Beautiful 8-Day Winter Vacation Package to Iceland with Ice Caving

Welcome to Iceland! It's time to explore the land of fire and ice, rich in volcanic island beauty and ample opportunities for adventure.

On your first day in Iceland, you'll catch your pre-arranged bus airport transfer right from Keflavik airport terminal, through the rugged lava field landscapes, straight to the capital city of Reykjavik.

However, you could stop off at the pristine Blue Lagoon for a relaxing dip if you prefer. You can relax in the azure geothermal waters in a lava field landscape and bathe in the world-renowned mineral-rich healing waters.

A Blue Lagoon Comfort ticket is included in this package tour, but you can upgrade to a Premium ticket if you like. Speak with your travel agent to find the best time to book your entry.

Once you arrive in Reykjavik, you can check into your hotel to freshen up before spending the rest of the day exploring the vibrant, quirky capital. Take this chance to breathe in the atmosphere, try the cuisine, and explore famous landmarks like the Hallgrimskirkja church, the Perlan Museum's observation deck, the Old Harbor, and the bustling Laugavegur shopping street.

Take yourself out for a traditional Icelandic dinner and grab a drink with some locals. 

When night falls, it'll be time to enjoy a complimentary northern lights tour. Choose from a bus tour or boat tour when booking your vacation. Either way, you'll travel out of the city to a beautiful, remote location where you'll have a higher chance of seeing the aurora borealis.

A bus tour gives you a better chance of getting a great photo of the northern lights if they appear. You need to use a long exposure to capture the aurora borealis, and the boat rocking can interfere with this. However, watching the northern lights dancing above Iceland's northern waters is a unique opportunity and a truly fantastic experience.

After a fun first day, you'll spend the night in a comfortable hotel in Reykjavik's city center.

Discover the wonders of the Golden Circle sightseeing route on day two of your winter vacation.

The Golden Circle is Iceland's most popular tourist route. It includes three main sights — Thingvellir National Park, the Geysir geothermal area in the Haukadalur Valley, and the mighty Gullfoss waterfall.

You'll start the day with a trip to Thingvellir National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. After meeting your expert guide for the day and the other travelers on the tour, you'll take a minibus out of Reykjavik toward the park. 

Thingvellir is a spectacular place between two tectonic plates that are pulling apart. You'll get a unique chance to see the earth's crust as you explore.

There's also a beautiful fissure filled with crystal-clear water here (the Silfra fissure), where you can go snorkeling as an optional extra excursion.  Snorkeling participants need to be comfortable in the water and able to swim.

Thingvellir is also the site where the world's first parliament was formed in 930 A.D. — the Althingi is still active today. Your guide will explain the area's history, and you'll have time to soak in the beautiful sights of the waterfalls, lava fields, valleys, and lakes.

From here, your group will continue to the Geysir geothermal area. The Geysir hot spring gave all other geysers its name but is inactive now. 

Luckily, the nearby Strokkur geyser erupts every few minutes. Surrounded by steam vents, bubbling mud pots, and jetting hot springs, you'll have some excellent photo opportunities.

Your final stop on the Golden Circle tour will take you to the thunderous Gullfoss waterfall. The word "Gullfoss" means "Golden Falls," and this is where the Golden Circle gets its name. The waterfall is fed by the glacier meltwater of the Langjokull ice cap along the Hvita River.

The two-tiered waterfall is over 100 feet (about 32 meters) high. The sound of the water cascading down into the valley below is incredibly loud, and the view is extraordinary. 

Other optional tours today include a horseback-riding excursion through the Icelandic countryside and a snowmobiling tour over the Langjokull glacier. 

After a fantastic day, your group will return to Reykjavik, where you can spend the evening exploring the city or relaxing in your downtown accommodation.

Journey beneath the ice of the Vatnajokull glacier with a once-in-a-lifetime ice-caving tour.

After breakfast at your accommodation, you’ll meet a professional glacier guide at the Jokulsarlon glacier lagoon parking lot. From here, you’ll ride a Super Jeep onto the glacier and receive the safety gear you need for your ice cave trip.

Each year, glacier experts scout the ice caps looking for ice caves that are safe to open. The caves change each year as the glacier moves and shifts, meaning each trip to an ice cave is unique. You’ll enjoy a one-of-a-kind experience with your group, enjoying stunning views of the unusual icy structures.

You’ll take a short hike over the glacier before entering the ice cave. Marvel at the sapphire blue and white walls of ice surrounding you and admire the bizarre shapes formed by the glacier’s movement. You’ll have plenty of time in the cave to take photos.

After your incredible ice cave experience, you’ll return to the Jokulsarlon glacier lagoon for another glimpse. Seeing the glacial lake in daylight is a totally different experience than seeing it at night, so you’ll be glad for some extra time here. 

If you’re lucky, you could even see some of the seals that make their home in the icy waters.

Your driver will now take your group back along the South Coast to Reykjavik. You’ll enjoy gorgeous views along the way, with glacier-capped mountains to your right and the vast expanse of the Atlantic Ocean on your left.

As the sun goes down, you might be able to spot the northern lights in the sky before you reach Reykjavik. If they appear, the driver will stop to let you get out and take some photos.

You'll return to your accommodation in central Reykjavik for a relaxing evening in the city center and a good night's sleep.

Discover more of the Snaefellsnes Peninsula and the highlights of West Iceland on the second day of your small-group tour.

You'll start the day with a hearty breakfast at your accommodation before continuing your Snaefellsnes tour. Your first stop is the iconic Kirkjufell mountain, which sits just outside the small fishing village of Grundafjordur.

The Kirkjufell mountain is the most photographed mountain in Iceland. "Kirkjufell" translates to "Church mountain," but many people say it resembles a cone. You might recognize it from Game of Thrones, where it was used as a set for the "mountain shaped like an arrowhead."

While you're here, don't miss the short walk to the Kirkjufellsfoss waterfall — this is one of the best places to get a good photo. You'll have the picturesque waterfall before you and the mountain peak in the background.

When your group has finished sightseeing here, you'll travel off the Snaefellsnes Peninsula and into West Iceland, visiting the Borgarfjordur area to see two waterfalls, Hraunfossar and Barnafoss. 

The Hraunfossar waterfall is a series of waterfalls formed by rivulets streaming over a mineral-rich lava field, created by an eruption of one of the volcanos lying under Langjokull glacier. Barnafoss is very different — it's a more powerful waterfall just a short walk upstream from Hraunfossar. You can cross over the falls at various points for some stunning perspectives.

Your last stop of the day will take you to admire the Deildartunguhver hot spring. It's the highest-flow hot spring in Europe and heats many of the homes in West Iceland. It's too hot to swim here, but you can get a great view of the water from the wooden walkways.

You'll also visit two settlements today. Reykholt is a tiny village home that was the home of the great Medieval writer, politician, and chieftain Snorri Sturluson. Borgarnes is an important historical town, home to the Settlement Center, where you can learn more about Iceland's first inhabitants.

After two days exploring West Iceland, you'll return to your hotel in central Reykjavik.