Iceland in Style: Luxury Hotels & A Private Lagoon Retreat

Included in the itinerary - A private tour of Harpa. Facing the sea and Mount Esja, the glass and steel parallelograms of the Harpa Centre rise up between land and sea. Opened in May 2011, Harpa is a venue for opera, concerts, and conferences, symbolising the revival of the harbour district. The huge building is located in an area in full transformation and contrasts with the city's steep streets. Inspired by Icelandic landscapes and the northern lights, its spectacular facades made up of ten thousand pieces of stained glass reflect the lights of the sky and the waves of the sea. Its beauty lies in the interaction between the large amount of concrete and the dynamic facade, which represent the island's rock formations and basalt columns. The building was designed by Henning Larsen and Olafur Eliasson, all in a setting of light and transparency.

Pick up your hire car and drive out west via the Hvalfjordur, 'the whale fjord', thus named for its large population of whales, up to the small fishing village of Arnarstapi (about two-and-a-half hours). You'll pass near the Glymur waterfall, Iceland's tallest waterfall, and the Eldborg crater, the 'fortress of fire', which luckily is no longer active but is very spectacular nonetheless.
On the southern coast of the Snaefellsness Peninsula, your hotel stands on a beach whose light-coloured sands stretch for miles up to a lava flow chiselled away by erosion. The location is peaceful and the scenery majestic - Halldor Laxness, the Icelandic writer and winner of the 1955 Nobel Prize for Literature, regularly stayed here, in a room with a glacier view.  The hotel has recently been renovated, but the buildings have kept their Nordic style; understated, functional and full of charm. The living rooms, dining room and bedrooms are cosy and warm, and there are stunning views throughout. At the restaurant, you can enjoy dishes made with very fresh fish bought directly from local fishermen as soon as they arrive at the harbour.
Things to see and do - Saefellsjokull Volcano Glacier (4,700ft), made famous by Jules Verne and his novel, 'Journey to the Centre of the Earth'  - the tiny fishing harbour of Arnarstapi, nestled at the foot of a basalt cliff and surrounded by lava fields  - the black beaches of Hellnar - the Glymur waterfall, Iceland's tallest waterfall.

After crossing the bay in Reykjavik, you'll travel along the south coast of the Reykjanes Peninsula, through a series of volcanic landscape - a succession of lava flows covered with thick foam, small craters and a coastline beaten by the ebb and flow of the sea.
The Blue Lagoon is a large lagoon that hugs the crevices of a lava field, with idyllic blue waters and enveloped in whorls of steam, which attracts visitors from all over the world just for the magic of a turquoise bath in the heart of a lava field. You'll be staying there to see another side of the lagoon experience. You'll spend the night in a hotel set on the edge of blue waters, with understated lines and subtle hues, built to blend in with the scenery. Its sleek, contemporary suites open out entirely onto the outside for an exclusive view of the black lava fields. The restaurant offers high-quality modern Icelandic cuisine. If you want to relax, the hotel has a spa carved out of volcanic rock. It's a luxury retreat in a natural setting.