October, 2024: Northern Lights and Geology of Iceland

Iceland | October 3 - October 8, 2024

The 2024 tour is now SOLD OUT.

Iceland is a place of many wonders, including the dazzling Aurora Borealis.  Explore Iceland with Sirius Travel and you will enjoy access to our astronomer and geologist guides who bring their understanding of the natural phenomena to share with you as you search for the elusive aurora and visit amazing geologic sites. The dates for this 6-day trip were carefully selected to optimize your chances to view the aurora under dark and clear skies. Packing suggestions for a trip to Iceland can be found here.

Trip Highlights

On this tour you will visit Iceland’s most iconic sites including waterfalls such as the colossal Gullfoss, the enchanting Seljalandsfoss, and the breathtaking Skogafoss. We will explore Thingvellir National Park and walk through the valley where the tectonic plates are drifting apart, tracing the steps of Iceland’s early settlers where brutal Viking-age justice was carried out and the Althingi parliament was founded.  You will watch in awe as the geyser Strokkur launches boiling water into the air in the Geyser geothermal area.  You will behold the striking basalt columns, supernatural black sand, and immense sea stacks of Reynisfjara on the south coast’s black sand beaches. Included in the itinerary are visits to two impressive hot spring spas.  First, the newly opened but already well-known Sky Lagoon which opens out over the North Atlantic and, later in the tour, an afternoon luxuriating in the warm, mineral-rich waters of the Blue Lagoon. Starting and ending in Reykjavik, you will have time to explore this unique and friendly northern capital from our centrally located hotel within easy walking distance of the majority of popular sights.

Pricing and Terms

Payment

  • Price per traveler (11 and older) is based on double occupancy
  • Single supplement: $800
  • Lower age limit is 11 years old.
  • To secure a reservation, initial deposit  with a completed reservation form is required.
  • Cancellations must be made in writing by email or mail to Sirius Travel.
  • 2nd payment due March 29, 2024
  • Final payment due June 29, 2024

Cancellations

  • Cancellations made prior to October 1, 2023 are fully refundable.
  • If cancellations are made:
    • 10/01/2023 – 06/01/2024 (364-120 days prior to travel):
      65% of your payment to date is refunded.
    • 06/02 – 07/31/2024 (119-60 days prior to travel):
      35% of your payment to date is refunded.
    • 08/01 – 08/30/2024 (59-30 days prior to travel):
      10% of your payment to date is refunded
  • There are no refunds after August 30, 2024

Detailed Itinerary

Day 1

Thursday, October 3, 2024

Lunar Phase: Waxing Crescent but moon stays below the horizon all night (D)
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Travelers will be met at the airport in Reykjavik and transferred to the hotel where they will connect with other travelers. Enjoy the remainder of the day at leisure in Reykjavik or resting in your hotel room.  Welcome Dinner in the evening.

Evening opportunity to view Northern Lights if weather permits.  Overnight Reykjavik.

Day 2

Friday, October 4, 2024

Lunar Phase: Waxing Crescent but moon stays below the horizon all night (B)
Aurora Over Hallgrimskirkja Square

Today you will enjoy a City tour of Reykjavik’s top attractions.  Included on the tour will be The old Höfði house (where the summit between the Ronald Reagan and Mikhail Gorbatsjov took place in 1986), the Harpa concert hall (2013 winner of the European Union Prize for Contemporary Architecture – Mies van der Rohe Award), the City Centre, Hallgrímskirkja church  (whose design was inspired by basalt lava columns), the viewing platform at Perlan (whose glass dome provides a 360° view over Reykjavík), and Bessastaðir (the official residence of the President of Iceland).  Following the city tour we will stop off to experience Flyover Iceland followed by a soak in Reykjavik’s newly opened Sky Lagoon.

Evening opportunity to view Northern Lights if weather permits. Overnight Reykjavik.

Day 3

Saturday, October 5, 2024

Lunar Phase: Waxing Crescent but moon stays below the horizon all night (B, D)
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After breakfast, you will take a full day tour of some of the best known natural phenomena surrounding Reykjavik. From spouting geysers, massive tumbling waterfalls, and ancient volcanoes, this excursion will introduce you to the world-renowned pristine natural beauty in the heart of Iceland’s Southern Region, stopping at some of Iceland’s most iconic sites.

