Classic short breaks in Iceland

On a classic short break in Iceland, you pack a lot of adventure and aurora hunting into three to four nights. So if your schedule or budget don’t allow for a longer trip, it’s the perfect alternative.
You can book one of the tours above. Or go bespoke, adjusting our classic short breaks to include your choice of accommodation and activities.

Our short breaks to Iceland are between three and four nights long. If you want a longer northern lights holiday, take a look at our escorted tours, self-drive tours and exclusive aurora holidays in Iceland.

On an Iceland northern lights weekend break, you get to explore all that South Iceland has to offer. Depending on the time of year you visit, you can:

• Bathe in the thermal waters of the Blue Lagoon or relax in the hot tub back at your hotel
• Visit an ice cave and go glacier snowmobiling
• Travel the Golden Circle to see Strokkur Geyser, Gullfoss Waterfall, the Kerid crater and Thingvellir
• Hunt the aurora on night time wilderness trips or on a boat cruise into the Atlantic Ocean
• Embark on super jeep adventures to remote locations away from the coach tours
• Walk along the black sand beach at Vik and venture behind the waterfall at Seljalandsfoss
• Get up close to majestic ocean mammals on a whale-watching tour

Our weekend breaks to Iceland include:

• Accommodation
• Transfers
• Half-board or full-board dining
• A selection of activities, including aurora hunting

Our self-drive short breaks also include car hire. But please note that our packages don’t include flights. If you want advice on airlines and airports for your trip to Iceland from the UK or US, just ask. We’ll be happy to help.

We can’t guarantee that you’ll see the northern lights on your holiday to Iceland. But we do everything we can to maximise your chances.

We choose lodges and hotels in remote areas that are renowned for northern lights sightings. At Hotel Ranga, for example, on any three-night stay, you have a 70% chance of seeing the aurora.

Our expert aurora guides will also take you on exciting night time excursions to hunt down the northern lights. They’ll take you to places with clear, cloudless skies, where the northern lights are most likely to appear.

There are lots of amazing accommodation options in Iceland.

From boutique hotels in Reykjavik to luxurious rural bolt holes. We can book you into a hotel with its own observatory and astronomy expert. Or extend your time at the Blue Lagoon with a stay at its shore-side spa retreat.

Celebrating a special occasion? Then we can book you a private wilderness cabin for a one-of-a-kind experience.

Absolutely. We can help you plan a short break in Reykjavik.

Iceland’s capital is a great place to sample the country’s culture and cuisine. It makes a great base for whale-watching tours and the Sky Lagoon, too.

On a city break to Iceland, you can also travel out of Reykjavik, into the countryside. Here, away from city lights, you can chase the aurora each evening.

There’s another very good reason to pick Reykjavik as the base for Iceland northern lights short breaks. There are lots of direct flights to Iceland’s capital.

By choosing this destination, you cut down on travel time and can fit even more activity and adventure into your Iceland mini break.

If you want to see the northern lights, the best time to book a weekend away in Iceland is between September and March. During these months, the nights are long and dark. Perfect conditions for aurora spotting.

You can also plan a short trip to Iceland around the activities you want to enjoy. For example, self-driving is easier in the autumn. And your chance of seeing whales on a whale-watching tour varies from month to month.

Christmas and New Year are also great times to visit Iceland. You can view Reykjavik’s New Year fireworks from our boat cruise. Or welcome in the New Year from your hot tub with the northern lights dancing above.

Tell us what you’d like to do on your weekend break to Iceland, and we can recommend the best time to visit.

We’ve been offering short northern lights breaks to Iceland for over 15 years. So our tours have been tried, tested and tweaked to offer the very best of Iceland.

When you book northern lights tour packages with Aurora Nights, you can count on:

• Tailored trips — our travel experts can create a bespoke short break in Iceland, suited to your interests, budget and schedule
• Exceptional experiences — the very best accommodation on the island and bespoke activities, with private or small group tours as standard
• Experienced local guides — our guides in Iceland show you a lesser-seen side of the country and are skilled at tracking down the northern lights
• A hassle-free holiday — you book your flights, we take care of everything else – so you can focus on the excitement, not the organisation

Whether you book a classic short break, an escorted tour, an exclusive aurora break or a self-drive tour to Iceland, the Aurora Nights team will create the perfect itinerary.

To book your mini break to Iceland, start by contacting the friendly Aurora Nights team. You can send us an email, give us a call or fill in the website form. We’ll chat about dates, accommodation, activities and budget. Then plan the Iceland aurora holiday you’ve been dreaming of.