- Journey across southern Iceland with an expert tour leader in search of the Northern Lights
- Stay in the countryside, where dark skies improve aurora displays
- Complete the Golden Circle of Gullfoss Waterfall, Geysir and Thingvellir National Park
- Marvel at the Seljalandsfoss and Skógafoss waterfalls
- See the brilliant blue ice of Falljokull on a glacier walk
- Walk among great ice bulks on the black volcanic sands of Diamond Beach
Iceland Northern Lights
5 Days
Excluding Flights
5 Days
from
Winter
Activity Level
Easy & Moderate
See our Activity Level Guidelines to check if this holiday is right for you.
Comfort Level
Classic
Itinerary
Reykjavik Reykjavik
Start Reykjavik
Our tour begins at our hotel in Reykjavik in the late afternoon. Iceland’s compact capital city is well worth exploring, and we strongly recommend a couple of extra days before or after your tour. Two of the most striking attractions are the Hallgrímskirkja Church; a fine example of expansionist architecture with great views from the tower, and the beautiful Harpa Concert Hall. The nearby old harbour is a great starting point to explore the narrow streets of the old town.
We start with an evening briefing, which usually starts around 6.30pm.
Accommodation: Hotel Klettur or Hotel Cabin (or similar)
Start Reyjkavik
Our tour begins at our hotel in Reykjavik in the late afternoon. The compact capital of Iceland is well worth exploring, and we strongly recommend a couple of extra days before or after your tour. We have a welcome briefing this evening, usually around 6.30pm, and our groups typically go out for dinner together after.
If you’re itching to see the Northern Lights, you may wish to visit the waterfront, which is away from the main city lights. Speak to your tour leader beforehand, who can check the latest scientific data relating to the solar activity.
Accommodation: Hotel Klettur or Hotel Cabin (or similar)
Visit Seljalandsfoss and Skógafoss waterfalls; search for the Northern Lights
Leave Reykjavik, driving east along the scenic southern highway. Our first stop is Seljalandsfoss, a 195ft (60m) high waterfall with fantastic ice features in winter. We can walk behind the cascade, providing conditions are not too icy. Suitable footwear is a must; however, the leader carries ice grips that can be put over standard walking boots to increase grip in slippery conditions. We continue through starkly beautiful countryside to an area impacted by the 2010 eruption of the Eyjafjallajökull volcano.
Then journey along the coast, visiting the Skógafoss waterfall, a 195ft (60m) drop that falls in an 80ft (25m) wide sheet. If there is time, we drive to the most southerly point in Iceland, the Dyrhólaey peninsula, to enjoy coastal views north to Mýrdalsjökull glacier and south to the Reynisdrangar black lava sea stacks. If conditions allow, we see the sea stacks at a closer proximity from Reynisfjara black beach. The final part of our journey takes us across the black expanse of the Myrdalssandur floodplains, created by the river that formed after the eruption of a volcano under the Mýrdalsjökull Glacier.
Our accommodation for the next two nights is Hotel Laki, just outside the small village of Kirkjubaejarklaustur. Thanks to our countryside location, we can step outside this evening and track the Northern Lights. We know from experience that if the Northern Lights do display tonight, we can see them from the hotel!
Accommodation: Hotel Laki (or similar)
Drive to Falljokull for a glacier walk, and Jökulsárlón glacial lagoon; hunt for the Northern Lights
We set out across Skeidararsandur, a vast sand plain with wavy rivers, to the Falljokull glacier. Upon arrival, we walk to an accessible section, strap on crampons, grab ice axes, and walk on the glacier. The terrain is not challenging and even those with no similar experience should pick it up quickly. The glacier offers fantastic photo opportunities with walls of brilliant blue ice thousands of years in the making. Please note, weather and road conditions determine whether the glacier walk is possible and how long the transfer/walk to the glacier will be. In good conditions, the walk may be 15 minutes; in poorer conditions, the walk may be up to one hour. Your itinerary will be adjusted accordingly.
After the return hike, we travel to the beautiful Jökulsárlón glacier lagoon, created in the 1950s as the glacier retreated from the coastline, leaving a 985ft (300m) deep, 8sqmi (20sqkm) lake studded by icebergs. On Diamond Beach, we walk among large chunks of ice washed up on the black volcanic sand, creating beautiful shapes and formations.
The drive back to the hotel is approximately 90 minutes (80mi/125km). We get back outside again this evening to search once more for the Northern Lights with the help with our expert tour leader.
