Iceland Buggy Adventure

We set off from our base at Lambhagavegur 13 in Reykjavik and follow gravel tracks for most of the day as we head into the highlands. En route we drive alongside a salmon river and past striking columnar basalt, cross from the North American to the Eurasian tectonic plates, and pass the site of the world's oldest parliament, along with Geysir and the waterfall Gullfoss. We finish the day in Kerlingafjöll at about 690 metres above sea level, surrounded by glaciers - a dramatic setting for our first night.

We continue north - crossing into valleys where the rivers flow towards the north coast - and reach Skagafjörður, where open fields and working farms set the scene for most of the day. We drive through two local farms with the farmers as our guides, then pause for lunch at a bakery in Sauðarkrokur. Afterwards we follow the shoreline east along the beach towards the abandoned farm at Kolkuos and on to a distinctive rif in eastern Skagafjörður.
,br>From here we choose one of three routes to Eyjafjörður - the decision depends on mountain snow conditions - either via Siglufjarðarskarð to Siglufjörður, over Lagheiði to Ólafsfjörður, or across Heljardalsheiði to Svarfaðardalur. We finish the day in Dalvik for the night.

With Eyjafjörður behind us, we keep an eye out for whales as we follow gravel roads south towards Akureyri. We pause in town for around three hours - you can choose a restaurant or cafe for lunch while we refuel and check the vehicles. Continuing east, we pass Skogarböð and climb over Vaðlaheiði into Fnjoskadalur, then head south through dense forest for a short stop at the old farm of Sörlastaðir. From here we climb alongside the Hellugnupsa towards Barðardalur, then drive south through the valley, crossing the old bridge over the Skjalfandafljot on the way to Svartarkot. We drive through the farm - with luck we may meet the farmer for a brief chat - before entering open farmland dotted with birch, lava and moss. Sellandafjall soon comes into view with its airstrip and old hangar - a popular paragliding spot in summer thanks to reliable thermals. We finish this long day at Mývatn.

After a good rest at Mývatn, we retrace roughly two thirds of the route back to Barðardalur, then turn south onto Sprengisandur as we climb into the highlands. We pause at Aldeyjarfoss to see its basalt columns before continuing to Nýjidalur - a hut north west of Vatnajökull, Europe's largest glacier. From here we drive via Vonarskarð, passing Hagöngulon, Skrokkalda, Þverölduvatn and Þorisvatn, and finish the day at Hotel Hrauneyjar. If time permits, you can join an optional drive to Landmannalaugar to visit the natural pool and take in the surrounding scenery.

As on previous days, we draw on our local knowledge - following rural trails rarely known to the general public. We begin just outside the hotel on the old Sigölduvegur Gamli track towards Domadalur, then climb the steep Pokahryggir en route to Hrafntinnusker, with vivid colours, geothermal steam and secret waterfalls along the way. We continue via Rauðaskal, Haifoss and Gullfoss before returning to our base in Reykjavik.