Northern Lights Tours
South Iceland and Northern Lights
The South coast and Northern lights self drive road trip will let you explore three of Iceland most amazing highlights. You will be driving along and exploring the famous Golden circle and the South coast of Iceland, hunting for the Northern lights.
- Trees planted 16
- Available jan, feb, mar, oct, nov, dec
- Duration 6 days / 5 nights
- Location South coast of Iceland
- Difficulty
What you'll experience.
The South Iceland and Northern lights self drive road trip will let you explore three of Iceland most amazing highlights. You will be driving along and exploring the famous Golden circle and the South coast of Iceland, hunting for the Northern lights. The Golden circle and the South coast hold many of Iceland’s most popular attractions. This tour is perfect for those who want to visit amazing attractions by day and hunt for the mesmerizing Northern Lights by night. The Northern Lights are an extraordinary phenomenon and there is nothing quite like the feeling of seeing them for the very first time. Self-drive tours are the best way to experience all that Iceland has to offer. This way you are in full control of the journey, no hassle and no crowded buses!
Please note that the Northern Lights are a natural phenomenon and sightings cannot be guaranteed. In order to improve the likelihood of sightings a Northern Lights forecast will be provided before your arrival date.
Adding optional activities may change your itinerary slightly. Once booking is confirmed a detailed itinerary will be provided along with all necessary vouchers.
To request a price quote for this tour, please fill out the request form, and we will send you a price quote based on your preferences.
Don’t want to drive yourself? Check out our selection of guided multi-day tours here.
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Rental car selection.
If you are planning on driving in Iceland during winter, between September and May, we highly recommend choosing a 4x4 vehicle for your safety and to make your vacation more enjoyable. The weather in Iceland can change suddenly and you could encounter snow or sleet. Some roads are also not accessible for smaller vehicles but can be reached on 4x4´s.
To ensure your safety on our self-drive tours in Iceland, we only provide 4WD cars from 1st of October through March, due to possible snow, slush, and other hazardous road conditions.
Included in rental rate
- Unlimited mileage
- CDW (Collision Damage Waver)
- SCDW (Super Collision Damage Waver)
- GP (Gravel Protection. Includes damages to windscreens, headlights and the car)
- TP (Theft Protection)
- Extra driver option (when suitable)
- 4G WiFi with unlimited data to stay connected during your tour
- VAT 24%
Can be added in the booking process
- Liability waiver for carefree travelling
Small car: ISK 3.590 per day
Medium/Large car: ISK 4.690 per day - SAAP (Sand and Ash Insurance)
Recommended for those travelling the south coast.
Rates depend on the size of the rental car.
ISK 1.650 per day - GPS navigation system
Some cars have free GPS systems on board
1.550 ISK per day - Roadside assistance waiver
ISK 800 per day - Booster seat
Free of charge - Baby seat
0 - 13 kg - ISK 4.000 per rental - Child seat
15 - 36 kg - ISK 4.000 per rental
Accommodations.
You can choose from four main categories of accommodations in the booking request process, Comfort, Quality, Quality+ and Luxury. Breakfast is included in all categories.
Included in final tour price.
Included
- Accommodation for 5 nights with breakfast
- Rental car of your choice for 6 days including: CDW, SCDW, TP, GP, Extra driver, 4G Wifi dongle with unlimited data and VAT 24%
- Detailed personal itinerary
- Carbon offsetting (16 trees planted)
- Taxes and service fees
- Personal and professional service
Not included
- Flight to/from Iceland
- Personal travel insurance
- Gasoline/petrol, tunnel and parking fees
- Meals and drinks beside breakfast
- Entrance fees unless otherwise stated
- Optional activities listed in booking request process
Map.
Itinerary.
Arrival at Keflavík International airport. Pick up your rental car at the airport and start your adventure. Head South towards the town Grindavík on the Reykjanes peninsula. Depending on your arrival time an optional visit to the Blue Lagoon is highly recommended, but please note that you have to book well in advance. You will drive along the South coast of the peninsula until you reach your first accommodation, which will be in the greater Selfoss area.
Km driven: 110
You will start your day by heading to Þingvellir national park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and the first stop in the famous Golden Circle of Iceland. There you can witness the effects of the North American and Eurasian tectonic plates drifting apart. An optional snorkeling session in Silfra fissure is highly recommended. Silfra is located between the two plates so you will be swimming between two continents. Next up is the spouting hot spring Strokkur in the Geysir area before heading to the picturesque waterfall Gullfoss. You will be spending the night in the Golden Circle area. We recommend getting settled at the selected accommodation and grabbing some dinner before heading into the night for the Northern Lights hunt.
Km driven: 160
After breakfast you will head back on the road and head east towards Hella area. On the way you can make a stop at the Secret lagoon for a nice geothermal bath. The next scheduled stop will be at the beautiful Seljalandsfoss waterfall where you can take an easy walk behind the waterfall for a unique view. The majestic Skógafoss waterfall is next up, one of Iceland’s most iconic waterfalls. At Sólheimasandur you can take a stroll down to the abandoned plane wreck made famous in a music video made by the pop artist Justin Bieber. Reynisfjara black sand beach will be your next destination. There you can marvel at the beautiful basalt columns and witness the awe-inspiring power of the North Atlantic ocean crashing into the rocks. Just be careful as the waves can easily drag you into the sea if you get to close. Afterwards you will check into your accommodation before you’ll go searching for the Northern Lights.
Km driven: 175
You will start your day by driving to the stunning Jökulsárlón glacier lagoon. On your way there you can stop at Skaftafell National Park and go for a refreshing hike to Svartifoss waterfall which is surrounded by beautiful basalt columns. Once you arrive at Jökulsárlón you can go for an optional boat ride and sail in between the beautiful icebergs that have calved from the Breiðarmerkurjökull outlet glacier. You can also go for an optional glacier hike or ice climbing session on the enormous Vatnajökull ice cap. Afterwards you will proceed to Höfn, the lobster capital of Iceland, where you can have an authentic lobster dinner. You will spend the night in the Höfn area and search for the Northern Lights from there.
Km driven: 270
After breakfast you will make your way to Reykjavík where you will spend your final night. On the way you will be able to see other interesting sights or add some of the activities mentioned above. After dinner you can either go for some Northern Lights hunting on your own or join an optional guided Northern Lights excursion. Note that it also available to return your rental car in Höfn and fly to Reykjavík for an additional fee. You can also opt to return your vehicle when you arrive in Reykjavík.
Km driven: 450
Drive to Keflavík airport, return rental car and departure. If you opted to fly or return rental car on day 5 we can arrange airport transfer for you.
Km driven: 50
245.990 ISK