Winter Stopover in Reykjavík: Chase the Northern Lights
Base yourself in Reykjavík for an exciting 3-day multi-day tour perfect for winter stopovers and short breaks. Spend this time exploring Iceland's buzzing capital, full of interesting restaurants, vibrant bars, and fascinating museums, while also venturing into the countryside on guided excursions. If you've not got long to spend in Iceland, this package is ideal for getting a genuine taste of the country in wintertime, and you'll have the thrilling chance to chase the Northern Lights, one of the biggest draws during the darker months.
This multi-day tour format means you stay at the same comfortable Reykjavík hotel for your entire visit, unpacking once and settling in. No need to change accommodations nightly or worry about driving in unfamiliar conditions. Instead, sit back, relax, and let experienced guides and drivers handle the logistics while you focus on enjoying Iceland's winter magic. Join a Northern Lights hunting excursion on a comfortable bus, venturing into the dark countryside where aurora viewing conditions are optimal.
Combine a comprehensive Golden Circle tour with an activity of your choice, customizing your adventure to match your interests. Options include snowmobiling across glaciers for adrenaline rushes or relaxing in natural hot springs for rejuvenation. The flexibility lets you create your perfect Icelandic experience. Enjoy the buzz of Reykjavík, Iceland's cool capital, with time to discover its unique character. Wander colorful streets, sample innovative Nordic cuisine, browse design shops, and experience the vibrant culture that makes this northern city special.
Your package includes airport transfers, so you won't need to worry about transportation from the moment you land until you depart. Everything is arranged for maximum convenience. Spend evenings enjoying Reykjavík's restaurants and nightlife, knowing you'll return to the same comfortable hotel each night. This tour style is perfect for travelers who want Iceland's highlights without the complexities of driving or constantly changing hotels.
On this tour you will...
Join a Northern Lights hunting excursion
Combine the Golden Circle with an activity of your choice
Go snowmobiling or relax in a hot spring
Enjoy the buzz of Reykjavík, Iceland’s cool capital
Sit back, relax, and let someone else do the driving
Top attractions
Why book a multi-day trip with Iceland Tours?
Start your tour on the date that suits you
Stay at the same place in Reykjavík for your whole trip
Travel on comfortable buses with free Wi-Fi
Effortlessly customize your trip with extra activities
24/7 emergency helpline in Iceland
Secure your booking with just a 5% deposit
Your 3-day bus itinerary
Transfer from Keflavík International Airport to your hotel in Reykjavík is included, starting your vacation stress-free.
Welcome to Reykjavík, and to Iceland! Depending on what time your flight lands, you might have hours to stretch your legs and explore the city center at your leisure. The compact downtown is easily walkable. Check out local museums showcasing Icelandic history and art, browse galleries featuring contemporary work, and explore shops selling everything from traditional wool sweaters to modern Nordic design. Alternatively, recharge after your flight in a hot tub at one of the local geothermal swimming pools, a beloved Icelandic tradition. These pools are gathering spots where locals socialize while soaking in naturally heated water.
This evening, an exciting adventure awaits that will get your trip off to a thrilling start. Spend the night on a magical Northern Lights hunt! Included with your package is a large group bus tour departing Reykjavík for a dark-skied location perfect for spotting the auroras. Your guide will take you away from city lights to areas with optimal viewing conditions. You also have the option to upgrade to a small group excursion, super jeep tour, or boat trip for a more exclusive experience (upgrades available at additional cost).
Good to know: The Northern Lights (also called the Aurora Borealis) are a natural phenomenon and sightings cannot be guaranteed, even with clear skies. The tour may be canceled if weather conditions are unfavorable, but you'll have the chance to join the same or a similar excursion for free later in your trip.
Highlights
Included experiences, upgrade options & extra activities
Today you have the freedom to choose your own adventure, making this day completely yours to design. You could spend the entire day exploring the capital at your own pace. Reykjavík offers a wide range of sights to visit and activities to enjoy. Walk around to immerse yourself in the local culture, discovering neighbourhoods beyond the main tourist areas.
Visit one of the numerous museums, from the National Museum documenting Iceland's settlement to smaller specialized collections. Go shopping along Laugavegur and side streets, hunting for unique Icelandic souvenirs and design items. Have a taste of the local cuisine at one of the many delicious restaurants and cafes, sampling everything from traditional Icelandic dishes to innovative Nordic fusion.
