This is Private Driving Tour to Mount Esja, with a roughly 2 hour hike included and then off to Hvalfjordur & Hvammsvik Hot Springs
You are picked up for this experience by an expert local driver guide from Your Friend In Reykjavik.
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 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 brave the ocean. Timeout magazine recently voted this experience as the number one thing to do in the world!
After your rejuvenating soak in the hot springs, it's time to head to the restaurant Höfuðstöðin to enjoy a nice bowl of delicious lamb soup made out of local ingredients (there is also a Vegan option). With the lamb 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.
