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Aurora & Glacier Lagoon, New Year

5 Days / 9 locations in Iceland

isit Iceland over New Year. Explore Iceland's most popular sites such as the Golden Circle route, the South coast and Vatnajökull national park. See waterfalls, geysers, volcano craters, an ice lagoon with floating icebergs and black lava beaches. Besides, there is always a thrilling potential for the night sky to be decorated with amazing aurora borealis. New Year's eve is spent in Reykjavik including a festive dinner at Harpa Concert Hall.

Iceland is the perfect place to enjoy a winter trip full of adventure, icy landscapes and the chance to see the elusive Northern Lights. This unique island in the North Atlantic is one of the world's most sparsely populated countries and has extensive volcanic and geothermal activity. Geologically speaking, Iceland is one of the youngest countries in the world since it only began to rise from the North Atlantic seabed about 25 million years ago. It is the product of volcanic eruptions that are still ongoing. On average, a volcano in Iceland erupts every five years, fortunately only in areas where rarely anyone lives.

Why not explore the land of fire and ice with guided visits to volcanoes, lava fields, hot springs and magnificent glaciers? During this tour you visit Iceland's most popular sites such as the Golden Circle route, the South coast and Vatnajökull national park. On route you see cascading waterfalls, smoking geysers, colourful volcano craters, a spectacular ice lagoon with floating icebergs and black lava beaches, all set against a backdrop of glistering glaciers and restless geology. Besides, there is always a thrilling potential for the night sky to be decorated with the jewels of the amazing aurora borealis. Imagine the excitement to search for the most spectacular - and natural - light show on earth. Cross your fingers for clear skies, wrap up warm, and don't forget your camera with a tripod when you try to catch sight of the Northern Lights in Iceland.

New Year's Eve will be spent in Reykjavik including a 4-course festive dinner at Harpa Concert Hall. The restaurant at the ground floor offers an amazing view over the down-town harbour and bay of Reykjavík. The New Year's eve gala event includes a bonfire & christmas light tour, dance and party and of course the chance to witness the "crazy" fireworks in Iceland's capital.

Itinerary

 
Day 1     Reykjavik
Accommodation: Fosshotel Baron

The Flybus shuttle brings you from Keflavík International Airport to the accommodation in Reykjavík where you spend the night. We provide you with ideas how to explore Iceland's exciting capital on your own, dinner suggestions too! Food lovers will be pleased and perhaps even impressed by the number of diverse restaurants in Reykjavík. Many award winning chefs create delicious Icelandic cuisine that is characterized by an imaginative use of local ingredients such as fresh seafood, organic lamb and wild game; but be sure to try the fabulous Icelandic hotdog and pizza too!

 
Day 2     Reykjavik - Gullfoss Waterfall - Hella - Thingvellir
Meals: Breakfast / Dinner

THE GOLDEN CIRCLE ROUTE (220 km/136 mls)

At 08:30 meet your tour guide and start the escorted tour program with short introduction to Icelandic geology while watching a striking film at the Reykjavik Volcano House documenting the eruptions of Eyjafjallajökull and Fimmvörðulháls in 2010, which caused millions of people to be stranded worldwide as thousands of flights were cancelled. These films give a good insight into the general geology and volcanology of Iceland. At the Volcano House you can experience a hands-on geological exhibition where you can examine various pieces of pumice, ash and lava from Icelandic volcanoes. Later we depart from Reykjavik for Thingvellir National Park, a UNESCO world heritage site, where the Althingi, the oldest legislative assembly in the world, was founded. This is one of Iceland's most fascinating places both geologically and for the role it plays in the country's history and sense of national identity. Thingvellir is also remarkable for reasons of natural science, as the site is part of a fissure zone running through Iceland, and is situated on the tectonic plate boundaries of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. The faults and fissures of the area make evident the rifting of the earth's crust.

