4 Day Northern Lights, Snaefellsnes & Glacier Lagoon

Day 1: West Iceland

Pick up will be at 9 am from the Reykjavík meeting point you have chosen. Please note that even though the pickup procedure up can take up to 30 minutes, you do have to be ready and waiting at 9 am.

Be prepared to embark upon a tour that will leave you inspired long after you’ve left Iceland. We’ll first head towards a town called Borgarfjörður, home to Europe’s biggest hot spring, Deildartunguhver. The hot spring pumps out around 33 ounces (180 liters) of hot water per second. The temperature of the hot spring is about 100°C and it is used to provide heating and hot water to the neighboring areas. 

You will have the option of visiting the Krauma geothermal baths on this day. For those that choose not to visit Krauma, we will go and visit a nearby horse farm and pet some Icelandic horses!

Afterward, we’ll be on our way to Reykholt, a small, yet culturally important town in Iceland where famed medieval poet and politician Snorri Sturluson lived. There’s also a hot spring pool where he’s said to have bathed. Close to Reykholt, you’ll visit two waterfalls unlike any other in the world: Hraunfossar and Barnafoss. Afterward, if the forecast is favorable, we’ll try to catch a glimpse of the Northern Lights. As the day draws to an end, we’ll head to the Snæfellsnes Peninsula, where the next day’s adventures await.

The accommodation for the night will be in Hotel Borgarnes.

Day Highlights

Deildartunguhver hot spring

Reykholt

Hraunfossar and Barnafoss Waterfalls

Snæfellsnes Peninsula

Northern Lights Hunt (in the right conditions)

Included

Pick up from Reykjavik

Guided minibus tour to all highlights

One night at a hotel

Accommodation

Day 2: Snæfellsnes peninsula

Once awake and spoiled with a generous breakfast, we’ll head towards Djúpalónssandur Beach. On the way there, you’ll be able to soak in the beautiful alpine and coastal scenery of western Snæfellsnes. Djúpalónssandur used to be a flourishing fishing village with around 60 fishing boats. You might notice a handful of huge stones on the shoreline. Back in the day, fishermen would challenge each other to lift the stones in order to prove their strength. Here we’ll enjoy a short hike along the coast, as the shimmering silver-tipped Atlantic waves roll over the glossy black pebbles of this beach. An old British trawler, shipwrecked in 1948 is still visible from the shore. 

At the top of the beach, we’ll come across a picturesque view of Iceland’s most photogenic mountain, Kirkjufell. Snæfellsnes is known for its diverse and artistic landscapes, and is often referred to as “Iceland in a nutshell.” We’ll cap the day off with spectacular views of Snæfellsjökull, the monumental glacier, made famous by Jules Verne’s book “Journey to the Center of the Earth.” After a full day of adventures, we’ll drive you back to the Reykjavík for the overnight.

If the forecast is favorable, we will be on the lookout for the Northern Lights!

Day Highlights

Arnarstapi Fishing Village

Snæefellsnes National Park

Vatnshellir Cave (optional extra)

Djúpalónssandur Beach

Mount Kirkjufell

Northern Lights Hunt (if conditions are right)

Included

Hotel breakfast

Guided minibus tour to all highlights

All necessary caving equipment

Qualified Caving Guide (optional activity)

One night at a hotel in the Reykjavík area

Accommodation

Day 3: The Grand South Coast

The second half of your trip will take place in the southern and eastern parts of Iceland. Throughout out the entire day, expect to see breathtaking landscapes, consisting of immense, moss-smothered lava fields, waterfalls, volcanic black sands, and glacier tongues.

After a hearty breakfast in Reykjavik, we’ll head along the South Coast, passing through farmlands, towns, and villages, towards the Seljandsfoss waterfall. This remarkable waterfall is definitely worth getting damp for as you hike up behind the waterfall, soaking in the pleasant peek through the water curtain cascading down. Our next highlight is the neighboring Skógafoss, located on the base of a volcano called Eyjafjallajökull. Hike up this waterfall’s crest for panoramic views of the lowland below, and, on a clear day, Mýrdalsjökull is also visible.

Our next stop is Reynisfjara, a black sand beach with wind-sculptured basalt cliffs and sea stacks. On the way to our accommodation in Hof, we’ll drive through the charming small town of Vík. Once at the hotel, we’ll enjoy a peaceful evening and, if the conditions are right, we’ll hunt for the Northern Lights once more.  

Day Highlights

Seljalandsfoss and Skogafoss Waterfalls

Coastal village of Vik

Reynisfjara Black Beach

Northern Lights Hunt (if conditions are right)

Included

Hotel breakfast

Pick up from your hotel

Guided minibus tour to all highlights

One night at a hotel

Accommodation

Day 4: Ice cave and Glacier lagoon

Once well rested, we’ll start our last day of the trip by visiting world-famous Jokulsarlon Glacier Lagoon nearby Diamond Beach. We encourage you to explore the glittering, out-of-this-world ice lagoon and go on an ultimate hike in the Vatnajokull ice cave.

Many of these natural ice sculptures are washed onto the beach and broken into a million pieces that then decorate the black sand like sparkling diamonds. This is how the site earned the name of “Diamond Beach”. Don’t forget to look out for the floating icebergs, cut off from the glacier tongue, on the shore of Diamond beach. You might even see a seal or two.

Next, we will literally enter the body of a glacier and visit a spectacular ice cave, accompanied by a qualified guide, of course. Ice caves are fascinating natural wonders that are always changing, winter after winter. Due to the melt and freeze cycle of the glaciers, new caves are born each year and will later refill with ice and disappear.

Inside a glacier, you will find ice of a surprisingly deep jewel blue. This color is caused by both the compression of the ice under its own weight and the way that our eyes perceive light and color. For any photographer, the journey into an ice cave will give them the superb opportunity to capture the shimmering blue light that filters through the glacial ice into the ice cave.

On our way back to Reykjavik, we’ll stop by the Vatnajökull National Park for a quick visit. Skaftafell Nature Reserve is a green area in the middle of jagged mountains and snow-capped peaks. The splendid scenery of Skaftafell is definitely going to be the highlight of the day. As night falls, we’ll go on a hunt for Northern Lights.

Due to traffic, weather, and the possibility of Northern Lights, we can expect to return to Reykjavík from around 9 pm to 11 pm.

Please note that as the ice caves are an ever-changing natural phenomenon, it is, therefore, not possible to say that we will visit any specific cave. The choice of ice cave will always be based on the conditions and safety considerations at the time of the trip.

Day Highlights

Vatnajokull Glacier

Jokulsarlon Glacier Lagoon

The Crystal Beach (Diamond Beach)

Natural Ice Cave

Skaftafell Nature Reserve

Included

Hotel breakfast

Guided Ice cave tour

Certified Glacier Guide

All glacier and ice cave equipment

Guided minibus tour to all highlights

Drop off in Reykavík