Golden Circle, Secret Lagoon & Northern Lights

Our guide will be ready to pick you up from your Reykjavik accommodation at 9am. We then start off on our Golden Circle tour by driving to UNESCO world heritage site; Thingvellir National Park. þingvellir national park is a landscape painting of outstanding beauty. It is also of historic significance, as the world's first parliament was established there in 930 AD. Once you get there you will also agree that Thingvellir is recognisable for its unique geology and landscape. Thingvellir is where the Eurasian and North American tectonic plates meet, and you can physically see where they are drifting apart. (Each year they drift around 2.5 cm away from each other.) Thingvellir is filled with beautiful landscapes including tectonics, waterfalls, a lake, and so much more to explore. 

Next on the tour is the Geysir Geothermal Area. This stunning valley has a fascinating surface of approximately 3km₂ and it is extremely captivating. The geothermal field is named after Geysir, the oldest geyser in the area and the most well-known geyser in Iceland. While Geysir is dormant, you can also find the much more lively geyser ‘Strokkur’. Strokkur is the most energetic spring in Iceland, spouting water into the sky every few minutes, sometimes upward of 20 or 30 meters into the air. It’s truly a magnificent sight.

Next on the tour is the Gullfoss Waterfall, or ‘The Golden Waterfall.’ The iconic Gullfoss Waterfall flows from the glacier river ‘Hvita’, where the water plummets 32 meters down into a natural pool of a canyon. The massive volume of water crashing down the waterfall comes from Iceland’s second largest glacier, ‘Langjokull’. If you’ve timed it right and you’re there on a sunny day, a rainbow can be seen over the waterfall and if you stand close enough, you can feel the ground trembling beneath your feet. 

After experiencing some of the most beautiful gems Iceland has to offer, we head to the ‘Gamla Laugin’ Secret Lagoon in the small village of Fludir. This lagoon is a natural hot spring pool, located in a geothermal area, known locally as ‘Leynilaugin’. The Secret Lagoon makes for a uniquely wonderful swimming experience. You can sometimes see geysers erupt in the distance, while you relax in the pool. Stunning! 

After an action packed day exploring Iceland, your guide will drop you off in Reykjavik at your accommodation. You will have some time to prepare for the nights excursion to track down the northern lights. Pick up will be for either 8.30 pm or 9 pm. 

Escape the city's light pollution and come with us to look for the magical ‘Aurora Borealis’ or northern lights. On the day of travel, our specialised guides will decide where to take us. The guides observe the light forecast as well and take the cloud coverage into account, to get the best chance of seeing the lights. We’ll head out of Reykjavik, into the dark outskirts of South West Iceland, or somewhere where conditions are optimal to find the bright auroras in the dark night sky. 

You will get free photos included in this tour, so you can keep the memory of this natural wonder! 

Locations 

The minibus tour will depart at either 8.30pm or 9pm, to take you out to look for the northern lights. The advantages of taking a minibus, means small groups and therefore personal service from our guides. 

The weather changes quickly at night and the destinations vary. We might head back to Thingvellir National park, we could possibly head toward Reykjanes (The Southern Peninsula) or perhaps we will go towards Borgarfjordur - a beautiful fjord in west Iceland. 

The lights are seen above the magnetic poles of the northern and southern hemispheres. The auroras appear in the sky because of chemical reactions in the Earth‘s atmosphere. Gaseous particles collide with electrically charged molecules and atoms released from the sun‘s atmosphere. These particulates from the sun are blown towards earth by the solar wind and can enter both the northern and southern hemisphere, because of weak magnetic field at the poles. That‘s the reason for why we only see those dancing lights close in the northern hemisphere, near to the Northern pole (Auroras Borealis) and south pole (Auroras Australis). 

The different colours are due to the different molecules, but for the most part, oxygen forms yellow and green, while nitrogen produces blues or purples. 

Please note: the success of the Magical Auroras tour is heavily dependent on weather conditions. As a result we reserve the right to cancel departures until 18:15 on the day of the tour.

Went to a tour but didn’t spot the Northern Lights? No worries, you can book another tour to see the lights free of charge. Note that this deal is unlimited and is valid for 3 years. So, don’t give up on your first time, get in touch with our Customer Care to witness this natural phenomenon.