Iceland Golden Circle tour with Hotel Pick-up and Port Drop Off??

[Hobson1754]

Hi Everyone - We will be on the Iceland, British Isles & Iberia cruise in September and are staying in Reykjavik the night before we board.  We are looking at doing a Golden Circle tour the day we board and are trying to find a tour operator that would pick us up from our hotel, take us on the tour with our luggage and then drop us at the port. We’ve emailed one tour operator (with no response) and would be really grateful if anyone has done this and, if so who with? I suppose our other option is to leave our luggage at the hotel and after tour get a taxi to the port -  interestingly I’ve emailed the hotel to see if they would be able to store our luggage until early evening, but again they haven’t responded. Any help gratefully appreciated.

[TayanaLorna]

1 hour ago, Hobson1754 said:

Hi Everyone - We will be on the Iceland, British Isles & Iberia cruise in September and are staying in Reykjavik the night before we board.  We are looking at doing a Golden Circle tour the day we board and are trying to find a tour operator that would pick us up from our hotel, take us on the tour with our luggage and then drop us at the port. We’ve emailed one tour operator (with no response) and would be really grateful if anyone has done this and, if so who with? I suppose our other option is to leave our luggage at the hotel and after tour get a taxi to the port -  interestingly I’ve emailed the hotel to see if they would be able to store our luggage until early evening, but again they haven’t responded. Any help gratefully appreciated.

Gateway to Iceland does airport drop offs after tours.  However I think the Golden Circle is too long a tour to get dropped off at airport afterwards.  www.gtice.is. Be sure you get to airport 3 hours in advance.  Drive from Reykjavik takes 1 hour.

[DRJVH]

We asked the same question and We have just booked a Golden Circle tour with Gray Line. They pick up from some hotels depending where they are (they have bus stops that they pick up from) and will drop you at the cruise port afterwards. You just need to make sure you advise the guide. 
remember it’s only part of the Golden Circle. 

[Hobson1754]

1 hour ago, TayanaLorna said:

Gateway to Iceland does airport drop offs after tours.  However I think the Golden Circle is too long a tour to get dropped off at airport afterwards.  www.gtice.is. Be sure you get to airport 3 hours in advance.  Drive from Reykjavik takes 1 hour.

Hi Lorna - thanks for this but it’s the cruise port we want dropping off at 😂

[Hobson1754]

35 minutes ago, DRJVH said:

We asked the same question and We have just booked a Golden Circle tour with Gray Line. They pick up from some hotels depending where they are (they have bus stops that they pick up from) and will drop you at the cruise port afterwards. You just need to make sure you advise the guide. 
remember it’s only part of the Golden Circle. 

Thanks for this - think it was Gray Line I contacted on FB but no response. When you say it’s only part of the Golden Circle can you expand - I thought all the Golden Circle tours were the same and took about 8 hours (excluding Blue Lagoon)?

[TayanaLorna]

25 minutes ago, Hobson1754 said:

Hi Lorna - thanks for this but it’s the cruise port we want dropping off at 😂

Don't know of any that pick up at airport, do a tour and bring you to the port.  We were there July 2021 when tourism was just getting going again.  However, the Blue Lagoon is  not very far from the airport and people have gone there before hotel or cruise.

[TERRIER1]

1 hour ago, Hobson1754 said:

Thanks for this - think it was Gray Line I contacted on FB but no response. When you say it’s only part of the Golden Circle can you expand - I thought all the Golden Circle tours were the same and took about 8 hours (excluding Blue Lagoon)?

You might want to contact them via the web page and not FB. 

[LindaS272]

In 2019 we used Stefan with his own tour company. He’s pricey and there were six of us, but he might have others to go with you and/or give you a good rate for just two. https://stefanguideiniceland.com.

[Hobson1754]

2 hours ago, LindaS272 said:

In 2019 we used Stefan with his own tour company. He’s pricey and there were six of us, but he might have others to go with you and/or give you a good rate for just two. https://stefanguideiniceland.com.

Thank you - I will have a look & perhaps contact him.

[Peregrina651]

Hobson, I did the Golden Circle tour with GrayLine. We were picked up luggage and all at the ship and then dropped at the bus stop near our hotel at the end of the tour. No problems. Loved the tour. Thought they did a great job -- and for half the price of what Viking is charging (but no meal included in the price).