Þingvellir National Park is an attraction of great historical, geological and cultural significance. Located in a rift valley where the Eurasian and North American tectonic plates meet, the UNESCO designated world heritage site is also the birthplace of the Althing—Iceland’s parliament founded in 930 AD—where the nation’s most powerful leaders would meet to decide on legislation and carry out brutal Viking-age justice.  The tour continues across an area of picturesque scenery to the mighty Gullfoss waterfall. Once there, you can take several paths around the two tiers of cascading water to explore several vantage points.

Next, you will visit the home of “The Great Geysir”, a geysir that is the actual origin of the word “geysir”, and is an area with bubbling mud pools, hissing steam vents, and colorful algae deposits. Although Geysir itself has become dormant, there is great excitement when Strokkur geysir blasts boiling water high up into the air every 3-7 minutes!

After visiting the Golden Circle highlights you will stop at Friðheimar greenhouse, a geothermally heated operation that demonstrates how Icelanders are now able to grow fresh vegetables in their harsh environment. They also have many Icelandic horses that you will be able to see close up as well as very creative tomato-based refreshments.

You will wrap up this very full day with a stop at The Commonwealth Farm.  This is a site of interest to see how people lived in Iceland until as recently as the 1970’s! The reconstructed farm is based on the excavated farmhouse Stöng from the Commonwealth Era in Iceland and provides visitors with an opportunity to study the buildings of Icelandic ancestors and learn about their background and daily lifeThe excavated farm Stöng is believed to have been destroyed in the Hekla eruption in the year 1104.

Overnight near Hella in a great dark-sky location so that if wether permits, our chances to see the northern lights is optimized!

Day 4

Sunday, October 6, 2024

Lunar Phase: Waxing Crescent but moon stays below the horizon all night (B,D)
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After breakfast, you will stop at a stable close to the hotel and enjoy a visit with some of Iceland’s famous horses and enjoy a short demonstration of the unique gaits that make these horses distinct.  Following the show, you will travel along Iceland’s southern coast through lush farmlands with the rugged mountains, glaciers (including famous Eyjafjallajökull), and volcanoes of the interior on one side and the Atlantic ocean on the other.

You will stop to see Seljalandsfoss waterfall, whose water originates under Eyjafjallajökull’s glacier, cascading from the highlands.  Visitors to Seljalandsfoss can walk behind the falls into a small cave if the weather is warm and there is no ice. You will also visit Skógafoss, one of the largest waterfalls in Iceland and familiar for its many on-screen appearances in popular movies/videos.  Just outside the town of Vík í Mýrdal (or just Vík to the locals), you will visit the soaring basalt rock formation known as Reynisdrangar and the black sand beach of Reynisfjara.

Before returning to your hotel you will see the LAVA exhibit in Hella that includes an impressive live demonstration of lava and its characteristics.

Evening opportunity to view Northern Lights if weather permits. Overnight near Hella.

Day 5

Monday, October 7, 2024

Lunar Phase: Waxing Crescent but moon stays below the horizon all night (B, D)
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After breakfast and the hotel checkout you will visit the Seltún geothermal area, one of the most striking landscapes in Iceland. Steam dominates a view filled with volcanic vents, fumaroles, mud pots, and boiling hot springs. The surrounding hills are painted in earthy colors of golden brown, red, pink, blue, yellow, white and grey.  Following Seltún you will make a short stop at the Hellisheiði geothermal power plant to see the technology behind harnessing geothermal energy.  The plant, which provides Reykjavik with most of its electricity and hot water, is also piloting an innovative direct air capture project that captures 50 metric tons of carbon dioxide each year and injects it into the ground, where it literally turns to stone.

After lunch, you will visit the Blue Lagoon and relax in its remarkable waters. The Blue Lagoon is one of Iceland’s most popular tourist attractions and considered by many to be an intrinsic part of the Iceland experience. Breathtaking scenery, ultra modern facilities, and an impressive track record in healing are why the Blue Lagoon draws visitors from all corners of the world to return time and time again.

On your return to Reykjavik you will enjoy a farewell dinner and an evening opportunity to view Northern Lights if weather permits. Overnight Reykjavik.