Alternatively, you have the possibility to choose from one of our best-selling optional day tours to venture into the countryside. Please note there is time for only one full-day tour. Options might include a Golden Circle tour combined with activities like snowmobiling, visiting ice caves, soaking in hot springs, or other adventures. Browse the available options and select what excites you most. Return to your Reykjavík hotel this evening, where you can enjoy dinner at a local restaurant and perhaps experience the city's nightlife.
Transfer from Reykjavík to Keflavík International Airport is included, ensuring a smooth departure.
Depending on your flight departure time, you might be able to fit in a final stop at the Blue Lagoon on your way to the airport if you haven't already made the visit during your stay. That way, you'll be relaxed and rejuvenated before your flight home, soaking in the famous milky-blue geothermal waters one last time. If you add this stop, you'll be picked up at your hotel and dropped off at the Blue Lagoon, where luggage storage facilities are available for a fee. After your spa visit, transfer continues to the airport.
Good to know: Most airlines require you to arrive at the airport at least 2 hours before your departure, so bear this in mind when booking. The drive to the airport takes around 20 minutes from the Blue Lagoon. Pre-booking is required for the Blue Lagoon stop. If not adding the spa visit, simply enjoy your final morning in Reykjavík before your included transfer to the airport for your flight home, carrying memories of Northern Lights hunting and Icelandic discoveries.
What’s included?
Budget, Comfort, or Quality accommodation every night
Continental breakfast every day
Airport transfer
Northern Lights guided bus tour
24/7 emergency helpline when you’re in Iceland
Carbon offsetting of your tour
VAT, taxes & service fees
Flights to Iceland
Food & drink, unless otherwise stated
Attraction entrance fees, unless otherwise stated
Personal travel insurance
FAQs about our multi-day trips
Throughout your multi-day trip with Iceland Tours, you’ll be based in the Icelandic capital of Reykjavík or Akureyri the capital of the North. From here, you can join guided tours into the surrounding countryside to soak up the mind-blowing scenery. Your package will include at least one day trip, and depending on the length of your tour package you can opt to add more.
It’s worth bearing in mind that you won’t have the same guide throughout your trip. In fact, on each escorted group day trip from Reykjavík or Akureyri, you’ll get to meet a new guide and new fellow travelers.
What’s more, spending each night in the same accommodation means you don’t need to worry about unpacking and repacking during your trip. It also gives you the chance to experience more of the city’s restaurants, food halls, and bars. And you’ll have time to browse the local shops and visiting the city’s attractions.
Enter your dates and the number of people in your group on the tour package page. Here you can also choose your accommodation level.
At checkout, you can customize your trip with extra days and activities. Afterwards, follow the steps to finalize your booking and you’ll get a confirmation from us via email.
There’s one more thing that’s great to know: all it takes is a 5% deposit to secure your booking today.
Because a multi-day trip is made up of different excursions every day, you won’t always be with the same group. That said, Iceland is small enough that you might just bump into someone from the day before!
If you’re looking for the kind of experience where you can hang with the same group and make new friends, we also offer guided group tours of Iceland. These are led by local experts who will take you and your travel buddies all over the country.
Absolutely! You can customize your package by:
- Picking your level of accommodation (Budget, Comfort, or Quality)
- Extending your stay with extra nights in Reykjavík at the start or end of your trip
- Adding optional activities, such as a food tour or glacier hike
Once you’ve decided roughly when you want to visit Iceland, you can start searching for flights online. Iceland is well connected to major airports in Europe and across North America.
It makes the most sense to book your package with Iceland Tours first. Once your booking is confirmed, go ahead and purchase your flights. Then all you need to do is think about what to pack! In fact, you can read all about that below.
When you opt for a multi-day package, you won’t be traveling with the same guide and group throughout your trip. This means that number of fellow travelers you meet on your guided excursions will vary depending on the activity.
For instance, if you’re going on an ice cave tour, your group could include a just a handful people. Meanwhile, a tour of the Golden Circle by bus will often be a larger group as you’ll likely be traveling by coach. And you’ll find evening Northern Lights tours are usually by coach too, although you have the option to upgrade to a small group, super jeep, or boat tour.
Depending on the excursion, your bus could be either a minibus or coach. Most buses will have free onboard Wi-Fi and charging points for your phone. Larger buses also have overhead compartments for stowing your bag and jacket.
