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Iceland Complete Winter – The Northern Lights Edition 9D/8N

Enjoy the northern lights version of our most popular tour!

Witnessing the elusive northern lights’ exotic dance in the night sky is a once-in-a-lifetime experience! Our team of experts created this special northern lights edition of the popular Iceland Complete tour to combine the best of the Ring Road with the enchanting beauty of an Icelandic winter. Witness “must-see” attractions such as the Golden Circle, the Glacier Lagoon, Lake Mývatn and Dettifoss, but with extra-added magical snow, peacefulness, light, and shadows of an Icelandic winter.

Northern lights wake-up calls are available on most nights of your trip, ensuring you don’t miss your chance to see the lights up close.

Tour Highlights

  • Let us provide you with an excellent overview of Iceland and its unique wonders
  • We’ll take you to many of the classic natural wonders, including the Golden Circle, the Glacier Lagoon, Reynisfjara Beach, Dettifoss waterfall and Mývatn nature reserve
  • Enjoy a glimpse into Icelandic life with authentic local activities and delicious dinners– great experiences that also add great value
  • Take advantage of overnight countryside locations to search for the elusive northern lights
Price from

$5,050.00

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Tour Information

Inclusions:

  • - Guided coach tour from day 2 to day 8
  • - Expert professional English-speaking local guide from day 2 to day 8
  • - Free Wi-Fi on board the motor coach
  • - Accommodation 2 nights in a standard room with facilities in Reykjavík
  • - Accommodation 6 nights in a standard room with facilities in the countryside
  • - Icelandic breakfast (except arrival day)
  • - 6 three-course local-cuisine dinners in the countryside with coffee/tea (days 2-7)
  • - Souvenir Icelandic Search and Rescue keyring
  • - Information meeting with guide (day 1)
  • - Entrance fee to the Aurora Reykjavík Northern Lights Centre (day 2)
  • - Microbrewery visit and beer tasting in Breiðdalsvík (day 4)
  • - Entrance to the Herring Era Maritime Museum (day 6)
  • - Horse show in Skagafjörður (day 7)
  • - The Iceland Travel App, which has interesting information about the areas your tour visits
  • - Use of crampons/cleats (if needed) for walking on snow/ice covered surfaces
  • - Great photo stops
  • - Seat rotation during the tour
  • - Northern lights guided hunt on foot one selected evening, including use of crampons and headlight
  • - Customer care service during office hours
  • - 24-hour Iceland Travel emergency line assistance while you are in Iceland
  • - Also (Added Value): Northern lights “wake-up call” option during the night on days 2-7 (please note: available at most countryside hotels)

Departures:

Please contact our Sales team for the latest dates.

Itinerary

Day 1: Arrival in Iceland

Arrival at Keflavík International airport.

Transfers to Reykjavík are not included in the tour. We would be happy to arrange private transfers for you, so let us know at booking time.

If you arrive earlier in the day, you might consider adding a day tour. We’d be happy to make suggestions based on your interests.

Please note that hotels in Iceland start check-in around 14:00 (2:00pm), and early check-in is not guaranteed. Most hotels will be happy to store your luggage if you are not able to check in early.

Tonight, there will be an information meeting at your hotel. You’ll meet your guide, travel companions, and learn more about the tour.

Dinner this evening is at your leisure. Reykjavík offers a multitude of restaurants and/or coffee-houses, making dinner a wonderful way to get better acquainted with Iceland’s capital.

Good to Know: Generally, on Days 2 – 8 there will be no more than 45 – 90 minutes to one-hour driving between each tour stop. You’ll arrive at each night’s accommodation in the late afternoon.

Please note: If you have added extra nights in Reykjavík before your tour, the guide will meet your group on Day 2 according to the standard “Iceland Complete” itinerary.

Day 2: The Golden Circle and The South Shore

Approximate Distance: 325 km / 201 miles

Breakfast at your hotel.

Your guide will meet you in the lobby of the hotel.

Start your adventure by visiting the fascinating Aurora Reykjavík Northern Lights Center. You’ll get a great introduction to northern lights, how they are formed and the folklore surrounding them. You’ll also get tips about how to capture northern lights on film.

Continue to the Golden Circle natural wonders. Explore Gullfoss waterfall, a spectacular sight in winter when frozen mid-cascade. Continue to the geothermal fields of Geysir with bubbling mud pools and the high-spouting Strokkur hot spring (and other geysers). Continue along the south shore and stop to admire the waterfalls Seljalandsfoss and Skógafoss before continuing to the black sand beaches of Iceland’s South Shore. Continue to the village of Vík.

Dinner and overnight in the Vík area.

If weather conditions are right, your guide will take you on a northern lights hunt on foot in the area outside your hotel tonight, or on one of the other evenings that you are staying in the countryside.

Day 3: Vatnajökull National Park (Skaftafell area)

Approximate Distance: 265 km / 165 miles

Breakfast at your hotel.

Today, you’ll be visiting the southern area of Vatnajökull National Park, named after Europe’s largest glacier.

The total park area covers almost 14% of Iceland, making it the largest national park in Western Europe! Visit the national park’s famous Skaftafell area, a site of outstanding natural beauty dominated by several magnificent glaciers. Visit Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon where you can enjoy the breath-taking sight of icebergs floating in the fantastic 180m (591 ft.) deep glacial lagoon (make sure your camera is loaded and ready!) Nearby is the dramatic beauty of the Diamond Beach, where shrinking icebergs settle on the black sands before they drift out to sea.

Dinner and overnight in Southeast Iceland or in the Höfn area.

