The Trust Lives On

GullfossIceland was experiencing the biggest changes to its society since its settlement in the 900’s. One young man with a dream, a vision and a thirst for adventure had just got his driving license to drive one of the new motorised vehicles that were starting to appear.

Reynisfjara beach with view to Dyrholaey

Roads were slowly being built, though most were just gravel tracks, and some rivers were being bridged, opening up whole regions of the country to visitors. Most people still travelled by horseback on narrow paths through difficult terrain. The first steamships were making the 3-day trip from Leith, bringing goods from Europe and the first modern tourists and the first hotels were being built in the capital.

The year was 1929. The young man was Guðmundur Jónasson. Guðmundur loved to go to the Highlands, the glaciers and the seldom-visited interior of the country. His dream was to share the beauties of his country with the world.

During the summer months, he took his little bus, laden with wide-eyed travellers, on tours out to the countryside. Many Icelanders had not even ventured out of the capital area – only one-tenth the size of today’s capital, so this was a revolutionary experience that changed their lives and understanding of the country.

GJ Travel winter tour

His dependability quickly won the respect of travellers and people knew they could trust him to provide a reliable service. As his reputation grew, so did his fleet of buses and coaches.

Thingvellir in golden cirkel

Today’s fleet is a far cry from his first bus, made up of a wide range of vehicles for different conditions. There are modern luxury coaches, Super Jeeps and special 4 wheel drive, high clearance buses, specially adapted to conquer the challenges of highland travel, with its rugged conditions and often fast-flowing rivers.

With many visitors returning year after year with their families and friends to experience more of the country with Guðmundur Jónasson Travel, the number of tours has also grown, with qualified, multi-lingual guides. Today, the company specialises in group tours for Chinese visitors, with guides who speak fluent Mandarin, giving them the opportunity to experience the best the country has to offer and see sights that few of their fellow countrymen will ever have the chance to enjoy.

Reynisfjara

Guðmundur’s family run the company now, offering both scheduled and specialised tours, taking care of all the details of accommodation and itinerary so visitors can get the most out of their time in Iceland. If you have a group with a special interest, they will build a tour around it that will surpass your expectations, as their wealth of experience and knowledge of the country and its features enables them to craft tours to include the finest the country can offer in that field.

northen light

The spirit of adventure still permeates the company, who have expanded the boundaries of their tours to pioneer new areas and even new countries, such as Greenland and the Faroe Islands. If you share that dream to get off the beaten paths and explore some new region, then this is the company that not only shares that vision but can be trusted to fulfill it. This has earned them the respect of the travel industry and, while many try to copy them, their pioneering spirit takes them to the forefront of the tourist organisations.

Kerid

Whether you want to bathe in the Blue Lagoon or tour the isolated West Fjords, whether you want to see the natural wonders of the glacial lagoon and the black sands in the south or climb to the top of one of the glaciers, feel the warmth of the lava from Eyjafjallajökull or watch the eruption of a geysir in a hot spring area, Guðmundur Jónasson’s family company can make it happen for you and your friends so that you will return home with the glow of having experienced something unique and life-changing. That is Iceland.

Explore Iceland with GJ-Travel

Borgartúni 34, 105 Reykjavík
[email protected] – Phone: +354 511 15 15 –