Welcome to Iceland! Our adventure begins. There is an included transfer via Flybus shared service to the hotel in Reykjavik. Make sure you arrive in plenty of time, as our once in a lifetime solar eclipse experience begins at 16:00 - we can arrange pre-tour accomodation for you on request.
At around 16:00 we will head down to the ocean with our guide, the perfect spot to witness the total solar eclipse. As one of the world's smallest capitals, there is minimal light pollution in Reykjavik to intrude on our view, and no skyscrapers either.
A total solar eclipse is a rare event, occurring only when the Moon aligns perfectly between the Earth and the Sun. It is a complete cosmic coincidence that this happens at all! The sun is 400 times further away than the moon, but also 400 times larger. This allows them to appear the same size when the alignment is perfect, which is why the moon totally blocks out the sun - known as totality. Just the sun's outer atmosphere, which is called the corona, is visible - a shimmering ring of light in the pitch dark.
We will position ourselves precisely at 64°08'50.1"N 21°54'26.4"W - one of the few optimal viewing points on the entire planet to marvel at this natural phenomena, along the central axis of the eclipse. Solar eclipse glasses will be provided to ensure you can see the eclipse unfold safely - you can remove them during totality to get the best experience.
At precisely 16:47:11, the partial eclipse will commence as the moon begins its slow journey across the sun. By 17:48:15, the total eclipse will take centre stage, plunging the world into complete darkness for an extraordinary one-minute experience. During this brief moment of totality, time seems to pause—the temperature drops, the birds fall silent, and an eerie stillness envelops everything. As the total eclipse concludes and sunlight gradually reappears from behind the moon, the celestial show continues for another hour, until 18:47.
Only here in west Iceland, Greenland, northern Spain and northeast Portugal (and a few spots in the ocean) will mankind experience a total eclipse on 12 August, 2026. This is a historic moment, the last total solar eclipse to take place in Iceland was in 1954, and there won't be another until 26 June, 2196. During the totality, depending on the conditions, it may be possible to spot Venus, Jupiter, Mercury and Mars, and the stars of the Big Dipper should also be visible directly overhead.
TOTAL ECLIPSE - REYKJAVIK
Partial begins - 16:47:11
Totality begins - 17:48:15
Maximum Eclipse - 17:48:45
Totality ends - 17:49:15
Partial ends - 18:47:36
When the eclipse has ended, and the adrenaline has worn off, you can head into Reykjavik for dinner and to comprehend what you have witnessed. The rest of your first day in Iceland is at leisure.
Please note: You will be escorted on this tour by an expert, English-speaking Icelandic tour guide. For this special solar eclipse tour, all of our guides have received dedicated solar eclipse training from award-winning astronomy communicator, science lecturer, author and board member of the Icelandic Astronomical Society, Saevar Helgi Bragason.
