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The Land of Northern Lights

5 days
4 nights

Rates

Dates

Rates:

USD
EUR

PER PERSON :

Sep'24
Budget accommodations
$ 1,180.00 (double / triple)
$ 1,515.00 (single )
Comfort accommodations
$ 1,560.00 (double / twin)
$ 2,310.00 (single)
Oct'24 - Apr'25
Budget accommodations
$ 1,110.00 (double / twin)
$ 1,370.00 (single)
Comfort accommodations
$ 1,345.00 (double / twin)
$ 1,895.00 (single )

* 25 % discount for children 2-11 yrs of age if sharing room with 2 adults. Triple rooms are actually double rooms with extra bed, ideal for 2 adults and 1 child.

Dates:

Sep 03, 2024 - Sep 07, 2024 
Sep 05, 2024 - Sep 09, 2024 
Sep 10, 2024 - Sep 14, 2024 
Sep 12, 2024 - Sep 16, 2024 
Sep 17, 2024 - Sep 21, 2024 
Sep 19, 2024 - Sep 23, 2024 
Sep 24, 2024 - Sep 28, 2024 
Sep 26, 2024 - Sep 30, 2024 
Oct 01, 2024 - Oct 05, 2024 
Oct 03, 2024 - Oct 07, 2024 
Oct 08, 2024 - Oct 12, 2024 
Oct 10, 2024 - Oct 14, 2024 
Oct 15, 2024 - Oct 19, 2024 
Oct 17, 2024 - Oct 21, 2024 
Oct 22, 2024 - Oct 26, 2024 
Oct 24, 2024 - Oct 28, 2024 
Oct 29, 2024 - Nov 02, 2024 
Oct 31, 2024 - Nov 04, 2024 
Nov 05, 2024 - Nov 09, 2024 
Nov 07, 2024 - Nov 11, 2024 
Nov 12, 2024 - Nov 16, 2024 
Nov 14, 2024 - Nov 18, 2024 
Nov 19, 2024 - Nov 23, 2024 
Nov 21, 2024 - Nov 25, 2024 
Nov 26, 2024 - Nov 30, 2024 
Nov 28, 2024 - Dec 02, 2024 
Dec 03, 2024 - Dec 07, 2024 
Dec 05, 2024 - Dec 09, 2024 
Dec 10, 2024 - Dec 14, 2024 
Dec 12, 2024 - Dec 16, 2024 
Dec 17, 2024 - Dec 21, 2024 
Dec 19, 2024 - Dec 23, 2024 
Dec 23, 2024 - Dec 27, 2024 
Dec 29, 2024 - Jan 02, 2025 
Jan 02, 2025 - Jan 06, 2025 
Jan 07, 2025 - Jan 11, 2025 
Jan 09, 2025 - Jan 13, 2025 
Jan 14, 2025 - Jan 18, 2025 
Jan 16, 2025 - Jan 20, 2025 
Jan 21, 2025 - Jan 25, 2025 
Jan 23, 2025 - Jan 27, 2025 
Jan 28, 2025 - Feb 01, 2025 
Jan 30, 2025 - Feb 03, 2025 
Feb 04, 2025 - Feb 08, 2025 
Feb 06, 2025 - Feb 10, 2025 
Feb 11, 2025 - Feb 15, 2025 
Feb 13, 2025 - Feb 17, 2025 
Feb 18, 2025 - Feb 22, 2025 
Feb 20, 2025 - Feb 24, 2025 
Feb 25, 2025 - Mar 01, 2025 
Feb 27, 2025 - Mar 03, 2025 
Mar 04, 2025 - Mar 08, 2025 
Mar 06, 2025 - Mar 10, 2025 
Mar 11, 2025 - Mar 15, 2025 
Mar 13, 2025 - Mar 17, 2025 
Mar 18, 2025 - Mar 22, 2025 
Mar 20, 2025 - Mar 24, 2025 
Mar 25, 2025 - Mar 29, 2025 
Mar 27, 2025 - Mar 31, 2025 
Apr 01, 2025 - Apr 05, 2024 
Apr 03, 2025 - Apr 07, 2025 
Apr 08, 2025 - Apr 12, 2025 
Apr 10, 2025 - Apr 14, 2025 

Hotels:

Budget Category:
Hotel Cabin in Reykjavík
Árhús Cabins in Hella

Upgraded Category:
Hotel Klettur in Reykjavík
Stracta Hotel in Hella

 If changes become necessary for any reason, substitute hotels will be similar to those listed.

