Iceland sits at the edge of the Arctic Circle, a dramatic island where glaciers meet volcanoes and the landscape feels utterly untouched by time. Black sand beaches stretch beyond steaming hot springs. Basalt columns rise like ancient cathedrals. Waterfalls thunder into frigid fjords while lava fields sprawl toward a horizon marked by moonscape ridges.
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And yet, for all its raw, elemental beauty, Iceland also offers refined Nordic sophistication—world-class restaurants, striking architecture, cutting-edge art, and excellent shopping. It's a place of wonderful contradictions: wild yet welcoming, remote yet remarkably progressive (hello, most gender-equal country in the world).
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NextTribe always seeks out women and women-owned businesses on our trips, and in Iceland, that's delightfully easy. We'll meet women entrepreneurs, artists, and other locals who add considerable warmth to this chilly landscape. Our tour is led by an Icelandic woman our age who knows exactly what we want to see and experience—and she's as passionate about the environment as she is about showing off her country. For each traveler, she plants a tree to help preserve Iceland's fragile ecosystem. That means your booking removes the equivalent of about 21 kg of CO2 per year. Not bad for a vacation.
Please note that this is a sample itinerary. Accommodations and activities may change but we will always replace them with something of equal or better value.
5 Reasons We Love This Trip
Landscapes like nowhere else. We'll be wandering through some of the most spectacular scenery on Earth—from glaciers to volcanoes (the "Fire and Ice" that makes this feel like the perfect Game of Thrones location, if you ask us).
Water, water everywhere. Waterfalls, beaches, geysers, and—most importantly—HOT SPRINGS. The most glorious hot water awaits at the end of a three-mile hike: a natural river where we'll soak our hiking-weary bones. We'll also kayak around actual icebergs in a dazzling glacier lagoon, which is exactly as cool as it sounds.
Surprisingly fantastic food. Iceland may not be famous for its cuisine, but prepare to be pleasantly shocked. All dinners are included, and we're hitting some of the country's best restaurants—including one that sits inside a gleaming greenhouse and another where you'll dine surrounded by rows of tomato plants and sunflowers. It's farm-to-table taken very literally.
The Northern Lights. Maybe. Since we're going late in the summer season, we have a decent shot at catching nature's greatest light show. Cross your fingers and pack your camera.
Women rule. We'll meet remarkable women throughout the trip, starting with our guides and including a reception with women artists in a beautifully restored dairy barn in Reykjavik. Get ready for genuine connection—with locals and fellow travelers alike.
A nomad at heart, Jennifer has always been wild-eyed and curious about the world. She says "As a little girl, my daydreams included “if I could be any animal in the world, what would I choose?” The answer was ALWAYS a BIRD! How exciting it would be to fly high above the landscape, wind at my nose, exploring and observing the world below!" Having just completed her 42nd year as a Flight Attendant, she says there was something to this dream of hers.
Here's what Jennifer says about Iceland: "I escaped Covid in June 2021 for a visit with my two young adult children, and we all fell in LOVE. We spent 10 days driving the entire coastline of this beautiful country. We adored the kind Icelandic people, the breathtaking natural beauty, soaking in the hot springs, waterfalls, lava flows and glaciers, and the BIG SKY. I am elated for the great opportunity to share my love of Iceland with all of you."
We’ll arrange transport from the airport to your hotel.
Our adventure begins with a wonderful food tour through downtown Reykjavik. In the tastiest walk you’ll take in Iceland, we explore the down town Reykjavik area through amazing local cuisines that you would never come across inyour typical “to-do in Iceland” itinerary.
While every dish on the tour is traditional Icelandic in some way we decided to leave the fermented shark, rams testicles and sheep head off the menu. Instead we explore why Icelanders are indeed proud of our local food by focusing on the absolute most delicious traditional cuisines – that they still enjoy today!
(Northern lights opportunity in the evening if weather allows.)
We'll climb into a super jeep to take a climb into a highland valley, where we'll visit Porsmork Nature Reserve--named after Por (Thor), the god of Thunder.
In Porsmork, we'll see rings of glaciers, diverse flora and magnificent landscapes as meltwater from the surrounding glaciers create constantly changing rushing torrents across the valley floor. We’ll see the dramatic terrain created by the infamous eruption in 2010 of Eyjafjallajökull (helpful pronunciation guide: “Hey-I-Forgot-The-Yogurt.”)
During the eruption millions of liters of melted ice from Eyjafjallajokull came bursting down the mountainside causing massive destructive floods on its way to the Atlantic and changed the scenery for years to come.
We’re off for three days on Iceland’s South Coast. First we’ll hike to Reykjadalur valley. Bring a swimsuit and towel with you on the hike so you can soak in the geothermal hot river in Reykjadalur. The hike is 3 miles up and 3 miles down and yes, there is some elevation gain, but the soak in the river is a beautiful reward for your effort. If you’re feeling REALLY adventurous, you can take a 1 KM zipline over a waterfall and crevasse—as NextTribe founder Jeannie Ralston and traveler Kathy Eckhart did in 2025.
Afterward we’ll visit Skógafoss, which is one of the most famous waterfalls in Iceland. One reason the falls are special is that you can hike behind the powerful sheet of water. Bring your rainjacket because you will likely get a little wet.
You probably didn't expect to get some beach time in Iceland, but we'll be going to a shimmering black sand beach that was ranked as one of the ten most beautiful non-tropical beaches in the world. A characteristic feature of the Reynisfjara black beach is basalt columns that rise like the pipes of a gigantic organ in a cathedral.
