5 Day Northern Lights Winter Vacation in Reykjavik with the Blue Lagoon, Golden Circle & South Coast
Description
Details
Description
Experience Iceland in a fun and easy way with this 5-day family-friendly all-in-one package. Visit the country's most famous attractions such as the Golden Circle, the Blue Lagoon, and the South Coast with those you love.
This all-in-one package is perfect for those who want to see Iceland's highlights with ease and comfort, and it's especially suitable for those traveling with young adventurers. Sit back and enjoy your Iceland vacation by letting others do the planning, from accommodation to tours and transport. You won't need to worry about a thing.
On this winter holiday, you'll travel to Iceland's most beautiful sights such as Þingvellir National Park, Geysir geothermal area, the waterfalls Gullfoss, Seljalandsfoss, and Skógafoss, and the stunning black sand beach Reynisfjara. You will also get to explore the vibrant city of Reykjavík, hunt for the Northern Lights, and unwind in the healing waters of the Blue Lagoon Spa.
Each night, you'll return to your accommodation in Reykjavík, so there is no need to move around and repack every day, giving you the freedom to enjoy the sights without a care and making for a smooth, relaxing holiday.
Should you wish to make your day more action-packed, you can add on an array of extra activities during the booking process. You could go snowmobiling on a glacier, ride around the countryside on an Icelandic horse, travel to the spectacular Jökulsárlón glacier lagoon and Snæfellsnes peninsula or visit an authentic ice cave.
Witness the wonders of the Icelandic countryside during the Northern Lights season in comfort with this 5-day tour package. Check availability by choosing a date.
Included
Map
Attractions
Activities
Daily itinerary
Day 1 - Welcome to Iceland
You'll arrive at Keflavík International Airport, located in the barren lava fields of the Reykjanes peninsula. Here you will board a bus that will take you to Reykjavik. On your way to Iceland's capital city of Reykjavik, you will make a stop at the Blue Lagoon. This world-renowned spa is known for its healing waters, vivid azure colors, and luxurious treatments. It is located in the middle of a moss-covered lava field, giving it an otherworldly atmosphere. The Blue Lagoon 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. There is still plenty to see and do in Reykjavik if you have extra free time.
You will then head to Reykjavik, where you'll find your accommodation for the next few nights.
After you've settled in, you can start exploring the city. Reykjavík is a fun and lively place with many museums, art galleries, playgrounds, and swimming pools.
The swimming pools are heated using the geothermal energy from the ground, making a visit to them possible even in the wintertime. In fact, a popular activity in Iceland during the winter is to visit one of those pools, soak in the warm waters and breathe in the cold winter air.
In the evening, you'll get to hunt for the elusive Northern Lights by either heading out into the darkened countryside on a bus or by boarding a boat at Reykjavík's Old Harbor and sailing out into the ocean in search for these dancing lights.
You'll spend your first night in Reykjavík.
Day 2 - The Golden Circle
Today, you'll get to visit Iceland's most popular attraction, the Golden Circle. This trio of destinations will show you how diverse this little island at the edge of the Arctic Circle can be.
Your first stop today will be Þingvellir National Park, where the Viking settlers founded Iceland's parliament, Alþingi, over a thousand years ago. Þingvellir is a site of great historical importance and a geographical wonder as the park is neither located on the Eurasian tectonic plate nor the North-American one, but in a rift valley between.
The plates are slowly moving apart, tearing up the landscape and creating cracks and canyons in the area. One of those canyons, Silfra fissure, is filled with crystal clear meltwater from Langjökull glacier. Those who have reached the age of 14 can add on a snorkeling tour in the fissure and enjoy the unparalleled visibility of the canyon's clear waters.
From there, you'll move on to Haukadalur valley, a place filled with history and folklore, but most importantly, erupting geysers. At Geysir geothermal area, located in the valley, you'll find the active Strokkur hot spring, which erupts in a 49-66-feet (15-20-meter) water column every 5-10 minutes. Remember to bring a camera so you can capture the perfect photo of your family with the erupting geyser in the background.
Last but not least is the majestic Gullfoss waterfall. Once again, the glacier Langjökull has had a helping hand in shaping Iceland's landscape. The river Hvítá, fed by this mighty glacier, rushes forth from the highlands before plunging into an ancient canyon, creating this two-tiered waterfall.
Here you can opt for a snowmobile tour on top of Langjökull where you race across the white expanse of the glacier. Those who have a driver's license can grab the handles of the snowmobile, while those who have reached the age of six can sit at the back as passengers, making it a family-friendly activity.
You'll then head back to Reykjavík, where you will spend the night.
Day 3 - The South Coast
Today you'll explore the beautiful South Coast and see cascading waterfalls, majestic glaciers, and a stunning black sand beach.
You'll be picked up in a minibus in the morning and whisked away to the first attraction of the day, the high and narrow Seljalandsfoss waterfall. This stunning cascade flows over a concaved cliff face where a cave is visible underneath the curtain of water. In the winter, the waterfall is lit up with strong lights making it seem even more magical.
You'll then move on to another equally beautiful but utterly different waterfall, Skógafoss. It is one of the biggest waterfalls in Iceland, with a width of 82 feet (25 meters) and a 197-foot (60-meter) drop. According to local legend, a treasure is buried behind the flowing water.
As you travel between these cascading beauties, the glaciers Eyjafjallajökull and Mýrdalsjökull will be visible in the north. If you'd like to explore a glacier better, you can add on a hike on Sólheimajökull, one of Mýrdalsjökull outlet glacier. Glacier hiking is a fun, family-friendly activity where participants over the age of 8 can trek across the ice cap and discover a new world of ice sculptures and blue crevasses.
