Private hike to Mount Esja and Geothermal Bathing
About this activity
Highlights
- Expert Guide from Your Friend in Reykjavik
- A very comfortable tour vehicle
- Entrance to Hvammsvik Geothermal Baths
- Seafood soup with Sourdough Bread (Vegan option available)
Full description
After a roughly 25-minute drive out of Reykjavik, we say hello to Mount Esja, the guardian of Reykjavik, and do an approximately 2-hour hike up and down the majestic mountain, enjoy the views before heading towards a waterfall called Þórufoss, made famous in the TV series, Game of Thrones.
After that possible shortstop, you enter the beautiful fjord called Hvalfjordur or Whalefjord, where you can admire the views.
At the same time, you are told all about the significant history of these parts and the folklore connected to the area. And then it's time for our second shortstop, an Elfstone or home called Steðji, where an Elfman called Staupasteinn is said to reside.
When we have heard enough elf stories, it's time to head to the brilliant Hvammsvik Hot Springs, which is a beautiful experience where you have access to eight natural hot springs that evolve into the ocean with temperatures ranging from ocean temperatures (around ten °C) to 42°C in the old original hot spring.
You can even access the sea, Steam baths, and hot outdoor showers to warm you up if you are brave the ocean. This experience was recently voted as the number one thing to do in the world by Timeout magazine!
After your rejuvenating soak in the hot springs, it's time to head to the restaurant to enjoy a nice bowl of delicious Seafood soup made out of fish from the fjord and local ingredients (there is also a Vegan option). With the Seafood soup, you get fluffy Sourdough bread & butter with sea salt, also made on location.
Now it's time to head back to your accommodation with a nice warm feeling in your body and belly.
Included / Excluded
- Lunch
- Entrance to Hvammsvik Geothermal Baths
- Expert local guide
- Tips or Gratuity (Not required in Iceland)
Important information
Know before you book
- To be guided in a different language, please contact us!
- This tour can be tailored to your wishes
- Maximum group size per booking is 8 people
Know before you go
- Please dress according to Icelandic weather
- Be sure to bring your swimsuit
- Make sure to be outside your hotel 10 minutes before departure time
Cancellation policy
Up to 24 hours before the beginning of the activity: full refund Less than 24 hours before the beginning of the activity or no-show: no refund
Reviews
Not much mentioned about “ghosts” but the stores and historical facts were very interesting. The guide had a great sense of humour as well which made the experience what it was.
Petra was an incredible guide. We asked her to show us as much as she could before taking our crazy family of 10 to the airport for our flights to three different cities ! First stop was the beautiful church in downtown Reykjavik that had just opened with an organ recital. Next stop a lovely spot and observation sight overlooking the city by the Pearl. Cold and wet she found us a lovely coffee shop with the best pastries for a welcome mid morning rest next to the sea. Back in the van we drove for a bit before having the opportunity to explore a geothermal field on our way to the airport. A perfect day and ending to our time in Iceland. Petra shared alot of history and information from the perspective of a local which we all appreciated and enjoyed!
We enjoyed the tour quite a lot. We got to walk around a lot and saw plenty adorable cats, they were all relatively friendly and fluffy. We were told a few facts about them in iceland as well, such as the yule cat for example. The cafe we made a stop at was also very nice, the drinks were delectable as well as the pastry we got, the cats there were also adorable. Our guide Stefan was also nice, he was very amiable and conversational, he asked us some questions and had a decent sense of humor. In general our experience was lovely and we would recommend it to any fellow cat lovers planning to visit iceland.