Iceland Silver Circle Tour: West Iceland’s Hidden Gems
The Silver Circle Tour explores the less-traveled but equally stunning West Iceland, offering a mix of natural wonders, historical sites, and cultural experiences.
Key Attractions:
- Deildartunguhver Hot Spring:
- Europe’s most powerful hot spring
- Produces 180 liters of 100°C water per second
- Hraunfossar Waterfalls:
- Series of waterfalls streaming out of a lava field
- Nicknamed “Lava Falls”
- Barnafoss Waterfall:
- Rapid cascade through a narrow rocky gorge
- Name means “Children’s Falls,” tied to a local legend
- Reykholt:
- Historical village
- Home of medieval historian Snorri Sturluson
- Húsafell:
- Beautiful area surrounded by glaciers
- Opportunities for hiking and exploring
- Langjökull Glacier (optional):
- Iceland’s second-largest glacier
- Options for snowmobiling or ice cave tours
Tour Details:
- Duration: Typically 8-10 hours
- Best time: Year-round, each season offering unique experiences
- Transportation: Guided tours or self-drive options available
Highlights:
- Diverse landscapes: Hot springs, waterfalls, lava fields, and glaciers
- Rich cultural and historical significance
- Less crowded than the Golden Circle
- Opportunities for adventure activities
- Insight into Iceland’s geothermal power usage
The Silver Circle Tour provides a comprehensive experience of West Iceland’s natural beauty and cultural heritage. It’s an excellent alternative for those who have already seen the Golden Circle or prefer to explore off the beaten path.
Overview
Travel is the movement of people between relatively distant geographical locations, and can involve travel by foot, bicycle, automobile, train, boat, bus, airplane, or other means, with or without luggage, and can be one way or round trip. Travel can also include relatively short stays between successive movements.
The origin of the word “travel” is most likely lost to history. The term “travel” may originate from the Old French word travail, which means ‘work’. According to the Merriam Webster dictionary, the first known use of the word travel was in the 14th century.
It also states that the word comes from Middle English travailen, travelen (which means to torment, labor, strive, journey) and earlier from Old French travailler (which means to work strenuously, toil). In English we still occasionally use the words “travail”, which means struggle. According to Simon Winchester in his book The Best Travelers’ Tales (2004), the words “travel” and “travail” both share an even more ancient root: a Roman instrument of torture called the tripalium (in Latin it means “three stakes”, as in to impale).
Trip Highlights
- The Glacial Lake of Floating Icebergs
- Icy Gems on Obsidian Sands
- The Black Falls Amidst Columnar Basalt
- Panoramic Viewpoint of Europe's Largest Ice Cap
