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.

West Iceland (I. Vesturland) is on our agenda today. The first stop of the day will be at Deildartunguhver hot spring, the most powerful hot spring in Europe. Icelanders make good use of the great amount of water it pumps out (180 liters per second of 100°C water / 47.5 gallons per second of 212ºF water). This water is used to heat the homes and buildings in many of the neighboring towns.

The next stop of the day is at the historic village of Reykholt where we will find a hot spring pool called Snorralaug. This unique pool can be dated back to the medieval period. Snorralaug is thought to have been used by locals since the 12th century, making it possibly the oldest human-used hot spring in the country.

This lovely little hot spring is mentioned in the medieval writings of Snorri Sturluson, a very famous Icelandic saga writer, historian, and law speaker. Today, the historic pool is a protected site, but you will get a chance to see it and to even feel the hot temperature of the water.

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!

Leaving Reykholt behind, we will drive past beautiful landscapes and Hvalfjörður, the whale fjord. We will then head to Borgarfjörður, another stunning fjord. Our next stop of the day will be at two very unique waterfalls, Hraunfossar (the Lava Falls) and Barnafoss (Children’s Falls), which are located a few hundred meters apart on the same cyan-blue river.

Hraunfossar is one of the most special waterfalls in Iceland because the water appears from under the ground. More precisely, it cascades out of a lava field through thousands of little springs. The sight of this phenomenon is stunningly impressive.

Barnafoss looks rather like a violent rapid on the river. The site has a very sad story which you will learn from the guide.

We then leave Borgarfjörður behind and set course towards the beautiful Snæfellsnes Peninsula. But, before reaching it, we will stop to see a giant wall called Gerðuberg made out of natural basalt columns. From there, we will drive to the hotel where we will spend the night.

After a delicious dinner, we will be ready to check out the Northern Lights! That is, if the cloud forecast and the Northern Lights forecast are favorable, of course.

*Please note that due to weather, we might have to change the itinerary and start with the South Coast instead of Snæfellsnes.

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

After a tasty breakfast at our hotel, we will continue our drive along the coast of the Snæfellsnes Peninsula. Dramatic rocky coasts will be the scenery on one side while stunning mountains and a glacier-capped volcano will look down on us from the other side.

Our first stop of the day is at a lovely fishing village called Arnarstapi. Here we will take a walk to explore the surrounding area. An idyllic setting with tiny houses, breathtaking coastal rock formations, and stone arches awaits us here.

Next, we will have the option of exploring beneath the ground at Vatnshellir Cave, located inside Snæfellsnes National Park. This is an optional activity which you can choose during the booking process for a small additional fee. The stunning lava tube tunnel under the Snæfellsnes Volcano is approximately 8,000 years old. A specialist caving guide will explain its history and will show you all of its fascinating features. Those who wish not to participate in the lava cave tour can take a walk in the national park instead.

Our next stop will be at Hellnar, another charming fishing village. Here we will stop at a restaurant to have lunch. We then continue to the beautiful black beach of Djúpalónssandur where we will enjoy a short hike among the thrilling lava rock formations and glossy black pebbles. We will walk up to the remains of the British trawler Epine, which met its end here. At the end of the beach, you can test your strength on the famous lifting stones like the Icelandic fishermen did in the olden days, if you would like.

Leaving Djúpalónssandur behind, we will continue our journey around the Snæfellsnes Peninsula. Our next stop will be at the most photographed mountain in Iceland: the famous Mount Kirkjufell. This was also a filming location for “Game of Thrones”. Kirkjufell was the “arrowhead mountain” where the children on the forest created the first White Walker. This spot is so picturesque that it is a favorite location for many photographers.

After visiting Kirkjufell, we will head back to the capital where you will spend the night. If the forecast is favorable, we will 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

After breakfast at your hotel, we pick you up and take you on a spectacular two-day sightseeing tour around the most iconic natural attractions in Iceland.

We will drive towards the rising sun where our first stop will be at the majestic Seljalandsfoss waterfall, the one which you can walk behind in summertime. Its gracefully falling cascade is an absolutely mind-blowing sight whether you look at it from behind or from the front.

Our next highlight will be Skógafoss, another epic waterfall. Both cascades are around 60 meters (196 feet) high and have their origin in the very famous volcano-glacier, Eyjafjallajökull. Skógafoss is greater in volume and wider than Seljalandsfoss, but both waterfalls are jaw-dropping, for sure!

In nice weather, we will have a great view of another volcano mountain glacier, Mýrdalsjokull.

As we continue on, we will come to the famous black sand beach area called Reynisfjara. With its jointed columnar basalt formations and thrilling sea stacks, Reynisfjara was voted to be one of the ten best non-tropical beaches in the world.

Then we will then drive through the charming small town of Vík on our way to our accommodation in the Skaftafell area.

Throughout the entire day, we will see sights and landscapes that will definitely take our breath away. Prepare for the most dramatic panoramas you have ever seen: rugged lava fields covered by thick moss, enormous waterfalls, dramatic coastal cliffs, and thrilling glacier tongues!

If the conditions allow, we will hunt for the Northern Lights next to our perfectly positioned country hotel! There is no light pollution in the area, so the place is just perfect for spotting this fantastic natural phenomenon.

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

Today, we will explore the land of ice. We will really get to know glaciers by visiting a glacier lagoon and venturing into a real glacier with a qualified glacier guide. There is no better way than this to get up close and personal with the largest ice cap in Europe!

The renowned Jökulsárlón Ice Lagoon become famous after hosting several blockbuster movies including “Lara Croft: Tomb Raider”, “The Fast and the Furious”, and “Batman Begins” – just to name a few. It is a lagoon filled with splendid blue icebergs which calved off of the receding Breiðamerkurjökull glacier. Some are incredibly large and some contain stripes of volcanic ash. As the lagoon is connected with the sea which almost never freezes so the icebergs slowly float towards the Atlantic Ocean.

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”.

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.

After our visit to the ice cave has ended, we begin our return trip to Reykjavík. On the way, we have a scheduled stop at the Skaftafell Nature Reserve in Vatnajokull National Park. This nature reserve is a green oasis in the middle of a collection of amazingly jagged mountains and glacier-capped peaks. Skaftafell and the splendid scenery it has to offer will definitely be one of the most memorable sights of this tour. As darkness falls on our trip back, we will keep our eyes open for any Northern Lights that may appear.

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