This private Golden Circle & Northern Lights Day Tour is a perfect mix of relaxation and sight seeing, featuring all of our handpicked sites within the famous Golden Circle region of Iceland. With the inclusion of dining at the Friðheimar Tomato Greenhouse for lunch, this extended day tour combines some of Iceland’s most celebrated spots, with the added bonus of (hopefully) seeing the Northern Lights in all their glory!
This must visit region is rich with history and boasts powerful waterfalls, geothermal hot pools, erupting geysers and separating continental plates. Not to mention, some of the most delicious food production, all on Reykjavík’s doorstep.
By adding the possibility of a nighttime hunt for the Northern Lights to your Golden Circle day, this really does provide all the highlights of Iceland, in one incredible day.
Please note: This is a 1 day tour with no accommodation. We recommend this tour between the 15th of October and the 15th of March, when it gets dark early enough. Check out our overnight version here if outside of these dates.
Northern Lights in Reykjanes Peninsula with Hidden Iceland. Hidden Iceland By Simon Svensson Photography (61)-31
Northern Lights ribbon by Andreas Constandinou.
Northern Lights by car. Photo by Tom Archer.
For this customised version of our Golden Circle: Platinum tour we change the order around slightly and start just before lunch. The first stop is the UNESCO Heritage Site Þingvellir National Park where you will hear a bit about the settlement of Iceland and see the effects of separating tectonic plates. This National Park holds historical and geological significance as Þingvellir is the original site of the longest surviving democracy in the world AND it is also a place of incredible beauty, sitting in the rift valley of the separating North American and Eurasian tectonic plates.
Then we head to Friðheimar Tomato Farm for lunch, where we eat from their delicious tomato inspired menu right inside the greenhouse amongst all the plants. It’s a truly unique and amazing experience! We will be able to try everything they have to offer. Our guide’s favourite is their famous tomato soup and homemade bread, but we’ll let you decide.
Öxarárfoss Waterfall in Þingvellir National Park. Oxarafoss in Thingvellir on our Golden Circle Platinum Tour.
Silfra fissure at Þingvellir National Park in the Golden Circle: Platinum Tour. Hidden Iceland. Photo by Mark Hoey. Thingvellir National Park.
Friðheimar Lunch
Icelandic Horse by Brendan Bannister
Friðheimar Tomato Greenhouse Lunch by Kat Craats
From here it’s on to the mighty Gullfoss waterfall, one of Iceland’s most iconic waterfalls, whose glacial waters come from the nearby Langjökull glacier. Just a short drive away we’ll fine the bubbling hot springs and erupting geysers at the geothermal area of Geysir.
OPTIONAL ADD ON: After seeing all the main sights, depending on the time of year that you book, we may need to wait patiently for it to get fully dark. Where better to do this than in the warm and relaxing geothermal waters of the Secret Lagoon hot pool (optional add-on). Iceland’s oldest natural swimming pool. After the lagoon, we’ll visit a nearby local restaurant for dinner (not included). Having dinner outside of the city allows the night sky to darken further and after dinner we go on the hunt for Northern Lights in dark and secluded locations.
Colourful northern lights by Marc Hoey.
Gullfoss in winter. Golden Circle: Platinum Tour. Hidden Iceland. Photo by Norris Niman. Feature
Secret Lagoon. Hidden Iceland | Photo by Kat Craats
Strokkur at Geysir Erupting in the Golden Circle by Guindo Amezcua
Northern Lights by Norris Niman. Hidden Iceland
General Information
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*We only extend the tour after dinner if the conditions are favourable for Northern Lights viewing.
Inclusions
Lunch at Friðheimar Tomato Greenhouse (all inclusive lunch besides alcoholic beverages). Private transportation in our luxurious vehicle with wifi, led by one of our wonderful guides for the day.
Optional Add-On
Entry to the Secret Lagoon hot pool with towel hire.
Exclusions
Accommodation, dinner and any re-run of the northern lights
FAQ
What if the Northern Lights forecast is bad?
We only extend into the Northern Lights component of the day if there is a reasonable chance of seeing the lights that evening. If the forecast is unfavourable, we return to Reykjavik in time for dinner. In this case, you’ll receive a refund for the Northern Lights component of the tour.
How long do we spend hunting for the Northern Lights?
Once we’ve had dinner in a nice local restaurant we will spend up to 4 hours searching for the Northern Lights before returning to Reykjavík. Please note, we cannot extend beyond this time scale due to laws regarding legal driving times for guides. You can request this trip to be turned into a 2 day overnight hunt if you wish for more time.
What if we go hunting but don’t see the Northern Lights?
We always endeavour to only extend the tour if we’re confident of seeing the Northern Lights. Sadly, this doesn’t guarantee that you will see them. If your guide stays out with you for the extended 4 hours then no partial refund is provided.
Will I get a second chance to see the Northern Lights if we aren’t successful on our trip?
No. We don’t provide Northern Lights only tours so this will be your only chance to see them with us if you aren’t successful. We prefer to only offer Northern Lights tours as part of a package, so if you don’t get lucky at night you at least still had a fantastic day leading up to it. There are a number of other companies that offer Northern Lights only tours if this is your top priority on other days.
Ready to make this your dream trip?
Please try to give us as much information in your submission as you can. We respond to all tour requests within 7 days, but please reach out to us if your request is urgent, or you want to provide more info.
