Northern Lights Exploration - 8 days

Northern Lights Exploration - 8 days

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8 Days From

$2935

$2201

Northern Lights Exploration - 8 days

8 Days Starting and ending in Reykjavik

Visiting: Reykjavik, Borgarnes, Hella, Hof, Vik

Tour operator:

On The Go Tours

Tour code:

1464/NLEX

Guide Type:

Fully Guided

Group size:

2 - 40

Age range:

12 years and above

Special diets catered:

Vegetarians, Please contact On The Go Tours with specific dietary requests

Tour operated in:

English

Trip Styles:

Small Group

Interests:

Cultural

From: $2935 $2201 Operator discount: -$734 -25%

NB: Prices correct on 22-Dec-2024 but subject to change.

Tour Overview

WINTER TOUR: Explore the best of West and South Iceland on our most inclusive winter tour. Start and end in Reykjavik, discover the Golden Circle, climb a volcano, meet Icelandic horses and relax in the Blue Lagoon all whilst looking out for the spectacular Northern Lights on this soft cultural adventure.

Highlights

  • Reykjavik - Become acquainted with the Capital of Iceland

  • Borgarfjordur Valley - Climb volcanoes, watch waterfalls and warm up next to Europe's most powerful hot springs

  • Snaefellsnes Peninsula - Wander across rugged mountains, charming fishing villages and fjords

  • Vatnshellir Cave - Take a guided underground tour under Saefellsnesjokull glacier

  • Borgarnes - Explore the Icelandic Settlement Centre and geothermal pools

  • Golden Circle - Tour Geysir geothermal fields, the Gulfoss Waterfall, Strokkur geyser and Thingvellir National Park - a UNESCO World Heritage Site

  • Eyjafjallajokull Glacier - See the site of the famous eruption of April 2010 that halted international air travel for a week

  • South Coast - Take in the beauty at Skógafoss waterfall, black lava beach & bird cliffs at Reynisfjara beach

  • Vatnajokull National Park region - Witness Western Europe's largest national park and glacier

  • Vik - Roam Lava fields, black lava beach and Seljalandsfoss waterfall

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Itinerary

Expand All

Day 1: Reykjavik

Location: Reykjavik

Accommodation Name: Overnight: Reykjavik

Meals Included: Breakfast

Reykjavik. Welcome to Iceland and the start of your Northern Lights adventure! Your transfer to our accommodation is by Flybus shuttle. The remainder of the day is at leisure.

Day 2: Borgarnes

Manuel Nogales

Location: Borgarnes

Accommodation Name: Overnight: Borganes

Meals Included: Breakfast

Reykjavik - Borgarnes - Borgarfjorour Valley - This morning we meet our tour guide and depart on a Reykjavik city tour exploring some of the highlights of Iceland’s capital before heading west to Borgarfjorour.





Along the way we stop in Borgarnes and learn about Iceland’s earliest days at the Settlement Center.





Borgarfjorour valley is known as the Saga valley of West Iceland because many important historical events took place there. You will have the opportunity to climb the Grabrok volcano crater and warm up at Deildartunguhver, Europe's most powerful hot spring, producing 180 litres of nearly boiling water (97°c) per second.





We continue to Hraunfossar, a series of waterfalls pouring from beneath a wide lava field. Barnafoss - the Children’s falls, is nearby with its own tragic tale. We spend the next two nights at Borgarnes in West Iceland. This afternoon includes a lecture about the Northern Lights and after dinner we head into the garden to search for the Northern Lights, followed by a hot cup of chocolate or tea.

Day 3: Borgarnes

Manuel Nogales

Location: Borgarnes

Accommodation Name: Overnight: Borganes

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch

Borgarnes - Snaefellsnes Peninsula - Borgarnes. Today we explore the Snaellsnes Peninsula or the Peninsula of the snowy mountain. A rugged mountain chain runs its length.





Depending on the conditions, we may also visit the fishing village of Grundarfjorour. 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 Saefellsjokull





Today our guide gives us some practical tips of how to photograph the Auroras as part of the Northern Lights Academy program. Once darkness falls, we venture into the hotel garden and relax in the outdoor hot tubs to hopefully await an appearance from the breathtaking Northern Lights.

