SOUTH COAST AND NORTHERN LIGHTS

Description

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.

Itinerary

• .Starting off in Reykjavik from our Reykjavik terminal at Skógarhlíð 10 we will depart for Hvolsvöllur, a 1.5hr. ride. This will be a 15-minute pit stop to grab light refreshments and use the facilities.
• The first site along the tour is then Solheimajökull Glacier, a humbling glacial tongue extending from the Myrdalsjökull glacier.
  
• The next stop is Reynisfjara, the famous black sand beach with towering basalt columns, a basalt cave, and jagged lava pillars resembling petrified trolls.
  
• The lunch break will be at the small town of Vik, a cozy town with a typical Icelandic church overlooking the Atlantic Ocean.
• Skógafoss waterfall will be the next stop after lunch with a stairway leading up to a view of glaciers, black sand beaches, and epic mountains. 
• The final stop will be Seljalandsfoss waterfall with a walkway leading behind the waterfall. From here, the journey back to Reykjavik will be about 1.5hrs.
• Later in the evening, we will head out again in search of the northern lights. Starting off in Reykjavik from our Reykjavik terminal at Skógarhlíð 10 we will head outside the city to get as far from light pollution as possible. The weather forecast plays a big influence on choosing the location, but we always try to get to the best possible sight with the best chances to view the northern lights. The location can be anywhere from 30-60 minutes from Reykjavik
• Once at the location we will stay for approximately 1.5-2hrs hunting the northern lights before returning back to Reykjavik. Depending on the forecast multiple locations may be chosen for searching for aurora.
• The tour lasts around 3 hours, so we will return to Reykjavik around 2.5 hours after starting the tour.
• This tour is 11 hours long including travel time and the time you spend at each location plus the time for the northern lights in the evening (3-4 hours). You spend at least 45 minutes at the major stops giving you plenty of time to enjoy nature and to take some photos. The Northern Lights portion of the tour is about 3-4 hours.
  
• Total distance covered: 390 km or 242 mi plus the distance covered during the northern lights hunt.

Important information

• Please show up at our Reykjavik Terminal (located at Skógarhlíð 10) 15 minutes prior to the departure time. Please be ready at your pick-up point with your voucher, either in digital or printed form. 
• If you have booked a hotel pickup with Smartbus™, please be at your chosen pickup location 30 minutes before the departure of the tour. Look for the Green Smartbus™ which will be outside your accommodation within 30 minutes of pickup. 
• You will be traveling in a coach that holds approximately 40-65 people, but is very spacious and comfortable. The bus offers free wifi and USB charging ports.
• Lunch is not included, but in Hvolsvöllur, Reynisfjara, and Vík there are shops where you can buy food and drinks.
• Prices: Teenagers 12-15 years: 50% & children 0-11 years old free.
• There is no age limit for this tour
• Bring with you: Dress according to weather. In Iceland it is always smart to dress in warm and waterproof clothes, weather changes are swift so prepare to expect the unexpected. Bring a waterproof jacket and pants, headwear and gloves. Good outdoor shoes are recommended.
• Duration: Approximately 13 hours in total including around 3 hours for the northern lights part of the tour.
• In-Bus-Audio-Guide: We recommend that you bring your own headphones, simply because they will fit you best. It is also great for the environment. If you don’t have your headphones, with you or forgot to bring them, no worries we sell earphones on board.
• The Northern light tour is available from the 15th of August - 25th of April. Departures are highly dependent on weather.
• The Northern Lights Tour start times are:
  • August 15th - August 24th at 22:30
  • August 25th - October 15th at 21:30
  • October 16th - March 14th at 20:30
  • March 15th - April 14th  at 21:30
  • April 15th - April 25th at 22:30