Land of Northern Lights Christmas Departure

At 09:00 meet your tour guide who shows the group the Christmas spirit of the capital and the Reykjanes Peninsula with its hot springs, mountains, moon-like landscape, bird cliffs, lighthouses and fishing villages. At the end of the day, we get to soak off our travels in the warm blue waters of the famous Blue Lagoon. We stay for two nights in simple cottages in South Iceland. In the evening we celebrate Christmas the Icelandic way. Before dinner, we join a guided bus tour to visit the Christmas lights in the villages of Hvolsvöllur and Hella. The traditional Christmas lights had their origins in the Middle Ages when people needed to keep the lights in their abodes during the Winter Solstice. In Iceland, the tradition finds its roots in the Pagan Old Norse beliefs when people would keep the fire alive inside the central pit of the Viking longhouses to keep the darkness of the Winter Solstice outside. Your festive 4-course dinner starts around 19:30 and is served at Árhús Restaurant on the river banks in Hella, which is a small village in South Iceland. Drink a toast of sparkling wine as you enjoy a real special Christmas Celebration. Naturally, once darkness falls, you are out in the garden waiting for the Northern Lights. Overnight location: Arhus Cottages or Hotel Stracta (Comfort version), Hella or similar. Breakfast & festive 4-course dinner included (220km / 137mi)

Today we travel along the south coast. We reach the area beneath the Eyjafjallajökull volcano and glacier. We stop at Seljalandsfoss waterfall and visit Skógar folk museum of early Modern Iceland with its turf houses. At lunch, we visit the Skógarfoss waterfall. In the afternoon the tour continues further south where you walk on the famous Black Lava Beach at Reynisfjara, observe the Cap of Dyrhólaey and the Reynisdrangar Sea Cliffs before visiting the charming village of Vík. If the night is clear, you might be lucky enough to see the Northern Lights swirling in a wild and carefree dance across the heavens in dramatic shapes, colors, patterns and sizes. Overnight location: Arhus Cottages or Hotel Stracta (Comfort version), Hella or similar. Dinner on your own (200km / 124mi)

In the morning we learn about the Icelandic horse, its unique qualities and history and visit a geothermal greenhouse. Then we travel the Golden Circle route, see steam rising from the Geysir geothermal fields and admire the double waterfall of Gullfoss. We end the afternoon at Þingvellir National Park, the location of the ancient Viking Parliament and UNESCO World Heritage Site. The program includes a culinary treat at a traditional restaurant located downtown Reykjavík. Return transfer included. Overnight location: Hotel Cabin (Standard room is 10m²) or Hotel Klettur (Comfort version), or similar in Reykjavík. Breakfast & fine dinner included (210km / 130mi)

Individual transfer by Flybus airport shuttle from your accommodation in Reykjavík to Keflavík Airport. Breakfast included. (50km / 31mi)