Aurora Borealis - Tour of Iceland

We are not proposing a collection of most beautiful Icelandic songs, but a trip that brings together all of Iceland's most beautiful and famous sights. We will tour the island! And as a 'gift' we hope to see the Northern Lights.
According to astronomy, the time is one of the best of the year (we are straddling the equinox) and the variability of the Icelandic weather leaves every hope open until the last moment of the night because, as is our custom, we have planned overnight stays in hotels located at the observation point so as to maximise the chances of sightings. An itinerant trip to get to know a land where nature is always the protagonist. The itinerary touches the famous mid-Atlantic ridge, and following the Ring Road you can admire typical Icelandic attractions such as volcanoes, waterfalls, glaciers, glacial lagoons, lava fields...... the unfailing sights of the tour: Golden Circle, Thingvellir, Gullfoss, Geyser Waterfalls of Hraunfossar & Barnafoss, Lake Myvatn, Dettifoss Waterfall, Eastfjords, Jokursalon Glacial Lagoon, Skaftafell National Park, Katla Gopark, Vik, Eldrhan, Skogafoss & Seliljandsfoss Waterfalls, Dyrholaey, Hveragerdy. To complete the trip, an amphibious boat trip in the Glacial Lagoon, a whale watching excursion and a thermal bath at the Myvatn Nature Bath.

14 September Sunday Italy / Reykjavik
Departure from Milan Linate. Arrival at Keflavik Airport and meeting with the Italian-speaking guide who will be present throughout your stay. Transfer by private bus to the hotel. Overnight stay.

15 September Monday Reykjavik / Akureyri
Breakfast at the hotel. Departure for the North of Iceland. The landscape will be interspersed with some unmissable natural attractions that we will find along the way. At Borgarfjörður we will turn inland to admire the impressive waterfalls of Hraunfossar, which gush lushly from a sea of lava. Through this green countryside we will drive along side roads to return to number one, our eyes enraptured by the beautiful landscape. We stretch our legs by climbing the Grábrók crater, part of an ancient fissure eruption, and visit a deep canyon called Kolugljufur before beginning to climb the mountain passes that separate us from the stunning Eyjafjörður, home to the bustling town of Akureyri. Dinner and overnight stay in Akureyri. In the evening, just a short walk from the hotel, you will already find an ideal spot to wait for the northern lights to appear.

16 September Tuesday Akureyri/ Myvatn
After breakfast, the morning is spent discovering Akureyri. The botanical park, heart-shaped traffic lights and a relaxing pedestrian zone are the attractions of Iceland's second largest town.
Whale watching excursion approx. 3 hours in the Akureyri Fjord, where cetaceans generally swim in this arm of the sea all year round. Possible sightings of dolphins, minke whales and porpoises. Whale sightings are never guaranteed but the chances are very high. An indoor lounge is available on board the boat to stay warm and it is also possible to use blankets or even a windproof waterproof suit.
We continue our journey eastwards, along majestic glacial valleys towards Goðafoss, the waterfall of the gods. A short journey separates us from the Lake Myvatn region, one of the richest geological and naturalistic regions on the island. Those who enjoy walking will be pleasantly surprised by the variety of walks in the area. The black lava formations of Dimmuborgir and the wooded promontory of Höfði; the gigantic caldera of Hverfjall standing out against the surrounding lava fields in contrast to the pseudo-craters of Skutustaðir.
Entrance to the Mývatn Nature Baths geothermal plant, where you can relax and rejuvenate in the silica-rich water from deep within the earth, in this area poised between two tectonic plates.
Before reaching the hotel, we will also visit the sulphurous expanses of Námaskarð with boiling mud at the Hverarónð Devil's Cauldron. Dinner and overnight stay at the hotel. In the evening, just a short walk from the hotel, you will already find an ideal spot to wait for the northern lights to appear.

