Iceland Northern Lights Adventure
Experience Overview
Tick the Northern Lights off your bucket list on this short break in the heart of Iceland's Golden Circle. Explore the very best of the country's dramatic landscapes - from waterfalls to glaciers - and take advantage of the shorter days, watching the night sky to catch the Aurora Borealis.
Northern Lights - Stay up and watch the incredible phenomena of the Aurora Borealis lighting up the night sky.
Dramatic scenery - Discover the thundering Gullfoss waterfalls and the black basalt cliffs at Vik I Myrdal.
Golden Circle - Explore the remarkable natural wonders of Thingvellir and Geysir.
Highlights
Experience Iceland's incredible natural beauty, dramatic waterfalls and volcanic landscape|Stay on a working horse farm, sleeping in in comfortable, Mongolian yurts|Count the minutes between Strokkur Geysirs regular eruptions
Trip Details
Product Code: 20410
Tour Type: Small Group
Accommodation: Moderate
Transport: Bus
Guide Language: English
Tour Operator:
Explore Worldwide
Supplier Code: INL
Starts: Iceland
Finishes: Iceland
Duration: 5 days
Departures: Guaranteed
Physical Rating:
Easy
Includes
- Explore Tour Leader
- Driver(s)
Accommodation
- Hotel Storm
- Hotel Gullfoss
Price
Price per person: (Double Occupancy) CAD $2,430 ($486 /day)
Itinerary
Our adventure begins today in Reykjavik. We use the public FlyBus shuttle bus service to transfer from Keflavik Airport (KEF) to our hotel. On arrival at Keflavik Airport please proceed to the FlyBus desk which is located in the arrival hall. A FlyBus representative will give you a voucher and direct you to the buses which leave every 35-40 minutes. The drive to the hotel takes approximately 45 minutes, via the main bus terminal where you might be asked to board a smaller bus for the final part of the journey to your hotel. On the drive from the airport to the hotel, you'll get your first glimpse of the blackened and rocky volcanic scenery found on this part of the island. There are no activities planned today so you're free to arrive at any time. After checking in to the hotel, you might have time to explore a little of the world's most northerly capital. Bustling with cosmopolitan energy and surrounded by pure, unpolluted nature, Reykjavik is a city of striking contrasts. Small colourful corrugated iron houses nestle next to futuristic glass buildings; state-of-the-art facilities lie beside rugged volcanic terrain and international influences mingle with Icelandic national traditions. All this creates a unique culture where the old embraces the new. On this holiday, our tour leader will join you for days 2 to 5 but this evening, you're free to settle in and enjoy this charming city. Travelling to Iceland in the winter months gives us the best chance to see the incredible natural phenomena of the Aurora Borealis, also known as the Northern Lights. Short daylight hours mean additional hours of darkness to watch the skies in the hope of spotting the ethereal green lights dancing across the sky. The 'lights' are actually electrically charged particles, high up in the atmosphere which make the thinner air fluoresce. White and green are the most common colours to spot, but purples and reds are seen when the lights are forming at higher altitudes. On this trip, we'll keep a close watch on the night skies in the hope of seeing the aurora. If you wish to capture the lights on camera you'll need a tripod or something to balance your camera on as a long exposure is needed. It's worth the effort though as the images captured by a camera are often far brighter than our eyes can see.
This morning, we'll meet our tour leader and spend the morning exploring Reykjavik. The city is a wonderful mix of traditional houses clad in corrugated iron and modern architecture. There are plenty of green spaces here but the highlight is walking along the waterfront. Fishing has long been Iceland's main industry and watching the ships coming in and out of the harbour shows us the lifeblood of this small island nation. A must-see for any visit to Reykjavik is Hallgrimskirkja, the Lutheran church that can be seen throughout the city. The dramatic design resembles the basalt columns we'll see later at Vik I Myrdal Beach. After exploring the city, we'll visit Thingvellir National Park, a rare site of both historical and geological importance. Meaning 'Parliament Plains', this was the location of Iceland's first National Assembly for 800 years from 930AD and as such, is hugely significant in the country's cultural heritage. The impressive landscape sits on a unique spot where the Mid-Atlantic Ridge can be seen on dry land before disappearing to the ocean floor. This provides the quirky opportunity to place one foot on the North American tectonic plate and one foot on the Eurasian plate. We'll then drive to our hotel, far away from any light pollution which will maximise the chance of a good sighting of the aurora.
We have a packed day ahead of us today as we explore the best of southern Iceland. This morning, we'll drive through the Eyjafjallajokull region, where in 2010 a volcanic eruption caused the now infamous ash cloud, disrupting worldwide air travel for several days. The volcano is now quiet again and your local Leader will be able to talk about the impact the eruption had on the local community. We'll spend time at Vik I Myrdal, a rocky beach with its incredible basalt cliffs which are said to have inspired the church we visited yesterday. The beach is often incredibly windy and there are great photo opportunities of the waves crashing against the cliffs. After some lunch, we'll see one of Iceland's tallest waterfalls, Skogafoss. Standing at 62 metres/204 feet tall it's an impressive sight, and if we are lucky with the light we should spot rainbows in the spray. We'll also stop at the Lava Museum to learn about the geology that formed the country's dramatic landscapes. Seljalandsfoss waterfall is almost as tall as Skogafoss but, weather permitting, we'll have the chance to walk behind the curtain of water! The pathway shows off the falls from the front, circling around the back and emerging on the other side. Because of the constant spray, the path is always slippy and can be closed in winter when the path freezes over. We'll make our way back to our hotel for the evening to relax and look out for the Northern Lights.
