Compare Northern Lights Quest of Iceland by CIE Tours vs Iceland: See & Experience it ALL in 9 Days, 1st Class Custom Tours by Charlie The Traveler

Day 1

Reykjavik Panoramic Tour | Perlan Observation Deck| Northern Lights Quest by Boat

Your tour starts in your hotel at 2:00 PM. Discover the capital city Reykjavik on a panoramic tour, experiencing its charming architecture and beautiful, brightly colored rooftops. Visit the Perlan Observation Deck to see magnificent 360 degree views of the city and its surroundings. Return to your hotel for a welcome drink and canapes with your group, followed by free time for dinner on your own. Then head to the harbor for your Northern Lights boat quest. Enjoy beautiful views of the city and surrounding mountains as you sail away, watching for aurora borealis.

Day 2

Golden Circle | Secret Lagoon | Fridheimar Tomato Farm

Head out on the famed Golden Circle, starting with the spectacular Thingvellir National Park, a meeting place of old Icelandic clans. It is also where the Eurasian and North American tectonic plates meet above ground. Journey to the Secret Lagoon: small and intimate, it's where savvy travelers go to enjoy the Icelandic spa experience. Don't forget your swimsuit! Enjoy lunch in the greenhouse of Fridheimar Tomato Farm. Then it's on to the Strokkur Geyser, which erupts every 10 minutes. Stop at Gullfoss Waterfall, one of the most photographed spots in all of Iceland. Move on to your hotel below the Hekla volcano and enjoy dinner with your group. After dark, you might soak in the hotel's outdoor hot tub while watching for the Northern Lights. (B, L, D)

Day 3

LAVA Center| Skogar Folk Museum | Skogafoss Waterfall | Black Sand Beach

Visit the LAVA Center to learn about Iceland's volcanoes, and how their eruptions and lava flows have shaped the country over time. VIsit the Skogar Folk Museum to explore Iceland's cultural heritage and learn about the lives of Iceland's early settlers through an array of tools, books, and handicrafts. Visit the nearby Skogafoss Waterfall, where on sunny days a double rainbow is often visible. Dine tonight at your hotel which is perfectly situated for Northern Lights viewing; it offers wake-up service if the lights are visible after bedtime (B, D)

Day 4

Jokulsarlon Glacier Lagoon | Diamond Beach | Skaftafell Wilderness Area

Travel into Vatnajokull National Park to Jokulsarlon Glacier Lagoon, dotted with crystal-blue icebergs. Marvel at small icebergs flowing into the Atlantic or breaking up along the black sand of Diamond Beach. Enjoy lunch with a view of the surrounding countryside. Visit Skaftafell Wilderness Area with its enormous glaciers, snow-capped volcano and nearby lava fields. Return to your hotel where you can dine independently. It may be another perfect night to step into the darkness and search for the elusive Northern Lights. (B, L)

Day 5

Seljalandsfoss | Reykjavik | The Blue Lagoon

Journey to the beautiful Seljalandsfoss Waterfall where, weather permitting, the sure-footed can walk the trail that takes you behind the 60-meter falls. Travel back to Reykjavik, possibly visiting any itinerary sights you might have missed due to weather. Spend the rest of the afternoon independently exploring the city. In the evening visit the Blue Lagoon, a geothermal spa in a man-made lake surrounded by a lava field, share in a farewell dinner and lagoon entry with your group (B, D)

Day 6

Tour Ends in Reykjavik

Your tour ends after breakfast. (B) All visits are weather dependent. B: Breakfast; L: Lunch; D: Dinner

Day 1: Whale Watching & Colorful Skies

From mid-May to mid-October, our tour starts in Iceland's second most visited city, Akureyri. Get ready to go on a whale watching tour. From late October to early May, whale watching is done instead in the capital that is Reykjavík. From September to early March, also included is a night tour to an area where we see the northern lights.

Day 2: A Lake Created by Lava & Geothermal Eruptions

As a land daytrip from Akureyri (mid-May to mid-October) or a flight daytrip from Reykjavík (late October to early May), we are taken on a tour to Goðafoss Waterfall, Lake Mývatn, a geothermal area called Hverir and Dettifoss Waterfall. Goðafoss waterfall has a height of 12 meters over a width of 30 meters. Lake Mývatn was created by a large basaltic lava which erupted 2,300 years ago. The surrounding landscape is dominated by volcanic landforms, including lava pillars. Dettifoss is reputed to be the second most powerful waterfall in Europe.