17 September Wednesday Dettifoss / Eastfjords
After breakfast we reach the Dettifoss waterfall, famous for having the largest water flow in Europe and within the Jokulsárgljufur Nature Park. We continue our journey eastwards, the region of 'impressive contrasts' through the desert region of Möðrudalsöræfi. We continue south-eastwards and then encounter the mythical Eastfjords, which form a magnificent landscape of long, narrow fjords overlooking the ocean and jagged peaks. This is the oldest bedrock on the island, shaped over millions of years by glacial tongues, with magmatic mineral veins that once lay more than three kilometres deep. Among the mineral formations worth mentioning are the beautiful zeolites, which can be found on the region's beaches. Dinner and overnight stay in the Eastern Fjords. After dinner, outside the hotel, you can wait for the aurora.

18 September Thursday Jökulsárlón Lagoon / Vatnajokull
Breakfast at the hotel. Departure by bus to southern Iceland where we will begin to see the succession of glacial tongues all forming part of the Vatnajökull National Park, which also includes the original Skaftafell and Jökulsárgljúfur reserves. The imposing Vatnajökull glacier will accompany you for much of the day, the main stops being Skaftafell Park and the Jökulsárlón Glacial Lagoon. This incredible natural attraction is characterised by numerous icebergs floating on the lagoon until they run aground at various shallow spots. Some smaller pieces manage to reach the sea dragged by the rhythm of the tides, creating the phenomenon called 'diamond beach', which we will stop to photograph. The day includes a navigation among the lagoon ice, on board a vintage amphibian. Dinner and overnight stay in the Skaftafell area.

19 September Friday Vik / Dyrholaey
Breakfast at the hotel. Morning dedicated to travelling along Route Number One, through the Katla Geopark reserve. We make a stop at the Fjaðrárgljúfur Canyon. We continue to the foot of the Myrdal and Eyjafjallajökull glaciers. On the way, we encounter the lava field of Eldhraun, the village of Vik and its famous black beaches from where we can admire the Dyrholaey headland, a 140-metre high cliff and the southernmost point in Iceland. The area is rich in sea birds that live on the rocks near the lighthouse. Stop at Skogar for its famous waterfall of the same name as well as the lesser-known Kvernufoss. Dinner and overnight stay in a hotel. Even in the vicinity of this hotel, one can look for the Northern Lights without having to travel long distances.

20 September Saturday Golden Circle / Reykjavik
After breakfast stop at the Seljalandsfoss waterfall. On this day you will visit the famous Geysir area, where the Strokkur erupts every 5-10 minutes. Continue to the Gullfoss waterfall and Thingvellir National Park where the diverging forces of the two tectonic plates are clearly visible. Arrival in the capital Iceland Early afternoon, panoramic tour of the city of Reykjavik with its old town, harbour and parliament. In the afternoon, free time to discover this beautiful city on your own. Dinner at leisure and transfer to the airport in time for your return flight.

21 September Sunday Reykjavik / Milan
Arrival in Italy.

THE FEE INCLUDES
Flights in Lufhtansa tourist class with 23 kg of luggage in the hold and 8 kg in the cabin
Transfer to/from airport in Iceland;
1 overnight stay Lighthouse Inn;
1 overnight stay Hotel Dalvik;
1 overnight stay Hotel Sel;
1 overnight stay Hotel Stadasborg:
1 overnight hotel SJokull;
1 overnight stay Hotel South Coast;
5 dinners;
6 breakfasts;
Italian-speaking escort in Iceland:
Private bus for the whole tour:
Sailing in the glacial lagoon of Jokulsarlon
Whale watching excursion
Entrance to Nature Bath in Myvatn
Visits, excursions and activities as per programme
Tourist taxes

THE FEE DOES NOT INCLUDE
Tips, drinks and personal extras;
Excursions and optional activities;
Airport taxes € 310 from Milan Linate subject to reconfirmation upon ticket issue and possible fuel surcharges
Individual handling fee € 30.00 adults; € 15.00 children 4/14 years old (See data sheet)
Everything not indicated in: 'the fee includes';