- Destinations, Iceland
Iceland doesn’t ask you to choose between adventure and relaxation so much as it makes you decide which one you want first. Sisterhood Travels runs
Iceland doesn’t ask you to choose between adventure and relaxation so much as it makes you decide which one you want first. Sisterhood Travels runs
Iceland doesn’t ask you to choose between adventure and relaxation so much as it makes you decide which one you want first. Sisterhood Travels runs two very different Iceland tours for women in 2027, and they land on opposite ends of that spectrum.
The Iceland Summer Adventure in July is built for women who want to cover ground: glaciers, waterfalls, black sand beaches, and puffins, all during the country’s longest, brightest days.
The Luxury Iceland Geothermal Escape in September is something else entirely. It’s an intimate, unhurried wellness retreat with a maximum of just 12 women, built around private suites, world-class geothermal spas, and the idea that the best souvenir from a trip might just be feeling rested.
Iceland sits directly on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, the boundary where the North American and Eurasian tectonic plates are slowly drifting apart. That’s a large part of why the island is so geologically alive, with active volcanoes, geothermal fields, and hot springs scattered across the landscape. Nearly every home and building in the country is heated with geothermal energy pulled straight from the ground beneath it.
Reykjavík is the northernmost capital city in the world, and the entire country’s population is smaller than many American cities.
Icelanders trace their language and much of their culture back to the Norse sagas, and that heritage still surfaces everywhere, from town names to the folklore around trolls and hidden people that locals will tell you about completely straight-faced.
Traveling in July means arriving during Iceland’s best possible weather. Mild temperatures, wildflowers across the countryside, and daylight that stretches past 20 hours. It’s strange and wonderful the first time you experience it. It’s also peak season for two of Iceland’s most beloved sights: puffins nesting along coastal cliffs and seals hauled out along the shore. I love an adorable puffin, don’t you?
The trip opens in Reykjavík with a guided walking tour through the Old Town — City Hall, the Alþingi parliament building, and the striking glass architecture of Harpa Concert Hall. Then you’re heading out to the Golden Circle: Gullfoss waterfall, the erupting geysers at Geysir, and Þingvellir National Park, where the group walks along the actual crest of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, standing between two continents at once.
From there, the trip explores West Iceland’s quieter charm, with stops at a historic lighthouse in Akranes, the highest-flowing hot spring in continental Europe at Deildartunguhver, and the narrow, glacially fed Barnafoss falls. Next comes the Snæfellsnes Peninsula, nicknamed “Iceland in Miniature” for packing so much scenery into one stretch of coastline. Highlights there include a seal colony at Ytri Tunga beach, dramatic cliffs and a stone arch at Arnarstapi, and the iconic Kirkjufell mountain paired with its companion waterfall.
The South Coast leg brings some of Iceland’s signature moments: walking behind the curtain of water at Seljalandsfoss, the black sand beach at Reynisfjara, and a chance to spot nesting puffins at Dyrhólaey.
The trip’s high point follows at Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon, with an amphibious boat cruise among floating icebergs and a walk along Diamond Beach.
The final days turn quieter and more cultural, with a visit to a traditional wool-dyeing studio and a relaxing afternoon at Sky Lagoon, a striking geothermal bathing spot overlooking the North Atlantic.
This trip is personally hosted by Stacey Ray, Sisterhood Travels’ Founder and CEO, and it’s built around a completely different premise: that the greatest luxury available to most women isn’t a five-star hotel or an exceptional meal, but time itself. Unscheduled, unhurried, entirely their own. Limited to just 12 Sisters, every woman has her own private luxury suite for the full trip, and the itinerary is intentionally light on sightseeing checklists and heavy on space to simply be.
Six nights are spent at The Black Pearl Luxury Apartments in Reykjavík’s Old Harbor district, within walking distance of cafés, boutiques, and the city’s best restaurants.