Day 3: Approaching a Caldera & Bathing in a Crater or Iceland’s Best Bar Lagoon Accompanied with a City Tour

Today’s destinations and activities depend on the season. From mid-May to mid-October, as a daytrip from Akureyri, we first hike Askja Caldera and then visit a crater called Viti, the latter of which offers a pond where we go bathing. From late October to early May, we go bathing at a ‘fashionable’ geothermal spa called Sky Lagoon, located near to the capital. We are also provided with a tour of the capital.

Day 4: Why They Call This Area the ‘Golden Circle’

From mid-May to mid-October, we relocate from Akureyri to Reykjavík. From late October to early May, we are not based in Akureyri. Instead, we are still based in Reykjavík. Either way, today we are doing the so-called ‘Golden Circle’ as a daytrip from Reykjavík. Destinations include Gullfoss Waterfall, Geysir/Strokkur geyser and Þingvellir National Park (a.k.a. Thingvellir National Park). Gullfoss is 32 meters tall and features not 1 but 2 drops. Geysir’s eruptions can hurl boiling water up to 70 meters in the air. Þingvellir is notable for its unusual tectonic and volcanic environment in a rift valley.

Day 5: One of the Ten Most Beautiful Beaches on Earth & Thundering Waterfalls

We leave Reykjavík and start the journey along the southeast coast. Highlights for today include Seljalandsfoss Waterfall, Skógafoss Waterfall and the Reynisfjara Black Sand Beach. We end up lodging in the Skaftafell area. The Seljalandsfoss Waterfall drops 60 meters. Visitors can walk behind the falls into a fascinating cave. Skógafoss is one of the biggest waterfalls in the country, with a width of 25 meters and a drop of 60 meters. Reynisfjara was ranked by National Geographic as one of the ten most beautiful non-tropical beaches on Earth.

Day 6: Huge Icebergs, Exploring an Ice Cave & a Surreal Shoreline

Although today we head to Thorsmork Valley, many destinations are visited en route. They include Skaftafell Nature Reserve, Jökulsárlón Glacial Lake, the natural ice cave at Vatnajökull National Park and Diamond Beach. Skaftafell’s landscape is similar to some of the Alps. The difference is Skaftafell has been formed over thousands of years by different influences of fire and water. Jökulsárlón Lake provides outstanding views of icebergs which rise to a height of 910 meters. Jökulsárlón has been a setting for four Hollywood movies: (1) A View to a Kill, (2) Die Another Day, (3) Lara Croft: Tomb Raider and (4) Batman Begins. Vatnajökull’s ice cave contains canals for water which run through or at the bottom of the glacier. Diamond Beach features icebergs which float onto the shore from Jökulsárlón.

*Note that the surreal looking Svartifoss Waterfall is sometimes-but not always-included on today’s tour. It depends on many factors, including the weather. Also, note that the ice cave is not open June through September. It is open only during the winter season.

Day 7: A Hiker's Paradise

Before returning to Reykjavík, we hike around Thorsmork Valley. The highlights are Seljalandsfoss Waterfall, Stakkholtsgjá Canyon, Nauthúsagil Canyon and Gígjökull Glacier. This is arguably the best area in the country from where to go hiking.

Day 8: Mud Pools, Hot Springs & Blue Waters

From Reykjavík, we make a daytrip to the Reykjanes Peninsula: Lake Kleifarvatn, a geothermal area called Krýsuvík, Gunnuhver’s mud pools and hot springs and the Blue Lagoon. Krýsuvík consists of several geothermal fields. Here solfataras, fumaroles, mud pots and hot springs have formed. The soil is colored bright yellow, red and green. Nearby are several craters which were created by the explosions of overheated groundwater. The Blue Lagoon, one of the most visited attractions in Iceland, is a geothermal spa. There we enjoy bathing inside the warm water.

Day 9: Our Tour Ends Today

Transportation will be arranged for you to reach the airport in Reykjavík.