Iceland Highlights & Northern Lights Hunt

Arrive in Reykjavik and make your own way to your hotel - you can arrange an airport transfer with us. The rest of the day is at leisure.

Meet your guide in the hotel lobby at 08:45 - we set off on the Golden Circle to take in some of Iceland's most iconic sights. We begin at Þingvellir National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site recognised for its historical and geological significance. We continue to the Geysir geothermal area to watch Strokkur erupt every few minutes, then visit Friðheimar, a geothermal greenhouse that grows tomatoes year round using sustainable energy. Our final stop is Gullfoss - the golden waterfall - known for its powerful cascades. We then drive to the Vik area, where we stay overnight, an excellent base for further exploration. In the evening, if conditions allow, you can search for the Northern Lights.

We head east along the south coast to Jökulsarlon Glacier Lagoon and nearby Diamond Beach. At Jökulsarlon, we watch icebergs calve from the Breiðamerkurjökull glacier tongue and drift across the water - some milky white, others vivid blue as light passes through compact ice crystals. The lagoon connects to the sea, bringing fish in with the tides, and in winter seals often gather at its mouth to feed.

Nearby, Diamond Beach is a stretch of black volcanic sand scattered with gleaming ice fragments washed ashore from the lagoon - a striking natural contrast and a favourite with photographers. On the return journey, we travel through Vatnajökull National Park, home to Europe's largest glacier, where a landscape shaped by ice and ancient volcanic activity features rugged peaks, glacial rivers and waterfalls cutting deep valleys. Spend a second night in Vik, and keep your eyes peeled on the dark winter sky for the Northern Lights.

We follow the south coast of Iceland - a scenic route of glacier tongues, waterfalls, rugged hills, black sand beaches and well known volcanoes. Our first stop is Reynisfjara, where we take in the striking geology and thundering Atlantic waves. Please keep a safe distance - the waves are powerful and unpredictable.

We then admire the majestic Skogafoss before continuing to Seljalandsfoss, a 60‑metre cascade. Here you can walk behind the falls - dress warmly, as the spray can leave you wet.

The final highlight before returning to Reykjavik is the Blue Lagoon (entrance not included), featured on National Geographic's list of 25 wonders of the world and celebrated as a geothermal gift of nature. We make time to soak in its mineral rich waters, and you can add the fine silica mud experience as an optional extra. From the Blue Lagoon, we head back to Reykjavik and drop you at your hotel.

Today, you make your own way to Keflavik Airport for your flight - if you prefer, we can arrange an airport transfer to suit your departure time.