Northern Lights Exploration Tour - WINTER TOUR 2022 - 2023

AVAILABLE:
September 18 to April 7

DURATION:
8 days / 7 nights

TOUR ID:
GG06

BESTSELLER
 

Arrival & departure airport transfer by FLYBUS Plus shuttle (no guide)
6 days escorted bus tour with English-speaking guide/driver-guide
7-nights accommodation in comfort tourist-class hotels including breakfast
Guided tour into Vatnshellir cave
Hot spring Tasting with geothermally cooked bread and eggs
Visit the Settlement Center in Borgarnes
Visit to Icelandic horse stables & geothermal greenhouse
Visit Lava Exhibition Center
Entrance fee to Skógar folk museum and turf houses
Entrance with towel at Blue Lagoon
Northern Lights Academy program

Any private expenses
Any additional services
All meals not listed under "included"
Single supplement (mandatory when in single room)

Day 1. WELCOME to ICELAND.

Individual transfer by Flybus shuttle from Keflavik International airport to your accommodation in Reykjavik where you spend the night.

Dinner is on your own.
(50 km/31 mls)

Day 2. REYKJAVIK CITY TOUR & BORGARFJÖRÐUR SAGA VALLEY

At 09:00 meet your tour guide who shows the group the highlights of Iceland’s exciting capital. Then we head west. Borgarfjörður is known as the Saga Valley because of its many important historical events. We get a chance to climb the Grábrók volcano crater and visit Deildartunguhver, Europe’s most powerful hot spring. Hraunfossar is a series of waterfalls pouring from beneath a wide lava field. Barnafoss – the Children’s falls, is nearby with its own tragic tale. The afternoon includes a lecture about Northern Lights. After dinner, we step into the hotel garden in search of the Northern Lights followed by a hot cup of chocolate or tea.

Breakfast included. Lunch & dinner is on your own.
(245 km/152 mls)

Day 3. SNÆFELLSNES PENINSULA & LAVA CAVE

The Snæfellsnes Peninsula, “the peninsula of the snowy mountain“, juts out from Iceland’s west coast, like a long arm with a clenched fist at its tip, and is in many ways a microcosm of the whole island. A rugged mountain chain runs its length. A uniquely Icelandic “treat“ awaits at Bjarnarhöfn, where they make Hákarl – the fermented shark. Visit the fishing village of Grundarfjörður, a place with an impressive coastline and mountains, lakes and waterfalls behind the village. One of the most photographed and famous mountain in Iceland, Kirkjufell, can be seen jutting out into the bay. Visit Arnarstapi and Hellnar before experiencing the area from below, inside Vatnshellir cave. We take you 35 meters underground and about 200 meters into the lava tube under the glacier Snæfellsjökull! On the way back to Borgarnes the guide gives you some practical tips on how to photograph the Auroras as part of the Northern Lights Academy program. Naturally, once darkness falls, we are out in the hotel garden to chase the Northern Lights and to soak in the hotel’s outdoor hot tubs.

Breakfast & Lunch included. Dinner on your own.
(300 km/186 mls)

Day 4. GOLDEN CIRCLE, GEOTHERMAL TASTE & ICELANDIC HORSES

Today we travel along the Hvalfjörður fjord. The first stop is at an Icelandic wool outlet store, to see what they do with all those sheep! We continue inland to Þingvellir National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage site. We travel the Golden Circle route, see steam rising from the Geysir geothermal fields. The chef of the Restaurant Geysir invites you to taste freshly baked hot spring bread served with Icelandic butter, boiled eggs and herring. On we travel to double waterfall of Gullfoss. In the afternoon, you learn about the Icelandic horse, its unique qualities and history and visit a geothermal greenhouse, before we reach the accommodation in South Iceland. Tonight, step into the darkness and search for the elusive Northern Lights in the peace and stillness of rural Iceland.

Breakfast included. Lunch & dinner is on your own.
(260km / 162mls)

Day 5. NATURAL WONDERS OF SOUTH ICELAND & EYJAFJALLAJÖKULL VOLCANO

Today we travel along the South coast. At the Lava & Volcano Exhibition Center, we learn about geology and active volcanoes. Further east we visit one of Iceland’s finest folk museums. This museum contains an outstanding collection of farm and domestic artefacts from Iceland’s past and several turf-built houses. Nearby is Skógafoss waterfall which is 60 meters high and one of the most impressive waterfalls in the country. In the afternoon we take a stroll on the black lava beach and along bird cliffs at Reynisfjara in South Iceland. We spend two nights near Kirkjubæjarklaustur in the Vatnajökull National Park region, located in darkness and ideal for Northern Lights search.

