Northern lights and Golden Circle of Iceland

Welcome to Iceland! Upon arrival at Keflavik International Airport, you will be transferred to your hotel by the Flybus Shuttle Bus for check-in. Depending on your time of arrival, spend the day at leisure to explore the city at your own pace. Ingolfur Arnarson, the first settler of Iceland, built his farm on the peninsula where Reykjavík stands today. The town earned its name “Smokey Bay” after columns of steam rose from the hot springs and made a deep impression on the first settlers. Reykjavik offers a wide range of restaurants and coffee houses, making dinner a great way to get better acquainted with Iceland’s capital.

Overnight in Reykjavík

After breakfast at the hotel, you will meet the guide, and get picked up at 9 AM. Please be aware that the entire pick-up process might take up to 30 minutes. Your first stop of the day will be at Borgarnes, a village that’s famous for its rich Viking history. Before making your way to the golden-sand beach in Ytri Tunga, you’ll also visit the majestic basalt columns of Gerðuberg. Your day will continue with a stop at Búðir – a hamlet with breathtaking landscapes of Snæfellsnes Peninsula. Next on the agenda is Arnarstapi, the small and charming fishing village where you’ll be having lunch. After lunch, you’ll have a chance to wander through Vatnshellir Cave (an optional activity with extra cost), which lies under the ground in Snæfellsnes National Park. The cave is a lava tube tunnel around 8,000 years old. Your certified caving guide will explain its formation and the fascinating features that lie in hidden spots. This experience takes you about as close as you can get to the story of Jules Verne’s book A Journey to the Centre of Earth. A free alternative to Vatnshellir Cave is the Malarrif visitor center and its lighthouse which is free of charge. The last attraction of the day is the black sand beach – Djúpalónssandur, where you can see the remains of the shipwreck that dates back to 1948. After adventures here, you’ll be taken to the Hellissandur Adventure Hótel (or a similar hotel). If you’re traveling from late September to early April, you'll get a chance to look for the Northern Lights if the conditions are suitable.

Overnight in Borgarness

After breakfast, you’ll start your day with a bang by visiting probably the most “photogenic” mountain – Mount Kirkjufell. The fans of the TV show “Game of Thrones” will recognize this place as it was one of the locations where the show was filmed. Next will be a short stop at Grundarfjörður, a town in Iceland, where you’ll have a break and a possibility to buy some snacks or other necessities.  The agenda follows a stop at Hraunfossar and Barnafoss Waterfalls. Hraunfossar (“the Lava Waterfalls”) is a vast collection of smaller waterfalls cascading through the cracks of lava formations. Barnafoss (“Children’s waterfall”) is known for a folk legend as the site where two children tragically drowned once upon a time. After this, you’ll head out to the historic site of Reykholt, where you will find a hot spring pool, Snorralaug, treasured as the bathing spot of Iceland’s most famous poet and politician, Snorri Sturluson. You’ll also get a unique opportunity to relax at Krauma Geothermal Baths for an additional fee. But if you much rather continue exploring the area, you’ll be taken to Sturlureykir horse farm, where you’ll be met by its Icelandic horses and learn all about the farm's geothermal heating system. After, you’ll visit Deildartunguhver – the most powerful hot spring in Europe.The hot spring keeps at a constant 206 degrees Fahrenheit (97 degrees Celsius) and pumps out a whopping 47.5 gallons (180 liters) of water every second. The hot spring is used to provide heating and hot water to neighboring areas. Your day will end with a trip back to Reykjavik at around 6 P.M, and you will be dropped at the hotel.

