Hidden Powers and Northern Lights
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Hidden Powers and Northern Lights - Iceland Escorted Tours
Six days. Five nights. Three of them spent under Iceland’s darkest skies, hunting the Aurora Borealis on foot from your countryside hotel. Discover the unforgettable hidden powers that have shaped the landscape on this best-selling 6-day escorted tour of Iceland. Blending classic Golden Circle sights with the wild South Coast, glacier lagoons and the famous Blue Lagoon, the small-group itinerary includes a local English-speaking guide.
Designed for Australian travellers who want the breathtaking Iceland experience without the planning headache, the Hidden Powers itinerary covers Geysir, Gullfoss Waterfall, Reynisfjara black sand beach, Jokulsarlon Glacier Lagoon, Diamond Beach and a guided Aurora hunt.
6 days, 5 nights starting from just $2,910 per person, twin share.
6 days - from $2,910
Iceland Northern Lights Tour Highlights
- Hunt the Northern Lights on foot, well away from city light pollution
- Visit the Golden Circle - Thingvellir National Park, Geysir geothermal field and Gullfoss Waterfall
- Walk the black sands of Reynisfjara
- See Diamond Beach and Jokulsarlon Glacier Lagoon
- Relax in the Blue Lagoon with a silica mud mask and drink
- Discover the powers of fire, water and ice at the LAVA Centre and Aurora Reykjavik Northern Lights Centre
Itinerary + Map
DAY 1 Reykjavik
Your tour commences with an optional arrival transfer from the airport. This evening is at your leisure to enjoy the Iceland’s capital city.
Stay at Hotel Klettur (3 star) or similar
DAY 2 Reykjavik – Golden Circle – South Shore
Start the day by visiting the fascinating Aurora Reykjavik Northern Lights Centre. You’ll get a great introduction to northern lights, how they are formed and the folklore surrounding them. Then head onwards to Thingvellir National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage site, where the world’s oldest parliament met for centuries on the shores of Iceland’s largest lake. Continue to the geothermal fields of Geysir with bubbling mud pools and the high spouting Strokkur hot spring. Visit the dramatic two-tiered Gullfoss Waterfall, a spectacular sight in winter when frozen mid cascade. During the day, you will also visit the town of Laugarvatn, built around three hot springs which the residents have cleverly harnessed the hot springs for heating, greenhouses and even cooking. You’ll visit a unique outdoor geothermal bakery at the Laugarvatn Fontana Spa where Icelandic rye bread is baked in the hot sands. If weather conditions are right, your guide will take you on a northern lights hunt on foot in the area outside your hotel tonight (or evening of Day 3 or 4 if weather conditions permit).
Stay at Hotel Selfoss (3 star) or similar
Meals: Breakfast
DAY 3 South Shore – Eyjafjallajokull Volcano – Kirkjubaejarklaustur
Travel along the South Shore, an area of Iceland that is especially beautiful to view in winter. This area of Iceland is home to the wonderful LAVA Centre, an interactive, high-tech educational exhibition depicting volcanic activity, earthquakes and the creation of Iceland over millions of years. If the skies are clear, you might see the area’s two most famous volcanoes in the distance: Mount Hekla (last eruption 2000) and Eyjafjallajokull (last eruption 2010).
Stop at the spectacular waterfalls Seljalandsfoss and Skogafoss, a “must-see” for photographers. If trail conditions are right, you may be able to walk behind the ribbon like Seljalandsfoss falls.
Next, head onwards, passing Myrdalsjokull Glacier, to visit Reynisfjara Beach. Take a walk on the black sands, admiring the extraordinary rock formations and thundering waves of the Atlantic Ocean. Cross Eldhraun, a vast lava field created from a very destructive 18th century eruption as you head into Southeast Iceland.
Stay at Hotel Dyrholaey (4 star) or similar
Meals: Breakfast & Dinner
DAY 4 Kirkjubaejarklaustur / Jokulsarlon Glacial Lagoon – Skaftafell National Park
Today enter the southern area of Vatnajokull National Park, named after Europe’s largest glacier. This national park is also the largest one in Western Europe. Travel through vast sand plains created by glacial outwashes as you head east en route to the Vatnajokull area. Visit Jokulsarlon Glacial Lagoon where you can enjoy the breath-taking sight of icebergs floating in the fantastic 180m deep glacial lagoon. Nearby is Diamond Beach where you can experience the dramatic beauty of the icebergs that settle on the black sands before drifting back out to sea. Next is the national park’s famous Skaftafell area, a site of outstanding natural beauty dominated by several magnificent glaciers.
Stay at Hotel Dyrholaey (4 star) or similar
Meals: Breakfast & Dinner
DAY 5 Kirkjubæjarklaustur - Hveragerdi - Blue Lagoon – Reykjavik
Journey back along the beautiful South Coast to the village of Hveragerdi, which is one of the few sites in the world located directly in the middle of a geothermal area. Hveragerdi is often called "The Flower Village" because of its many greenhouses heated by hot water from nearby springs.
Today you’ll visit a horse farm to meet some locals: Icelandic horses. Known as the Icelanders’ most faithful friend and servant, this Viking horse breed played a pivotal role in Icelandic history. Enjoy petting these friendly horses and snapping a few selfies with them. You’ll also taste some sweet refreshments that are traditionally served on Icelandic farms.