Accommodation: Hotel Laki (or similar)
Drive along the south coast passing Eyjafjallajokull volcano; visit Gullfoss waterfall, spouts at Geysir and explore the rift valley at Thingvellir National Park; on to Reykjavik
We return along the south coast then head inland via Hvolsvöllur. We stop for lunch then head to the mighty Gullfoss waterfall, one of the most powerful waterfalls in Europe. We also visit Geysir, home to the inimitable hot spouts. The most reliable eruption comes from Strokkur and occurs every five to 10 minutes, firing jets of hot water and steam 100ft (30m) into the air, a spectacle not to be missed.
Our final stop before returning to Reykjavik is Thingvellir National Park, where the first democratic parliament in the world sat in 930. It was not until 1798, that it moved to the capital. Thingvellir is also the site of the rift valley marking the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, where the North American and Eurasian tectonic plates are pulling apart, causing an area around 4mi (7km) to literally sink into the earth.
Tonight, take the opportunity to wander outside on your own one last time and maybe catch a glimpse of the magical Northern Lights.
Accommodation: Hotel Klettur or Hotel Cabin (or similar)
Transfer to Keflavik; fly home
Our trip ends with a Flybus transfer to Keflavik Airport. Your leader will not accompany you on the Flybus; however, you will provide a number to call for assistance should it be needed.
Alternatively you may wish to extend your stay and learn more about this incredible country. Please ask your sales representative about pre- and post-tour nights.
End Reykjavik
Our trip ends with a Flybus transfer to Keflavik Airport. Your leader will not accompany you on the Flybus; however, you are provided with a number to call for assistance, should it be needed.
If you have time, you may wish to explore Reykjavik, visiting one of the local thermal pools or the Blue Lagoon (see the Extra Expenses & Spending Money section of the Trip Notes for details). Alternatively, you may wish to extend your stay and learn more about this incredible country. Please ask your sales representative about pre- and post-tour nights.
Hotels Klettur or Cabin and Hotel Laki
We aim to use hotels that provide good value for money (in Icelandic terms) along with a comfortable experience. In Reykjavik, we either stay at Hotel Klettur or Hotel Cabin, depending on availability.
Hotel Klettur
The property is approximately 15 minutes’ walk from the main shopping street, Laugavegur, so it’s easy to enjoy the cafes, bars and restaurants of the capital. If you’d prefer to relax at the hotel, there’s a ground-floor bar serving Icelandic beers and cocktails (look out for the happy hour from 5pm to 8pm) and a games room with a pool table and Northern Lights selfie wall.
Hotel Cabin
Hotel Cabin offers the same standard of accommodation and facilities, but is approximately 2,625ft (800m) further from the city centre. It also has a bar serving Icelandic beers and cocktails (with a happy hour on draft beer from 4pm to 6pm).
Hotel Laki
Within the rugged countryside, this 64-room hotel is ideally placed for spotting the Northern Lights. The property is run by farmers-turned-hoteliers Salome and Hörður. Their restaurant uses suppliers that pay a fair price to farmers and serves locally sourced, seasonal produce. It also offers expansive views over the countryside, meaning guests can eat their food while gazing over Vatnajökull glacier or the Northern Lights when they come. Each room has a garden view plus a kettle should you wish to stay up late with a hot drink.
Reviews
Add your own reviewWild and Wonderful
A whistle stop tour through the extremes of Iceland’s landscape and weather! The itinerary is essentially waterfalls on day one, glaciers on day two and the ‘golden circle’ on day three. We had atrocious weather (lashing rain and 100mph winds) on day one so perhaps visiting three waterfalls wasn’t the best idea. They were very crowded and the weather made it impossible to really appreciate them. The glacier walk on the second day had to be abandoned due to high winds but not until after about an hour in the weather putting all the kit on and probably another hour attempting to get up the path. The northern lights are elusive and I found them disappointing – you can’t really see them with the naked eye, only through a camera lens set to the right exposure. We saw them on a separate bus tour on our last night in Reykjavik, not on the tour itself. Thankfully we had sunshine and calm for the last day. The landscape is beautiful and the food was delicious, if not all that varied. The long drives were broken up well with rest stops and road side sights.
Most Inspirational Moment
The huge icebergs in the glacial lagoon and on the nearby black sand beach. And our guide making us Icelandic gin and tonics by smashing up a piece of glacial ice from the beach with his ice pick when we were back at the hotel!
Thoughts on Group Leader
Oskar was great. He organised everything well, was really informative about Icelandic history and current events, and coped with some challenging weather and driving conditions with a great sense of humour.
