- Iceland Escorted Tours
- Iceland's Northern Lights
Experience Iceland's astonishing cosmic displays of the Northern Lights, bursts of geothermic water , geysers and cinematic landscapes dominated by snowtopped mountain ranges. Round off your tour with an exploration of Viking history upon the mammoth plains of Thingvellir National Park.
Please note: Excursions are shared, meaning that these excursions are not exclusive to Mercury Holidays customers. You will have a local English-speaking guide present during these excursions ensuring that you always have first-hand knowledge. This guide will only be available during excursions.
Depart on your direct flight to Iceland. Here, you will be met on arrival and transferred to your hotel in the capital, Reykjavik. This evening, you'll journey to a secluded vantage point for a chance to witness the Northern Lights, a celestial kaleidoscope of turquoise bands rolling across the still night sky, illuminating shimmering ice sheets and volcanic summits. This phenomenon is a truly awe-inspiring spectacle to behold and Iceland's vast, dark plains provide the perfect backdrop for their splendour. It is not guaranteed that you will experience the Northern Lights Excursion the first time around, however, it will be repeated during your trip until you have a successful sighting.
Breakfast
Following breakfast, embark on a full-day tour around the Golden Circle, a route that loops around south-western Iceland, passing steaming hot springs, bubbling mud pots, erupting geysers and dazzling landscapes. Witness the spectacular double cascade of Gullfoss Waterfall which is equally breath-taking in summer when rainbows arch through the spray, and winter when ice and snow are carried by its powerful flow. Next, observe the enormous plumes of the Strokkur geyser, where eruptions burst upwards to heights of 15-30 metres. Discover how tomatoes grow within this harsh tundra at the Fridheimar Cultivation Centre then head to the UNESCO-recognised Thingvellir National Park. This colossal fissured rift valley was home to the world's first democratic parliament, formed in 930AD and offers sweeping views of rugged peaks and terrain. Return to your hotel for an evening at leisure.
Breakfast
Today is at leisure for you to explore the world's northernmost capital, home to incredible architecture, hospitable locals and mountains with snow-capped peaks. Alternatively, a range of optional excursions are available to pre-book at a fee.
Breakfast
After breakfast, enjoy a morning at leisure, allowing you to fit in some last-minute shopping, enjoy coffee in a nearby cafe or relax in your hotel. This afternoon, transfer to the airport for your return flight to the UK or continue to your extension.
The schedule and sightseeing order may change due to local conditions or operational needs, with only approximate times provided. The local guide will update you on any changes.
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Wonderful trip, looking at booking again in the summer. The hotel was very comfortable, the reception staff extremely helpful, they booked a taxi on request and the information of the area excellent.
Ian Willmer
27 MarchAn amazing tour with a 3-day add-on, it was worth it. The hotel was pleasantly comfortable, close to all amenities, and not far from shopping, church, and harbour. We got to see the Northern lights, absolutely spectacular.
Ann Moulder
08 MarchThe order of events and sightseeing may vary according to local conditions or for operational purposes. For this reason, we have indicated approximate times only. Your local guide will inform you of any schedule changes as they are informed of them. The driving times listed are point to point and do not include the duration of excursions or stops en route. Some road construction and/or weather conditions may lengthen the driving times or sailing conditions. Our intention is to adhere to the day-to-day itinerary as printed; however, order of events and sightseeing may vary according to the local conditions.
Please note the Aurora Borealis (Northern Lights) is a meteorological phenomenon and viewing thereby cannot be guaranteed. It is useful to note that the Northern Lights appear white/grey in the sky, their colour shows up when photographed. When taking photographs it is advised to use a slow shutter speed with the longest exposure you can. Never use a flash.
If booking more than 12 weeks before departure a deposit of £295.00pp will need to be paid at the time of booking with the full amount payable at 12 weeks prior to departure. The deposit applies to adults and children. If you are within 12 weeks of travel then the full balance of the holiday will be payable.
To enter Iceland (and all Schengen countries) your passport must; have a ‘date of issue’ less than 10 years before the date you arrive and have an ‘expiry date’ at least 3 months after the day you plan to leave. Sources of information include; https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice
Please note that final flight details will be confirmed on your final documentation which will be sent to you approximately 21 days before departure. Check in baggage is included with your flight. A printed E-ticket is no longer required at check-in, all you need to do is present your passport to the staff at the desk and your boarding pass will be given to you.
