Northern Lights Ring Road - Small Group Adventure

This morning your guide will pick you and your fellow travelers up at the hotel. The first leg of the journey takes you around the famous Golden Circle, a popular route containing some of the best-known natural sites in Iceland. Highlights include Þingvellir National Park, a UNESCO heritage site; the Geysir geothermal hot spring area and the powerful Gullfoss waterfall. The tour will also visit the geothermally-heated greenhouses at the Friðheimar tomato farm, where we will get to taste the fresh tomato products.

Enjoy dinner at the Hotel with the group (dinner is included).

Today you’ll explore majestic waterfalls, black sand beaches, and learn about the unique geology of Iceland. You will start with a visit to the Lava Center, a one of a kind interactive exhibition about Iceland’s volcanic activity, its frequent earthquakes, and how Iceland evolved over millions of years. Next up is the  fairytale-like Seljalandsfoss waterfall, where you can walk behind the icy cascade on a footpath. Close by your guide will take you to Skógafoss, an impressive 60-meter high waterfall located at the foot of a mountain range, followed by a visit to the Skógar Folk Museum.

The last stop before continuing to your accommodation is at the black sand volcanic beach near the village of Vík í Mýrdal. Here, you will be able to see the spectacular rock arch and steep cliffs of along with the Reynisdrangar basalt columns just off the shore.

Next, you will travel to your carefully selected charming boutique hotel, situated far from the city lights to give you the best chance of seeing the Northern Lights. Enjoy dinner at Magma Hotel with the group (dinner is included).

Start the day bright and early as you have a full day of exciting icy highlights ahead of you. You will spend some time exploring Skaftafell, part of the immense Vatnajökull National Park, and a place of great natural beauty. The tour will then head to the spectacular Jökulsárlón glacier lagoon, famous for its floating icebergs in shades of milky white and bright blue. 

On a clear day, you may even get a good view of Breiðamerkurjökull glacier behind the lake. Next to the glacier lagoon, we will stop at the Breiðamerkursandur, aka Diamond Beach, where you will see large chunks of ice that have washed up on shore after being shaped and polished in the surf of the glacier lagoon. It’s truly a beautiful sight and a great photo opportunity!

After some time at the Diamond Beach, you will be driven to your accommodation for the night. A delicious local dinner will be served, and after, you can end the evening by putting on some warm clothes to gaze at the sky waiting for the Northern Lights to appear (dinner is included).

Today you will get to experience a slice of Iceland that few travelers get to explore. Your group’s drive takes you along majestic East Iceland, with gorgeous scenery that includes tranquil fishing villages, narrow fjords, rugged tundra, and sweeping landscapes. If you are lucky, you might spot a reindeer or two as they come down from the mountains to stay close to the sea during the winter months.

Among other highlights, you will stop in the small villages of Stöðvarfjörður and Fáskrúðsfjörður, the latter known for its French heritage and a fascinating northern lights photo exhibition. The final destination of the day is the otherworldly Lake Mývatn area. Here, you have the option of either relaxing at the hotel after today’s drive or going to visit the warm alkaline geothermal lagoon and saunas at the Mývatn Nature Baths, with a view to mountains and lava fields (not included).

The Lake Mývatn area is known for being one of the best places in Iceland to view the Northern Lights due to the altitude and the lay of the land. We therefore highly recommend that you are on the lookout for the Aurora Borealis tonight!

Enjoy dinner at the Hotel with the group (dinner is included).

Start the day by exploring the unusual, moon-like landscapes of the Lake Mývatn area, including the Námaskarð pass and the Skútustaðagígar pseudocraters: sights that are even more surreal in wintertime. You will also have a chance to see Goðafoss, the Waterfall of the Gods, which is among the most beautiful falls in the country. While the waterfall is not very tall, the cascade is divided into two horseshoe-shaped falls, making it unique among Icelandic waterfalls. 

You’ll then have some free time in Akureyri to explore on your own. Akureyri is a charming town with museums, shops, cafés, and a picturesque harbor area, before heading to Skagafjörður, where your will dine and stay at Hofsstaðir (dinner is included).

Before heading back to Reykjavík, you will get the chance to explore the incredible western part of Iceland along beautiful Borgarfjörður. Your guide will stop at Deildartunguhver, the most powerful hot spring in Europe, the beautiful and the spectacular twin waterfalls of Hraunfossar and Barnafoss. 

Hraunfossar is a thrilling series of waterfalls seemingly originating in a field without a river or lake. The water is actually streaming through rivulets in the Hallmundarhraun lava field. 

Meanwhile, Barnafoss is more like a series of rapids caused by the water of Hvitá entering a narrow passage. Next, you will be driven to the historical sites at Reykholt, which is rich in saga history. Reykholt was the home of 13th century writer, poet, and scholar Snorri Sturluson.

After being dropped off at your accommodation, you can spend the evening at your leisure in the city center of Reykjavík.

Shared airport transfer to Keflavík Airport for your return flight (included).

When it’s time for your Iceland adventure to end, you will be picked up from your hotel by a shuttle bus about three hours before your flight. If you’re flying in the afternoon, you have the option to visit the Blue Lagoon geothermal spa to relax in the warm mineral waters before continuing to the airport (not included).