Stunning & Secluded: Year-Round Adventure on an Icelandic Farm
Iceland’s natural beauty is well-known and celebrated, but we have a unique trip to Deplar Farm, located in northern Iceland, that will be full of adventure and intrigue no matter what time of year you visit.
Photo courtesy of Eleven Experiences
Thanks to its unique geological history, a visit to Iceland will make you feel as though you’ve been transported to another world, one of glaciers, volcanoes, and fjords. Most people who travel to Iceland stick to the south, making their way around the famed Golden Circle. While this part of Iceland is definitely worth a visit, we have something a little different to bring to the table: a converted sheep farm situated in the remote Fljót Valley on the mountainous Troll Peninsula in northern Iceland.
Deplar Farm
Deplar Farm is a 13-room hotel these days, which can also be taken exclusively for a larger group or family. The structure today is modern while still celebrating its rugged past and honoring authentic Icelandic architecture. It is a one-stop-shop for adventure, solitude, mystery, and high-end amenities. Its location may be remote—The Fljót Valley sees some of the highest average snowfall on the planet—but you’ll certainly be living in style with a geothermal indoor/outdoor pool with a bar, a sauna and steam room, indoor and outdoor hot tubs, a media room, a premium spa facility featuring two floatation tanks and three treatment rooms, two heli-pads, a gym and yoga room, and more.
You can visit Deplar Farm year-round, and you’ll find a very different experience depending on when you go. Those in search of the illusive Northern Lights will want to visit between October and April, when the farm’s close proximity to the Arctic Circle makes it a prime viewing location. The long summer days give you extra time to explore, whether you do that while hiking, fishing, sea kayaking, or horseback riding. In the spring, surfing and heli-skiing can be done in the same day.
Every itinerary to Deplar Farm is completely personalized based on your interests or the interests of your group, if you are buying out the property. However, these sample itineraries, one for summer and one for winter, will show you what a typical week spent on the remote Troll Peninsula might look like.
Recommended Winter Itinerary
Day 1
Photo courtesy of Eleven Experiences
Welcome to Deplar Farm, your winter wonderland home in the Fljót Valley. After you arrive, you will be treated to a tour of the property to settle yourself in. Why not enjoy an early evening swim followed by a relaxing steam, the perfect way to destress after your flight, before your chef-prepared dinner this evening?
Day 2
After a relaxing morning yoga session and a sumptuous breakfast, it’s time to hit the ground running on your Icelandic adventure. Head out for a snowmobile trek through the Fljót Valley to take in the incredible sights. After your explorative morning, enjoy lunch at Deplar Farm and spend the afternoon in the spa. Tuck into a gourmet dinner this evening, and then enjoy a bonfire and drinks at the lodge.
Day 3
Photo courtesy of Eleven Experiences
After breakfast, it’s time to test your skiing skills on a cross-country ski around the valley. Return back to Deplar Farm for lunch, and try your hand at one of the lodge activities this afternoon, such as archery or even laser tag! After dinner this evening, spend some time stargazing and watching for the Aurora Borealis, also known as the Northern Lights.
Day 4
We suggest an early start this morning to enjoy the sauna before breakfast. Afterwards, journey out to the surrounding fjords, a spectacular location for whale watching. After lunch, you can choose to relax in the spa or even head out for an afternoon of snowshoeing around the valley. Enjoy another beautiful dinner this evening, and perhaps you’d enjoy a private film viewing in Deplar’s media room to round off your night.
Day 5
Get your fill during breakfast today as you head out for a morning of adventure on a fat tire bike on the groomed trails around the valley. Enjoy lunch at the swim-up bar in the indoor pool, and then have a float in the sensory deprivation tanks. After your final dinner at Deplar Farm, take a dip in the geothermal pool, where you can stargaze and try to spot the Northern Lights one last time.
Day 6
It’s time to depart, but not before you enjoy a final morning stretch and yoga session and one more taste of Iceland with your chef-prepared breakfast before you begin your journey home.
Recommended Summer Itinerary
Day 1
Photo courtesy of Eleven Experiences
Welcome to some of the longest summer days anywhere at Deplar Farm. After you arrive, you’ll have a tour of the property to get your bearings. Shake off the rust from your flight with an evening hike followed by a swim and a steam. Your chef-prepared dinner this evening will feature some wonderful local cuisine to welcome you to Iceland.
Day 2
Enjoy a morning stretch and yoga session before breakfast, and then spend an exhilarating morning rafting some of Iceland’s most adventurous rivers. When you return to Deplar Farm this afternoon, relax in the expansive spa before dinner. This evening, enjoy a film showing in the media room.
Day 3
Wake yourself up this morning with a steam or sauna before breakfast. Spend your morning on horseback, riding along Iceland’s stunning coast. Have your gourmet lunch outdoors today at Deplar Farm, and spend the afternoon partaking in lodge activities, such as fat tire biking or frisbee golf. After dinner, relax with cocktails in the outdoor pool.
Day 4
Photo courtesy of Eleven Experiences
Unwind this morning with a yoga session before breakfast, and then hop onboard a kayak to chart your way down the Fljótaá River. Enjoy lunch at Deplar before heading back out on the water, this time to explore the fjords via boat while whale watching. Back at Deplar, take a dip in the pool before dinner this evening.
Day 5
Rise early for a steam or sauna before breakfast. Head to a nearby lake afterwards to try your hand at fishing for Arctic char. After lunch, you can choose whether to spend the rest of your day fishing or heading out on a fat tire bike to explore. Back at Deplar, take a float in one of the sensory deprivation tanks before dinner. For your last evening, head out onto the wraparound patio, where you can enjoy after-dinner cocktails.
Day 6
Enjoy one last breakfast before bidding a reluctant farewell to Deplar Farm as you head home.
If you would like to get away to Deplar Farm (or anywhere else in the world), simply contact us, and we will set you on your way.