Weekend 4-Day Northern Lights Tour of South Iceland from Reykjavik

Your northern lights vacation begins when you land at Keflavik International Airport. A convenient shuttle bus will be waiting to escort you to a hotel in the capital, from which you’ll enjoy this long weekend in Reykjavik.

On your way to Iceland’s capital city, Reykjavik, you could stop at the Blue Lagoon geothermal spa. This world-famous spa boasts healing therapies, azure water, and an ambiance of total serenity.

Adding the Blue Lagoon geothermal spa to your itinerary will be arranged according to your flights. If there is no time to visit the lagoon today, it can be added to another day. Your travel consultant will be able to arrange this for you.

If you arrive before evening, you can take one of the three tours in the hunt for winter’s most extraordinary phenomenon, the aurora borealis.

You can head to the icy slopes of Mount Hafrafell, just outside the city, to race around the beautiful landscapes on an ATV. After an hour of adventure, a bus will pick you up and escort you into the dark surroundings in search of the lights.

On a cruise, you’ll set out from the city’s harbor into the still waters of Faxafloi Bay, providing magnificent views of the Reykjavik skyline and the fjords and volcanoes of the west. When the sky turns dark, there are few better places to admire the aurora.

Finally, you could instead elect to take a more personalized minibus tour, before which you will have admission to the Aurora Reykjavik Museum.

Here, you can learn about the science and folklore surrounding the northern lights and helpful information on spotting and photographing them.

If you have time before your tour, be sure to explore Reykjavik. It is a beautiful city with interesting architecture and many public artworks, like the Sun Voyager statue.

There is plenty to see and do in Reykjavik if you have extra free time.

Tonight you’ll stay in comfortable accommodation in Reykjavik.

After a fantastic start to your holiday, you will spend your second day getting further out of the city and exploring the Golden Circle sightseeing route on a guided tour. One of the most famous trails in the country, it has three iconic sites that show the diversity of Iceland.

Since you're on a guided tour, expect a more immersive experience as you visit each location. You'll learn about the attractions' history and most exciting trivia. You're also free to ask your guide questions if anything piques your interest.

First to see on your itinerary is the most famous UNESCO World Heritage Site on the island, Thingvellir National Park. Not only is it the birthplace of modern democracy in the country, but it boasts a landscape of beautiful waterways, forests, and lava fields.

While here, you can opt into a snorkeling tour, in which you are equipped with a drysuit and guided through a crystal clear stream in the Silfra ravine. Snorkeling participants must be comfortable in the water and able to swim.

The second attraction of the Golden Circle sightseeing route is Strokkur, a geyser that ejects steaming water to great heights of around 66 feet (20 meters). It is located in the Geysir geothermal area, home to many vibrantly colored hot springs and fumaroles.

Finally, you'll reach a powerful, two-tiered waterfall thundering in an ancient valley, Gullfoss waterfall. The cascade is a beautiful sight to behold in winter when snow and ice formations surround it.

If you elect to do so when booking, you can choose to add a snowmobiling trip after your time at Gullfoss waterfall. You'll set off to the nearby Langjokull glacier and zoom across its gleaming, beautiful surface.

The third choice of the tour is a ride on an Icelandic horse, where you'll explore the serene countryside of South Iceland like the first settlers.

In the evening, if you didn't get a chance to see the northern lights the night before, you will have another opportunity tonight before heading back to your accommodation in Reykjavik.

On the third day of your winter vacation, your adventure brings you to the South Coast of Iceland, home to many of the country’s most diverse and stunning attractions, surrounded by the North Atlantic Ocean.

The South Coast boasts two incredible waterfalls, Seljalandsfoss Waterfall and Skogafoss Waterfall. Both face out to the ocean and stand at an impressive 197 feet (60 meters) tall, though they differ in every other way.

Seljalandsfoss waterfall is narrow, with a massive cavern behind it, carved by the ocean centuries ago. Tourists can walk on this cavern to view and photograph the water curtain from behind or at any angle they prefer.

Skogafoss waterfall, however, is much more powerful and has fascinating folklore of hidden treasure. You can view its cascade from a flat valley on the bottom or hike toward the top cliff.

To make your visit to Skogafoss waterfall extra special, beautiful rainbows are familiar sights above the waterfall’s water curtain on a sunny day.

Behind this waterfall are the glaciers of Eyjafjallajokull and Myrdalsjokull, both of which conceal notorious volcanoes. If you choose to, when booking, join a glacier hiking tour and scale the magnificent outlet of Solheimajokull glacier for some spectacular views.

The glacier hike includes gear and equipment to keep you safe while exploring the beautiful terrain. Your guide is also ready to assist you during the adventure.

Further along the South Coast, you’ll come to Reynisfjara, a beautiful black sand beach with dramatic, powerful waves, towering sea stacks, and great views over the enormous rock arch of Dyrholaey.

Here, you’ll turn back and return along the South Coast route back to the capital. If the sky turns dark, keep a keen eye out for the auroras. Of course, you are welcome to add on another northern lights tour if you are eager for another hunt.

Tonight, you’ll return to your accommodation in Reykjavik.

Your fourth day is sadly the last of your long weekend in Reykjavik. If you have an early flight, you may only have time to say a quick goodbye to the capital city as you take your Flybus back to the airport.

However, you can fit in one more adventure if you have a late departure.

If traveling before the end of October, you can take an excursion only offered in Iceland, descending into the magma chamber of a dormant volcano.

Large enough to easily fit the Statue of Liberty and dyed vivid colors, it is an incredible place to marvel over the volcanic forces of the earth.

Those who would rather see Iceland’s landscapes from another angle can opt for one of two flightseeing tours in a helicopter or small plane.

Such excursions, which leave from the domestic airport, provide spectacular views over the magnificent mountainous landscapes surrounding the capital and are a unique way of admiring the city.

You can also spend the last day of your long weekend in Reykjavik, walking its charming streets, shopping for souvenirs in its boutiques, admiring its public artworks, and exploring its museums and galleries.

For those who have a later flight and choose to visit the Blue Lagoon geothermal spa today, you will finish your stay unwinding before heading to the airport.

The Blue Lagoon geothermal spa is the perfect place to relax as you bathe in the warm, mineral-rich waters and reflect on the incredible adventure you have just taken in the land of fire and ice.

You’ll reach the airport with plenty of time to drop off your luggage and check-in for your flight. Once in the terminal, you can relax, shop, or grab a drink from the bar while waiting for your flight.