You may have seen that National Geographic has recently published their top 7 places to go and see the Northern Lights with Iceland at the top of the list! At Aurora Nights we send many people on Northern Lights trips to Iceland, but Iceland has so much more to offer and often it is the other experiences that people talk about on their return.
Called the Island of Fire and Ice it certainly has a dramatic landscape created by volcanic activity. Being a volcanic island the geological history is much shorter than in other parts of the world, but packed with change as it is constantly evolving. We all remember the famous eruption of Eyjafjallajökull’s volcano in 2010 which shut down most of Europe due to the volcanic ash in the air stopping the planes flying. That eruption changed the landscape of Iceland by filling a huge glacial lake with ash and sediment. If you go on the Thorsmork SuperJeep Tour with Aurora Nights the guide will stop the vehicle right in the centre of where the lake was and show you on the satnav how the lake used to be – it is an impressive landscape change.
The Icelanders are very pragmatic about living with this constant change and threat. They have an army of well trained rescue teams, slick evacuation plans in place that are regularly reviewed and updated, and of course all volcanoes are heavily monitored. In the meantime they love to share the benefits and beauty of this volcanic landscape.
Only in Iceland do you have such a wonderful choice of day time activities to explore this incredible landscape. SuperJeep Tours abound and we work with specialised guides who have lived all their lives in Iceland and will take you up steep volcanoes, through glacial rivers, and on snow-filled mountain tracks to remote and spell binding beautiful places. If you are looking for some serious off-roading adventure then Iceland is impossible to beat! Geysers, Mini- rift valleys , powerful waterfalls as well as the Volcanoes and Lava Fields are all there to inspire and amaze you. For those who are a bit more adventurous the Glaciers beckon. Snowmobiling or Ice Hiking are firm favourites and when the conditions are right the ice caves are a wondrous beauty to behold.
In case you were thinking Iceland is all about landscape then perhaps you would like to see some whales which are now frequently seen in the winter, as well as in the peak during the summer or spend some time in the charming and quirky towns and villages such as Husavik in the north of Iceland, whilst Reykjavik is a buzzing capital full of nightlife.
For those who I have not persuaded and still want to focus on Northern Lights then there is a vast choice of ways to try to see them. Stay in the perfect place to see the northern lights in wilderness private cabins or luxury hotels, take a SuperJeep hunt which follows the aurora forecast to give you the best chance to see them, or take an Aurora Hunt by boat out of Reykjavik that gets you away from the artificial lights.
So for those who want to go to see the Northern Lights in Iceland, (and a few of the other things as well!), then do take a look at our breaks which can be tailor made to your interests.
