Silver Circle: The Viking Heartland

Overview

West Iceland is where the raw power of nature meets the country’s richest history. The Borgarfjörður region—often called the Silver Circle—is defined by its sprawling birch forests, moss-covered lava fortresses, and steaming geothermal energy. Because this is a private journey, you dictate the pace as we navigate this diverse landscape, far removed from the crowded bus routes.

We begin by visiting Deildartunguhver, the highest-flowing hot spring in Europe, where boiling water violently surfaces from deep within the earth. From there, we step into history at Reykholt, the 13th-century home of Snorri Sturluson, the legendary author whose medieval sagas shaped Icelandic culture and later inspired J.R.R. Tolkien’s mythical worlds.

The landscape only gets more dramatic as we reach Hraunfossar, a mesmerizing phenomenon where crystal-clear glacial water seems to magically seep through the porous wall of a massive lava field, cascading into the turquoise river below. Just steps away, the violently churning waters of Barnafoss cut through a narrow volcanic gorge.

The journey continues to the tranquil woodland oasis of Húsafell, sitting in the shadow of the Langjökull glacier, and peaks with a walk up the Grábrók volcanic craters, offering sweeping views of the 3,000-year-old lava fields below. And because this is your private day, the itinerary bends to you—whether you want to add a descent into a massive lava tube, bathe in the canyon hot springs at Krauma, or venture into a man-made ice tunnel carved into the glacier itself.