Hi,
We are planning to visit Iceland in July/August and are considering an escorted tour but are trying to balance cost with seeing everything we want but not at a rush.

Yes, we considered the car option but me the wife and a car is not a peaceful holiday (trust me).

The most comprehensive tour we have found to date is as follows and would ask for your advice if this seems too long, too short (rushed) or about right.

Day 1: Fly from the UK - 2 night stay in Reykjavik (this is time by ourselves as tour starts on day 3)

Day 2: Day in Reykjavik

Day 3: Transfer to Hveragerdi for 4 nights.

Day 4: Golden Circle route - visit Gullfoss, Geysir and Thingvellir.

Day 5: Visit Krisuvik and the Blue Lagoon.

Day 6: Day in Reykjavik and whale watching trip

Day 7: Travel to Seljalandsfoss and the Thorsmork Valley. Stay 3 nights.

Day 8: Go to kirkjubaejarklaustur, Skaftafell NP and Jokulsarlon and cruise amongst icebergs

Day 9: Myrdalsjokull glacier, snowmobile excursion and Skogafoss.

Day 10 - visit Urridafoss and back to Reykjavik to visit the Arbaer Folk Museum. Drive to the Snaefellsnes Peninsula and Grundarfjordur for 2 nights.

Day 11: Visit ice-scoured fjords and the volcano of Snaefellsnes.

Day 12: Visit to a farm that cures ‘hakarl’. Afternoon boat trip around Breidafjordur’s many islands Travel north to Eyjafjordur and stay 4 nights near Ongulsstadir.

Day 13: Visit lake Myvatn

Day 14: visit Husavik including the Whale Museum, then to Asbyrgi and the Jokulsa Canyon National Park and visit Dettifoss.

Day 15: visit Akureyri and whale watching in Eyjafjordur inc a visit to Hrisey Island.

Day 16: Back to Reyjavik across the Kjolur mountain route. Visit the Hveravellir geothermal area and stop at Gullfoss and Geysir.

Day 17: Day in Reykjavik

Day 18: Return flight to UK.

There are cheaper shorter trips (7 days or less) but this is likely to be our only visit to Iceland and want to see as much as possble but at a steady pace.

Please could we have your thoughts and if anyone has been on an escorted tour to Iceland who did you go with and which trip?

You didn't say what you planned on doing during all those "outback" staying, but still, with all the hiking you could do it's pretty much similar. For example, you will visit Gullfoss and geysir valley during the Golden Circle and then again. And why would you want to see how hakarl is cured? As far as I know, the autentic way is just to bury the meat in the sand.
A car, even with the wife present, in the summer is not a bad option really: there aren't too many roads to take.
I liked Iceland a lot and going to go there again this year, but IMHO 7 days for one trip would be enough.
Please post whether you managed to try 'hakarl', I couldn't. And btw, brinnevin is not as bad as it is descirbed, quite similar to gin, I would say (you cannot have hakarl without brinnevin).

It seems very back and forth to Reykjavik.

you have alot of time in iceland and it seems like you are hitting all the sights- but really if you can swing the car, it would be great. Driving at your own pace in iceland is wonderful, and there is NO ONE on the roads. I was there last august and past Hevagerdi, there was virtually no one on the ring road. My husband and I rented a car and went to all the same places you are going. Here are some ideas; Iceland farm vacations- have many all inclusive options for rental car and hotels/farmhouse stays- (BTW- in the more remote places there are not many hotels to stay in). Another idea is if you are into horses and riding- there is a wonderful place in Hevegerdi called Eldhestar that is a horse farm/resort- and they do tours all over iceland on horseback. Again, not sure you are into that- but we thought it was fantastic.

Thanks for your comments.

I was a bit concerned about the extra days in Reykjavik but this is needed to co-ordinate our flights and the start dates of the trip. Hence arriving 2 days early and leaving a day later.

Will we be bored with possibly 3 full days in Reykjavik or can we plan excursions from here? (Horseriding etc)

Another option is to just do a part tour. You can split the tour in two (I.e just do the first 1 to 10 days) or from (Day 10 to 18) and hence the return visit to Reykavik on day 10 where one tour ends and the other starts. The problem is which one to miss out on?

I know a lot of people would never consider anything else but using a car but it just doesn't work for us. Last year we spent 3 weeks travelling through the rockies and Canada by coach, bus, taxi, walking, train, boat, ferry and bike to avoid the stress of us sharing a car (oh how I wish it could be different).

Lucky123 thanks for the horseriding idea we are going to get some information on that.

Thanks again