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This 5-day adventure takes you along Iceland’s stunning South Coast, with visits to the Golden Circle, Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon, waterfalls, black sand beaches, and a glacier ice cave.
The tour also includes Northern Lights experiences—one by boat from Reykjavik and another by minibus in the countryside—giving you the best possible chance to see the aurora! With expert guides, small groups, and cozy hotels, it’s an easy and unforgettable way to explore Iceland’s winter highlights.
Over five days, this tour takes you from Reykjavík into the heart of South Iceland, with each day focused on a different region and its natural highlights. You’ll start with a Northern Lights boat tour on your first night, then travel through the Golden Circle, along the South Coast, and all the way to the glaciers of Vatnajökull National Park.
Expect a mix of guided sightseeing, ice cave adventures, and evening aurora hunts, with comfortable hotel stays each night. The tour wraps up back in Reykjavík, giving you time to explore the city on your own before departure.
Check in at your hotel around 2 PM and get settled before the tour. In the evening, make your way to the ticket office at the Old Harbor in Reykjavik and prepare to board the boat. Our guides monitor the aurora forecast and know the bay like the back of their hands, so finding the best spot to watch the Northern Lights is their specialty.
The boat will take you away from the city lights to make sure you can get the best and unobstructed view of the Northern Lights. Sit back and relax as the boat sails across the North Atlantic waves and magical Aurora Borealis play in the sky above! We also offer overalls to those who wish to keep warm and comfortable on the deck.
To make the trip even more entertaining, we’ll show you our video about the Northern Lights. The footage is packed with Icelandic folklore, photos, and fun facts. The boat has a cozy café and a bar, where you can keep yourself warm and busy while waiting for the lights to appear in the sky.
After watching the natural show, we’ll take you back to the harbor and you can make your way to the hotel for the night.
Today the tour brings you to Iceland’s iconic Golden Circle and its three highlights: Thingvellir, Geysir, and Gullfoss.
The first stop is Thingvellir National Park. This UNESCO World Heritage Site is a historic location where Iceland’s first Parliament, Althingi (Alþingi) was founded in 930 CE.
Thingvellir is also unique in its geology. A rift valley stretches between two tectonic plates, the Eurasian and North American. The plates slowly drift apart from each other, making Thingvellir ever-growing!
The next stop is Geysir Geothermal Area. Once an active geyser, Geysir now lays dormant. However, its neighbor Strokkur puts on a show like no other! Watch Strokkur explode with a tower of water up to 25 meters high! You won’t have to wait long to witness the natural spectacle, as Strokkur bursts out every 10 minutes or so.
The third stop is Gullfoss (the Golden Falls), Iceland’s most popular waterfall. The powerful white water Hvita River roars down in two stages before the water plunges down into the rugged canyon. The falling water creates a golden mist, and rainbows are a frequent sight right by the falls.
After visiting the Golden Circle, we make our way toward the South Coast. If the weather allows, enjoy the views of Mount Hekla on the way to Seljalandsfoss. We’ll visit this unusual waterfall that you can walk behind!
Your hotel for the night is close to Kirkjubæjarklaustur, a charming town in the South. Away from light pollution, we have good chances to see the Northern Lights. With a little luck and the right weather conditions, we can enjoy the auroras dancing in the sky!
After breakfast at the hotel, We make our way towards the East, through lava fields, desert sands, and past glaciers resting on the horizon. One of them is Vatnajökull, the largest glacier in the country.
Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon and the nearby Diamond Beach are up next on our 5-day tour. The lagoon is dotted with floating icebergs of all shapes and sizes. Many of these sit on the black sand at Diamond Beach. Blue icebergs look like diamonds on the black canvas! See if you can spot playful seals resting on the beach.
From Jokulsarlon, we’ll head to Skaftafell for a new adventure. During the winter months (October-April), we’ll step on the Vatnajokull glacier, accompanied by a certified glacier guide. We’ll also have an opportunity to visit a natural ice cave during the tour. And during Setpember, we’ll go to Katla Ice Cave near Vik instead of a glacier hike.
Tonight's stay is in the Kirkjubæjarklaustur area again. Before heading for well-deserved rest, we’ll go on the Northern Light hunting adventure! Snowy peaks and glaciers make up a perfect background for watching auroras play in the sky.
Day 4 is dedicated to South Coast and its attractions. If the roads are clear, we’ll make a small detour to Fjaðrárgljúfur Canyon, also known as the “Bieber’s canyon.”
After that, we’ll get a chance to visit the iconic Eldhraun lava field and your knowledgeable guide will tell you was makes it so special. Then, we will head to Reynisfjara black sand beach. This black sand beach has been rated as one of the most beautiful non-tropical beaches in the world. Reynisdrangar basalt sea stacks tower right by the shore. Together with the powerful waves of the Atlantic Ocean, they create dramatic views.
Skógafoss is our next stop. The water plunges down from 60 meters height, and if you’re up for a challenge, 527 steps lead to the top of the waterfall! If the visibility is good, you can even see the famous volcano, Eyjafjallajökull, lurking above the waterfall!
After settling in at your hotel in Reykjavik, the adventure picks up again as night falls. A professional northern lights guide will take you out in a cozy minibus, following the latest aurora forecasts to find the clearest skies and best possible viewing spots for that night.