Advice for Potential Travellers
Allow a lot of time to transfer from/to the airport via Flybus. It doesn't go direct to hotels but involves changing at a bus terminal in Reykjavik (my flight arrived at 7.45pm and I got to the hotel at 10pm.) Make sure your waterproofs are definitely waterproof, take thermal tips and bottoms, and hats, scarves, gloves and snoods - the wind is ferocious and very chilly. You don't need cash except to tip the guide at the end of the trip. Make sure you bring an adapter and a usb a cable - my usb c didn't work in any of the usb points in the hotels or airport and charging via the adapter was slow.
First time with Exodus and wow!
Great tour guide, nice small and friendly group, great locations to explore and lucky enough to see the lights.
Most Inspirational Moment
Seeing the lights! They were phenomenal.
Thoughts on Group Leader
Really knowledgeable, friendly, funny and chilled.
Advice for Potential Travellers
Don’t delay! Want to try or do something then just do it. If it’s Iceland just remember the more layers you can get on the better! Never underestimate how cold and windy it can be. And definitely don’t forget good waterproofs! Even the top quality ones are often rubbish when it comes to waterfall spray!
Iceland
Great trip. Except the information re the fly is was incorrect. You have to change at the bus terminal to get to the hotel. It doesn’t go straight to the airport as I was told prior to going.
Most Inspirational Moment
Seeing the northern lights.
Thoughts on Group Leader
Brilliant.
The best of Iceland in 3 days
The trip crams a lot into 3 full days, but doesn’t feel rushed. There’s plenty of amazing sights to see, including stunning waterfalls, black beaches, geysers and the highlight was walking on the glacier – we had perfect weather with blue skies! The tour is well thought-out, and despite there being a fair amount of driving, it doesn’t feel like there is due to the amazing scenery and comfortable transportation (plus everywhere we went in Iceland had 4G/5G phone signal).
Advice for Potential Travellers
Don't assume that you're going to see the Northern Lights, you're reliant on the weather playing ball, and it coinciding with solar activity. Unfortunately I didn't see them on this trip, however some of my fellow travellers who went out 1 day before had an amazing view - typical! I visited in mid-Feb, so there was a decent amount of daylight and darkness. Even without seeing them, it was a great trip with great people and included a wonderful landscape. Other than that, Iceland itself is pretty expensive, so factor that into your budgeting.
Don’t just go to see the Northern Lights.
Despite some clear skies the solar activity was low so we did not managed to see the Northern Lights on our tour in Feb 2024. Despite this there is lots packed into this short tour including seeing the sights of the so called Golden Circle (Gullfoss Waterfall; Geysir & Pingvellir) as well as the stunning glacier lagoon and black sand beaches. The highlight however was the walk on the glacier. The weather was perfect so we also managed to get into the ice cave.
Most Inspirational Moment
One truly unique sight on this tour was on the first morning, as we were leaving Reykjavik, the latest volcanic eruption had just started on the Reykjanes peninsula, so our guide took us to a vantage point on the outskirts of Reykjavik so we got a view of it ! Of the scheduled items on the itinerary the glacier walk was the highlight!
Thoughts on Group Leader
David was excellent. As well as doing all the driving he provided lots of insight into the Icelandic culture and commentary on the unique features of this amazing country. He went out of his way to show us the volcanic eruption on the first day of the tour as well as making sure we still fitted in everything on the scheduled itinerary!
Advice for Potential Travellers
I would say don’t go on this tour if your only reason is to see the Northern Lights. It is a natural phenomenon and can be quite difficult to see. However do go if you want to see all the other things on the itinerary. For me I would say that the glacier walk was the highlight.
Trip name is a misnomer
Had a brilliant holiday, saw so much, but the trip title is a misnomer.
Not sure what the odds are of seeing the northern lights in 4 nights, but unlikely to be more than 50:50
Most Inspirational Moment
Walking on a glacier
Thoughts on Group Leader
Very good
Advice for Potential Travellers
Go expecting to see lots, - but not necessarily the Northern lights. If you get them it's a bonus.
Feb 2023
Blizzard bombs, waterfalls and geological features
Most Inspirational Moment
The Glacial Walking was amazing. Such a brilliantt experience being able to walk on blue ice! The Blue Lagoon was also the highlight, though not included on the tour.It was snowy conditions and blizzard bombs, so white out's on the roads, and hit in the face with sleet in the lagoon. Some people wore bobble hats, but I kept putting my head under the water to warm up! the silica is not good for your hair though. We saw the Northern Lights from Lake in the East, but they were not green nor coloured, just very weak like whisky white clouds - it showed green on some people's phones and cameras. So a disappointment really.