Day 4: Hella

Ariane Barros

Location: Hella

Accommodation Name: Overnight: Hella

Meals Included: Breakfast

Borgarnes - Golden Circle - Hella. This morning we travel along the scenic shores of the Hvalfjörour fjord, stopping at an Icelandic wool outlet store before continuing inland to Thingvellir National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage site. After a stop at the park, we continue to the Geysir geothermal fields, where there's a variety of hot springs and bubbling pools. The original geyser is now dormant but Strokkur, "the Churn“ is very much still active and erupts every 5-10 minutes. When we get to Geysir, we visit the restaurant and taste freshly baked hot spring bread served with delicious Icelandic butter, geothermally boiled eggs and local herring. This is best served with a small glass of ice cold (nearly frozen) Geysir Schnapps. Leaving the geyser fields, we stop at the last site on Iceland's Golden Circle - Gullfoss “the golden falls“. This double waterfall tumbles 34 meters into the Hvítá River.





This afternoon, we learn about the history of the hardy Icelandic horse and the special qualities they possess. We also visit a geothermal greenhouse, before reaching our accommodation in South Iceland.



Day 5: Hella

Mark Mulder

Location: Hella

Meals Included: Breakfast

Hella - Eyjafjallajökull - Kirkjubaejarklaustur. Today we travel along the South coast. At our first stop of the day we will learn about the geology and the active volcano's in Iceland at the Lava & Volcano Exhibition centre.





Further east we visit one of Iceland's finest folk museums. This museum contains an outstanding collection of farm and domestic artefacts typical of Iceland’s past as well as several turf-built houses. Nearby is the waterfall of Skógafoss which stands 60 meters tall and is one of the most impressive waterfalls in Iceland.





This afternoon we take a stroll along black lava beach and the bird cliffs at Reynisfjara beach in South Iceland. We spend the next 2 nights near Kirkjubæjarklaustur in the Vatnajökull National Park region, located in complete darkness and ideal for Northern Lights search.

Day 6: Hof

Location: Hof

Accommodation Name: Overnight: Kirkjubaejarklaustur

Meals Included: Breakfast

Kirkjubaejarklaustur - Jökulsárlón - Kirkjubaejarklaustur. Today is all about glaciers, ice and icebergs. This morning we travel to Jökulsárlón glacial lagoon which is filled with floating icebergs. Exploring this extraordinary site we keep an eye out for seals swimming in the freezing Arctic waters. We then can walk along the black sandy beach where some large icebergs have gotten stranded.





This afternoon we visit the tiny turf church in the town of Hof before heading to the National Park. The Vatnajökull National Park covers about 12,000 square kilometres and is the largest National Park in Europe. Here we find Iceland’s highest mountains, an alpine environment, and Europe's largest glacier which the park is named after. Alternatively we can take an optional Ice Cave tour (between Nov 15th and March 15th only) - see Trip Notes for more details.





Tonight we enjoy a movie presentation about the Northern Lights as a part of the Northern Lights Academy program before hopefully seeing the Northern Lights shimmering and dancing across the night sky.

Day 7: Vik

Location: Vik

Accommodation Name: Overnight: Reykjavik

Meals Included: Breakfast

Kirkjubaejarklaustur - Vik - Reykjavík. This morning we depart Kirkjubæjarklaustur and head across the Eldhraun lava field to the village of Vik where we make a photo stop. We take a stroll on the black lava beach and along the bird cliffs at Reynisfjara beach in South Iceland. Further west we reach the high but narrow Seljalandsfoss waterfall which plunges over the mountain. Those wishing to get a bit closer can take a trail that goes behind the falling water but be prepared to get wet!





This afternoon we head to the famous Blue Lagoon for a relaxing soak.

Day 8: Reykjavik

Location: Reykjavik

Today our Northern Lights Icelandic experience comes to an end with included FlyBus transfer to Keflavik Airport.



