The Geothermal North

Mývatn's craters, baths and lava, privately guided. A private, tailored journey of 3-4 days in The North & Lake Mývatn, Iceland, designed end to end by a Forest Travel advisor — with Virtuoso privileges at the finest luxury hotels, from US$10,800 per traveler.

Iceland offers raw, elemental landscapes and geothermal serenity within a few private hours of one another.

When to go

June through August brings the midnight sun and open Highland roads, while September to March draws the aurora across long, dark skies. Your advisor times it to the light, the crowds and your own calendar.

The experiences

A sense of what this journey can hold — each one arranged privately and shaped to you:

• A private walk among the pseudo-craters and lava pillars around the great northern lake.
• A quiet soak in the north's geothermal baths, reserved before the day's visitors.
• A guided crossing of a steaming solfatara field of sulphur and boiling mud.
• A visit to the powerful northern waterfall, thundering through its dark canyon.

A sense of the rhythm

The north moves slowly. Around the lake, the ground itself is alive with steam and colour, and the days drift between craters, baths and lava with time to simply stand and watch. It is Iceland's quieter face, geothermal and unhurried.

Lakeside base or the northern town?

A lakeside base puts the craters, baths and lava at your door and keeps the evenings still. The regional town offers more in the way of dining and comfort, a short drive away. For the geothermal wonders, staying by the lake serves you best.

How to do it well

The counsel our advisors give travelers planning this journey:

• Take the northern baths early or late, when the light is low and the crowds are gone.
• The solfatara fields smell strongly of sulphur; your guide will pick the clearest air.
• Give the lake two full days; its wonders are scattered and reward a slow circuit.
• Pair the geothermal sights with the great waterfall a short drive to the east.

What only your advisor can open

The difference between a good trip and an unrepeatable one is access — and access is a relationship, not a booking. Every guide, room and moment is chosen and sequenced for you.

Who it's for

Travelers who value privacy, time and doing it once — beautifully — and who would rather have one trusted advisor orchestrate every detail than assemble it themselves.

Estimated investment

From US$10,800 per traveler, based on double occupancy — scaled to your dates, party size and level of privacy. A starting point, not a final quote; confirmed once your advisor tailors the itinerary.

Designed entirely around you

Nothing here is a package. A Forest Travel advisor shapes the whole journey and stays one message away before and throughout your trip.

Your Virtuoso privileges

As a Virtuoso member, Forest Travel includes benefits reserved for Virtuoso guests at the finest luxury hotels, at no added cost: a room upgrade on arrival when available, daily breakfast for two, a property credit toward dining or spa, and early check-in with late check-out when the hotel allows.

Continue exploring The North & Lake Mývatn

Part of our The North & Lake Mývatn travel guide. Related private journeys:

• The Whale Coast
• Aurora Sanctuary

Begin the conversation

Tell a Forest Travel advisor how you like to travel and they will design The Geothermal North around you — privately, every Virtuoso privilege included. Request your private consultation →