Our northern lights short breaks in Iceland are a popular option. Travellers get to see the aurora borealis and Iceland’s dramatic, volcanic landscapes over a long weekend.
You’ll stay in the best northern lights locations. And venture off the beaten track to see some of the most beautiful scenery in South Iceland. Walk along the black sand beaches of Vik. Soak in the warm waters of the Blue Lagoon. Then, chase the northern lights by night.
Let the Aurora Nights team plan your weekend away in Iceland. We’ll create a bespoke trip that maximises your time on the island and your chances of seeing the northern lights, too.
Explore our short trips to Iceland
Great value break
An Icelandic Family Adventure at Stracta Hotel
This is a budget-friendly trip for families who want to pack in as much as they can in a short amount of time. Includes 3 nights in an apartment located in a great spot for seeing Iceland's highlights. in as much as they can in a short amount of time....
Price per person (excl. flights)
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from £950
Blue Lagoon Northern Lights Escape
This self-drive tour includes Iceland’s famous Golden Circle and a whale watching boat trip, with a stay at Hotel Ranga which is a great spot for aurora sightings.
Price per person (excl. flights)
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from £1,500
Credit Kristján Pétur Vilhelmsson
Fire & Ice Northern Lights Trip
Stay at Hotel Ranga renowned for its aurora sightings, excellent restaurant, relaxing hot tubs, and a high-tech observatory for seeing the northern lights and stars in detail.
Price per person (excl. flights)
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from £1,300
Credit Business Iceland
Iceland Northern Lights & Whale Explorer
This 3-night break offers the chance to see many of Iceland’s natural wonders whilst staying in the vibrant capital, as well as aurora hunting, whale watching, and a superjeep tour.
Price per person (excl. flights)
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from £1,900
Credit Special Tours
Icelandic Northern Lights New Year Classic
Enjoy 3 nights in Iceland over new year, visiting highlights such as the Golden Circle. New Year’s Eve in Reykjavik is a wonderful, high-energy celebration.
Price per person (excl. flights)
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from £1,800
Luxury Blue Lagoon Northern Lights Spa Retreat
The ultimate luxury spa break in the stunning volcanic surroundings of newly built The Blue Lagoon Retreat, combined with a great chance of seeing the Northern Lights staying in a wonderful boutique hotel surrounded by Icelandic farmland.
Price per person (excl. flights)
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from £2,000
Credit Business Iceland
Northern Lights Paradise
This short break in the Icelandic wilderness includes exploring a secret ice cave and an exciting guided superjeep tour whilst staying at Hotel Ranga - famed for its northern lights sightings.
Price per person (excl. flights)
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from £2,300
Credit Business Iceland
Reykjavik Aurora Short Break
This 3-night Reykjavik winter break is perfect for the first time northern lights holiday visitor short of time. Enjoy everything the city has to offer and go in search of the aurora!
Price per person (excl. flights)
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from £1,550
Credit Business Iceland
The Iconic Northern Lights Break
This break is perfect for the first timer to Iceland who wishes to see the northern lights as well as experience some of its dramatic volcanic wonders.
Price per person (excl. flights)
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from £1,800
The Northern Iceland Weekend Aurora Escape
With the launch of Easyjet's direct flight to Akureyri in north Iceland, this exciting new package includes the highlights of this beautiful, less explored part of Iceland.
Price per person (excl. flights)
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from £1,350
Short breaks to Iceland: FAQs
Why choose a classic short break 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.
How long are your Iceland northern lights short breaks?
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.
What can I see and do on an Iceland northern lights weekend break?
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
What’s included in a northern lights weekend break to Iceland?
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.
Will I definitely see the northern lights on my weekend away in Iceland?
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.
Where will I stay?
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.
Can I book a short break in Reykjavik?
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.
When is the best time to book a weekend break to Iceland?
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.
Why book with Aurora Nights?
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.
How do I book my Iceland mini break?
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.
