What To Expect

What‘s Included

Reviews

• Amazing trip to see Katla and South Coast

  qnasdfksid3,,Jan 4, 2026

  - Review from Tripadvisor

  5.00

  What a treat! Julian picked us up promptly from our hotel. With the weather predicted to take a turn for the worse, he made sure to review our itinerary with us to hit our priorities first while we still had good light. As memories of our experience were (are) important to us, we appreciated his attention to detail both in planning our route and in helping plan shots of the family. We also appreciated his help in picking a good restaurant during our day as our son can be a bit of a picky eater at times. An unexpected treat was, ironically, skipping the black sand beach (Reynisfjara) and the associated busloads of tourists. As we discussed on the ride, we had been before when the weather was nicer and didn't need to take a repeat trip if he had a better option for our time. Instead, he took us to another black sand beach that we were able to have all to ourselves! We will definitely do another tour with Arctic Exped the next time we're back in Iceland.

• Trip of a lifetime! Could not recommend enough

  R8865HLeddies,,Jan 4, 2026

  - Review from Tripadvisor

  5.00

  Julian was absolutely amazing, truly could not have asked for a better 3 day trip than what he was able to provide. We got to see everything we wanted and then some, with Julian taking us to his personal favorite spots, which were lesser known to other tourist groups, and led to some beautiful moments we’ll never forget. A sunrise on black sand beach without another soul for miles, an ice cave all to ourselves, or even venturing to more difficult locations at more known spots to get the most unique experience possible, Julian did it all. Not to mention, he was taking professional pictures of us the entire time! I put a lot of stake in feeling safe in a foreign country…I couldn’t have been more comfortable. Whether it was icy roads and long nighttime drives, Julian always made it a stress free experience to go along with his knowledge bank of facts about the country of Iceland as a whole. Once I got home the only thing I could tell my family was “I can’t wait for you guys to go to Iceland one day, I have an amazing tour guide you have to us.” I think that says it all, would recommend. Thank you to Julian for the trip of a lifetime!

• Such a special day!

  P9187CEcindyb,,Dec 29, 2025

  - Review from Tripadvisor

  5.00

  Our group was my husband, our two sons, and their girlfriends. Our older son decided he wanted to propose to his girlfriend on our tour and Julian helped him make it absolutely perfect. Our son wanted it to be private and special. Julian took us to a private black sand beach at sunrise with a shipwreck and waves crashing in the background. It was beyond our wildest expectations! The photographs he took captured the beauty and the surprise and all the love. The rest of the day exploring an ice cave and gorgeous waterfalls was so fun as well, we had smiles all day! Julian was fun to talk with, shared interesting info about the different sites, and definitely personalized the day for us!!

  

  

• Perfect private tour!

  Ryan H,,Dec 28, 2025

  - Review from Viator

  5.00

  Great tour! Our guide was flexible, adjusting our schedule to match weather forecasts with our priorities. Took us to places that were a little off the beaten path, which we loved, in order to get the best views without the crowds. Got to experience the black sand beaches without a soul around!! Would highly recommend them and will boom again when we’re here next.

• Great guide. Great driver. Great companion

  DiniA256,,Aug 2, 2025

  - Review from Tripadvisor

  5.00

  Excellent guide. He adjusted the day to fit the weather. Julien is also very knowledgeable about the geology of the county. He took us to places we didn’t know existed. He is very enjoyable companion.

• Stunning locations with a superb guide. Book in advance to ensure you are getting the most customized experience

  N1663NYjenniferg,,Jul 22, 2025

  - Review from Tripadvisor

  5.00

  You're spending a lot of money to get a superb experience. You can trust Arctic Exped to deliver. Rob, in particular made our experience exceptional. He has all the things you're looking for - serious outdoor adventure skills (off roading, glacier hiking, river crossing), fabulous personality (great conversationalist, fun guy, interesting history), an eye towards safety (you're doing things that could be dangerous, and he makes them safe enough to just be fun), and fabulous photography skills (he was really good at helping us get amazing drone shots and he competed with us for iconic photographs along the way!! We encountered a young couple who tried to cross a river and didn't make it. He rapidly made the rescue to get them out of their car and safely into shore. That could have been deadly for them, but was just another feature of our amazing time with him. Rob is more than a guide, he's a hero and a new friend. That young couple is the exact reason you hire a good guide. They keep you safe, know where to go and ensure you see as much as possible. No wrong turns, comfortable driving in 0 visibility conditions and knows the secret spots. Finding black sand beaches isn't hard, but finding empty black sand beaches with a shipwreck and seals frolicking takes a local. Finding caves - easy, but finding a cave in a canyon with a river flowing through it and no one else for miles takes a knowledgable guide. Knowing which rivers to cross, where to cross them and which ones present too big a risk, that's where you want a professional. Julian runs a really good company offering seriously authentic experiences that get you into the heart of Iceland's natural beauty. He is obviously selective about the guides he works with. But they have equally high standards, rendering safe, spectacular and sensory overload experiences. These tours are built for expedition style adventurers who have climbing, hiking, and glaciering skills, but they also made this totally accessible for our group of 3 total old age amateurs.

• Highly recommend, was an amazing day!

  arogers015,,Feb 22, 2025

  - Review from Tripadvisor

  5.00

  Amazing day hiking the glacier and doing some ice climbing. Julian was patient and kind and knowledgeable about the area and its history. A private tour was wonderful to go at our own pace, highly recommend this!!

  

  

  

• Lots of Adventure, Relaxation, Food, Pictures, and More

  P9452SDethang,,Jan 22, 2025

  - Review from Tripadvisor

  5.00

  We had an amazing trip with Julian! We spent five days with him driving along the south coast and stopping along the way for ice cave exploring, glacier hiking, waterfall views, geysers, hot springs, beach walks, rock formations, and more. Julian had answers for every question we asked, was great company, and helped us plan the trip perfectly to balance adventure with relaxation, avoid crowded times at certain places, take great pictures, and eat great food. Couldn't recommend him more!

• Creating memories.

  dianetesta,,Nov 28, 2024

  - Review from Viator

  5.00

  Julian was the best guide ever! He was so informative and conscious of our individual needs. He gave us a day to remember forever. My grandsons said it was their favorite part of the trip. The ice caves were an experience they’ll never forget.

• Trip of a Lifetime in Iceland

  Abbeyjack23,,Nov 15, 2024

  - Review from Tripadvisor

  5.00

  We finished a small group tour for 7 days in October with another company and added the private South Coast tour with ice cave with Julian for 3 days. This was actually the best part of our entire trip. Julian was very knowledgeable about Iceland and his love for the country really came through. He was very professional, pleasant and kind. He really took care of all the details. We were able to visit a private black beach where our footprints were the only ones there-stunning views. We went to Diamond beach, Glacier Lagoon, Seljalandsfoss (where he provided waterproof jackets to walk behind the falls), Skogfoss. He even convinced me to put on crampons and visit an ice cave. (Not a small thing after knee replacement surgery 4 months earlier) He literally was there every step of the way and I only attempted it because I trusted him. (True, Julian) We visited Reynisfjara beach, glacier Lagoon, churches and so many sites! I really liked that he knew uncrowded places for the best views. He also took us to some great lunch spots that were unique. His excellent photography was a great record of our trip. My only regret was that we did not book our entire tour with him.

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