Exploring the hot springs at Geysir is like watching a geography lesson in real life: natural springs bubbling away in the ground until the pressure becomes too much – and they explode in spectacular style. Geysir and Strokkur are the two biggest of the geysers there. While Geysir no longer is active, Strokkur still spouts every 5 to 15 minutes to the delight of visitors. Next we travel to Gullfoss, "the golden falls", which is a double waterfall that tumbles 34 meters into the Hvítá river. Gullfoss is one of Iceland's most beautiful waterfalls. The explosion crater called Kerið is filled with water and resembles an ancient amphitheatre. In the evening, you hear about the Northern Lights from your tour guide. Naturally, once darkness falls, you are out in the garden waiting for the Northern Lights. We stay for one night in simple cottages in South Iceland.

 
Day 3     Vatnajokull Glacier - Jokulsarlon - Skaftafell National Park
Meals: Breakfast / Dinner

VATNAJÖKULL NATIONAL PARK & GLACIER LAGOON (385 km/239 mls)

A long drive brings us to a world of glaciers, ice and icebergs. We travel to Jökulsárlón glacial lagoon filled with floating icebergs. We explore this extraordinary site and perhaps see seals swimming in the arctic waters. You can walk on the black sandy beach where large icebergs get stranded. The Vatnajökull National Park is about 12,000 square kilometers and it is the largest National Park in Europe. In this area we find Iceland's highest mountains, an alpine environment and Europe's largest glacier. Tonight you can enjoy a movie presentation about Northern Lights as a part of the Northern Lights educational program. Be careful not to go to bed too soon in this remote and quiet location, or you may just miss out one more chance of seeing the Northern Lights shimmering and dancing across the night sky. We stay for one night at Fosshotel Glacier Lagoon in the Vatnajökull region.

 
Day 4     Vik - Skogar - Reykjavik
Accommodation: City Park Hotel
Meals: Breakfast / Dinner

SOUTH COAST & NEW YEAR'S DINNER (305 km/189 mls)

Today, we head across the Eldhraun lava field to the village of Vík where we make a photo stop. We take a stroll on the black lava beach and see the bird cliffs at Reynisfjara beach in South Iceland. We pass the glacier Mýrdalsjökull and the infamous volcano Eyjafjallajökull and continue to Skógafoss waterfall which is 60 meters high and belongs to the most impressive waterfalls in the country. Further west we reach the high but narrow Seljalandsfoss waterfall which plunges over the mountain. There is a trail that goes behind the fall which is interesting – if you are prepared to get wet! In the evening we return to Reykjavik for one last night. A transfer bus will bring you at 18:00 to the New Year's Eve 4-course festive dinner at the Harpa Concert Hall. The restaurant is located on the ground floor and offers amazing views over the downtown harbour and bay of Reykjavík. Between 20:30-22:30 we take you to one of the bonfires in Iceland's capital. An evening tour around Reykjavik on New Year's eve is an Icelandic tradition. Back at Harpa we celebrate with music and sparkling wine and at midnight we experience the "crazy" and the one of a kind fireworks in Iceland's capital. Return transfers to the hotel are offered at 00:30, 01:00, 01:30 and 02:00.

 
Day 5     Reykjavik
Meals: Breakfast

Individual transfer by Flybus airport shuttle from your hotel in Reykjavík to Keflavík Airport. It is also possible to extend the program in Reykjavík.

 
Price Includes
Arrival & Departure Airport Transfer by Flybus
Fully Escorted Bus Tour With an English Speaking Guide
4-Night Accommodation in Simple Tourist-Class Hotels and Cottages Including
2X 2-Course Dinner and 2X Midnight Refreshment on Day 2 and 3
Bonfire and Christmas Light Tour on the 31.12.17
Entrance to Kerið Volcano Crater
Visit to a Multi Media Presentation at the Volcano House in ReykjavíK
Northern Lights Program During 2 Evenings With a Combination of Lectures, P
Use of Simple Non Slip Snow & Ice Grippers Spikes for Shoes and Flash Light
4-Course New Year's Gala Dinner at Harpa Concert Hall at ReykjavíK Downtown
Price Does Not Include
 Optional Excursions
 Air
GJT-1269
1.28.15.WP26