An alternative glacier adventure on this day is to explore a naturally formed ice cave. Each autumn, local guides hike up Mýrdalsjökull glacier to hunt for the perfect natural ice cave. On an Ice Cave tour, those who have reached the age of 12 are taken up the glacier, which covers the volcano Katla, to explore this natural wonder and see how the blue and white of the glacier mixes with jet-black ash from past volcanic eruptions.
From there, you'll visit the stunning black sand beach at Reynisfjara. The beach is edged in by cliffs of dark basalt columns, which create a fascinating hexagonal pattern in the cliff face. Out in the ocean rise the 217-foot (66-meter) Reynisdrangar sea stalk resembling terrifying trolls.
Those who wish to explore the South Coast more can add on a tour during the booking process where they hop on a coach bus heading to the gorgeous Jökulsárlón glacier lagoon. There, you can see enormous icebergs float peacefully on the water before they drift off to sea, and maybe a seal or two swimming by.
On your way back to Reykjavík, where you will spend the night, make sure to look up in the sky for a chance to see the elusive Northern Lights.
Day 4 - Free Day in Reykjavik
Today you'll have a free day to explore the northernmost capital of the world.
After landing, you could learn about Viking settlers in the city's many museums or check out the Laugardalur area's Family Park and Zoo. The zoo is filled with Icelandic farm animals and mammals from the wild such as sheep, foxes, seals, and the Icelandic horse. If you'd like to get to know the friendly and gentle Icelandic horse better, you could opt for a horse riding tour through the Icelandic countryside, suitable for both beginners and expert riders over the age of 8.
Another option for animal lovers is to go on a whale-watching tour from Reykjavík's old harbor to discover the wealth of marine life just off the city's shore.
If you'd like to explore the country further, you could schedule your Blue Lagoon visit on another day and opt for other activities today. You can take a full-day excursion to visit the Snæfellsnes peninsula, the Ice Cave Tunnels in Langjökull glacier, or a natural Ice Cave in Mýrdalsjökull glacier.
Snæfellsnes is a 90 km peninsula filled with natural wonders such as waterfalls, black pebble beaches, and lava fields. It also has a tall and mighty glacier covering an ancient volcano featured in Jules Verne's classic novel 'Journey to the Centre of the Earth'.
At the Ice Cave Tunnels in Langjökull, you'll get to travel through a maze of intricate tunnels that have been carved into the glacier. Everybody from the age of 2 will enjoy this fun and informative journey that is usually only reserved for scientists and glacier experts. You'll travel through the dozens of tunnels and learn how glaciers are formed, how they move, and how climate change is affecting them.
You could also choose to take an adrenaline-filled ATV adventure. In this extra activity, you will be picked up from your accommodation in Reykjavik. You will then head to the ATV base camp not far from the city. Once you are there, you will be fitted with all the gear you need and given a safety briefing. You will then head through the incredible natural landscapes of the area. You will have plenty of time to stop and take pictures throughout this 2-hour experience. When you are done, you will then be taken back to your accommodation in the city.
You'll then spend your last night in Iceland at your accommodations in Reykjavík.
Day 5 - Farewell
Now it is time to say goodbye to Iceland. For those who have a later flight and choose to visit the Blue Lagoon today, you will finish off your stay unwinding before you head to the airport. This is the perfect place to relax as you bathe in the warm, mineral-rich waters as you look back on the incredible adventure you have just taken in the land of fire and ice. If your flight is later, there are plenty of things to do in Reykjavik. If you have an early flight back home, we wish you a pleasant journey.
When it is time to leave, you'll board the airport bus and head again to the barren lava fields that greeted you when you arrived here only a few days ago.
If you haven't visited the Blue Lagoon yet, this could be the perfect chance to soak it up before you head back home.
What to bring
Good to know
The Northern Lights are a natural phenomenon, and therefore cannot be guaranteed, but this itinerary is designed to maximize your chances to see them if the weather allows. Please be aware that your itinerary may have to be rearranged to better fit your arrival date and time.
Some optional activities might need a valid driver's license, or you might need to send additional information to your travel planner. Please note that you need to know how to swim and present medical documents should you choose to go snorkeling or diving.
It can happen, in the case of extreme weather, that an activity is canceled. If your chosen activity is canceled, we will assist you with rearranging or booking other activities when possible, and any potential price difference will be refunded to you.
Note that Icelandic roads and pavements can be slippery in the wintertime. We recommend you bring shoes with slip-resistant soles or ice-grip shoe covers. The covers can be purchased in most supermarkets and gas stations around the country.
Accommodation
See our accommodation levels below and our preferred accommodation partners under each day in the daily itinerary. Super budget level accommodations will be arranged in hostel dorm beds. For budget and comfort levels, bookings for one person will be arranged in single rooms, and bookings for two or more people will share a twin/double or triple room(s). For quality level, odd number groups will always be allocated a single room. If you are travelling in a group, but prefer a single room, please make separate bookings. Teenagers and children will be arranged in the same room with parents. If additional room(s) is needed, additional costs will incur. Guide to Iceland will provide you with the best available accommodation at the time of your booking from our preferred partners. If our preferred partners are fully booked at the time of your booking, we will find another suitable accommodation for you of similar level. We always do our best to accommodate special requests, which may incur additional costs. Press choose a date to find availability.
Dormitory beds with shared bathrooms in guesthouses or hostels, such as HI Hostels. Located in the capital region. Breakfast is not included.
Private rooms with shared bathroom in guesthouses or hostels such as Capital Inn Guesthouse. Located in the capital region. Breakfast is not included.
Rooms with a private bathroom at three-star hotels such as Hótel Klettur, or quality guesthouses. Located in the city centre or in close vicinity. Breakfast is included.
Rooms at four-star design hotels in the city centre with a private bathroom at the absolute best locations downtown such as Hotel Alda. Breakfast is included.
