SOUTH COAST AND NORTHERN LIGHTS
Waterfalls, Glacier & the Black sand beach
Drive along the southwestern stretch of the ring road leading from Reykjavik along volcanoes, waterfalls, and glaciers to the black sand beach and Iceland's southernmost town, Vík. The tour starts with a drive through the Hellisheiði mountain pass bringing you through moss-covered lava fields and past geothermal springs down to farmland along the coastline.
On clear days, Hekla, the infamous Eyjafjalljökull volcanoes along with the Westman Islands can be seen rising in the distance as you approach the Solheimajökull Glacier, a photographer's delight and the first stop on the tour. The next destination is the otherworldly black beach known as Reynisfjara where the waves of the Atlantic Ocean crash upon the black sands from which the seemingly man-made hexagonal basalt columns rise to cliffs filled with nesting sea birds. After taking in your fill of the amazing geological formations, the tour will continue onto the small village of Vík with a church upon a hill overlooking three volcanic stone columns, said to be trolls turned to stone along the shores of the Atlantic Ocean.
After Vík, the trip back towards Reykjavik will take you to the powerful Skógafoss waterfall where a short walk up a flight of stairs will reveal one of Iceland´s most scenic views. From here we will head to the final stop, the 60-meter-high Seljalandsfoss Waterfall famous for the hidden pathway leading behind and around this stunning sight. With some luck and sunny weather conditions, rainbows may add to the spectacular experience at each waterfall.
The Aurora is both wonderfully mysterious and magical, and once seen never forgotten. Simply put, nothing says “Icelandic Winter” like the idea of hunting for the Northern Lights. A result of powerful solar storms, the Northern Lights need clear winter skies to be visible. Rest assured, our expert operational team has decades of experience analyzing weather patterns. We carefully review on a daily basis the cloud forecast and the Northern Lights forecast. We never set off unless we think we have a good chance of spotting them, meaning we have a high success rate.
What's included
- In bus audio guide with a choice of 10 languages (English, French, German, Dutch, Italian, Spanish, Chinese, Japanese, Korean and Finnish)
- Knowledgeable local guide
- Admission to the sights
- Free Wi-Fi and usb charger in every seat
- Photo memory of you and the northern lights (when aurora can be seen)
- Instructions about how to set up your camera to capture northern lights and the night sky
What's not included
- Pick-up and Drop-off at hotel can be booked as an extra service with our SmartBus™ service. Otherwise you are advised to be at our Reykjavik Terminal 15 minutes before the tour departure time.
What do I need to bring
For the In-Bus-Audio-Guide: Bring your own headphones. Otherwise headphones are available for purchase in every bus from our hosts.
For your comfort: Dress according to weather. In Iceland it is always wise to dress in warm waterproof clothes. Weather changes can be sudden so be prepared for all weather conditions. Waterproof jacket and pants, headwear and gloves, and warm socks/waterproof shoes are recommended, especially since we will be outside at night during the hunt for the northern lights.
Attention
- We are working with Iceland´s most talented Northern lights hunters to find the best places every night.
- It is never a guaranteed that we will see northern lights, however, we do our best to maximize our chances by picking the best locations.
- Since it is never guaranteed to see aurora, we will make sure you get the chance to see them. In the event of a unsuccessful hunt, we offer you the chance to re-book as many times as needed until you partake in a successful northern lights hunt. You can continue to do this within a 2 year period of going on the first hunt.
- If the Northern Lights portion of this tour is canceled due to weather and you don't have an opportunity to participate in a subsequent tour, the northern lights portion of the tour will be refunded.