Every night could be an aurora night. Don't Miss Out
Experience Iceland from sunrise to starlight with South Coast sightseeing and an evening Northern Lights hunt.
Travel in a small group with local guides sharing insights and stories at every stop. Visit glaciers, waterfalls, and the black-sand Reynisfjara before returning to the countryside to chase the aurora after dark. Enjoy warm cocoa and free photos to remember your night under the lights.
One day, but it feels like many—see Iceland’s best.
Availability
Sept - Apr
Duration
16 hours
Departs From
Reykjavik
Level
Easy
Suitable for most people in fair condition.
From
Start your morning with glaciers and waterfalls, and end it under the Northern Lights. Your adventure begins at 8:00 AM in Reykjavík and continues east along the South Coast. Marvel at open plains, distant volcanoes, and glacial valleys, uncovering one natural highlight after another. You’ll explore falls like Skógafoss and Seljalandsfoss, the black sand beach of Reynisfjara, and Iceland’s southernmost village of Vík before returning to Reykjavík by late afternoon. After a dinner break, around 9:00 PM, your guide collects you for the evening Northern Lights hunt, which will last until around midnight.
Travel across the Hellisheiði mountain pass into Iceland’s southern lowlands, where steam, mossy lava fields, and open plains mark the terrain. The first stop is Sólheimajökull Glacier, an outlet of Mýrdalsjökull, known for its blue ice and streaks of volcanic ash. Continue to Reynisfjara Black Sand Beach, where roaring Atlantic waves crash against basalt columns and the Reynisdrangar sea stacks rise offshore. Stop in Vík í Mýrdal, Iceland’s southernmost village, for views of snowy cliffs and the ocean. On the return journey, visit Skógafoss, a 65-meter waterfall, and Seljalandsfoss, Iceland’s most photographed cascade.
In the evening time in Reykjavík, your guide will pick you up for an evening aurora chase. The drive leads far from city lights into Iceland’s quiet countryside, where clear skies reveal the stars. When conditions are right, the Northern Lights begin to appear—green, pink, and violet waves spreading across the horizon. Stay warm with hot chocolate, Icelandic treats, and wool blankets while guides capture free photos of you and your loved ones under the colorful display. Return to Reykjavík around midnight, with memories that will last a lifetime.
Pick-up begins at 8:00 AM from your hotel or the nearest Arctic Adventures meeting point in Reykjavík.
Please arrive at your meeting point at least 10 minutes early. Collecting all guests may take up to 30 minutes, and your patience is much appreciated.
This part of the tour will last approximately 10 hours, after which you'll be dropped off back in Reykjavík.
For the Northern Lights tour, pick-up is at 8:30 PM or 9:30 PM, depending on the season. The exact pick-up time will be listed on your final booking voucher.
The tour ends around midnight, with drop-off at your hotel or a nearby location in Reykjavík.
No, our guides are not able to provide information on these matters, but our team will be happy to assist you. We kindly ask that you reach out to our customer care team regarding any questions or concerns.
Iceland is known for colourful weather. It can sometimes show you all 4 seasons in one day.
Dressing for this sort of weather can be a challenge so we always recommend dressing in layers. 3 or 4 upper layers are highly recommended such as a light t-shirt (preferably wool) next to the skin, then a fleece or heavy wool garment, topped off with a waterproof windbreaker.
Jeans are not recommended for our trips as they become very heavy, cold and uncomfortable to wear when they get wet.
Lightweight hiking pants, track pants or long cotton pants are best and then wind/waterproof pants over. We also recommend using sunglasses and sunscreen even if it is cloudy due to the high UV and sunlight reflecting off of the glacier.
You will need sturdy hiking boots that fit crampons for the glacier hiking tours. If you do not own a pair then we rent out good hiking boots as well as a waterproof raincoat and trousers.
We recommend bringing your own backpack on our full day or 1/2 day tours. It’s great to carry a small lunch and some extra clothing.
You can bring your camera along, and you should definitely bring one since the setting on the tour is full of amazing, scenic views.
This is, of course, a personal choice, we have often had pregnant women on our trips. We recommend you take a close look at our trip description and difficulty rating, they will hopefully give you a better idea. It is also good to contact your physician, pregnant women’s health can be quite different. Feel free to contact us if you have further questions or concerns.
If you're visiting during winter, typically from mid-October to mid-April, we highly recommend using lightweight crampons (also called ice spikes) for added safety on icy paths while sightseeing. You can purchase them during the booking process to ensure a more secure and comfortable experience.
Find more details about crampons and ice spikes in this guide.
We do not provide lunch on any of our trips, so we recommend you bring your own lunch (for the longer trips), snacks and a bottle of water (you can refill it on the trip).
Yes, there is a specially trained and certified glacier guide on every glacier tour that we offer.
When glacier hiking you will be provided with an ice axe, crampons, harness and helmet. This will help you to complete the tour safely. The minimum shoe size to attach crampons is EU 35.
When snow stays long enough in one place it turns to ice. Over long periods of time, the ice layers up becoming huge blocks called glaciers. As there is a lot of snow in Iceland, it forms to create ginormous glaciers that sweep across huge masses of land. Iceland is home to Europe’s largest glacier named Vatnajökull. This Glacier Guide will also tell you everything you may want to know about Glaciers.
Rain is not uncommon in Iceland. However, we do not let the rain stop our tours. This is why having appropriate clothing is very important to keep you warm and dry. Nature is not something that we can control and therefore we need to adapt to the weather. If your safety is compromised by going on the tour, we will cancel and you will be fully refunded.
This guide to Glacier Hiking includes all the information you might need when preparing for a glacier hike.
