Hidden Powers of the South and Northern Lights - 6 days - WINTER 2020 - 2021

AVAILABLE:
October 8 to April 6

DURATION:
6 days / 5 nights

TOUR ID:
IT17

Guided Coach Tour from day 2 to day 5
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Expert local English-speaking guide from day 2 to day 5
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Accommodation 2 nights in a standard room with facilities in Reykjavik
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Accommodation 3 nights in a standard room with facilities in the countryside
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Icelandic breakfast (except arrival day)
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3 Two-course local-cuisine dinners in the countryside (main course and dessert) with coffee/tea* (Day 2, 3, 4)
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Entrance fee to the Aurora Reykjavik Northern Lights Centre (day 2)
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Visit to outdoor geothermal bakery and taste of steam-baked rye bread (day 2)
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Entrance fee to the LAVA Centre and volcano film at the LAVA Centre Cinema (day 3)
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Visit and introduction to an Icelandic Search Rescue Team Base on one of the days during your trip
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Blue Lagoon admission, including towel rental, silica mud mask and one drink (day 5)
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Use of crampons/cleats (if needed) for walking on snow/ice covered surfaces
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Great photo stops
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Free Wi-Fi on board motor coach
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Seat rotation during the tour
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Northern Lights guided hunt on foot one selected evening
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Northern Lights hunting kit (use of flashlight, blanket and a hot drink)
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Customer care service during office hours
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24-hour emergency line assistance while you are in Iceland
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Breakfast on arrival day
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International airfare
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Baggage porterage at airport/hotel
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Personal travel insurance (highly recommended)
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Swimsuit at the Blue Lagoon (rentals available)
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Round-trip transfers between airports and hotels
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Beverages, snacks, lunches, dinners unless otherwise noted in itinerary
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Guaranteed early check-in (check-in time for most hotels in Iceland starts between 14:00 and 16:00 (2:00pm and 4:00pm)
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Guaranteed late check-out
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Any service not specifically listed under “included”
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Day 1. Arrival

Transfer from Keflavik airport to Reykjavik not included.

If you are arriving earlier in the day, you might consider adding a day tour. We would be happy to make suggestions based on your interests. One of our favorite activities after a long flight is to visit one of the neighborhood geothermal pools. It is so refreshing to relax in the warm water, breathing in the fresh Icelandic air. It is a great way to get to see Icelandic daily life and maybe meet a few locals. It is also nice to take a stroll in the old city center, perhaps visiting one of the museums or relaxing with a cup of coffee in a cozy café.

Highlights: Reykjavik Hallgrimskirkja Tjornin National Gallery The Sun Voyager Perlan Parliament House

Overnight stay in Reykjavik.
Please note that check-in at most hotels starts at 14:00 (2:00pm).
Most hotels will be happy to store your luggage if you are not able to check in early.

Day 2. Þingvellir National Park - Geysir - Gullfoss waterfall

Start the adventure by visiting the fascinating Aurora Reykjavik Northern Lights Centre. You will get a great introduction to northern lights, how they are formed and the folklore surrounding them. You will also get tips about how to capture northern lights on film. It is also possible to get assistance from the staff in adjusting your camera’s settings for northern lights photos.

Then head onwards to Thingvellir National Park (UNESCO World Heritage site) where the world’s oldest parliament met for centuries on the shores of Iceland’s largest lake. This is a place that makes us Icelanders very proud of our heritage, and your guide will show you some of the amazing sites here. You might even have the rare chance to walk between two continents!

Continue on to the geothermal fields of Geysir with bubbling mud pools and the high-spouting Strokkur hot spring. Last but not least, visit the dramatic two-tiered Gullfoss waterfall, a spectacular sight in winter when frozen mid-cascade. Stop at Skalholt, Iceland’s capital “city” during the Middle Ages and now a culture center with a beautiful church.

During the day you will also visit the town of Laugarvatn. The town is built around three hot springs, and the residents have cleverly harnessed the hot springs for heating, greenhouses and even cooking. You will visit a unique outdoor geothermal bakery where sweet Icelandic rye bread is baked in the hot sands. You will have the chance to taste some of the freshly baked bread, hot from the ground. It is especially delicious slathered in sweet Icelandic butter.

If weather conditions are right, your guide will take you on a northern lights hunt on foot in the area outside your hotel tonight, or on the evening of Day 3 or 4.

Highlights: Gullfoss - Geysir - Thingvellir National Park

Approximate distance: 205 km / 127 miles

Dinner and overnight in the south coast area.

Day 3. South Shore - Eyjafjallajökull Volcano

Drive along the south shore, an area of Iceland that is beautiful to view in the winter. This is one of the main farm regions of the country, and the road will pass by typical Icelandic farms, often with Icelandic horses in the fields.

This part of Iceland is home to the new Lava Centre, an interactive, high-tech educational exhibition depicting volcanic activity, earthquakes and the creation of Iceland over millions of years. Enjoy both the exhibit and viewing an interesting film about Icelandic volcanoes at the Center's cinema. Continue onwards. If the skies are clear you might see the area’s two most famous volcanoes in the distance: Mount Hekla (last eruption 2000) and Eyjafjallajokull (last eruption 2010). You might also possibly catch a glimpse of Westman Islands archipelago off the coast of Iceland.