Thoughts on Group Leader
Spot on. He was tops, knew in-depth interesting information about his country and was fun, energetic and charismatic. A great tour guide.
Advice for Potential Travellers
February is a dicey month to go. We landed after three attempts, the landings were a touch and go attempt and re-take off - given he incredibly strong blizzards, on arrival. The air stewardess said the previous week the aircraft doors could not be opened for 10 hours due to the winds, so something to bear in mind when you choose to go. It is amazing, but I was left disappointed to be honest. It's a lot of money for a bus tour manly of waterfalls. I asked the leader if it was possible to remove one of the three waterfalls and replace it with the Lava tunnels - to give more variety and he agreed it would be possible. So this is my suggestion.
Northern Highlights
You certainly pack a lot into this 5 day trip which delivered despite the ever changing winter weather. Our guide Oskar as flexible with the itinerary which meant that we were able to get the most out of each day. The highlight was the glacier walk and we even got a glimpse of the northern lights one night.
Northern Lights
A great trip to a fascinating country. The highlight was seeing the Northern lights outside the Hotel Laki (and briefly back in Reykjavik). The weather meant that there was clear skies and sunshine, so the views with the snow were excellent. (Which was a good job as there are some long road journeys).
Most Inspirational Moment
Seeing the Northern lights.
Thoughts on Group Leader
Jon was great, knew what he was doing, had an encyclopaedic knowledge of his country, and his Icelandic folk stories never ended!
Advice for Potential Travellers
Dont take any cash - Iceland is pretty much cashless now (and expensive). Do take lots of layers - it was minus 17 at Thingvellir after sunset. Be prepared to be in the vehicle quite a lot. Do go to the Blue lagoon on the way to the airport. Most flights are afternoon which gives time. (The taxi from Blue lagoon to Keflavik was 9000 kr, which we shared with someone else. There is a phone with direct line to a taxi firm in the blue lagoon) Consider adding a day or two in Reykjavik before or after the trip.
Lots to see. Recommend
Lots to see. Weather very changeable. Hotel food very tasty (and very expensive- not just the beer).
Recommend
Most Inspirational Moment
Seeing the NL. Big surprise but magical
Thoughts on Group Leader
Good. Very passionate. Not short of facts!
Advice for Potential Travellers
Prepare for very cold and changeable weather in winter. Prepare for expensive food. Prepare for amazing landscapes. Enjoy!
Start
Finish
Availability
Land Only Trip Price
Optional Single Supplement
Wednesday Wednesday
22 Jan 2025 22 Jan 2025
Sunday Sunday
26 Jan 2025 26 Jan 2025
Availability Guaranteed (On Request) Only 5 spaces left!
Land Only Trip Price £ 1849 £ 1849
Optional Single Supplement +£ 320
Availability
This departure is guaranteed to go ahead and can be booked, although some components will need to be requested. Please click Continue to proceed with booking or contact our Sales team for assistance.
View Trip NotesWednesday Wednesday
12 Feb 2025 12 Feb 2025
Sunday Sunday
16 Feb 2025 16 Feb 2025
Availability Available
Land Only Trip Price £ 1699 £ 1699
Optional Single Supplement +£ 320
Availability
This departure is available for new bookings, and will be guaranteed to go ahead once it reaches minimum numbers. Please click Continue to proceed with booking or contact our Sales team for assistance.
View Trip NotesWednesday Wednesday
19 Feb 2025 19 Feb 2025
Sunday Sunday
23 Feb 2025 23 Feb 2025
Availability Guaranteed (Available)
Land Only Trip Price £ 1699 £ 1699
Optional Single Supplement +£ 320
Availability
This departure is available for new bookings and has reached the minimum number of passengers required to go ahead. Please click Continue to proceed with booking or contact our Sales team for assistance.
View Trip NotesWednesday Wednesday
12 Mar 2025 12 Mar 2025
Sunday Sunday
16 Mar 2025 16 Mar 2025
Availability Guaranteed (Available)
Land Only Trip Price £ 1699 £ 1699
Optional Single Supplement +£ 320
Availability
This departure is available for new bookings and has reached the minimum number of passengers required to go ahead. Please click Continue to proceed with booking or contact our Sales team for assistance.
View Trip NotesWould you like to include flights with your booking?
- ATOL protected
- Competitive flight prices
- Full refunds in the event of FCDO cancellations or major disruption at your UK departure airport
- Specialist support to rearrange flights and transfers
- Regional flights available from many UK airports
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Iceland Northern Lights
5 Days
Excluding Flights
5 Days
from