 

I suggest that if you want to contact them that you e-mail them directly and not try to contact them via FB. The couple of times that I did contact them, I got a prompt and helpful reply. https://grayline.is/contact

 

Edited March 15, 2023 by Peregrina651

[CCWineLover]

22 minutes ago, Peregrina651 said:

Hobson, I did the Golden Circle tour with GrayLine. We were picked up luggage and all at the ship and then dropped at the bus stop near our hotel at the end of the tour. No problems. Loved the tour. Thought they did a great job -- and for half the price of what Viking is charging (but no meal included in the price).

 

I suggest that if you want to contact them that you e-mail them directly and not try to contact them via FB. The couple of times that I did contact them, I got a prompt and helpful reply. https://grayline.is/contact

 

Thank you Peregrina:

Seems most people want to get picked up at the airport or at their hotel. (as evidenced on this post)

 

We are finishing this June in Reykjavik and spending a few days.  We wish to take a tour with pickup at the cruise port the morning we get off the ship, and drop us off at our hotel (or a bus stop near the hotel) at the end of the tour - exactly as you described.

I will contact them for details.

[LindaS272]

5 hours ago, LindaS272 said:

In 2019 we used Stefan with his own tour company. He’s pricey and there were six of us, but he might have others to go with you and/or give you a good rate for just two. https://stefanguideiniceland.com.

Another thing Stefan can do for you that most other tours don’t is drop you off for lunch at the tomato place https://www.fridheimar.is/en/restaurant near the Golden Circle. It’s great fun and a unique spot—highly recommended.

[Hobson1754]

33 minutes ago, Peregrina651 said:

Hobson, I did the Golden Circle tour with GrayLine. We were picked up luggage and all at the ship and then dropped at the bus stop near our hotel at the end of the tour. No problems. Loved the tour. Thought they did a great job -- and for half the price of what Viking is charging (but no meal included in the price).

 

I suggest that if you want to contact them that you e-mail them directly and not try to contact them via FB. The couple of times that I did contact them, I got a prompt and helpful reply. https://grayline.is/contact

 

Thank you Peregrina - I will try & email them again - I’d previously tried them through Messenger & just don’t think it got through! I would have been prepared to go with the Viking tour, even at the extra price, but being in a DV cabin, think they may be be fully booked by the time we’re allowed to get on and to book tours!

[Hobson1754]

6 minutes ago, LindaS272 said:

Another thing Stefan can do for you that most other tours don’t is drop you off for lunch at the tomato place https://www.fridheimar.is/en/restaurant near the Golden Circle. It’s great fun and a unique spot—highly recommended.

Hi Linda - many thanks for this. I’ve had a look at Stefan’s website, it looks really good & I’m sure it would be a more individual tour however, even if we got another 2 people to make up the tour (2-4) the total cost is approx. $1400 which is quite a lot more than we wanted to pay. 

[DRJVH]

9 hours ago, Hobson1754 said:

Thanks for this - think it was Gray Line I contacted on FB but no response. When you say it’s only part of the Golden Circle can you expand - I thought all the Golden Circle tours were the same and took about 8 hours (excluding Blue Lagoon)?

Sorry stand corrected on that. 

 

35 minutes ago, Hobson1754 said:

Thank you Peregrina - I will try & email them again - I’d previously tried them through Messenger & just don’t think it got through! I would have been prepared to go with the Viking tour, even at the extra price, but being in a DV cabin, think they may be be fully booked by the time we’re allowed to get on and to book tours!

I read a post by Peregrina previously and looked into Grayline. Thanks Peregrina. Grayline have been most helpful. The tour cost is 126Eur for two with pickup and drop off. We are being picked up at Hallgrímskirkja Church. I would definitely email them. We had a response back the next morning. 

[Lotusgirl22]

Another option to consider if arriving a day or two prior to the cruise, and if your plane gets in early, is a tour on arrival day. Our plane arrived at 7:00 am. Assuming our hotel room would not be ready, I booked an Express Golden Circle Tour. We were picked up at the hotel at Noon and returned at 6:00 pm. I think there were about 10 of us in the group. This was in June of 2019. The price was $60 or $70 per person. It worked out very well. I think the company was called Extreme Iceland.