Stop at the spectacular waterfalls Seljalandsfoss and Skogafoss. If trail conditions are right, you might be able to walk behind the ribbon-like Seljalandsfoss falls. Skogafoss is a beautifully shaped waterfall that makes a perfect backdrop for a selfie. It has an interesting history geologically, and it just may also be hiding some buried treasure from the Middle Ages.

We’d like you to meet some of our best countrymen with a visit to an Icelandic Search and Rescue (ICE-SAR) base. We Icelanders are very proud of our rescue teams. Thousands of Icelandic volunteers dedicate themselves to work for ICE-SAR rescue teams and assisting in accident prevention programs. Their joint mission is to prevent accidents and save human lives. ICE-SAR serves in both Icelandic and international rescue efforts. You’ll meet some members of the team and get an introduction to the unique ICE-SAR program.

Head onwards, passing Myrdalsjokull Glacier, to visit Reynisfjara beach. Take a walk on the black sands, admiring the extraordinary rock formations and thundering waves of the Atlantic Ocean. Cross Eldhraun, a vast lava field created from a very destructive 18th-century eruption as you head into Southeast Iceland. The snows of winter make this landscape into something very mysterious.

Highlights: Eyjafjallajokull - Seljalandsfoss - Skogafoss - Vík - Reynisdrangar Cliffs

Approximate distance: 205 km / 127 miles

Dinner and overnight stay in Kirkjubaejarklaustur area

Day 4. Skaftafell National Park - Jokulsarlon Glacial Lagoon

Today you will be in a world of glaciers! You’ll be visiting the southern area of Vatnajokull National Park, named after Europe’s largest glacier. The total park area covers almost 14% of Iceland, making it the largest national park in Western Europe! Drive through vast sand plains created by glacial outwashes as you head east. Visit Jokulsarlon Glacier Lagoon where you can enjoy the breath-taking sight of icebergs floating in the fantastic 180m (591 ft.) deep glacial lagoon (make sure that camera is loaded and ready!) Nearby is the dramatic beauty of the Diamond Beach, where shrinking icebergs settle on the black sands before they drift out to sea.

Then view Svinafellsjokull, one of the most beautiful glacial “tongues” that are slowly creeping down from Vatnajokull. Visit the national park’s famous Skaftafell area, a site of outstanding natural beauty dominated by several magnificent glaciers.

Highlights: Skaftafell National Park - Jokulsarlon Glacial Lagoon - Vatnajokull National Park

Approximate distance: 209 km / 130 miles

Return to the hotel for dinner and overnight.

Day 5. Volcanic Areas - Hveragerdi - Blue Lagoon - Reykjavik

Head back along the beautiful South Coast, enjoying a different view of the winter landscapes. Visit the village of Hveragerdi, which is one of the few sites in the world located directly in the middle of a geothermal area. Hveragerdi is often called “The Flower Village” because of its many flower greenhouses heated by hot water from nearby springs.

Turn onto a southern coastal road and follow alongside the shoreline with its breath-taking sea waves, passing through a deserted community that once was a flourishing center for the region.

The trip then takes you through the surreal landscapes of the Reykjanes peninsula, where you can enjoy a dip in the famous Blue Lagoon, a unique wonder of nature with pleasantly warm, mineral-rich water in the middle of a black lava field. Return to Reykjavik, where the evening open for you to enjoy your own activities

Highlights: Hveragerdi - The Blue Lagoon

Approximate distance: 369 km / 229 miles

Dinner is on your own.

Day 6. Departure

Breakfast at your hotel. Please note that this might be a light breakfast if you are taking an early morning departure flight. Transfer to the international airport for your departure flight. Airport transfer is not included, but we are happy to help you arrange shared or private transfers. We recommend you depart your hotel no later than three hours before your departure flight.

October 08, 2020	English			QUALITY ACCOMMODATION
October 15, 2020	English			QUALITY ACCOMMODATION
October 22, 2020	English			QUALITY ACCOMMODATION
October 27, 2020	English			QUALITY ACCOMMODATION
October 29, 2020	English			QUALITY ACCOMMODATION
November 05, 2020	English			COMFORT ACCOMMODATION
November 12, 2020	English			QUALITY ACCOMMODATION
November 17, 2020	English			QUALITY ACCOMMODATION
November 19, 2020	English			QUALITY ACCOMMODATION
November 26, 2020	English			QUALITY ACCOMMODATION
December 10, 2020	English			QUALITY ACCOMMODATION
December 17, 2020	English			COMFORT ACCOMMODATION
January 14, 2021	English			QUALITY ACCOMMODATION
January 21, 2021	English			QUALITY ACCOMMODATION
January 26, 2021	English			QUALITY ACCOMMODATION
January 28, 2021	English, Dutch			QUALITY ACCOMMODATION
February 11, 2021	English			COMFORT ACCOMMODATION
February 16, 2021	English			QUALITY ACCOMMODATION
February 18, 2021	English, Dutch			QUALITY ACCOMMODATION
February 23, 2021	English			QUALITY ACCOMMODATION
February 25, 2021	English			QUALITY ACCOMMODATION
March 04, 2021	English, Dutch			QUALITY ACCOMMODATION
March 04, 2021	English			QUALITY ACCOMMODATION
March 09, 2021	English			QUALITY ACCOMMODATION
March 16, 2021	English			QUALITY ACCOMMODATION
March 18, 2021	English			QUALITY ACCOMMODATION
March 23, 2021	English			QUALITY ACCOMMODATION
March 25, 2021	English			COMFORT ACCOMMODATION
April 01, 2021	English			QUALITY ACCOMMODATION
April 06, 2021	English			QUALITY ACCOMMODATION