 

Included:

• 4 nights accommodation, in rooms with shower/wc
• 3 days escorted bus tour with English-speaking guide/driver-guide
• Arrival & departure airport transfer by FLYBUS shuttle (no guide)
• 4x breakfast
• Blue Lagoon, including use of towel
• Skógar Folk Museum on early Modern Iceland with its turf houses
• Visit Icelandic horse stables & a geothermal greenhouse
• Northern Lights program during two evenings

Highlights & Experience:

  • Budget holiday offering excellent value for money
  • Must-see nature: the Golden Circle, the South Coast and the Blue Lagoon
  • Visit to Skógar folk museum with turf houses
  • 2-night stay in South Iceland, ideal for Northern Lights hunting
  • 2 evenings with a combination of lectures, presentations, film and guided searches for Aurora Borealis
  • Optional Northern Lights fjord cruise (day 1 and 4)
  • Optional glacier hike (day 3)
  • Option for hotel upgrade

NORTHERN LIGHTS: This program includes during 2 evenings a combination of presentations, lectures, film and guided Northern Lights searches in the garden of Árhús Cottage in Hella, South Iceland, about 10 minute walk from Stracta Hotel.  Árhús Cottages and Stracta Hotel in South Iceland offer a Northern Lights wake up call for guests that register for that special service at the reception. The tour is dependent on weather and therefore sightings are not guaranteed. The Northern Lights are in the northern hemisphere from September through April but are only visible when the sky is clear and free of clouds. Like many of natural wonders, the Northern Lights are ephemeral – they may be visible, they may appear for a bit and then be gone (it is not a TV show that you can just turn on and off). But it is worth the patience which is much required. Because they are a winter event, you need to be prepared to wait outside while looking for them. It is best to dress very warmly, in layers, with good footwear, gloves, hats and whatever else will make you comfortable while you await patiently this truly outstanding event. For the best photos we recommend using a tripod.  

Optional Services:

Optional glacier hike.

Duration of this activity is approximately 3 hours in total, about 90 minutes on the ice and about 30-40 min walk (one-way) from the car park to the glacier edge itself. Minimum age for the glacier hike is 10 years. You need to bring warm clothing, rain gear and hiking boots. The glacier hike can only be booked with the guide on day 2. You will have to fill in and sign an order form, once done a cancellation is not possible. Glacier hike bookings have to be finalised with the guide by noon on day 2 of the tour. Bookings afterwards cannot be accommodated as we need to order the glacier guides 24 hours prior to the tour. The special price for the Land of Northern Lights group members is ISK 14.000 (about EUR 100 per person). Payment is due with the glacier hike company on day 3.

Aurora Statistics:

Winter 2023-2024  
September 88%
October 74%
November 52%
December 63%
January 60%
February 62%
March 56%
April 54%
Winter avg.

65%

Itinerary:

Take a Northern Lights Tour to Iceland in winter

Winter is an amazing time of the year adorned with a different kind of bloom. The air is crisp, the trees are naked and the green grass and soil forcibly frozen together. The red berries that fall on the ground at the end of summer are glued to the frozen ground covered in a thin layer of snow and the little that is left of the patches of green grass is mother nature’s own Christmas decoration. Magic is in the air.

During your Iceland trip we explore Southwest Iceland, known for its natural wonders and cultural sites. We  see glittering glaciers, snow-clad mountains, giant lava fields and steaming hot springs. We bathe in the mineral rich geothermal waters of the Blue Lagoon, we walk on a black lava beach, we visit an Icelandic horse farm and we travel close to the famous Eyjafjallajökull volcano. We overnight in a small hotel in the countryside. It’s truly a magnificent place to be on a dark clear night when the stars are out and a full moon lights up the surroundings. On the best of nights, the northern lights come out to dance as well.
Iceland is rapidly becoming one of Europe’s most popular summer destinations and could easily become one of the most popular winter destinations to visit with the right promotion. In spite of image of cold, winter is the season during which mother nature blows you away in Iceland. This short getaway tour to Iceland gives you an insight to Iceland's nature and cultural life, staying 2 nights in Iceland's capital and 2 nights in a country hotel in South Iceland that is ideal for the search of northern lights.

This program includes during 2 evenings a combination of presentations, lectures, film and guided Northern Lights searches in the hotel garden in South Iceland.  Árhús Cottages in South Iceland offer a Northern Lights  wake up call for guests that register for that special service at the reception. The tour is dependent on weather and therefore sightings are not guaranteed. The Northern Lights are in the northern hemisphere from September through April but are only visible when the sky is clear and free of clouds. Like many of natural wonders, the Northern Lights are ephemeral – they may be visible, they may appear for a bit and then be gone (it is not a TV show that you can just turn on and off). But it is worth the patience which is much required. Because they are a winter event, you need to be prepared to wait outside while looking for them. It is best to dress very warmly, in layers, with good footwear, gloves, hats and whatever else will make you comfortable while you await patiently this truly outstanding event. For the best photos we recommend using a tripod.

