Travel to Iceland: Reykjavik and Golden Circle Tour of the Northern Lights

Experiencing the surreal beauty of the Northern Lights is a must-do expedition for any serious traveller.

The magic of the aurora borealis has to be seen to be believed, and Iceland is one of the best places to take your chance at catching a glimpse of this temperamental natural phenomenon.

I took a trip to Reykjavik, Iceland recently, and was definitely not disappointed with my Northern Lights experience.

The Reykjavik & Golden Circle Northern Lights Tour with Aurora Zone takes you on an expedition to see one of the greatest natural sights in the world and makes the whole experience as easy as it could be.

Every transfer and activity is taken care of for you, and the local expert knowledge from their friendly guides helps you to catch a better viewing of the Northern Lights.

Of course, a trip to Iceland in the winter is all about aurora hunting, and Aurora Zone have curated the Golden Circle tour to give you the best possible chance of seeing flickers of the Northern Lights (and a full-on show if you’re lucky) during your stay with them.

There is more to see in Iceland than just the night sky, and this tour gives you plenty to do during the day time.

Across a four-day trip you will visit the Icelandic geysers, the Gullfoss Waterfall, and the splendid Thingvellir National Park.

You will also stay at the Northern Light Inn and try out some more aurora spotting in the middle of nowhere away from light pollution.

Then to unwind from it all, you will spend a day at the geothermal waters of the Blue Lagoon.

Day One: Get acquainted with Iceland’s landscape

The tour package includes transfers from Keflavik International Airport. It was simple to find the transfer driver and get taken to the heart of Reykjavik and arrive at my accommodation for the night, Center Hotel Plaza.

Even before I got to my hotel I was already being shown some of the incredible natural sights of Iceland, as the driver drove us through Krysuvik Geothermal Area where hot springs and vents bubble out of red, green and yellow mineral deposited lands.

I loved getting a feel for Iceland’s volcanic landscape straight away.

When we got to the hotel and had a chance to unpack and settle in, it was time to head into the city centre to Restaurant Reykjavik for a dinner included in the package.

This restaurant serves up a widely admired seafood menu, and it made for a relaxing and tasty welcome to Reykjavik.

Time to take in your new surroundings and unwind over a nice dinner and prepare for your expedition to the Golden Circle on day two.

Day Two: Explore the Golden Circle from Reykjavik and Aurora Hunt on Videy Island

After you’ve become acquainted with the Icelandic capital, it’s time for your first day out and a chance to explore the natural wonders of this country.

Your Golden Circle tour starts with a filling breakfast buffet to get you fueled for a day of adventure and exploration.

After setting off in a comfortable transfer, your first stop is the gorgeous Thingvellir National Park – a cherished UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Here you can witness the amazing Silfra fissure: a separation point between the North American and Eurasian tectonic plates. You can see some of the clearest ocean water on the whole planet – it’s an amazing sight.

Then get some awesome selfies next to the towering geysers at the Haukadalur Geothermal Area. The faithful Strokkur geyser erupts every two minutes, remember to have your camera ready.

Next, it’s time to snap some photos next to the 32m high Gullfoss Waterfall. Large parts of this waterfall are covered in ice during the winter months, making for a stunning display of cascading water and ice frozen in the moment.

After the Golden Circle tour, we returned to the Center Hotel Plaza for a bit of relaxation. It felt like an action-packed day with a lot to marvel and take in, but after a chill out at the hotel we were ready to try our first bit of aurora hunting.

We were taken on a 20-minute boat ride to Videy Island, a very remote spot known for its supreme quiet. Being away from artificial light is exactly what you need for a chance to see an Icelandic light show.

Day Three: Relaxing in Reykjavik and taking the Grand Northern Lights Tour

On the third day of the trip there is allocated time in the day for your personal leisure time – plenty of time to relax and rejuvenate yourself for more aurora hunting later in the night.

There are plenty of optional extra activities to book if you want to see more of Reykjavik while youíre there – just speak to Aurora Zone and find out about their many options for personalized trips.

When the evening fell again we went on a huge dedicated aurora hunting trip, being transported from viewpoint to viewpoint with the expert knowledge of the locals guiding us the whole way.

It helped being ferried around in a comfortable coach to stay out of the cold too. This was the best night for aurora hunting on our trip and I managed to get lucky with some wonderful sightings! The hot drinks and blankets provided kept us going on the determined hunt. Having local guides made a big difference when looking for the nothern lights.

Day Four: Dip in the Blue Lagoon and Stay at the Northern Lights Inn

After this stunning and exciting adventure around Reykjavik and the Icelandic wilderness, day four has plenty of time to relax with a dip in the world famous Blue Lagoon.

The huge geothermal pool is widely believed by Icelanders to have therapeutic properties, and it made me feel completely rejuvenated after a few days of activity.

When we were clothed and dry again, we were taken to a gorgeous, remote hotel called the Northern Lights Inn for our last night.

The Inn is purposefully situated as far away from light pollution and artificial light sources as possible, which gives you a much higher chance of catching a truly stunning light show from the comfort of your accommodation on your last night.

Day Five: Time to depart from Reykjavik

On the last morning it’s time for one last breakfast and your transfer back to Keflavik International Airport.

Hopefully with lots of unforgettable memories and incredible snaps of the Northern Lights.

Aurora Zone have clearly put a lot of thought into giving this trip high levels of comfort and luxury as well as ensuring that you have had a top adventure.

You can enjoy the thrill of trekking through frozen terrain with an expert guide by your side at all times, and experience aurora hunting safely in the knowledge that you’ve got the best shot possible of the seeing a light display.

As with anything as mysterious and beautiful as the aurora borealis there are no guarantees of seeing them on this trip but making a carefully planned trip with local expert guides means your odds are given a better chance.

As you can see from the pictures I managed to get a glimpse on this trip and I was lucky enough to have one of the best experiences of natural phenomena and it was totally worth the gamble.

I hope you get to experience this incredible northern hemisphere sight for yourself.

Thank you for reading about my Aurora adventure around Iceland

Thank you for reading this blog post about aurora searching in Reykjavik, Iceland and I hope you’re exctited about booking your next adventure to this incredible country.

If you would like to explore more of Iceland on another visit after exploring Reykjavik and the golden circle, be sure to checkout the ring road around Iceland.

If you have any questions at all about this tour, I’m happy to help. Please feel free to leave a comment below in the comment section and I will get back to you shortly.