What's Included

  • Accommodation
    3 star

  • 7 breakfasts

  • 7 nights standard hotels and cottage accommodation

  • Keflavik Airport arrival and departure transfer (FlyBus shuttle)

  • Guided underground tour into Vatnshellir cave situated under Saefellsnesjokull glacier

  • Visit to Icelandic horse stables & geothermal greenhouse

  • Visit to multi media presentation at Eyjafjallajökull Volcano Information Center

  • Entrance into Skogar folk museum and turf houses

  • Entrance with towel into the Blue Lagoon

  • Services of an English Speaking Icelandic Guide

  • Transportation in heated coaches with free Wi-Fi on board

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What's Not Included

  • International Flights and Visas

  • Gratuity for your tour guide. Tipping your tour guide is an entirely personal gesture

Age Policy

Child: 8 - 11.99yrs. Adult: 12 yrs+

Check out our Q&As

  • Are the local guides on the tour English speaking?

    Yes

  • What is the standard of the hotels on this tour?

    3 star

  • What is the maximum group size?

    45

  • Are airport transfers included in this tour?

    Arrival and Departure Transfer with FlyBus from Keflavik Airport

  • What Ethical Travel credentials does the tour company have?

    Ensuring our footprint is light and that the benefits of travelling reach the local communities you visit is paramount to us. We’re proud to say that when travelling with us, the large majority of your holiday funds remain within the countries you visit, supporting local economies at a grass roots level.

  • How long has the tour company been trading?

    Since 1998

  • Who will be my travelling companions on the tour?

    With English-speaking tours, it's not a huge surprise that most on our travellers are from English-speaking countries or have English as their second language. Our group tours cater for everyone from 18 years old to 70+

  • Will the accommodation included meet local health and safety regulations?

    Yes

Reviews of this operator

Nicola Hodgkinson (Google Reviewer)  

Recently returned from Greece, a...

07-May-2024

Recently returned from Greece, a 5 day tour with OTG. Unfortunately, I had a negative experience on day 2 where I needed local support to get me out of a tricky situation. Thank you to Alexandra Z from Hetco Tours in Athens for helping me continue on with the trip, to the Hotel Zafolia staffing team and to Danielle and team here in the UK for supporting me with the aftermath. Your kindness will not be forgotten and I will pay it forward. I've now booked 3 trips with yourselves and will continue to go back. Thank you all. Honestly, I am SO grateful. Blessings to you all. Nicola

Calvin  

Wonderful experience

05-Jan-2023

Jamal is our tour guide. Right from the start, he created a group chat in whatsapp and if any issues to make sure we contact him. He was on the ball with every issue thrown at him. Luggage being left behind, stragglers wondered off in a different path, hotel room etc. He explains the various site along our route to give us a better understanding of the local cultures. We had a great time, thanks to Jamal.

Trustpilot
Norma Sullivan  

Land of the Northern Lights 5 day tour of Iceland

10-Sep-2021

The Land of Northern Lights tour was a triumph! My tour of Southern Iceland was absolutely wonderful. The venues chosen, the timing allotted at each venue and the variety of things to experience was nearly perfect. Our guide, "Thor", was smart, amusing, full of history and anecdotal stories as well as being incredibly hospitable and helpful. This small group experience was my first, but not my last thanks to On the Go.

Trawls (Google Reviewer)  

On The Go Tours Sri...

05-Feb-2024

On The Go Tours Sri Lanka was an incredible experience that was made even better by our tour guide Akthar. He was incredibly knowledgeable about his country and he loved sharing it with us. The tour covers a wide range of activities so you can truly experience what Sri Lanka is all about. The beautiful 4-5 star hotels at the end of every day was an absolute bonus. Thanks for a great trip OTGT I’m sure this won’t be my last

Xtreme Floor Care (Google Reviewer)  

Traveled through Egypt with On...