Reviews
See what our clients say
Cannot thank this company enough. Our break to Iceland was the second time we’ve let them organise everything for us and once again they didn’t disappoint. Everything ran seamlessly and the organised tours were wonderful. This company knows what they are doing. If you want to experience the geysers, the volcano, the northern lights and all the other exciting things that Iceland has to offer then this is the company to use.
Carol Wrack
Fantastic trip with great hosts & made even more special by seeing the Northern Lights twice!!
Wendy Naphine
Thank you for arranging a fabulous holiday, we had a really enjoyable time and would love to return in the future. Hotel Ranga is a lovely place to stay and the owner greeted guests in the restaurant, which was an unexpected welcoming touch. We didn’t see the Northern Lights due to the weather and the trip to the Eyjafjallajokull glacier and volcano was substituted by an excursion to Thorsmork, also due to the weather, which we thoroughly enjoyed; the brochure description doesn’t do it justice. We found Iceland and the people there really charismatic. Although the wind and snow cut short the amount of travelling we could do, we still covered a reasonable amount of what we wanted to see and our appetites are whetted for a return, perhaps in Spring or Summer. We found a couple of great places to eat near the Hotel in Reykjavik. Messin does tasty fish dishes and the Icelandic Street Food restaurant was excellent, offering simple but hearty soups with refills included in the price – great value.
Nigel Goadsby
I found Aurora nights just through a google search. Alex, my Aurora expert was so helpful in helping us have the perfect trip to the Arctic. He had personal experience of the activities and places to visit there that would make our trip really special. This followed through to a particularly unforgettable and wonderful holiday. Everything was sent to us with care and attention before hand and we were supported by the team throughout our holiday. All of the recomendations were wonderful especially the Ice Hotel, dog sledding and of course the beautiful Northern Lights. The transportation arrived on time every time. I would highly recomend this company for their experience in the field and their due care and attention to you as a customer. It was faultless and we had the most awesome time.
Heatherbelle Bates
We have never before experienced such friendly and simultaneously professional service! Alex’s communication was super prompt, questions encouraged and welcomed and attended to with great care and detail. Everything was well organised and available on beautifully designed and very useful platforms. Our destination (Mattarahkka Northern Lights Lodge) was fabulous on so many different levels – exquisite views, friendly interactions from everyone on the team, great food, exciting activities, perfectly situated to see the northern lights (seen twice in 4 nights’ stay), a great fire place, and not to mention our fantastic guide Fabio. Their provision of winter kit (hats, down jacket, snow trousers, leather gloves and boots) offered everything we needed to be comfortable outside. All we needed to have packed really were base layers, a few layers of clothing and woollen socks. Defintely somewhere we would highly recommend and return to when possible!
Inge Elliott
We had the most fabulous time and everything worked like clockwork. The guides were extremely knowledgeable and extremely competent. The food was excellent and the experiences, especially Husky Homes, were brilliant. We saw the aurora lights at the mountain top in Abisko where the photography tour will be an enduring memory of a wonderful time. I would very much recommend Weekend a la Carte as a proficient tour operator.
Mark Nicholson
We booked with Aurora for a short winter break to celebrate an event. We wanted something special and that’s what we got. Clear information was backed up with straightforward booking detail, and we had a super, holiday with no complications.
The holiday exceeded my expectations and I will use Aurora in the future. Thank you!
David Foley
My daughter and I had an amazing time on our trip, we didn’t want it to end! Everything went according to plan, each excursion was well organized and everyone involved with each activity, as well as everyone at the lodge was kind, friendly, positive and happy, which makes such a difference to your whole experience. The food at The Abisko Mountain Lodge was also incredibly good. Our room was large, comfortable and well-furnished. The bathroom too was also spacious and well-equipped. The outdoor clothing provided was of very good quality which kept us warm, and the staff members are happy to change items if they are not quite the right size for you. This is my second trip with Weekend a la carte and I’m sure there will be more as I have complete trust in them. I highly recommend Aurora Nights, it was fabulous.
Jane Ashworth
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