Overnight in Reykjavik

First on our agenda for today will be the Golden Circle. You’ll start with Thingvellir National Park, one of UNESCO World Heritage Sites because of its complex geological nature and history. The unique landscape of the rift valley was created over time by continual turbulent interactions between the two tectonic plates underneath: the North American and the Eurasian plates. It’s also home to the world’s longest-running parliament, the Althingi, established in 930 c.e. Don’t forget to look out for the largest natural lake in Iceland, Thingvallavatn. After exploring this marvelous rift valley, we’ll continue southwest toward Haukadalur Valley and the geothermal area of Geysir. We’ll spot Strokkur, a still-active geyser, which still erupts up to 25 meters every few minutes without fail. Next, you’ll visit the majestic waterfall, Gullfoss (the Golden Waterfall). At the beginning of the 20th century, a few Englishmen sought to acquire the waterfall and build a hydroelectric plant, taming the power of the Hvita River. Fortunately for everyone, due to lack of funding their plan fell through and to this day the waterfall remains untouched and in all of its natural glory.As we continue along the Ring Road, a view to the infamous volcano Hekla opens up as we drive to our next stop, Seljalandsfoss Waterfall. The path leading up to the waterfall is brief and it takes us right behind it. There, breathtaking views of the surrounding areas are exposed and on a sunny day, a rainbow can be seen encircling the waterfall. Seljalandsfoss drops for about 196 feet (60 meters), so waterproof clothing is recommended. You’ll finish the day off with the Northern Lights if the forecast is good and continue to your hotel close to a small town, Kirkjubæjarklaustur.

Overnight in Kirkjubæjarklaustur

After breakfast, you will meet the guide and continue the journey through the rural landscapes, passing farms here and there, onward and eastward. On the drive, you’ll pass magical, moss-covered lava fields. Today you’ll embark upon glacier adventures, exploring a natural ice cave in Vatnajokull Glacier and the magical Jokulsarlon Glacier Lagoon. Ice adventures are always somewhat flexible and very dependant on the local weather conditions, which can be unpredictable.You’ll visit Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon and nearby Diamond Beach. There, you’ll encounter icebergs in many shapes and sizes floating in the lagoon or resting on the black sand beach in the elusive fading late afternoon shadow. If you’re lucky, you might spy a seal bathing among the gilded grains of black sand. After that, you’ll go to Skaftafell and on to Europe’s largest glacier, Vatnajokull. We want to make sure you have the best time exploring the glacier, so your certified glacier guide will decide when it’s best to embark on your adventure. Also, keep in mind that the temperature inside the ice cave is well below the freezing point, so please have warm clothes with you. You will strap on the ice crampons and get ready for the magic moment – setting foot on the glacier! Your experienced guide will explain this unbelievably vibrant, moving, and living world. You will see incredible crevasses which wend their way, twisting and turning through the glacier. These labyrinths are constantly forming in tune with the dance of nature. See the great moulins, which descend deep into the glacier, and the stunning naturally formed ice cave. Make sure you have your camera with you’re sure to catch some truly inspiring photo opportunities throughout your hike. If the forecast is favorable, we’ll keep our eyes out for the Aurora Borealis.

Please note: the glacier hike is a very weather-dependent activity, so if the accessibility and weather conditions would be inappropriate, the glacier hike will be replaced with similar activity.

Overnight in Kirkjubæjarklaustur

After a nourishing breakfast, you’ll slowly make our way back to Reykjavik by visiting the main highlights on the south shore of Iceland. If the road conditions allow it, we’ll make a small detour to Fjaðrárgljúfur Canyon first. After that, we’ll stop at the iconic Elhraun lava field before heading to Reynisfjara Black Sand Beach. Here at Reynisfjara, you’ll be able to witness the immense power of the Atlantic Ocean. You’ll also be able to visit a black basalt cave and admire Reynisdrangar basalt stacks rising from the sea. According to the legend, it’s nothing else than trolls who were turned into rock by the rising sun. After that, our tour takes us to Skógafoss, an amazing 60-meter tall waterfall falling into the pool below. It is believed that deep into this pool, below the waterfall, lies the Viking treasure. You’ll also be able to take 527 steps leading to a panoramic view above the falls. After the South Coast tour, we’ll begin the journey back to Reykjavík. We’ll have a chance to visit more sites as we travel through the south back to the city.

You’ll get back to Reykjavík between 16:00 (4:00 p.m.) and 19:00 (7:00 p.m.).

Upon arrival in Reykjavik, get dropped at the hotel.

Overnight in Reykjavik

Enjoy breakfast at the hotel. At the scheduled time, you will be transferred to the airport for your onward flight.