Day 6

Tuesday, October 8, 2024

Lunar Phase: Waxing Crescent but moon stays below the horizon all night (B)

After breakfast you will check out of the hotel and have several hours to do some last minute shopping before the afternoon transfer to the airport. Transfers to the airport will be provided on this day.

Included

  • Astronomer / Scientist guides
  • Professional bilingual guide
  • All ground transportation
  • 4-star accommodations
  • Airport transfers on 9/30 and 10/5  (other dates are not included)
  • Meals (as described in itinerary)
  • Lectures: Astronomy/science talks throughout the tour.
  • Sky Lagoon entrance fee
  • Blue Lagoon entrance fee
  • Flyover Iceland admission
  • Perlan observation deck
  • LAVA Center museum entrance
  • Hellisheiði power plant entrance
  • Friðheimar greenhouse
  • Horse demonstration entrance fee
  • Park entrance fees

Not Included

  • International flights
  • Items of a personal nature
  • Alchoholic beverages (unless specifically included)
  • Tips for drivers and guides
  • Meals not specified in the itinerary
  • Activities or services not mentioned in the itinerary
  • Travel insurance

Other Information

Trip cancellation, health, and accident insurance is recommended but not required. It can save you money if you are forced to cancel or alter your trip. We recommend TravelGuard trip insurance (www.travelguard.com) and we recommend that all travelers purchase their insurance within 7 days of their initial reservation to take advantage of any pre-existing condition clause.

Precautions should always be taken seriously and pre-trip education on what to eat or to avoid should be planned. Information on vaccinations and other health precautions, such as safe food and water precautions and insect bite protection, may be obtained from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) hotline for international travelers at 1-877-FYI-TRIP (1-877-394-8747) or via the CDC website.

It is every traveler’s responsibility to consider all appropriate medical advice regarding whether or not they are fit to take this trip prior to booking their reservation. We recommend that all interested travelers check with their healthcare provider before signing on.  COVID-19: Sirius Travel passengers will be required to comply with all Icelandic recommendations and requirements in place at the time of travel. The latest Icelandic regulations may be reviewed on their official website here: https://www.covid.is/english

Children 11 and older are welcome on this tour but must be accompanied by a parent or guardian if they are under 18. Please note that most countries have very strict entry/exit requirements for minors (under the age of 18 years old), especially minors traveling with only one parent.  Please review the requirements before choosing to travel with a minor.

If you are traveling alone, you may save quite a bit of money by opting to share a room. We will match solo travelers of the same gender so that they can share a double occupancy room with two beds. We will do our best to match travelers but if we cannot find a match for you then you will be required to pay the single occupancy price.

Historical weather prospects in Iceland: Statistically, the chance of clear, mostly clear, or partly cloudy skies is at least 40% throughout September.  The weather is usually dry (average precipitation is 67mm) and the average temperature is 7.4°C (45.3°F) but it can go as high as 10-15°C (50-59°F).  Wind is frequently the main issue and wind/rain gear is essential.  If you don’t block the wind it will feel very cold.

We recommend bringing warm clothes and being prepared for everything, the weather is very unpredictable and it can rain, be sunny and windy, sometimes at the same time. Layers are the key as you want to be able to strip off clothes when it is warm and put them back on when it gets colder. Links here are the same as those on our “packing suggestions” page and are Amazon affiliate links.

  • Hiking boots – You will be traveling around the country and walking outside.  You need good waterproof hiking shoes that will keep you warm.
  • Base layer – Warm layers under the clothes might be the best thing you bring to Iceland. We recommend wearing long wool or thermal underwear, you can buy it in outdoor clothing stores in Iceland.
  • Fleece or wool – An Icelandic wool sweater or fleece is a must. Icelandic wool sweaters can be bought all over the country in local stores.
  • Parka or water and windproof jacket – Usually you don’t need a parka in September but, if you have space in your suitcase, why not bring it? A water and windproof jacket over the wool/fleece sweater is essential.
  • Water and windproof pants – It is windy in Iceland and it rains so bring the pants.
  • Hats, gloves and warm socks – Bring at least two sets of everything, a lighter pair and a thick one as well. Consider the wind which can get through a single knit layer easily. Again, if you need to upgrade while in Iceland, there are stores that carry these items everywhere.
  • Swimsuit – You are going to want to relax in the warm swimming pools or hot springs after a long day outside. It is possible to rent a swimsuit at the spas if you forget yours.