5 days

About this activity

This is an escorted tour program taking you to the Icelandic countryside to celebrate New Year's Eve in a casual and Icelandic way. We recommend booking early, as this program is only available for a maximum of 40 persons.

You explore Reykjavík, the lunar landscapes of the Reykjanes peninsula, and the Golden Circle route with the Thingvellir national park, Gullfoss waterfall, and Geysir hot springs. You travel to South Iceland, a region with glaciers, waterfalls and black lava beaches. Of course, a warm and relaxing soak in the famous Blue Lagoon during the cold winter days is also included.

Most New Year's programs in Iceland are based in Reykjavík and include superior class hotels and gourmet restaurants. As an out-of-the-box alternative GJ-Travel offers a casual New Year's adventure where you stay in simple hotels and cottages in Reykjavík and South Iceland; all rooms with private shower/wc. We spend two nights in Hella, a small village in South Iceland where you will be able to discover and experience how Icelandic countryside people celebrate New Year's Eve. We promise that even in a casual program the meals and drinks will be delicious. Oops, did we mention the Northern Lights? Árhús cottages in Hella are located in a large and dark garden where it is very easy to see the Northern Lights, also called Aurora Borealis, if the weather conditions are suitable. Our expert tour guide provides you also with a fact talk about the Northern Lights and gives you some tips how to take photos of this natural phenomenon. On the 1st of January, the program includes fine dining at a panoramic restaurant at the Pearl in Reykjavík. We look forward celebrating with you the start of 2019 in the Icelandic countryside.

Note: There is an upgrade option for lodging at Hotel Klettur in Reykjavik and Stracta Hotel in Hella (limited amount of rooms available).

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Included

Arrival & departure airport transfer by FLYBUS (no guide)
Fully escorted 3-day coach tour with English speaking guide
Bonfire and New Year's Celebration Tour on day 3
4-night budget accommodation, rooms with private shower/wc (see information below)
Daily breakfast
4-course festive dinner on the 31st of December
Fine dining at panormatic restaurant at the Pearl on the 1st of January including transfers
Northern Lights program during two evenings with a combination of lectures, presentations, film and guided searches for Northern Lights and midnight refreshments.
New: Use of winter & Northern Lights Explorer equipment: Simple non-slip snow & ice grippers spikes for shoes and flashlight
Breakfast
Dinner
Coffee and/or Tea

Not included

Nature fees (if any)
Dinners first two nights

Additional

Confirmation will be received within 48 hours of booking, subject to availability
Not wheelchair accessible
For this program, we use budget accommodation to offer an attractive package price. You get great value for money. First and last night is at Hotel Cabin (small rooms). 2nd & 3rd night are at Árhús Cabins in Hella, South Iceland, where 23 simple cottages with shower/wc are located in a large garden right on the river banks in Hella. Árhús Cabins are popular with outdoor active guests and families traveling with children. All cottages are equipped with a small kitchenette and free Wi-Fi. There is a restaurant on premises, and the program includes 2x breakfast and 1x festive 4-course dinner.
There is an option to book a hotel upgrade: First and last night at Hotel Klettur in Reykjavík and 2nd/3rd night at Stracta Hotel in Hella. Note that all Northern Lights educational programs and New Year‘s activities on the 31st of December are held at Árhús Cottages. It is a 10-minute walk (750 m) between Stracta Hotel and Árhús Cabins.
This program includes during two evenings a combination of presentations, lectures, film and guided Northern Lights searches in the hotel garden in South Iceland. All countryside hotels in this program offer a Northern Lights wake-up call for guests that register for that special service at the hotel reception. The tour is dependent on weather, and therefore sightings are not guaranteed. The Northern Lights are in the northern sky from September through April but are only visible when the sky is clear and free of clouds. Like many of nature's wonders, it's ephemeral – they may be visible, they may appear for a bit and then be gone (it is not a TV show that you can just turn on and off). But it's worth the patience required. Because they're a winter event, you need to be prepared to wait outside, while looking for them. It's best to dress very warmly, in layers, with good footwear, gloves, hats and whatever else will make you comfortable while you await this truly outstanding event. For the best photos, we recommend using a tripod.
Itineraries may be subject to change at short notice during severe weather conditions and certain outdoor activities/day trips may be canceled during the winter season in Iceland. In these rare cases, where situations of force majeure apply, excursions/activities cannot be refunded but the local guides will try their best to find reasonable alternatives where and whenever possible.
This tour/activity will have a maximum of 40 travelers

Features

Tourism

80%

Original

40%

Cultural

40%

Nightlife

25%

Collections This experience is part of these collections