We strongly recommend that you and all members of your party are suitably insured as soon as you book your holiday. It is a condition of booking that you must have suitable travel insurance. It is important that you purchase travel insurance that suitably covers your participation in whatever activities you may undertake at the time that you make your booking. To assist you with this, we have arranged travel insurance in partnership with Holiday Extras, including up to a 20% discount, which is given to all Mercury Holidays customers. To arrange your insurance with Holiday Extras, please visit https://www.mercuryholidays.co.uk/info/insurance for more details. Please ensure you provide us with the name of your insurer, policy number and their 24 hour emergency contact number as soon as possible. Mercury Holidays will not be liable for any costs incurred by you due to your failure to take out suitable travel insurance from the date of booking.
It is your responsibility to check any health and vaccination requirements applicable to your booked arrangements. We can only provide general information about this. Health and hygiene facilities and disease risks vary from country to country. You should take health advice about your own needs as early as possible and in good time before your departure. Sources of information include; www.fco.gov.uk, www.travelhealthpro.org.uk, www.hpa.org.uk, your General Practitioner or a specialist clinic.
This tour is accessible to most people with an average level of fitness and normal mobility. It involves moderate days of walking and getting on and off coaches. This tour is not suitable for anyone with walking difficulties.
We would recommend you to bring GBP (or Euro’s can be accepted in some places) with you to Iceland to exchange locally and cash machines are also available in all the major cities to withdraw money in the local currency. It is important that you budget carefully and ensure you have the right form of currency before you arrive in the country
As normal practice you may be asked for your credit card details on check-in at the hotel in order to cover any extras incurred during your stay. If you do not have a credit card, you may be asked for a cash deposit. MasterCard and Visa are widely accepted in hotels as well as American Express.
You will need to take some extra money with you to cover any lunches and dinners and personal purchases, such as souvenirs, extra drinks and snacks. Approximately £200-£300 per person should be sufficient for the duration of your tour.
Tipping is at your discretion; however, we would recommend you budget approximately £5.00 (ISK 881) for your driver and guide each, and we recommend paying tips only in notes and large coins.
A tax of ISK 666 per room per night will become effective from January 1, 2024. The lodging tax will be collected directly at the time of check-in or check-out at the hotel. Please note: If you are travelling after the 1st November 2024, we have included this tax in the cost of your holiday. Therefor you will not need to pay anything upon arrival.
The minimum number of travellers will be 4, and the maximum will be 68 on board your coach during excursions. If in the unlikely event there are less than 4 people booked on your tour date, we will endeavour to reduce any disruption to your holiday and try to operate your tour with lower passenger numbers. If we are not able to operate your departure date, then you may be asked to change to a different date and a full refund will be made available to you should this alternative not be suitable.
You will be met on arrival at the terminal by your English-Speaking Driver. Your excursions are in shared services, meaning that these excursions are not exclusive to Mercury Holidays customers, however, you will have a local English-Speaking guide present during these excursions ensuring that you have first-hand knowledge at all times. This guide will only be available during excursions.
Your accommodation is selected for convenience, location, comfort or character, and can range from business hotels to leisure hotels. Hotel accommodation is generally rated as local three to four-star standard, but please note there is no international classification system for hotels, and differences in facilities and quality do exist compared to what you might expect in the UK. All group tours hotels have private bathroom facilities and air-conditioning, where needed. Rest assured that all accommodation used by Mercury Holidays is regularly inspected by our staff and partners to ensure that standards meet your needs.
Breakfast is western style and served in the hotel each morning.
It is not recommended to drink the tap water, even in developed countries water may contain unfamiliar elements that can cause upset stomachs. In less developed countries water is not filtered in the same way.
Please contact Customer Experience for questions about other dietary requirements or allergy information
On your arrival into Reykjavik you will be met by a representative from our local agent, Snaeland Travel, holding a sign displaying: “Mercury Holidays”. The Mercury Holidays representative will show you to your transfer vehicle. Your guide will be able to answer any questions you may have.
If you need to contact them during your stay the details are:
Snaeland Travel (Head Office): Langholtsvegur 109, 104 Reykjavík Telephone: 00354 588 8660 E-mail: booking@snaeland.is
Emergency contact information: Please find below the emergency contact details for Snaeland Travel Emergency telephone number 24/7: 00354 588 8660 24 hour email: snaeland@snaeland.is