PLEASE NOTE: Please check carefully which accommodation category is offered for the departure date you would like to book and book the tour with the appropriate price accordingly.
br>20% Deposit
Cancellation Policy
Time of cancellation for individual traveller(s):
More than 3 weeks (22+ days) prior to arrival: deposit (20%) charged
3 weeks (21 days) and more than 1 week (8 days): 50% charged
1 week (7 days) and more than 72 hours: 75% charged
72 hours' notice and less: 100% charged

Max group size: 36 passengers

Minimum size: Guaranteed with 2 participants.

Added Value:
Northern Lights “wake-up call” option during the night on days 2-4 (please note: available at most countryside hotels)

*Northern Lights tours are subject to the correct weather conditions and sightings cannot be guaranteed.

Accommodation is available in Quality or Comfort categories, depending on departures.

Quality category: These are quality hotels, guesthouses and farmhouse accommodation, all with private facilities and breakfast included.
In Reykjavik: 4-star hotel. In the Countryside: The most comfortable accommodation available in each area.

Comfort category: These are pleasant and economical standard hotels, guesthouses and farmhouse accommodation, all with private facilities and breakfast included. Generally, 3 star or equivalent both in Reykjavik and countryside.

PLEASE NOTE: Please check carefully which accommodation category is offered for the departure date you would like to book and book the tour with the appropriate price accordingly.

Important:
• Minimum of 2 participants required to guarantee each tour departure
• Northern lights are dependent on weather conditions and sightings are not guaranteed
• Note: We reserve the right to alter routes without prior notice, due to road conditions
• Activity/Difficulty Level: 1 out of 5 (Very Easy)
• Please advise us at booking time if you have food allergies or dietary preferences
• Your tour guide will meet you on day 2 in the lobby at 08:45am
• Your guide will have a sign with the words “Hidden Powers.“ Please be ready with your luggage. The tour will depart from the hotel at 09:00am
• If you are staying at a different hotel than the group, pickup will be between 08:15 – 08:30
​• Please note: If you have added extra nights in Reykjavík before your tour, the guide will meet your group for the start of the tour on day 2 according to the standard “Hidden Powers & Northern Lights” itinerary​​

New for Winter 2020 – 2021:

• The tour includes a visit and introduction to one Iceland’s unique ICE-SAR Search and Rescue bases. Meet some of these amazing Icelanders, many who are volunteers, dedicated to saving lives and preventing accidents.
• As part of our pledge to preserve Iceland’s fragile nature, all our escorted tours include carbon offsetting through Kolviður, the Iceland Carbon Fund (ICF).

In Winter 2020 – 2021 we are pleased to offer guests on this escorted tour a 20% discount on each of the following amazing experiences in Iceland:
1. A 20% discount on Perlan’s renowned Wonders of Iceland exhibit by showing this document (printed or electronic) on the spot. Perlan is an amazing experience. You can walk through a real ice cave, feel the power of volcanoes and earthquakes, view a realistically constructed bird cliff and ocean wonders and learn about northern lights at a planetarium show.
2. A 20% discount on admission to the exciting FlyOver Iceland experience. Enjoy an amazing simulated flight experience over Iceland’s natural wonders. A free FlyOver Iceland shuttle is available from select bus stops.

PAYMENT:

A non refundable deposit of 20%, of the total package price should reach TOURIS within 3 days of confirmation of booking and full payment not later than 6 weeks prior to tour departure. In case of delay on payments, TOURIS will reserve the right to treat this as a cancellation and withdraw its confirmation of the services.

Every detail regarding the booking must be included, in order for TOURIS to ensure efficiency, including the passengers name, flight information, all accommodation, tours and other services.

Children 6-11 years old travelling with 2 adults and sharing 1 DBL room: 25% discount (valid only per 1 child)
Children 12 years and older pay full price as adults.
It is not recommended that children 0-5 years old travel on scheduled tours.

Prices may change without prior notice. If an incorrect price has been listed, we reserve the right to refuse, cancel or limit any order placed at the incorrect price.

Insurance:
To avoid dispute in case of cancellation, we strongly recommend that our clients purchase a comprehensive travel insurance in their home country, that covers your cost should you have to cancel your tour. This kind of travel insurance is usually not expensive and it frequently covers other risks too.