Breakfast included. Lunch & dinner is on your own.
(225km / 140mls)

Day 6. VATNAJÖKULL GLACIER & GLACIER INCLUDING GLACIER LAGOON AND DIAMOND BEACH

Today’s program is all about glaciers, ice and icebergs. We travel to Jökulsárlón, a glacial lagoon filled with floating icebergs, and we explore the amazing site and might see seals swimming in arctic waters. You can walk on the black sandy beach, the so-called Diamond beach, where large icebergs get stranded. In the afternoon we visit the tiny turf church at Hof and spend time at Europe’s largest national park, which has Iceland’s highest mountains, an alpine environment, and Europe’s largest glacier. In the evening enjoy a film presentation about the Northern Lights as part of the Northern Lights Academy program. Be careful not to go to bed too soon in this remote and quiet location, or you may miss out one more chance of seeing the Northern Lights shimmering and dancing across the night sky.

Optional Ice Cave Tour offered between November 15th and March 15th
The tour takes about 2,5 hours in total – a 30-minute drive by 4×4 vehicle from the Jökulsárlón glacier lagoon and 5-15 minutes hike (one-way). You spend about one hour inside the ice cave. You need good hiking boots, warm clothing that keeps you dry from the dripping water in the ice cave. Minimum age is 10 years old. The ice cave tour can be booked on day 2 of Northern Lights Exploration tour. The ice cave explorers meet their local guide at the glacier lagoon and will be brought back to the hotel after the ice cave tour, while the rest of the group continues the official tour program. The ice cave explorers will miss out on some of the official tour programs, as there is no time for everything, but the stop and visit at the Jökulsárlón glacier lagoon are included for all group members.
Price per person ISK 23.000.-

Breakfast included. Lunch & dinner is on your own.
(200km / 125mls)

Day 7. SOUTH SHORE, REYKJAVÍK & BLUE LAGOON

From Kirkjubæjarklaustur we head across the Eldhraun lava field to the village of Vík, where we make a photo stop. The black lava beach with high bird cliffs and pounding waves is awe-inspiring. Further west we reach the high but narrow Seljalandsfoss waterfall which plunges from the mountain. In the afternoon we get to soak in the famous Blue Lagoon. We reach Reykjavík around dinner time for one last night.

Breakfast included. Lunch & dinner is on your own.
(365km / 225mls)
The Blue Lagoon visit is in the afternoon. Tour ends around 7pm.

Day 8. DEPARTURE HOME

Individual transfer by Flybus airport shuttle from your accommodation in Reykjavík to Keflavík Airport.

Breakfast included.
(50 km/31 mls)

March 07, 2023	English		Sold out	Small Group
March 10, 2023	English		Sold out	Standard Group
March 14, 2023	English		Sold out	Small Group
March 21, 2023	English			Small Group
March 24, 2023	English		Sold out	Standard Group
March 28, 2023	English			Small Group
April 07, 2023	English			Standard Group

20% Deposit
Cancellation:
A cancellation fee of 20% of the tour price and accommodation will be retained by us for cancellations made from 4 to 8 weeks before departure.
A cancellation fee of 50% applies for bookings cancelled 14-28 days prior to tour start.
No refund is possible for cancellations less than 14 days before departure, or for no shows, and for a tour begun but not completed.
CHILDREN DISCOUNT: 20% discount for children 8-11 years of age if sharing room with parents. Tour is not recommended for children younger than eight years of age. Triple rooms are double rooms with extra bed and ideal for two adults and one child.

DEPARTURES: From September to April

DURATION: 8 days / 7 nights

LANGUAGES: English

GROUP SIZE:
- Standard group: maximum 35 people
- Small group: maximum 16 people
- Minimum group size: 5 people

Min Age: 8+
Minimum age for Ice Cave tour is 10+.

Complementaries:
Entrance fees
Free Wi-Fi on the bus
Use of ice grippers spikes for shoes
Use of flashlight

Additional Services:
Extra night in Reykjavik before/after the tour - on request
Upgrade for private airport transfer - on request
Optional ice cave visit (mid-November to mid-March)

Dinner: Dinner is on your own.

ACCOMMODATION 2021-2022: Comfort tourist-class hotels (subject to change)

Reykjavik: Hótel Klettur
West Iceland: Icelandair Hotel Hamar (2 nights)
South Iceland: Landhotel in Hella area (1 night)
Vatnajökull Region: Fosshótel Núpar (2 nights).
Note that the hotel list is subject to change.
Note that most double rooms in Iceland are actually twin bedded rooms

NOTE: Itineraries may be subject to change at short notice during severe weather conditions and certain outdoor activities/day trips may be cancelled during the winter season in Iceland. In these rare cases, where situations of force majeure apply, excursions/activities cannot be refunded but the local guides will try their best to find reasonable alternatives where and whenever possible.

*This tour is not suitable for young children.

PAYMENT:
A non refundable deposit of 20%, of the total package price should reach TOURIS within 2 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.

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.