With luck—and a little solar magic—you’ll watch green and purple lights ripple across the dark Icelandic sky. It’s quiet, surreal, and something you’ll never forget.
Today is all about exploring Reykjavik! You have an entire day for yourself and this is your chance to get to know the city and get closer to the local culture.
There’s a lot to do in the city. Start with visiting local boutiques, cozy coffee shops, and museums. Some of them even offer the Northern Lights experience so you can see auroras in Reykjavik!
If you prefer to stay in the fresh air, walk along the old harbor, or the shoreline by the Atlantic Ocean.
Those who want the full Icelandic experience should bring their swimsuits! Relax in any of the many spas and swimming pools across the city.
Last but not least, don’t miss a chance to try traditional Icelandic food and wash it down with local drinks!
This is an outdoor adventure tour, so dressing appropriately for Iceland’s changing weather is essential. Throughout the trip, we recommend wearing warm, layered clothing, including thermal underwear, a waterproof jacket and pants, a warm hat, scarf, and gloves.
For the glacier hike, sturdy hiking boots are mandatory as they are the only type that works with ice crampons. If needed, hiking boots, waterproof jackets, and pants can be rented on-location for the glacier activity. To rent gear for the entire tour, please be sure to add the items to your booking at least 48 hours before departure.
We always recommend booking a multi-day tour starting at least one day after arriving in Iceland. If you’re flying in from the US or will be landing early (4-6:30 am) you should be able to join the tour, but some risks would follow (i.e if the flight gets delayed) and could, therefore, miss out on the tour.
Most of the hotels we use during our tours are remotely located and therefore ideal for spotting the northern lights. If the forecast is in your favor, then it is more than likely that you will be able to see the magical show put on by the dancing northern lights during your tour with us. Most of the hotels offer a Northern Lights wake-up call up on request if the lights are spotted.
The Northern Lights are a natural phenomenon; therefore, we can unfortunately never promise they will be seen. Their appearance depends upon atmospheric and weather conditions. The best time to see them is between September and March when it’s dark and clear. The sky needs to be as dark as possible, so the best places to see them are well away from city lights (that’s where we are going!).
For more information on the Northern Lights, please look at our blog about Northern Lights.
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.
If you are not sure that you have suitable gear for your tour, we offer some necessary items for rent. For most of our multi-day tours, we rent out waterproof jackets and pants as well as hiking boots. You can book these items and more under the selection “Extras” in the booking widget when booking your tour on our website.
If you have already booked the tour and wish to add some rental gear to your booking, you can do so at least 24 hours prior to your tour starting by using our customer portal - My Adventures, or contacting our customer care.
We drive on average around 300 km (186 miles) per day on our multi-day tours. You will be spending approximately 4-5 hours in the car each day. We do of course stop on multiple locations throughout the tour for sightseeing, activities, bathroom breaks and lunch stops.
We do welcome participants of all ages older than the listed minimum age for each tour. We have people of ages ranging from 8-99 years joining our multi-day tours. Our average group usually consists of participants between the age 20-55 years. We do get a lot of solo travellers joining our tours, as well as families and friends.
If you have difficulties participating in any of the activities included in the tour, for example, a glacier activity, you are more than welcome to skip it. You can explore your surroundings in the meantime or wait elsewhere. Our guide should be able to drop you off at a nearby place where there are some services available.
For multi-day tours, each participant is allowed to bring a small backpack and 1 piece of luggage weighing a maximum of 20 kg (44 lbs). If you have more or heavier luggage with you, you will need to book storage for the surplus luggage before you arrive, there is a small fee for using this facility. Luggage storage in Reykjavík can be added during the booking process of your order in the extras section.
* The combined dimensions of each bag must not exceed 158 cm (62 in).
Breakfast is included at all the hotels we stay in during the tour. The breakfast will be a typical breakfast buffet, offering bread, toppings, cereal, yogurt, fruits, coffee, and tea etc.
Your guide will also find a good place for the group to eat lunch. We always try to choose places that have a wide selection of dishes on the menu, so there will be options available for everyone. The dinner is usually at the hotels we stay at for the night.
If your tour includes accommodation, breakfast is always included during the tour at the hotel/guesthouse restaurant.
Meals and beverages are otherwise not included on your tour. (Unless it’s specifically stated in the description of the tour)
On our multiday tours, we will be making stops at restaurants and convenience stores where you will be able to purchase all necessities. Cash is not necessary, as credit cards are almost always accepted. Having a small amount of cash doesn’t hurt though.
A single supplement is available if you want to have your own room, but you are not required to pay a single supplement. If you are a single traveler and do not wish to book a single room, you’ll be roomed with another traveler of the same gender.
When booking with Arctic Adventures, you are guaranteed an accommodation at a nice country hotel and/or a guesthouse. The hotels we have partnered up with are all of the same standard and offer nice rooms with made-up beds and private bathrooms. The standard room is a twin room but it’s possible to request a double room or a triple room, with no extra charge.
If you are traveling solo, you will have to add the single room fee if you wish to have a single room.
All hotels have free Wi-Fi. Towels, a hairdryer and a kettle are accessible at all of the hotels. Hotel breakfast is included!
