This short getaway offers insight into Iceland’s nature and cultural life, with two nights in Iceland’s capital and two nights in South Iceland, an ideal location for the search for the Northern Lights. Visit Reykjavík, the Blue Lagoon, the Black lava beach, Seljalandsfoss and Skógafoss waterfall, the Golden Circle, meet Icelandic horses on a farm and see the Northern Lights. Optional Glacier Hike on Sólheimajökull and optional Northern Lights cruise by boat from Reykjavík. Excellent value for money and a short winter trip to the Icelandic countryside.
Individual transfer by Flybus shuttle bus from Keflavik airport to your accommodation in Reykjavik. You may explore Iceland’s capital city on your own if time allows.
Overnight location:
Hotel Cabin (Budget version, standard room is 10m²) / Hótel Klettur (Comfort version), or similar in Reykjavík. Dinner is on your own. (50km / 31mi)
Meal: No Meal
At 09:00, meet your tour guide, who will show the group the highlights of Iceland’s exciting capital. Then we head out to the Reykjanes Peninsula with its hot springs, mountains, moon-like landscape, bird cliffs, lighthouses and fishing villages. In the afternoon, we bathe in the Blue Lagoon.
Drive along the south coast to arrive in the village of Hella, where we stay for two nights at Stracta Hotel.
We hear about the Northern Lights from our tour guide in the evening. So, naturally, you are outside in a suitable area for the Aurora hunt when darkness falls.
Overnight location:
Stracta Hotel (Budget version, standard room is 18m²) / Stracta Hotel (Comfort version, studio room is 24m²), in Hella or similar. Breakfast included. Lunch & dinner is on your own. (220km / 137mi)
Meal: Breakfast
Today we head along the south coast to reach the area near the active volcano beneath the Eyjafjallajökull glacier. Our first stop is the high but narrow Seljalandsfoss waterfall, which is 65 meters tall and plunges from the mountain. Next, we visit the Skógar Folk Museum, which contains an outstanding collection of farm and domestic artifacts from Iceland’s past and several turf-built houses. Nearby is one of the most impressive waterfalls in the country, the 62-meter high Skógafoss waterfall.
If you booked the optional glacier hike with your travel agency or through the operator’s website in advance, the bus will take you to the base camp before the 14:30 timeslot. The glacier hike is a total of 3 hours, with 1-1.5 hours spent on the ice. The minimum age for the glacier hike is 10 years. You need to bring warm clothing, rain gear, and hiking boots.
If you didn’t book the glacier hike, the tour continues further south where you can stroll on the black lava beach and see the amazing bird cliffs at Reynisfjara near Vík.
In the evening, there is another presentation about the Northern Lights at Stracta Hotel. If the night is clear, you might see the Northern Lights swirling in a wild and carefree dance across the heavens in dramatic shapes, colors, patterns, and sizes. The grounds of Stracta Hotel in Hella are very large and dark, offering you a good location for Northern Lights viewing if the weather conditions are right. It requires patience, warm clothing, and the excitement of “maybe” seeing the Northern Lights.
Overnight location:
Stracta Hotel (Budget version, standard room is 18m²) / Stracta Hotel (Comfort version, studio room is 24m²), in Hella or similar. Breakfast included. Lunch & dinner is on your own. (200km / 124mi)
Meal: Breakfast
We learn about the Icelandic horse, its unique qualities and history, and visit a geothermal greenhouse in the morning. Then we travel the Golden Circle route, see steam rising from the Geysir geothermal fields and admire the double waterfall of Gullfoss. Finally, we end the afternoon at Þingvellir National Park, learn about the rift walleye and tectonic plates. Also, the location of the ancient Viking Parliament and UNESCO World Heritage Site.
An optional Northern Lights evening cruise can be booked for this day if the weather conditions are right.
Overnight location:
Hotel Cabin (Budget version, standard room is 10m²) / Hótel Klettur (Comfort version), or similar in Reykjavík. Breakfast included. Lunch & dinner is on your own. (210km / 130mi)
Meal: Breakfast
Individual transfer by Flybus shuttle bus from your accommodation in Reykjavik to Keflavik International Airport.
Breakfast included. (50km / 31mi)
Meal: Breakfast
• 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.
Complementaries
• Free Wi-Fi on the bus
• Entrance fees
• Use of flashlight
• Use of crampons for shoes
Any private expenses
All meals not listed under “included”
Any additional services
Single supplement (mandatory when in single room)
International airfares
Optional activities
Other meals, drinks, tips and other personal expenses or services not specified on the program
Travel insurance
Gratuities
Voluntary tips for guides or drivers
Travel and medical insurance
Any items not mentioned as included
Highlights & Experiences
- 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 cruise (day 1 and 4)
- Optional hotel upgrade
- Optional glacier hike (day 3) **subject to availability
Start & End Location: Keflavik International Airport (with fly bus shuttle) Tour Pick-up Time: 08:45 on day 2 from Hotel Klettur & 09:00 from Hotel Cabin (subject to change).
Additional services
• Extra night in Reykjavik before/after the tour – on request.
• Optional glacier hike on day 3 (subject to availability).
• Optional Northern Lights cruise.
• Upgrade for private airport transfer.
Children discount: 20% discount for children 8-11 years of age if sharing a room with 2 adults. Tour is not recommended for children younger than eight years of age. Triple rooms are double rooms with an extra bed and are ideal for two adults and one child.
Tour also available for Christmas and New Years!
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. The minimum age for the glacier hike is 10 years. You need to bring warm clothing, rain gear and hiking boots. The glacier hike can be booked through email with Donna Phillips Travel before the tour starts. (Subject to availability).
NOTE: 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.
Availability: September – April.
NOTE: Accommodations are subject to change.
Max People: 40