Iceland at a Glance: Aurora, Golden Circle & the Blue Lagoon

Iceland does not ease you in. The country sits on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge — the crack where the Eurasian and North American tectonic plates are pulling apart at roughly 2.5 centimetres a year — and the landscape is the direct result: geysers, lava fields, volcanic craters, waterfalls pouring over ancient sea cliffs, and a geothermal lagoon built into the lava at Grindavík. Six days is a considered amount of time to cover the country's main geological circuit without rushing it. Day two covers Reykjavík and the Blue Lagoon: the city orientation takes in Hallgrímskirkja, the Sun Voyager and Rainbow Street before the coach heads to the Grínsáfær geothermal spa — the Blue Lagoon, set in a lava field near Grindavík. Aurora hunting follows that evening outside the city. Day three is the Golden Circle with a local guide: Þingvellir National Park (where you can stand in the rift between two tectonic plates), the Geysir hot spring area, Gullfoss waterfall, the Fridheimar greenhouse growing tomatoes in volcanic soil, and Keríð crater. Day four runs east along the South Shore to the LAVA Centre in Hvolsvöllur, the walk-behind Seljalandsfoss waterfall, Skógafoss and the Skógar Museum. Day five is free in Reykjavík — the city is compact and walkable and rewards a day without a programme. Note on the aurora: the Northern Lights are visible from Iceland between late September and mid-April, when the nights are dark enough. The September departure is borderline; the January, November and December departures are the stronger aurora windows. Sightings depend on solar activity and cloud cover and cannot be guaranteed. This is a ground-only tour. Flights are arranged independently. Halal meals are included at every included dinner. This tour is for you if you want Iceland’s geological highlights covered properly, with the aurora hunt as the evening centrepiece.

• ◆Aurora hunting outside Reykjavík — included on Day 2
• ◆Blue Lagoon — geothermal spa set in a volcanic lava field at Grindavík
• ◆Golden Circle — Þingvellir, Geysir and Gullfoss with a local guide
• ◆Þingvellir National Park — walk the rift between two tectonic plates
• ◆Seljalandsfoss — a 60-metre waterfall you can walk behind
• ◆Fridheimar Greenhouse — tomatoes grown by geothermal heat in the lava fields
• ◆Árbær Open Air Museum — Reykjavík’s early history in restored turf houses

Day-by-Day