It’s good to know that although there’s no restroom on the bus, your guide will make sure to include regular breaks throughout the journey.
Yes, all of these multi-day trips include airport transfers by bus from Keflavík International Airport to Reykjavík on arrival and departure.
No worries! Iceland Tours is already offsetting the carbon footprint of your tour package. We've teamed up with an environmental fund in Iceland to cover the carbon offset for all our tours.
Carbon offsetting for international flights is not included, but we suggest checking with your airline or through a local environmental fund for options.
On each morning of your trip, you’ll get a tasty continental breakfast at your accommodation. In most places, this is served buffet-style in a communal dining room.
With most packages, lunch and dinner are not included so you’re free to choose from all of the options available. In Reykjavík and Akureyri, you’ll be spoiled for choice when deciding where to eat.
Some festive packages include special meals. Check the ‘What’s included?’ section for the individual package to find out exactly what you’ll get.
If your package features longer day tours, you’ll find that the guide will factor in lunch and restroom stops. But it’s still good to come prepared by packing a few snacks and plenty of water. And if you prefer, you could bring a picnic lunch rather than eat out.
On all of our multi-day tours from Reykjavík, you’ll stay at the same hotel or guesthouse in the city for the length of your trip. This is great if you prefer to stay settled in one place and explore by day.
If you’d rather get to stay in different places in the countryside, you could go for an Iceland self-drive tour, where you can set your own pace. Another great option is a guided group tour, where you’ll travel with the same awesome fellow travelers for your whole trip.
On a multi-day package with Iceland Tours, you can choose from 3 levels of accommodation:
- Budget – Guesthouses and hotels, with shared bathrooms
- Comfort – Hotels or guesthouses of around 3 stars, with private bathrooms
- Quality – Hotels or guesthouses of around 4 stars, with private bathrooms
Each accommodation level offers different types of rooms. We’ve described them below to help you choose the best one for you. Just keep in mind that not every hotel has all these room types available.
- Single room: one single bed in a room, perfect for solo travelers.
- Double room: a full-sized double bed for 2 people.
- Twin room: a room with 2 single beds that fit 1 person each.
- Triple room: these vary in size and layout, but are designed to fit 3 adults. Triple rooms feature a combination of double, single or sofa beds, depending on the hotel.
No matter which accommodation level you pick, breakfast is included. Read more about the differences between the levels on this accommodation page.
In Iceland, the weather can change in a flash. The upshot is that if you don’t like the weather, you won’t need to wait long for it to pass.
With that in mind, you should pack smart so you’ll be comfortable no matter the conditions. Here’s a suggested Iceland packing list:
- Rugged hiking boots
- Wooly hat, scarf, and gloves
- Thick, waterproof winter coat
- Sweaters and fleeces for extra warmth
- Swimming gear (for hot springs and pools)
- Sunglasses
- Lip balm and moisturizer
If you’re planning a trip to Iceland in winter, sunglasses are essential because the sun is low in the sky for most of the day. You’ll also want to protect your skin from the dry air with moisturizer.
For more tips, see our Iceland packing list.
There’s an incredible amount you can do on a multi-day vacation from Iceland Tours. Here’s some ideas to spark inspiration:
- Roam the black sands of Reynisfjara beach on a south coast tour
- Venture under a glacier on a guided ice cave tour
- Complete the Golden Circle, including Gullfoss waterfall
- Explore ‘Iceland in Miniature’ on the Snæfellsnes peninsula
- Join a glacier hike across thousand-year-old pack ice
- Go whale watching from Reykjavík and spot the gentle giants
- Follow in the footsteps of Vikings at Þingvellir National Park
- Marvel at natural hot springs, like the Strokkur geyser
- Unwind in the soothing waters of the Blue Lagoon or Sky Lagoon
- Hunt down the Northern Lights on a magical winter tour
Because you’ll be based in Reykjavík for your whole trip, most excursions will take you to the south or west of Iceland. Be sure to check out this guide to the best things to see and do near Reykjavík.
If you want to see North Iceland, East Iceland, or the Westfjords, you might want to consider a self-drive or guided group tour. These are also great options if the Ring Road is on your must-do list.
For even more inspo, explore these awesome things to do in Iceland.


