From there, the days unfold as a mix of guided experiences and deliberately open time. One day brings a visit to Hvammsvík Hot Springs, where eight natural hot springs and one ocean-fed pool sit directly along the shore of Hvalfjörður Fjord, changing character with the tides.
Another combines a leisurely walking tour of Reykjavík’s landmarks, including the Old Harbour, Harpa Concert Hall, and Hallgrímskirkja Church, with an evening at Sky Lagoon’s infinity-edge geothermal waters and its signature seven-step wellness ritual.
A Golden Circle day covers Þingvellir, Geysir, and Gullfoss, with lunch at the geothermal tomato farm Friðheimar and an evening soak at the newer Laugarás Lagoon.
In between, two full days are left completely open. “No schedules to keep, no buses waiting, no sightseeing checklist,” as the trip itself puts it. Stacey hosts an informal coffee and dessert gathering at one of her favorite Reykjavík cafés on one of these free afternoons, entirely optional.
The trip closes with its own grand finale: an overnight at The Retreat at Blue Lagoon, one of the most celebrated wellness destinations in the world. Guests get five hours in the award-winning Retreat Spa, unlimited access to both the exclusive Retreat Lagoon and the iconic Blue Lagoon, and the four-step Blue Lagoon Ritual using mineral-rich silica and volcanic minerals.
Each guest also gets a private Lava View Junior Suite with floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the surrounding lava fields, followed by a Farewell Dinner at the acclaimed LAVA Restaurant.
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These two trips barely resemble each other beyond the country they’re set in. The Summer Adventure is an active, ground-covering itinerary for women who want to see as much of Iceland’s dramatic landscape as possible in ten days, rated Moderate, with regular walking on natural, sometimes uneven terrain. The Geothermal Escape is a Moderate Level 3 of 7 as well, but the physical demands look completely different — less about distance and more about being able to move independently in and out of geothermal pools and across wet, natural surfaces, with a pace that leaves generous room to rest. Neither trip can accommodate wheelchairs, walkers, or other mobility devices.
If you want puffins, glaciers, and a full circuit of Iceland’s postcard landscapes, the Summer Adventure is the trip. If you want Iceland as a reset, with private space, geothermal spas, and permission to do absolutely nothing on a Tuesday afternoon. The Geothermal Escape was built with exactly that woman in mind.
What’s the difference between Sisterhood’s two 2027 Iceland trips?
The Summer Adventure (July 2027) is a ten-day, sightseeing-focused trip covering Iceland’s waterfalls, glaciers, and coastline during peak puffin and seal season. The Luxury Geothermal Escape (September 2027) is an eight-day wellness retreat limited to 12 women, with private suites throughout and a relaxed pace built around Iceland’s best geothermal spas.
Is Iceland safe to visit as a woman traveling alone?
Yes — Iceland consistently ranks among the safest countries in the world. Traveling with a Sisterhood group adds another layer of ease, since transportation, lodging, and logistics are all handled for you.
How physically demanding are these trips?
Both are rated Moderate. The Summer Adventure involves regular walking on natural, sometimes uneven terrain like lava rock and black sand beaches. The Geothermal Escape is more leisurely overall but still requires being able to walk on wet or uneven surfaces and move independently in and out of geothermal pools.
Do I have to share a room on the Geothermal Escape?
No — every woman on this trip has her own private luxury suite for the entire journey. It’s built into the trip’s design, not an upgrade.
What makes Iceland’s landscape so unique?
Iceland sits directly on the boundary between two tectonic plates, which is part of why the island is home to active volcanoes, geothermal fields, and hot springs alongside massive glaciers — a genuinely rare combination found in very few places on Earth.
Whether you’re drawn to the version of Iceland that fills your camera roll with glaciers and black sand beaches, or the version that lets you exhale for a week in geothermal water with your own private space to retreat to, both trips deliver something most travelers never let themselves have: Iceland, done fully, on purpose.
Both trips are open for booking now. Explore the full itineraries: Iceland Summer Adventure 2027 and Luxury Iceland Geothermal Escape for Women.
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