We’ll spend the day in Skaftafell National Park, situated near the largest glacier in Iceland and Europe, called Vatnajökull.
The setting is truly magnificent. We’ll kayak among blue-hued icebergs floating in the Jökulsárlón Glacier lagoon, which is considered one of the natural wonders of Iceland. We’ll also get the chance to see smaller bits of ice bobbing in a nearby surf and strewn across a black sand beach. It’s no wonder that this glittery strip is known as Diamond Beach.
We'll experience three unforgettable places on the famed Golden Circle--Thingvellir National Park, the Gullfoss Waterfall (which is like Niagra on steroids) and a 59-foot-wide geyser, whose activity dates back to at least 1294, when an earthquake hit the region.
After lunch at Friðheimar greenhouse, famous for its fresh-grown tomatoes, we'll also have the chance to bake bread in the ground, using geothermal heat. Following the demonstration, we'll all get to sample the freshly baked bread--straight from the Earth.
We’ll hike along a tectonic rift valley, where the Eurasian and North American plates meet. It’s thrilling to stand in two continents at the same time, and the area has another claim to fame: In 930 the Icelandic Parliament, the first democracy in the world, was established here. We’ll end the day back in Reykavik.
We’ll travel off the beaten track to the beautiful Hvalfjordur west Iceland where the landscape, the history and people will inspire us.
We will visit a local farm where you will see the Icelandic sheep that has kept the Icelandic people warm since the country was settled. Then we’ll relax in the amazing Hvammsvík Baths, where you recharge in unspoiled nature.
In the evening we’ll attend a reception at Korpúlfsstaðir house, where we’ll meet a group of vibrant women artists. Korpúlfsstaðir used to be a very big and modern dairy farm inthe beginning of the last century.
After a lovely dinner in downtown Reykjavik, we’ll catch a boat for a Northern Lights tour in the bay—away from city lights.
The morning is free to shop and stroll through downtown Rekjavik. (If you’re feeling a bit cheeky, check out the notorious Penis Museum.)
After a drive by a very picturesque (and very old) lighthouse, we'll head towards the sea where high cliffs, black rock formations and breathtaking view of the Atlantic awaits. We've got a ticket to the world-famous Blue Lagoon—because you can’t do Iceland without a visit to the Blue Lagoon.
End the trip with some major self-care and then another treat: dinner at Sol, a stunning greenhouse restaurant on the outskirts of Reyjavik.
Until we meet again! We will arrange transport back to the airport for your flights home.
Arrive in Reykjavik-Keflavik Intl. Airport (KEF) On Saturday, August 29th
Your first activity is at 5:00 PM, so give yourself enough time to arrive at the hotel by then.
NextTribe will arrange your transfer to the hotel.
Depart from Reykjavik Saturday, September 5th at any time.
Next Tribe will arrange your transport to the airport.
We require all international travelers to purchase travel insurance. We strongly recommend trip protection insurance to protect your investment. (Scroll down for more details about insurance)
No visa is required for US Citizens to visit Iceland. Please make sure your passport is valid for at least 6 months beyond the end of the trip.
You will be receiving periodic communications from us leading up to departure with other important details included. If you have any questions, you can contact our travel manager, Marcy, at travel@nexttribe.com
Inclusions
7 Nights Lodging
6 Dinners
6 Lunches
6 Breakfasts
Ground Transportation
Airport Transfers (Not included if you arrive early or extend your trip)
All activities noted in the itinerary
Exclusions
Roundtrip Airfare
Alcohol not mentioned above
Travel Insurance
Gratuities
Gratuities to local guides, drivers, maids and hotel staff, alcohol, unless mentioned in itinerary, travel insurance, round trip airfare, passport and visa fees, personal items such as phone calls, laundry, baggage fees and items not expressly listed as included.
Next Tribe requires all international travelers to purchase travel insurance.
Travel insurance can be a helpful and valuable resource to pack! It can protect the investment of your trip and you while traveling.
We partner with Wanderwell, a Certified B Corporation travel insurance provider that makes it as simple as possible by not overwhelming you with options.
They offer just a few modern, benefit-packed trip protection plans that can cover the most common travel perils related to trip cancellation, trip interruption, trip delay, travel Medical Expenses, baggage & personal effects, Emergency Medical Evacuation, and more.
Click Here to create quotes and purchase a plan through Wanderwell from our partner page.
If you prefer to talk to someone, please email support@gowanderwell.com. They will set up a phone call with you and can answer your questions.
For most of history, women past child-bearing years were basically put out to pasture. This was happening even in our mothers’ time. We call bullshit on that. We believe we are at a peak in so many ways and are devoted to helping women our age live the richest, most kick-ass lives possible.
We do that by informing, promoting and connecting women–through our magazine, through our member community and through the transformative experiences of travel.
So many travel choices…so little time. You could spend days and days trying to put together just the right combination of destination, activities, and price.
Or you could stop shopping and start traveling with us for something that feels like the greatest girlfriend trip ever–even if you come solo. We specialize in experiences that deeply connect you to other women–travelers and locals–and create life-lasting memories. Experiences you can’t get on your own. And do it all with flexible payment options.
This video will tell you if you’re a good fit for a NextTribe trip. We are proud that we’ve become known for how quickly and deeply our groups of women bond on our trips. One of our rules: No divas, please.
For more information, please contact our travel manager at travel@nexttribe.com