Day 4: The Eastfjords

Approximate Distance: 260 km / 162 miles

Breakfast at your hotel.

Get ready to enjoy some amazing views today!

Drive through Almannaskarð pass, stopping to admire the majestic coastline. Continue to an area of towering mountains plunging vertically into the sea that form the magnificent East Fjords. Keep your hand on your camera and keep an eye out for wild reindeer, which can sometimes be seen in the area during the winter months.

You will also pass villages, each with its own special history and charm. One of these is the tiny village of Breiðdalsvík. Here, you’ll visit the local Beljandi microbrewery and sample some of the beer. You’ll meet one of the townsfolk and get a feel for life in a small town.

Drive to Egilsstaðir town, located near Iceland’s largest forest and a lake said to be home to a legendary (friendly) monster. Egilsstaðir is also getting a name for itself for its excellent locally sourced cuisine, and you will surely enjoy some of it at dinner.

Dinner and overnight in the Eastfjords area.

Day 5: Lake Mývatn Area

Approximate Distance: 255 km / 158 miles

Breakfast at your hotel.

Explore the empty vastness of the highland desert plateau Möðrudalsöraefi, desolate and yet hauntingly beautiful in its winter snows, as you head towards the Lake Mývatn area. On the way, stop at Dettifoss, Europe’s largest and most powerful waterfall. Continue onwards to Námaskarð pass with its boiling mud pools and vibrant colours. We often feel like we are visiting another planet when we come here, and you may the same way. It’s such a surreal experience!

Please note: The visit to Dettifoss waterfall depends on weather and road conditions and cannot be guaranteed.

Explore the natural beauty of the Lake Mývatn area, including the pseudo craters at Skútustaðir and the Laxá salmon river. You will probably see why this area, especially during the wintertime, has been so popular for movie makers.

Dinner and overnight stay in the Mývatn area.

Optional Activity – we recommend you book and pay for this activity in advance to ensure a spot for you on the tour. Let us know during the booking process.

Mývatn Nature Baths – Relax in an azure geothermal lagoon in a peaceful wilderness setting | Duration: Flexible time | Included: Bathing fee and towel | Not Included: Swimsuit (rentals available)

Day 6: Akureyri and the Troll Peninsula

Approximate Distance: 235 km / 146 miles

Breakfast at your hotel.

Start the day by exploring the peculiar lava formations at Dimmuborgir. The name means “Dark Citadels” in Icelandic, and they certainly look as though were built by fantasy creatures. There are local legends that elves live here.

Visit the magnificent Goðafoss waterfall, one of the most important symbols of North Iceland. Afterwards, drive to Akureyri, the colourful northern “capital” of Iceland. The town has charming buildings and a beautiful view of the Eyjafjordur fjord.

After spending some time in Akureyri, continue along the coastal roads of Eyjafjörður and the Troll Peninsula. This is a beautiful drive along steep mountains with amazing views over the Arctic Sea and the black sand coastline. Enjoy a stop in Siglufjörður, a town set in a beautiful fjord of the same name. This town has some of the finest timber buildings in the country, beautifully restored to their original glory.

Visit Siglufjörður’s award-winning Herring-Era Maritime Museum. The museum recreates the atmosphere of the early 20th century, when Siglufjörður was transformed into a frontier-like boom town, thanks to a large migration of herring. The museum will transport you back to that exciting time.

Afterwards, head along majestic mountains and narrow passes to Skagafjörður, considered to be one of the finest places in Iceland for horse breeding.

Dinner and overnight in Northwest Iceland.

Day 7: Skagafjörður – Borgarnes

Approximate Distance: 235 km / 146 miles

Breakfast at your hotel.

Today you will enjoy an introduction to the unique Icelandic horse breed with its special fifth gait, the tolt. Icelandic horses are very important to the country’s history. These gentle horses are known as the Icelandic people’s most faithful servant.

Continue towards the village of Blönduós, built on both sides of the river Blanda. This is a part of Iceland known from the Icelandic literary work Vatnsdæla Saga, which described the adventures of a Viking-age family dynasty. Cross the Holtavörðuheiði plateau taking you into West Iceland. Drive through Borgarfjörður, a region that has been getting international recognition for its diverse landscapes and its Viking history.

Dinner and overnight stay in the Borgarnes area.

Day 8: Borgarfjörður – Þingvellir – Reykjavík

Approximate Distance: 205 km / 130 miles

Breakfast at your hotel.

Visit some of West Iceland’s beautiful natural wonders.

Drive to Deildartunguhver, the most powerful hot spring in Europe. Stop to admire the beautiful Hraunfossar waterfalls, were brightly blue water rushes through black lava formations. Nearby is Barnafoss, a waterfall with a brilliantly blue colour.

Drive through the scenic and mountain rimmed Hvalfjörður fjord to Lake Þingvallavatn, Iceland’s largest lake, and Þingvellir National Park. This UNESCO heritage site is where the world’s oldest continuing parliamentary government was founded in the 10th century. It is also the place where the North American and European tectonic plates meet. You will have the unusual experience of walking between two continents!

Afterwards, head to Reykjavík for a last night in the colourful capital city.

Your guide will bid you farewell at your hotel.

Overnight stay in Reykjavík. Dinner is on your own.

Day 9: Farewell to the Land of Fire and Ice

Breakfast at your hotel.

Please note that this might be a light breakfast if you are taking an early morning flight.

Transfer on your own to the international airport for your departure flight. The airport transfer is not included, but we are happy to help you arrange private transfers.

We recommend you depart your hotel no later than three hours before your departure flight.

We wish you a pleasant trip back to your homeland and hope to see you in Iceland again!