8-Day Iceland Northern Lights Ring Road Tour from Reykjavík
About this activity
Chase the Northern Lights over 8 days on Iceland's Ring Road from Reykjavík. Includes Northern Lights boat tour, Golden Circle, South Coast, Crystal Ice Cave or glacier hike, Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon, Lake Mývatn, and whale watching in Eyjafjörður.
Highlights
- Full Iceland Ring Road over 8 days from Reykjavík
- Northern Lights boat tour from Reykjavík Old Harbour
- Golden Circle: Þingvellir, Geysir, and Gullfoss
- South Coast: Seljalandsfoss, Skógafoss, and Reynisfjara black sand beach
- Glacier hike on Vatnajökull (September) or Crystal Ice Cave (October to mid-April)
- Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon and Diamond Beach
- Wilderness Center, Stuðlagil Canyon, and Goðafoss
- Lake Mývatn, Dimmuborgir, and Námaskarð geothermal area
- Whale watching in Eyjafjörður
- Free Northern Lights retry voucher (valid 3 years) if auroras aren't seen
Full description
Travel Iceland's Ring Road over 8 days from Reykjavík on a winter-season tour built around Northern Lights viewing. The tour runs September to April, with overnights at remote countryside hotels chosen for low light pollution and aurora visibility.
The route covers the Golden Circle (Þingvellir, Geysir, Gullfoss), the South Coast (Seljalandsfoss, Skógafoss, Reynisfjara), Vatnajökull National Park, Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon and Diamond Beach, the Eastfjords, the Wilderness Center, Stuðlagil Canyon, Lake Mývatn, Goðafoss, Eyjafjörður, and West Iceland's Borgarfjörður region.
Included activities are a Northern Lights boat tour from Reykjavík, a glacier hike on Vatnajökull (September) or Crystal Ice Cave visit (October to mid-April), and a 3-hour whale watching boat tour from Eyjafjörður. If the Northern Lights don't appear during the tour, you receive a free retry voucher valid for 3 years on any Arctic Adventures Northern Lights tour.
Seven nights of hotel accommodation with private bathroom are included, along with breakfast each morning, English-speaking guide, and minibus transport with free WiFi.
Included / Excluded
- Pickup and drop-off in Reykjavík
- 7 nights of hotel accommodation with private bathroom
- Guided minibus tour
- Breakfast each morning
- English-speaking guide
- Guided tour in minibus
- Free WiFi on the bus
- All required safety equipment
- Northern Lights boat tour from Reykjavík
- Glacier hike on Vatnajökull (September) or Crystal Ice Cave visit (October to mid-April)
- Whale watching in Eyjafjörður
- Free photos with the Northern Lights
- Free Northern Lights retry voucher (valid 3 years) if auroras aren't seen during the tour
- Flights to and from Iceland
- Airport transfers
- Lunches and dinners
- Earth Lagoon / Forest Lagoon entry (optional extra)
- Single room supplement (for solo travelers wanting a private room)
- Hiking boot, waterproof jacket, and waterproof pants rental (must be reserved in advance)
- Travel insurance
- Personal expenses and gratuities
Meeting point
Start Location
Reykjavík, Iceland
Important information
Know before you book
- Winter-season tour: runs September to April only
- Northern Lights are weather-dependent and not guaranteed; a free retry voucher is included (valid 3 years)
- Whale watching success rate is 98% but not guaranteed
- Solo travelers must select the single room supplement for a private room; otherwise you may share with another solo traveler of the same gender
Know before you go
- Pack warm, waterproof layers and sturdy hiking boots
- Bring a camera and spare batteries for the Northern Lights
- Allow time for Reykjavík pick-up and return transfers
Cancellation policy
Up to 24 hours before the beginning of the activity: full refund Less than 24 hours before the beginning of the activity or no-show: no refund
Reviews
I had the absolute BEST TIME going on the Katla Ice Cave tour!! One of my best experiences. The ice cave and all the views around it were STUNNING. I was amazed by what I was seeing. 110% recommend booking this tour!! Also, shout out to our tour guide Arny! Thank you!
I had the absolute BEST TIME going on the Katla Ice Cave tour!! One of my best experiences. The ice cave and all the views around it were STUNNING. I was amazed by what I was seeing. 110% recommend booking this tour!! Also, shout out to our tour guide Arny! Thank you!
We just completed the 7-day tour and it was incredible! For the 6-day portion of the tour, Maggie was the BEST tour guide! She shared interesting facts about Iceland, sprinkled in with great humor. She kept the tour group running on time and gave clear instructions about appropriate attire for each attraction (for example, when to wear waterproof clothes). She also made sure we had the appropriate amount of time for each attraction; of course there was a stop or two that we wish we had more time to explore, but that is the nature of doing a country-wide tour. Overall, Maggie was the MVP and we will miss her dearly! The hotels were nice, and the dinner and breakfast selections were quite broad; they always included at least one vegetarian option. Some hotels even had hot tubs which were an added bonus. The Wilderness Center was by far our favorite hotel! There was an instance of miscommunication from Arctic Adventures (not at all Maggie’s fault), namely clarity on how to book the lagoon visit for an extra fee. It was easily resolved with a brief phone call but we wish there was clearer communication from Arctic before the tour began. The 7th day included some folks from the 6-day tour and some folks doing just a tour for that day. We had a different guide, Bruno, who was also great. The 7th day does feel a bit disconnected from the previous 6, but we would still recommend doing it because the Snæfellsnes Peninsula is a beautiful way to end a country-wide tour of Iceland. Overall, we highly recommend this tour. We found the price to be worth the experience, especially with a guide like Maggie!