30-Nov-2023

Traveled through Egypt with On the Go Tours, professional service, very informative and helpful tour guides. The choice of hotels was excellent... Definitely recommend this company

Gavin Harrigan  

King Tutankhamun 10 day tour of Egypt

16-Sep-2021

I have just returned from my tour with On The Go and it was an amazing trip! From arriving at the airport and meeting the OTG representative, everything was well organised and hassle free.  Our tour guide was Amir. He is awesome!! From the beginning he was so friendly and enthusiastic about showing us around Egypt, giving us loads of information at each place and time to explore ourselves. Learnt so much from him about this fascinating place, and he was always happy to answer more questions.   The trip itself was amazing. There's lots of travelling on this trip, but it's really not too bad, and the sights you see when you get to where you are going are worth it. I'm not a big fan of boats, but the Felluca ride across the Nile was pretty fun too.  On the first day I also did the optional tour of Cairo with Ahmed Helal - another excellent guide from OTG. It's worth doing this add on as you don't spend much time in Cairo, and you go to three very different places.  I'm so glad that I decided to do this trip. It was just ace.  If you're thinking about it too, you should probably just book it. And hopefully you get Amir as your guide.

Joyce Heitler (Google Reviewer)  

I would give this tour...

09-May-2024

I would give this tour group no stars if possible. The tour was not guaranteed but they did not inform me when I booked and they did not have enough people. Way after I booked they said I needed a doctors letter because I was over 70. Also way after booking I was informed I needed travel insurance. They knew my age when I booked. They would not refund my tour even though it was 4 months away.

Simla Patel (Google Reviewer)  

This company doesn’t deserve even...

26-Nov-2024

This company doesn’t deserve even 1 star. I would not recommend this company. There are hidden fees which means the cost of the holiday ends up being very expensive. We recently came back from our trip to China where it is not customary to tip in restaurants & hotel staff. Yet we had to make a payment upfront in cash to to the guide for more than £100. The hotel service was appalling. Just think £100 from each person. The trip was suppose to be a Tour yet we had to pay for all entrance fees. We complained about the poor condition of the hotels but no one responded to our emails to date. The after sales service is non existent. Do not use this company. Far far too expensive for what you get. Not competitive at all. They messed up our booking; repeatedly asked for the same information. We spent so much time correcting their errors. Very difficult to get hold of anyone because they all work in S Africa or New Zealand. Absolute nightmare

Sarah Paterson (Google Reviewer)  

Terrible tour of India. For...

27-Dec-2023

Terrible tour of India. For some reason On the Go hadn't realised that my room mate had booked her own room for the first night of tour. So the hotel in Delhi had tried to put me in her room after midnight, by wheeling in an extra bed. She went Crazy!! I then had to sit in hotel reception for hours. While the tour guide said he couldn't find me a room. Throughout the tour the guide consistently ask me and my room mate for money for my room, causing more friction between us. Don't book with this company had the worst experience ever. Go with Intrepid or G Adventure

brandy hoffman (Google Reviewer)  

I had used them once...

09-Aug-2023

I had used them once before and loved them. I decided to try them again for a Baltic tour not knowing that they put me on another Tour group- Baltic vision. Loved that tour but was not impressed they marked up the cost for me over 100%. I understand taking some for yourself because of paperwork, but over double the cost everyone else paid on the tour. Just double check before you book with them that you’re not over paying.

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Operator discount: -$734

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Operator discount: -$864

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Operator discount: -$864

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Operator discount: -$864

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Operator discount: -$864

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Operator discount: -$864

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Operator discount: -$864

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Operator discount: -$864

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Operator discount: -$864

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Operator discount: -$864

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Operator discount: -$864

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Operator discount: -$864

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Operator discount: -$864

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Mar 06, 2026 - Mar 13, 2026
$3455 $2591

Operator discount: -$864

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Mar 13, 2026 - Mar 20, 2026
$3455 $2591

Operator discount: -$864

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$3455 $2591

Operator discount: -$864

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$3455 $2591

Operator discount: -$864

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$3455 $2591

Operator discount: -$864

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$3455 $2591

Operator discount: -$864

Prices last published on 22-Dec-2024

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  • Low Deposit

    On The Go Tours requires a minimum deposit of 600 USD per person or the full booking value, whichever is less, with the final balance not due until 60 days before departure.

  • Cancellation Policy

    We don't charge a cancellation fee, here is a summary of on the go tours charges.

    Up to 60 days before tour starts: Forfeit 100% of deposit.

    At 59 days before tour starts: Forfeit 50% of booking price.

    At 30 days before tour starts: Forfeit 100% of booking price.

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