Day 1  : Welcome to Iceland (31 mi)

Welcome! Begin your trip to Iceland today arriving in Reykjavik airport. The Flybus shuttle brings travelers from Keflavík International Airpor to your hotel where you spend one night. We provide you with ideas how to explore Iceland's capital on your own. Free shuttle bus from Guesthouse Borgartún to downtown Reykjavík at 19:00 and back at 22:00. Overnight in Reykjavik (B)

Day 2  : Reykjavik City Tour, The Blue Lagoon & Reykjanes Peninsula (137 mi)

At 09:00 meet your tour guide who shows the group the highlights of Iceland's exciting capital. Then head out to the Reykjanes Peninsula with its hot springs, mountains, bird cliffs, lighthouses and fishing villages. By the end of the day, we get to soak off our travels in the warm mineral-rich waters of the famous Blue Lagoon. We stay for two nights in simple cottages in South Iceland. There is an option to upgrade to studio rooms at the Stracta Hotel in Hella. In the evening, we hear about the Northern Lights from our tour guide at Árhús Cabins. Naturally, once darkness falls, you are out in the garden waiting for the Northern Lights.

Day 3  : South Iceland With Optional Glacier Hike (124 mi)

Today we head along the south coast and reach the area near the active volcano that is beneath the Eyjafjallajökull glacier. We stop at the high but narrow Seljalandsfoss waterfall, which plunges from the mountain. Next, we visit Skógar folk museums, which contains an outstanding collection of farm and domestic artefacts from Iceland's past and several turf-built houses. Nearby is one of the most impressive waterfalls in the country; the 60-meter high Skógafoss waterfall.
In the afternoon we offer an optional glacier walk. The Sólheimajökull glacier tongue extends from the large Mýrdalsjökull glacier, down to the sandy plains of the Seljalandsfoss waterfall.jpgIcelandic south coast. The spectacular surroundings are marked by rugged and majestic rock formations thoroughly shaped by the glacier. On this fun, safe and easy to moderate glacier walk you get to explore the wonderland of ice sculptures, water cauldrons, ridges and deep crevasses on the breath-taking Sólheimajökull glacier. While enjoying all the features of the glacier and its spectacular surroundings, you will learn more about the behaviour of glaciers and their impact on nature. No technical requirements are needed for the tour as an experienced glacier guide will teach you how to use basic glacier equipment, such as crampons and an ice axe which is provided for glacier walks. The unique experience of a glacier walk on one of the many retreating glaciers of the world is sure to leave lasting memories. Duration of this activity is about 3 hours in total, about 90 minutes on the ice and about 30-40 min walk (one-way) from the parking lot to the glacier edge itself. The minimum age for the glacier hike is ten years. You need to bring warm clothing, rain gear and hiking boots. The glacier hike can only be booked with the guide on day 2. The special price for the Land of Northern Lights group members is ISK 14.000 (about EUR 100 per person). Payment is due with the glacier hike company on day 3.

If you booked the trip without the glacier hike, then the tour continues further south where you can stroll on the black lava beach to see the amazing bird cliffs at Reynisfjara near Vík. In the evening there is another presentation about the Northern Lights. If the night is clear, you might see the Northern Lights swirling in a wild and carefree dance across the heavens in dramatic shapes, colours, patterns and sizes. The grounds of Árhús Cabins and the Stracta Hotel in Hella are extensive and dark, offering you an excellent location for Northern Lights search if the weather conditions are right. It requires patience, warm clothing and the excitement of "maybe there could be Northern Lights".

Day 4  : Horses & Golden Circle (130 mi)

In the morning you learn about the Icelandic horse, its unique qualities and history and visit a geothermal greenhouse. Travel the Golden Circle route. See steam rising from the Geysir geothermal fields as you arrive. There is a variety of hot springs and bubbling pools. The original geyser is now dormant but has been replaced by Strokkur "the Churn" which erupts at 5-10 minute intervals. Continue to Gullfoss, a double waterfall that tumbles 34 meters into the Hvítá River and attracts tourists and travellers in summer and winter. Head inland to Þingvellir National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, before returning to Reykjavík for your last night, either at Hotel Cabin or Centerhotel Plaza. An optional Northern Lights evening cruise can be booked while in the destination if the weather conditions are ideal. Overnight in Reykjavik (B)

Day 5  : Departure (31 mi)

We hope you've enjoyed your stay! Your Iceland tour ends today. Individual transfer by Flybus airport shuttle from your guesthouse accommodation in Reykjavík to Keflavík Airport (B)

Notes:

GROUP SIZE:  40 persons maximum

Itineraries may be subject to change at short notice during severe weather conditions and certain outdoor activities/day trips may be cancelled during the winter season in Iceland. In these rare cases, where situations of force majeure apply, excursions/activities cannot be refunded but the local guides will try their best to find reasonable alternatives where and whenever possible.

Tour is offered with or without glacier hike in South Iceland, but optional glacier hike is not available on the New Year’s (NY) departure.

*New Year Special Itinerary 

 

 

 Daily driving: Total mileage without airport transfer is about 630 km / 391 miles which is an average of 210 km (130 miles) per day, about 3 hours per day will be spent on the bus. On some days the driving might be longer than on some other days. This tour is suitable for children that are used to bus tours.

 

Change Of Program: Itineraries may be subject to change at short notice during severe weather conditions and certain outdoor activities/day trips may be cancelled during the winter season in Iceland. In these rare cases, where situations of force majeure apply, excursions/activities cannot be refunded, but the local guides will try their best to find reasonable alternatives where and whenever possible.