Totally Iceland, Total Eclipse 2026

Welcome to Iceland! Once we've transferred from the airport to our hotel via Flybus transfer, the rest of the day is for exploration!

Please note: You will be escorted on this tour by an expert, English-speaking Icelandic tour guide. For this special solar eclipse tour, all of our guides have received dedicated solar eclipse training from award-winning astronomy communicator, science lecturer, author and board member of the Icelandic Astronomical Society, Saevar Helgi Bragason.

Reykjavik - Thingvellir National Park - Geysir - Gullfoss - Hella. Departing Reykjavik, we head first to Thingvellir National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and the first stop on Iceland's famous Golden Circle route. Thingvellir is home to the oldest existing national parliament in the world, the Althingi, alongside spectacular geological formations. See the Mid-Atlantic Rift, where the North American and Eurasian tectonic plates are tearing apart, and marvel at Thingvallavatn lake.

Next, stop at Geysir, to witness the erupting Strokkur geyser, which projects boiling water more than 25 metres into the air every 5-7 minutes. Whilst here, meet a local chef to sample traditional rye bread, which is buried in the geothermally heated ground for 24 hours to bake. Taste this regional delicacy served with Icelandic butter, boiled eggs and locally caught herring.

Our final stop of the day is Gullfoss, the Golden Falls. This is perhaps the most picturesque waterfall in Iceland (and there is a lot of competition!). After our visit, we continue to Hella for the night.

Hella - Seljalandsfoss - Skogafoss - Hella. Today is about the sheer force of nature's power - what makes Iceland, Iceland. The plunging Seljalandsfoss and thundering Skogafoss waterfalls. The black sand beaches and dramatic rock formations of Reynisfjara. We also visit the village of Vik, where we discover the Lava show - the only place in the world where you can safely experience hot, molten lava! The show recreates a volcanic eruption, pouring molten lava of 1,100°C over ice in front of you. Enjoy this epic battle between the elements and feel the heat from the lava, before we return to Hella for a second night.

Hella - Arnarstapi. This morning we depart Hella and drive to Arnarstapi (pop. 60), a remote coastal village jutting out of the Snaefellsnes Peninsula in western Iceland, right along the eclipse axis. Arnarstapi, one of Iceland's most stunning locations was once a bustling trading port with a significantly larger population, it was an important hub for Danish merchants shipping fish worldwide. The village's natural harbor also served as a base for fishing and whaling expeditions.

Arnarstapi features a rugged coastline with clear views across the Denmark Strait toward Greenland. This unobstructed horizon provides an ideal vantage point to witness the celestial event, where totality will last an impressive 2 minutes and 2 seconds. At this location, the duration of totality is among the longest anywhere in the world. The area also boasts a scenic coastal walk that ends at a small harbour, with numerous viewpoints along the shoreline to choose from.

Leaving our hotel at approx 4pm it's a short walk to our selected observation point 'Lion head View' at coordinates 64°46'12.1"N 23°37'02.9"W. Solar eclipse glasses will be provided to ensure you can see the eclipse unfold safely - you can remove them during totality to get the best experience.

A total solar eclipse occurs incredibly rarely, only when the moon aligns perfectly in front of the sun, as the two orbit our Earth. It is a complete cosmic coincidence that this happens at all! The sun is 400 times further away than the moon, but also 400 times larger. This allows them to appear the same size when the alignment is perfect, which is why the moon totally blocks out the sun - known as totality. Just the sun's outer atmosphere, which is called the corona, is visible - a shimmering ring of light in the pitch dark.

At precisely 16:45:20, the partial eclipse will commence as the moon begins its slow journey across the sun. By 17:46:09, the total eclipse will take centre stage, plunging the world into complete darkness for an extraordinary experience. During this brief moment of totality, time seems to pause - the temperature drops, the birds fall silent, and an eerie stillness envelops everything. As the total eclipse concludes and sunlight gradually reappears from behind the moon, the celestial show continues for another hour, until 18:46.

Only here in west Iceland, Greenland, northern Spain and northeast Portugal (and a few spots in the ocean) will mankind experience a total eclipse on 12 August, 2026. This is a historic moment, the last total solar eclipse to take place in Iceland was in 1954, and there won't be another until 26 June, 2196. During the totality, depending on the conditions, it may be possible to spot Venus, Jupiter, Mercury and Mars, and the stars of the Big Dipper should also be visible directly overhead.

TOTAL SOLAR ECLIPSE - ARNARSTAPI
Total solar eclipse - 2m 2s.
Total duration - 2h 1m 1s.
Partial begins - 16:45:20
Totality begins - 17:46:09
Maximum Eclipse - 17:47:10
Totality ends - 17:48:14
Partial ends - 18:46:21

After its a short walk back to our hotel for an evening of leisure.

Arnarstapi - Kirkjufell - Gerduberg - Reykjavik. Our exploration of the Snaefellsnes Peninsula continues today. Our first stop is Kirkjufell, Iceland's most photographed mountain. Kirkjufell protrudes out to sea and has a distinct, conical shape. We then head to Gerduberg, where basalt columns have been shaped by the elements and are arranged in geometric shapes. Our final destination is Reykjavik, and your evening is at leisure on arrival.

And just like that, our solar eclipse tour comes to an end. Enjoy your final morning in Iceland, before an included Flybus transfer takes you to the airport. Make sure to come back soon!