The trip then takes you through the surreal landscapes of the Reykjanes Peninsula, where you can enjoy a dip in the famous Blue Lagoon, a unique wonder of nature with pleasantly warm, mineral rich water in the middle of a black lava field. Return to Reykjavik, where the evening is at your own leisure.
Stay at Hotel Klettur (3 star) or similar
Meals: Breakfast
DAY 6 Reykjavik
Your tour concludes with an optional departure transfer for your onward journey.
Meals: Breakfast
- 2 nights in 3-4 star hotel accommodation in Reykjavík & 3 nights hotel accommodation in countryside
- Guided coach tour from day 2 to day 5
- Expert local English speaking guide
- 5 Icelandic Breakfasts
- 3 Dinners (Oct 25-Apr 26), 2 Dinners (Oct 26-Apr 27)
Entrances:
- The Northern Lights Centre
- The LAVA Centre
- The famous Blue Lagoon (includes Silica mud mask and one drink)
Experiences:
- Visit a geothermal bakery with included rye bread tasting
- Northern Lights guided hunt on foot
- Visit an Iceland Horse Farm
Visit:
- Thingvellir National Park
- Geothermal fields of Geysir
- Gullfoss Waterfall
- See famous Icelandic volcanoes – Mount Hekla and Eyjafjallajokull
- Spectacular waterfalls Seljalandsfoss and Skogafoss
- Walk along the banks of the amazing, iceberg-filled Glacier Lagoon
- Stunning beaches Reynisfajara and Diamond Beach
- Vatnajokull National Park including Jokulsarlon Glacier Lagoon and Skaftafell
- See glaciers Myrdalsjokull and Svinafellsjokull
- Reykjanes Peninsula
- Hveragerdi
Pricing and Departures for Hidden Powers and Northern Lights Tour of Iceland
From $2,910 per person, twin share. Single supplements and seasonal pricing apply. Our Iceland escorted tours run from October through April with regular departures across the Northern Lights season.
Hidden Powers and Northern Lights Escorted Tour Photo Gallery
Why Book Our Hidden Powers Northern Lights Tour of Iceland
Scandinavia and Beyond is an Australian family-owned and operated travel company with more than 25 years of on-the-ground experience across Iceland, Norway, Sweden, Denmark and Finland. We know which hotels sit under the darkest skies, which guides find the Aurora and which days of the itinerary leave you the most time to actually see Iceland.
From Day 2 through Day 5, you travel by coach with an expert local guide. No hire car, no driving the South Coast in winter, no second-guessing your Aurora forecasts – your guide handles all of that.
If the Hidden Powers & Northern Lights itinerary is not the right fit, we offer self-drive tours, tailor-made trips, Havila coastal voyages and longer multi-country Scandinavian itineraries. Speak to us about customising any tour.
Your tour price includes Blue Lagoon entry with a silica mud mask, the Aurora Reykjavik Northern Lights Centre, the LAVA Centre, a geothermal bakery tasting, a horse farm visit, and breakfast daily.
Best Time to See Iceland’s Northern Lights on Our Iceland Escorted Tours
The Hidden Powers escorted tour runs from October through April, which is Iceland’s Northern Lights season. The Aurora is at its most active and visible when nights are long, and skies are dark – typically September to mid-April.
Tour dates in the depths of winter (December to February) offer the longest nights but the most variable weather, while shoulder months (October, March and early April) often deliver the best balance of dark skies, milder weather and lower crowds.
On every Hidden Powers & Northern Lights departure, you spend at least three nights in regional Iceland – South Shore and Kirkjubaejarklaustur – well outside Reykjavik’s light pollution. If weather conditions are right, your guide will lead a Northern Lights hunt on foot from the hotel.
Iceland Hidden Powers and Northern Lights Tour FAQs
No reputable Iceland tour can guarantee the Aurora – it’s a natural phenomenon dependent on solar activity and clear skies. What we can do is maximise your chances. We do this by basing three nights in dark-sky countryside locations and including a visit to the Aurora Reykjavik Northern Lights Centre, so you understand the forecast and how to read the sky.
Six days, five nights. Day 1 is your arrival in Reykjavik, Day 6 is your departure. The guided portion of the tour runs from Day 2 through Day 5.
Five nights of 3 to 4-star hotel accommodation, a guided coach tour from Day 2 to Day 5 with an expert local English-speaking guide, entry to the Blue Lagoon (with silica mud mask and a drink), the Aurora Reykjavik Northern Lights Centre, the LAVA Centre, a geothermal bakery tasting, a horse farm visit, daily breakfast and dinners on selected nights.
Departures run from October to April. October, March and early April are popular for milder weather and shorter travel days. December and January are best for the longest nights and snowiest landscapes.
The Hidden Powers and Northern Lights itinerary runs as a small-group escorted coach tour. Group sizes vary by departure – please enquire for the specific date you are considering.
Yes, international flights to Reykjavik are not included. Scandinavia and Beyond can help you arrange flights and pre- or post-tour accommodation as part of a tailor-made package.
Yes. Many guests pair the Hidden Powers tour with Norway, Sweden or Finland. Speak to our Iceland specialists about adding another Scandinavian winter tour or coastal cruise to your 2026/7 holiday plans.