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

Travel along Iceland's South Coast and discover the waterfalls, glaciers, lava fields, and black-sand beaches this region is known for.

After breakfast in Reykjavik, you'll meet the guide leading you on this two-day South Coast adventure. Your group will travel out of the city and follow the Ring Road along Iceland's southern coast.

The day's first stops are at the Seljalandsfoss and Skogafoss waterfalls. These falls are about the same height — roughly 200 feet (about 60 meters) — but that's where the similarities end. Seljalandsfoss is narrow and gentle, while Skogafoss is broad and thunderously powerful.

You'll now continue along the coast to the famous Reynisfjara black-sand beach. You might recognize it from TV shows and films like Game of Thrones and Star Wars: Rogue One. You can walk along the jet-black sands and admire the Reynisdrangar sea stacks. Legend has it that these stacks are the petrified remains of two trolls caught in the rising sun's light.

Along the beach, you'll also see caverns of basalt rock formations, giving the area a magical yet eerie feel. Be careful not to wander too close to the waters, as sneaker waves can appear from nowhere and be highly dangerous.

Your group will now travel into the Skaftafell Nature Reserve within the Vatnajokull National Park. Skaftafell was formerly a national park in its own right but was absorbed into Vatnajokull in 2008. The area has various hiking paths with stunning views of the Vatnajokull glacier and Iceland's highest peak, the Hvannadalshnukur mountain.

Within the nature reserve sits the final stop of the day, the Jokulsarlon glacier lagoon. This incredible glacial lake is often considered the best natural attraction in the country. 

Mighty icebergs break off from a glacial tongue and float around the lake's waters. Many also drift onto the nearby Diamond Beach, creating a dramatic contrast between the bright white ice and the jet-black volcanic sands.

If skies are clear and the aurora forecast is promising, you might see the northern lights shining above the lake. It's an unforgettable sight, so keep watch for the magnificent natural display.

Your accommodation tonight is a comfortable country hotel in Southeast Iceland.

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.

Explore the marvels of "Iceland in miniature" with a two-day small-group sightseeing tour of the Snaefellsnes Peninsula and West Iceland. Snaefellsnes Peninsula is known for its diverse and condensed natural beauty, featuring glaciers, volcanoes, black sand beaches, and picturesque fishing villages.

Your local guide will collect you from your accommodation and drive you and the rest of the sightseeing group north out of Reykjavik. The day's first stop is the Ytri-Tunga beach. This beach is unusual in Iceland as it has golden sands instead of volcanic black sands — it's also home to a seal colony, so you'll have an excellent opportunity to photograph these animals in their natural habitat.

From here, you'll continue your journey along the peninsula's southern coast, enjoying gorgeous sea views. The group will now stop at two picturesque fishing villages, Arnarstapi and Hellnar. You'll have free time in Hellnar to walk the coastal path and admire the basalt cliffs below. 

The next stop is the Djupalonssandur black-sand beach, an interesting counterpoint to the Ytri-Tunga beach earlier in the day. Visitors must walk through an otherworldly landscape of solidified lava structures to reach this beach. It's a fascinating place with beautiful jet-black pebbles dotted all around.

You'll now enter the Snaefellsjokull National Park, home to the enormous Snaefellsjokull glacier-capped volcano. This volcano was the entrance point to the underworld in Jules Verne's novel Journey to the Center of the Earth. It's a gorgeous place, visible all the way from Reykjavik on a clear day.

After exploring Iceland's third and final national park, you can enjoy a picturesque hike to the Londrangar sea cliffs. You'll now travel back through the peninsula toward your accommodation. Don't forget to watch out for the northern lights along the way — you'll be perfectly placed to spot them if the sky is clear. 

Depending on the level of accommodation you've selected, you'll stay in a guesthouse or a hotel in West Iceland.