Golden Circle Northern Lights Tour: A Detailed Review

Okay, so you are thinking about chasing the Northern Lights and soaking in Iceland’s iconic Golden Circle all in one go? It’s almost a tempting combo. The ‘Golden Circle Northern Lights’ tour is rather popular, but what’s it really like? Is that, the trip seriously worth your time and money? This detailed review provides some much-needed insight to assist with planning an unbelievable trip, plus helpful suggestions.

What is the Golden Circle?

You know, the Golden Circle is a very well-known tourist route in southern Iceland, offering pretty incredible landscapes. In some respects, it usually covers three spots: Þingvellir National Park, the Geysir geothermal area, plus Gullfoss waterfall.

Þingvellir National Park is genuinely special, not just for its natural beauty. This is where the North American and Eurasian tectonic plates meet – actually, you could walk between them! Very amazing right? The Icelandic Parliament was created here way back in 930 AD, too it’s almost becoming an extremely historical landmark.

Geysir Geothermal Area, is that just south of Þingvellir, is very wild. The most energetic geyser, is Strokkur, erupts every few minutes, shooting hot water high in the air. It’s, like your, a sight to behold! Gullfoss Waterfall is extremely powerful, as it thunders down in two stages into a rugged canyon. A bit, it’s just an incredible demonstration of the forces of nature.

Why Combine the Golden Circle with Northern Lights Hunting?

You see, mixing the Golden Circle with a Northern Lights hunt could be pretty practical, mainly if your time is sort of short. In that case, you could experience iconic Icelandic sights during the daylight hours and then search for the Aurora Borealis at night. This is often, a bit, the selling point, but there’s something you might want to consider before doing anything too hastily: winter in Iceland tends to be unpredictable.

The advantage is rather obvious. Very convenient. But the downside? Is that the weather might mess with those arrangements. Finding a tour that gets both right may be a bit tricky. This doesn’t always, suggest that combining them isn’t feasible, but just that the level of careful preparation is totally important.

What to Expect on the Tour: A Detailed Breakdown

A lot, of the “Golden Circle and Northern Lights” tours are long – maybe around 10 to 14 hours – to squeeze everything in. Here’s very roughly what you should expect:

• Morning/Afternoon: Typically, the tour starts with some main Golden Circle stops: Þingvellir, Geysir, and Gullfoss. Depending on the operator, you might too it’s almost stop at places such as the Secret Lagoon for a soak, or the Kerið crater.
• Dinner: So, there’s usually a break for dinner included, frequently at a restaurant near Geysir or somewhere along the way. Be certain, of course, to check if dinner is included in the price, by the way.
• Night: With darkness setting in (which is usually very early in winter), is that the hunt for the Northern Lights then starts. You should know, this commonly involves going away from city lights to areas that offer good views of the sky. Guides will definitely use weather forecasts to help choose the best locations.

The Reality: Challenges and Considerations

You see, although a mixed tour looks pretty good written out, very really experiencing the tour includes its potential pitfalls. The Icelandic climate can seriously affect how easy it is to run that tour. Imagine dealing with ice, snow, as well as wind – and this doesn’t just make the journey less comfy. In fact, such occurrences impact viewing possibilities at the main spots, and naturally the Northern Lights.

Daylight gets rather limited during winter days, typically providing a few hours of sunlight to explore spots such as Þingvellir and Gullfoss. In some respects, which often impacts a tour. It should be considered, that some areas are observed partly or completely covered in the gloom.

Keep in mind, that the Northern Lights depend very largely on solar action, in addition to cloud cover. The tour company can’t just promise sightings. So, bear that in mind! So, chasing these lights means a little travelling far away from light polluting locations. Should conditions not be in your favour after you leave your first spot, getting to other far-away places demands endurance and sitting and traveling on tour buses.

Making the Most of Your Tour: Tips and Tricks

Okay, so given the potentials of such an adventure, here are several methods that tend to improve pleasure, also it’s almost make for an even better prospect:

• Dress super warmly: So, layering up is vital. Have thermal underclothing, waterproof outerwear, hats, mittens, plus scarves. Do not ever underestimate how very cold it will get, in some respects especially at night, of course.
• Be flexible: Be all set for last-minute alterations to that plan, could be due to climate. Tour companies typically, alter their routes dependent on conditions, so is that staying understanding might really assist.
• Check the weather and aurora forecasts: Look at the Icelandic Met Office’s website in order to gather more details about weather, also Aurora prediction sites to basically determine chances of watching. So, tour guides commonly, utilise similar tools, in short, having your own may likely boost expectations better.
• Pack snacks and drinks: Even if, a dinner break comes standard, take a lot of snacks, plus liquid refreshments, of course. Journeys usually are longer, together with options limited in some far-away parts.
• Camera gear: If in fact photographing any lights interests you, that;s really important. Have your best DSLR or mobile phone using a tripod, in other words. Understand several digital photography concepts, that is exposure together with focusing within minimal brightness, very definitely will help in order to obtain better snapshots.
• Book with a reputable company: Find operators that provide experienced publications together with little travel communities, since they generally deliver the most attention together with wellbeing. Study reviews, also ensure, in short, they offer refunds or even the chance to reschedule, if the Northern Lights never appear, clearly.

Alternative Options for Seeing the Northern Lights

You know, if in that case a mixed tour looks as though too much risk or even very pressed regarding effort. Here are a few distinct possibilities designed to find any Aurora:

• Dedicated Northern Lights Tours: Many are generally, designed specifically towards enhancing looking options only during nighttime hrs; also often are powered simply by professionals which learn many of the optimum seeing opportunities. Very convenient really!
• Self-Drive Aurora Hunting: In fact, renting vehicles presents greater administration around when and where exactly your venture commences nonetheless requests capability studying road ailments and dark place security measures and so on; having several dependable 4 x 4 will give far more self-assurance concerning unpredicted climatic conditions too.
• Stay in a Rural Hotel: Some very isolated motels sometimes supply designated wake-up servicing where employees make sure that people receive alert warning when the Aurora definitely displays on the area providing relaxation knowing there’s chance missing out whilst experiencing ease from the hotel on their own.

Is the Golden Circle Northern Lights Tour Worth It? A Final Thought

Right, so back to a vital query: You really thinking “should you book it”? It might usually rely on goals to achieve. The chance definitely has advantages when time truly turns into brief which might combine couple preferred sights. Nevertheless understanding potential problems such like uncertain climate including confined hours, very becomes absolutely imperative previously when establishing that purchasing commitment by simply asking “what becomes the foremost essential aspect: visiting any favored scenery in addition with viewing that mystic bulbs specifically”? Very probably, by simply taking a mindful process allows for a wonderful, genuinely pleasant tour really, honest to god!

Ultimately, only you could truly tell if that journey will go to suit you but being aware and simply just simply taking an efficient position generally assists.

Hope which will advice tends to get very, very important mainly throughout selecting ones visit to a location that looks really impressive really!

Frequently Asked Questions