A modest car passed our coach at three in the afternoon. 'Oh, there's the President on his way to work,' said our Icelandic guide. Wasn't 3pm a bit late to start? 'Oh no, the President and his Ministers like to discuss matters in the spas in the mornings before they go into the office.'

We had time to ponder President Olafur Grimsson's relaxed approach to power as we travelled on our less relaxed schedule towards the presidential residence near the capital, Reykjavik, to see a Lutheran church. We were on a new kind of twenty-first century visit: to Iceland and back in a day. This proved that a day trip can now be very different from the old choices of a day in the country, or at the seaside: it can take us to a different country or continent.

But be warned: the long-distance day out starts early. My trip began at 4.30am when I started out to catch the 7am flight from Gatwick. Some of my travelling companions - a mixed bunch of retired people, the young, students and lone travellers - had done this before, and some hadn't.

The flight takes around two and three-quarter hours, during which we chose which excursions to go on. At Keflavik airport we were shepherded into coaches, and were soon travelling along dirt roads, gazing out at the volcanic, moon-like terrain, and the pretty houses with brightly coloured roofs that dotted the landscape.

I had decided on a trip to the Blue Lagoon Spa, a by-product of Iceland's use of geothermal energy. The Svartsengi power station pumps out mineral-laden water from a mile and a half underground to generate electricity and heat fresh water, and it ends up in the lagoon. The benefits to the skin, especially for people with eczema and psoriasis, are supposed to be enormous. Our guide assured us, as we gazed shivering at the part-melted snow, that we would come out looking 10 years younger - like the politicians, perhaps. With this in mind, the freezing dash from the changing room to the lagoon seemed less daunting, and once floating in the hot, soft water all thoughts of goose bumps disappeared.

Lunch at a restaurant, run by 'real Vikings', provided innumerable photo opportunities. The food was basic but fresh: soup, then fish and salad, followed by coffee, and rounded off with a couple of songs from our new Viking friends.

Back in the coach, our guide proved to be a mine of information about the weather, education, volcanoes, religion and politics. We learnt that when the temperature gets unseasonably warm, unofficial holidays are called so everyone can go out and enjoy the weather.

Our last stop was in Reykjavik itself. Friday and Saturday nights are apparently when the city comes alive. Wandering around on a wet Wednesday afternoon, the atmosphere feels subdued. However, press your nose against the windows of the numerous cafés and restaurants (Damon Albarn from Blur and Terence Conran both own places there), and there's noise, chatter and laughter.

Back at the airport at around 6pm, we're weary but contented. At no point during the day did we feel rushed. We saw enough to get a taste of the country, though in fact we had seen only its south-easterly tip. There was much talk of returning for a weekend, or for a week and of the possibilities for the next day trip: Prague, Marrakesh, the Moon, Mars... Anything now seemed possible.

Want to try?

Observer readers can travel to Iceland on 11 November this year from London Gatwick for £159. The price includes chartered flight, with breakfast and evening meal, guided tour of Reykjavik, airport taxes and duty. Optional excursions are additional. For details of departures to Iceland and other European destinations from Gatwick and regional airports, call 0870 843 6698. The offer is subject to availability and is solely organised by Transun Travel, 1A Iffley Road, Oxford, OX4 1AS. (ABTA V4462 ATOL 1967).