[LindaS272]

57 minutes ago, Hobson1754 said:

Hi Linda - many thanks for this. I’ve had a look at Stefan’s website, it looks really good & I’m sure it would be a more individual tour however, even if we got another 2 people to make up the tour (2-4) the total cost is approx. $1400 which is quite a lot more than we wanted to pay. 

Yes—I did say he was pricey! I’m sure you’ll come up with something. Hope you have a great time!

[Peregrina651]

1 hour ago, DRJVH said:

We are being picked up at Hallgrímskirkja Church.

 

That was our stop as well.

 

Red X marks bus stop #8. You can even see the bus stopped in the driveway.:

 

And here is where it stops at the port (Skarfabakki). The building marked 'Cruise terminal' was a retail location when we were there two years ago. The private buses pull up in this parking lot. Viking's buses will be elsewhere. I believe that this is the bus stop no matter which berth the ship is assigned -- but you you might want to double check that with the folks at GrayLine. The red line is the path you will probably take off the pier and to the bus.:

 

 

 

[Peregrina651]

2 hours ago, Hobson1754 said:

but being in a DV cabin, think they may be be fully booked by the time we’re allowed to get on and to book tours!

 

You can always cancel the GL tour if there is space for you on the Viking tour. Even if there are no openings on the day booking opens, you can continue to check back to see if anyone has changed their mind. Just remember that MVJ closes to transactions one week before you board -- and GL has a cancellation cut off as well.

[Hobson1754]

9 hours ago, LindaS272 said:

Yes—I did say he was pricey! I’m sure you’ll come up with something. Hope you have a great time!

Thank you - I’m sure we will whatever we sort out. Think we’re all so fortunate to be able to visit these wonderful places & sail on these gorgeous ships 😀

[Hobson1754]

8 hours ago, Peregrina651 said:

 

You can always cancel the GL tour if there is space for you on the Viking tour. Even if there are no openings on the day booking opens, you can continue to check back to see if anyone has changed their mind. Just remember that MVJ closes to transactions one week before you board -- and GL has a cancellation cut off as well.

Thanks for all this Peregrina - going to try Gray Line again today 😄

[DRJVH]

11 hours ago, Peregrina651 said:

 

That was our stop as well.

 

Red X marks bus stop #8. You can even see the bus stopped in the driveway.:

 

And here is where it stops at the port (Skarfabakki). The building marked 'Cruise terminal' was a retail location when we were there two years ago. The private buses pull up in this parking lot. Viking's buses will be elsewhere. I believe that this is the bus stop no matter which berth the ship is assigned -- but you you might want to double check that with the folks at GrayLine. The red line is the path you will probably take off the pier and to the bus.:

 

 

 

Thank you Peregrina. Most helpful. 

[Hobson1754]

15 hours ago, Peregrina651 said:

Hobson, I did the Golden Circle tour with GrayLine. We were picked up luggage and all at the ship and then dropped at the bus stop near our hotel at the end of the tour. No problems. Loved the tour. Thought they did a great job -- and for half the price of what Viking is charging (but no meal included in the price).

 

I suggest that if you want to contact them that you e-mail them directly and not try to contact them via FB. The couple of times that I did contact them, I got a prompt and helpful reply. https://grayline.is/contact

 

Hi again Peregrina - Gray Line have responded very quickly and as previously stated we just have to advise driver/guide of Cruise Terminal drop off on day of tour as their website doesn’t have facility to manage different pick-up and drop off points. Sorted. Thanks again everyone for your input.

[CCWineLover]

2 hours ago, Hobson1754 said:

Hi again Peregrina - Gray Line have responded very quickly and as previously stated we just have to advise driver/guide of Cruise Terminal drop off on day of tour as their website doesn’t have facility to manage different pick-up and drop off points. Sorted. Thanks again everyone for your input.

Thank you as well, Peregrina.  Gray Line also responded quickly to my request.  They can indeed pick us up at the port when we get off/finish our cruise in June, do the Golden Circle Tour, and drop us off at a bus stop that will take us to our Hilton Noridca hotel - and hold our bags the whole day.  7 hour tour.  Looks quite interesting!  They said they pick Viking cruise passengers up at the dock quite often and would be there about 9:30 AM.   For us, Viking has no excursions in Reykjavik.  Those who stay on board continuing to Bergen do get excursions.

[Clay Clayton]

We booked through some agency for an airport pickup and cruise port dropoff and Vice versa with the driver below.  He said he also did other tours.