as an F-road, it demands a capable 4x4. Our Toyota Land Cruiser handled the terrain with ease, allowing us to stop frequently.
The road passes through stark volcanic landscapes with views over glacial rivers and the Langjökull glacier. In this deserted terrain, we made countless photo stops, the family absorbing the raw beauty of Iceland’s interior.
We returned to Reykjavík as evening settled.
Day Four: Reykjadalur Hot River
Sore Legs, Determined Spirits
Despite yesterday’s demanding hike, everyone woke ready for another adventure. The Reykjadalur hike offered a different character: easier terrain with an extraordinary reward.
Through Steam and Color
The 3.5-kilometer trail to the hot river reveals Iceland’s geothermal heart. Steam vents hiss from hillsides. Colorful mineral deposits paint the earth in unexpected hues. Small canyons and waterfalls punctuate the journey.
At the trail’s end, a hot spring transforms into a river, its temperature perfect for bathing. Wooden platforms line the banks where visitors change and ease into the naturally heated water. Mountains rise on all sides. Steam drifts across the valley.
I led them to the end of the trail, then returned to give them privacy. Using the Land Cruiser’s capabilities, I took a rough backroad to a higher point, where I met them after their soak with a shorter walk back. An experience they’ll remember for a lifetime.
This was our only activity that day. Sometimes, less is more.
Day Five: Þórsmörk - The Grand Finale
Saving the Best for Last
The final day promised to be the most adventurous. We had saved Þórsmörk, the valley of Þór, for the finale.
The agenda: wade through glacial rivers to hidden waterfalls, cross countless unbridged streams, cook burgers on a barbecue beside a glacier, summit a peak with views across the highlands.
Nauthúsagil: Hidden Waterfall
Our first stop required commitment. Nauthúsagil hides its waterfall deep within a narrow canyon. Reaching it means wading twice through glacial meltwater, using chains bolted into the rock walls for support.
The cold was intense, but the reward matched the effort. In the canyon’s depths, the waterfall appeared like something from another world.
Lunch at the Glacier’s Edge
At Gígjökull, the glacier tongue that once fed the Eyjafjallajökull floods of 2010, we stopped for a memorable lunch. I fired up the barbecue while the family took in the views. Homemade burgers, served with a glacier backdrop, taste better than any restaurant could offer.
Naturally, Louis and Jennifer found space for their handball game. Watching them play against this dramatic backdrop captured everything their trip was about: adventure and family connection.
Summit Views from Valahnúkur
The hike to Valahnúkur’s summit pushed the parents to their limits. The ascent is relentless, but from the top, the panorama justifies every step. Glacial rivers braid across black sand plains. Mountains rise in endless succession. Glacier tongues descend from ice caps.
These are among the finest views in all of Iceland, and we had them to ourselves.
Stakkholtsgjá: The Final Challenge
Louis declared that since his feet were already wet, we should tackle the most difficult waterfall in Stakkholtsgjá canyon. While most visitors turn left for the easier waterfall, Louis led straight into the river, helping Jennifer and Sabine whenever the water rose too high.
I had never taken clients to this end of the canyon before. The access is genuinely challenging. But nothing would stop Louis on this final adventure. He wanted to finish the trip with a bang, and so we did.
Reflections on the Journey
Driving back to Reykjavík, I asked for their thoughts on the entire five days. Their answer: exactly what they wanted, though physically harder than anticipated. The weather had cooperated beyond all reasonable expectations. Asked for a favorite day, all three voted unanimously for Þórsmörk.
Conclusion
This family came to Iceland seeking adventure, and adventure is precisely what they found. Their comfortable budget still required some adjustments to fit everything they wanted:
- Using bus transfers for airport transport
- Setting aside a helicopter tour from the early planning stages
- Limiting highland exploration to one day
These compromises didn’t diminish their experience. What mattered was the time together: father and daughter playing handball against volcanic backdrops, Louis presenting glacier ice to his wife on Diamond Beach, the whole family pushing through challenging hikes and emerging triumphant.
As a guide, working with families remains one of my greatest privileges. Witnessing and facilitating these shared moments, knowing they’ll remember this trip decades from now, provides profound fulfillment. The balance between guiding and stepping back, knowing when to lead and when to offer privacy, was exactly what they needed.
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All articles in our travel stories relate tours that we crafted and operated since Lilja Tours was founded. Clients gave us permission to use their pictures, which we appreciate because we want these accounts to be as authentic as possible. To preserve our clients’ privacy, we never use their real names.
