• 1. Where to Stay
• 2. Where to Eat
• 3. What to Do
• 4. Insider’s Tip
• 5. An Oddball Day

Gallop on horses rented from Eldhestar or take a soothing warm-water soak with Icelandic Mountain Guides.   (Photo: Courtesy of Eldhestar and Icelandic Mountain Guides)

See the infamous Eyjafjallajölull volcano that interrupted transatlantic travel in 2010 on Volcano Tours' eight-hour off-road jeep adventure ($223 per person). In addition to changes in the landscape caused by the eruption, you’ll explore the area’s lava fields, Gígjökull glacier, and Seljalandsfoss waterfall.

Strap on your helmet and headlamp to explore hardened underground lava caves with Icelandic Mountain Guides, in the Blue Mountains just outside Reykjavik. The six-hour tour ($178 per person) ends with a cleansing swim in the Reykjadalur Valley’s warm-water river.

Rent an Icelandic short horse ($135) and spend the day galloping from one natural hot spring to the next in the Reykjadalur Valley. The equestrian experts at Eldhestar will show you the tölt (the unique gait of their animals) at their ranch in Vellir, 30 minutes outside of Reykjavik, and then direct you toward meadows and valleys where the hot water awaits.

Unwind at Blue Lagoon ($38), one of the world’s top spas, where you’ll swim in a giant natural pool of brilliant blue water and cake yourself with tubs of exfoliating silica mud. Before you leave, sip on a Blue Lagoon cocktail, a mix of sparkling wine, blue curaçao, and Sprite, from the in-pool bar ($14).

Published on Nov 11, 2010 as a web exclusive.