Today, we'll explore the famous Golden Circle, which includes some of Iceland's most iconic sights. Our hotel is the ideal base from which to visit the magnificent Gullfoss waterfalls which is known locally as the 'Golden Waterfall', due to the way it cascades into a deep gorge with tremendous force. They may be biased but locals regard it as one of the most beautiful falls in the world! Close by is Haukadalur, home of the Great Geysir. With the claim to fame of being the first spouting spring known to Europeans, Geysir has given all such springs their name. However, it is the Strokkur, meaning 'The Butter Churn', which is the main attraction, due to its impressive 30 metre/98 foot eruptions every few minutes. There will be an optional visit to the Secret Lagoon. We'll return to Reykjavik this afternoon. The food scene in Reykjavik is impressive and this evening is free for a final dinner in one of the capital's many restaurants.
Our trip ends after breakfast this morning. The transfer back to Keflavik Airport (KEF) will be by the public FlyBus shuttle bus service and your tour leader will provide you with details of your pick-up time and your voucher for the service. Please note, the itinerary for this tour is subject to amendment due to weather or road conditions. Winter is a beautiful time to visit Iceland, but the weather can be unpredictable, and snow can have a big impact on travel times. Consequently, it may be necessary to alter the order of the itinerary or to change inclusions whilst on tour.
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Tour Operator
Explore Worldwide
A prominent adventure travel company with over four decades of experience, this business that offers a comprehensive array of unique and thrilling experiences worldwide. Catering to various interests, they provide small group journeys, walking and cycling trips, solo holidays, and family adventures.
In Business Since 1981
Reviews
Sandra - Traveled, February 2025
A wonderful long weekend. The hotels were good with clean rooms, nice beds and great breakfasts. The staff at the hotels were lovely. Our tour guide was amazing, very interesting and informative. He also had a great sense of humour. I enjoyed getting a natives insight into living in such a wonderful place. He judged the characters on the tour well and moved the tour along at a pace that suited us all. We were very lucky that all our fellow explorers were delightful.
Source: Tour operator Submitted: 03/05/2025
Tim - Traveled, February 2025
A very enjoyable tour which gives a great taste of Iceland's culture and landscape. Einar, our tour leader, ensured that all of the practicalities went very smoothly. He is passionate about his homeland, Iceland, and we all learned a lot about this unique country. I would just say that everything is very expensive in Iceland but I was expecting that.
Source: Tour operator Submitted: 02/11/2025
Anonymous - Traveled, February 2025
Einer Thosteinsson , our guide was super enthusiastic about his homeland The tour was well planned, we went to all the major sites without being rushed The hotels were all very good if a little overheated I knew we weren’t going to be met at the airport so that was no problem but I would have liked an introductory meeting either the night we arrived or before we clambered onto the coach the following morning, I missed the small sign on reception that gave the first meet-up time Otherwise a superb trip.
Source: Tour operator Submitted: 02/13/2025
Michael - Traveled, November 2024
The guide for the trip was absolutely amazing. Mika was a joy to be around and full of information.
Source: Tour operator Submitted: 11/12/2024
Anonymous - Traveled, November 2024
Nice Trip. Tour guide was excellent.
Source: Tour operator Submitted: 11/12/2024
Janet - Traveled, November 2024
Our group of 13 ranging in age from 18 to 81 had a very gifted leader on our five day adventure. She provided insight into the culture, history, geology and the sagas. We thoroughly enjoyed all elements lodging, attractions visited and daily schedule.
Source: Tour operator Submitted: 12/04/2024
Anush - Traveled, November 2024
My experience with Explore for the Iceland Northern Lights trip was fantastic. The itinerary and accommodation were excellent. They were located close to the airport/sites we visited during the tour. Our tour leader, Meika and driver Sverry were amazing! - Very friendly and knowledgeable. They provided excellent context around the various locations we visited and entertained us with various icelandic saga's during the bus rides between destinations. They were also great in giving us plenty of time to explore each area and not once did we as a group feel rushed. Finally, as a solo traveller the group itself was great, a mix of other solo travellers and couples plus a mix of people who had done many explore tours before and those (like myself) who had not.
Source: Tour operator Submitted: 11/13/2024
Anonymous - Traveled, May 2024
Excellent weekend break, wonderful sightseeing and great group. Tour leader was excellent, arranging the itinerary to try to avoid the large tourist crowds.
Source: Tour operator Submitted: 05/29/2024
Sarah - Traveled, May 2024
I would like to rate it 4 stars as the booking experience was painful. A lot of mistakes, a lot of to and fro, slow response. Could be vastly improved.
Source: Tour operator Submitted: 06/02/2024
Anonymous - Traveled, June 2024
The whole trip. First time with Explore. well organised, the amazing sights, the additional stop to the Solheimajokull glacier and lucky enough to see the Northern lights and a great tour guide and driver.
Source: Tour operator Submitted: 06/08/2024
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