Your itinerary
Day 1
Adventure starts in Reyjkavik
The adventure begins at our hotel in Reykjavik. The compact capital of Iceland is well worth exploring, and we strongly recommend a couple of extra days before or after your tour. Our welcome briefing takes place tomorrow morning, when we meet our tour leader for the first time.
If you’re itching to see the Northern Lights, you may wish to visit the waterfront, which is away from the main city lights and, therefore, offers better conditions should the aurora display tonight.
Want more time in Reykjavik? Secure extra hotel nights through your sales representative.
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Day 2
Visit Seljalandsfoss and Skógafoss waterfalls; search for the Northern Lights
Gather for our welcome briefing at 8.30am, in which we discuss important information about the adventure and meet our tour leader for the first time.
Then we 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.
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!
Also this evening, we gather for a welcome dinner – a great chance to get to know each other a little better in a relaxed setting.
Meals: Breakfast,Dinner
Day 3
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.
Meals: Breakfast
Day 4
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.
Upgrade to a superior room today – speak to your sales representative for more details
Meals: Breakfast
Day 5
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.
Meals: Breakfast
What’s included
What’s not included
Additional information
Food
There are several different lunch stops, which we believe fit well with the itinerary, such as the cafe near the Skogafoss waterfall. In the east of Iceland, we stop at local restaurants for dinner.
In Reykjavik, there are plenty of restaurants to cover all tastes and budgets. Traditional Icelandic dishes consist of salmon, cod, lamb and puffin. The old town cafes are particularly cosy, packed with comfy chairs and antique furniture, with wonderful selections of coffees, cakes and treats.
Vegetarian and vegan options are generally available, although in the east of Iceland these may be more limited than in Reykjavik. If you follow a restricted diet of any kind, please expect options to be limited.
Falljökull Glacier Walk in Vatnajökull National Park
Join a guided glacier walk on Falljokull, a dramatic outlet of Vatnajokull. After a safety briefing, strap on crampons and an ice axe to explore easy, undulating ice and sculpted ridges under expert supervision.
Navigate past blue ice formations, crevasse fields and ash-streaked layers shaped by centuries of snowfall. Your guide interprets glacial dynamics and recent retreat, pacing the outing to suit the group and winter conditions for a memorable, confidence-building adventure.
Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon & Diamond Beach
Witness the Jokulsárlón glacier lagoon, where luminous icebergs calved from Breiðamerkurjokull drift toward the sea. Stroll the shoreline to watch seals surface among sculpted floes and hear ice crackle softly in the tide.
Cross to Diamond Beach to wander among glittering fragments on black volcanic sand, a striking contrast for photographers. Learn how the lagoon expanded as glaciers retreated through the mid-20th century, creating one of Iceland’s most cinematic landscapes.
Seljalandsfoss & Skógafoss Waterfalls
Experience two of Iceland’s signature cascades as you visit Seljalandsfoss and Skógafoss on the south coast. Feel the spray and, if paths permit, walk behind the cascade at Seljalandsfoss for a rare reverse view of a 60m fall.
Fed by Eyjafjallajokull and Mýrdalsjokull ice caps, these drops thunder onto ancient sea cliffs, lacing the air with rainbow mists and delicate winter ice. Listen to Skógafoss roar and watch seabirds wheel above dark basalt bluffs.
Reynisfjara Black Sand Beach & Dyrhólaey Clifftop Views
Explore Reynisfjara black sand beach, famed for powerful Atlantic swells and organ-pipe basalt, and admire the offshore Reynisdrangar sea stacks rising from the surf in sculptural silhouettes.
Weather and daylight permitting, continue to the Dyrhólaey promontory for sweeping views along the South Coast and over Mýrdalsjokull. Your leader advises on safe distances from sneaker waves while sharing insights into the coast’s volcanic geology and folklore.
Northern Lights Countryside Watch
Venture into the dark-sky countryside to search for the Northern Lights with your expert leader. Step outside the hotel and scan the horizon as pale arcs strengthen into veils of green and violet when conditions align.
Positioned beneath the auroral oval, Iceland rewards patience, clear skies and solar activity. Your leader tracks real-time forecasts and cloud breaks to maximize viewing, helping you pause for photos and reflection while explaining local lore and the science behind the spectacle.
Countryside Welcome Dinner & Aurora Briefing
Gather for a welcome dinner featuring locally sourced Icelandic dishes such as lamb, Arctic char or rye-bread specialties, served with wide-open countryside views and an unhurried atmosphere.
Between courses, enjoy a brief Northern Lights orientation with tips to photograph displays without flash and preserve night vision. Held one evening early in the tour, this convivial meal sets a warm, communal tone for the adventure ahead.
Meet Your Tour Leader: Welcome Briefing
Meet your Tour Leader for a concise safety and logistics briefing that prepares you for winter travel in Iceland. Receive practical guidance on layers, footwear, road conditions and camera care in cold, changeable weather.
Gain an introduction to aurora forecast basics—solar wind, KP index and cloud cover—and how the group will stay flexible for optimal viewing. This hosted session fosters shared expectations and clear communication for the journey.
Blue Lagoon Geothermal Bathing (Optional)
Soak in the Blue Lagoon’s silica-rich, milky-blue waters amid a rugged lava field near Keflavík. Steam drifts into crisp air as you unwind beneath black basalt walls and mineral-white seams.
This is an optional experience at additional cost, bookable on tour subject to availability. Your leader can help arrange timed entry and transfers; pre-booking is advised. Many travellers choose to visit before flights for a serene finale to their adventure.
Golden Circle: Gullfoss, Geysir & Þingvellir National Park
Explore Iceland’s classic circuit, taking in the roaring terraces of Gullfoss, the rhythmic eruptions of Strokkur at Geysir, and the tectonic drama of Þingvellir National Park. Wander boardwalks through steaming fields and stand at canyon rims glazed with winter ice.
Stand beside the Mid-Atlantic Rift where continents diverge and discover where the Althing first convened in 930. Steam hisses across the geyser field while Gullfoss plunges into a basalt gorge, its spray catching sunlight and snowflakes for striking photographs.
