Stay at Hotel Ranga renowned for its Northern Lights sightings, excellent restaurant, relaxing hot tubs, and a high-tech observatory for seeing the Northern Lights and stars in detail.
Back to Classic Short Breaks in Iceland
Fire & Ice Northern Lights Trip
Credit Kristján Pétur Vilhelmsson
Credit Kristján Pétur Vilhelmsson
Enjoy a stay at one of Iceland’s most renowned hotels, which is also ideally located for experiencing the Golden Circle, with it’s erupting Geyser, mini rift valley and thundering Gullfoss waterfall.
Try a superjeep adventure or secret ice cave visit, and top it all off with a bathe in the geothermal waters of the famous Blue Lagoon.
*Prices starting from
Location
Iceland
Duration
3 Nights
Available dates
Dec - Mar
Price per person (excl. flights)
£2,000*
Overview
Highlights
- 2 nights at Hotel Ranga, famed for its Northern Lights sightings
- Wake up aurora call at Hotel Ranga
- Choice of a SuperJeep Adventure Tour or explore a Secret Ice Cave
- Golden Circle with Pingvellir rift valley, Gullfoss waterfall, Kerid Crater and Strokkur Geyser
- 1 night in the vibrant capital Reykjavik
What’s included
- 2 nights accommodation with breakfast at Hotel Ranga
- Either one guided SuperJeep Adventure Tour or one guided visit to the Secret Ice Cave
- Kia Sportage or similar 4WD vehicle
- One night accommodation with breakfast at Alda Hotel
A note on flights
While flights are not included in the holiday price, our team will happily provide a quote and arrange them for you. Simply ask one of our Travel Experts for details of the available options.
Day by Day Itinerary
Day 1
Arrive at Hotel Ranga
On arrival in Reykjavik, pick up your 4WD hire car and self-drive to Hotel Ranga in South Iceland. This is about a 2-hour trip on Iceland’s main road.
Hotel Ranga has an excellent reputation for northern lights sightings due to its location in a rural area with a higher frequency of clear nights, and sitting in one of their hot tubs watching the northern lights is a very special experience.
Hotel Ranga has recently built their own observatory, and an expert in on hand every night that the sky is cloud free to teach you about the stars and the northern lights.
Tonight, you will have the three-course Chefs Choice menu which the chef chooses every morning based on the freshest seasonal ingredients. Be sure to use one of the outdoor hot tubs if the northern lights are out. Lying back in the warm waters, taking in south Iceland’s unique ambience whilst having the Northern Lights above you is one of life’s great experiences!
On every cloud-free night an expert, using two high quality 11-inch computerised telescopes, will be on hand to teach you about the stars and the northern lights if they are out. View Jupiter in amazing detail, see the rings of Saturn, and details on Mars. During the day you can observe the sun, including sunspots in great detail and activity such as prominences and filaments.
Overnight at Hotel Ranga and hopefully see the northern lights. You may wish to increase your odds by adding on a Northern Lights Hunt tonight as an optional extra. Sign up for the aurora wake-up call and if the Northern Lights come out whilst you are asleep the hotel team will wake you so you don’t miss out!
Day 2
After breakfast, adventure out into the unique landscapes of south Iceland – probably the most dramatic geography field trip you will ever experience! We work only with local guides who are both passionate about their country and want to share their insights with you, and who are also trained as part of the mountain rescue team. They have fascinating stories to share about the volcanic eruption that occurred in 2010.
We continually receive fabulous feedback about this day from satisfied clients who enjoy this personalised, relaxed, guided experience with enthusiastic local guides who are keen that you have an extra special experience.
SuperJeeps take up to eight people but the norm is for four people for a very personal tour. Note: this is in sharp contrast to the coach tours that are available through other companies, who also cannot access many of the areas we take you to.
Choose between the following adventures:
EITHER
Eyjafjallajökull’s Volcano Tour
This tour will take you as close as is possible to the new large crater in Eyjafjallajökull Volcano from the 2010 eruption and to places where no hire car can go.
We drive up the slopes of the glacier in a highly equipped SuperJeep and on our way take in the astonishing view over the whole south coast of Iceland with its glaciers, and back across the Atlantic including the Westman Islands.
This tour gives you the perfect glacier experience; an exciting SuperJeep drive in the snow, walk on the glacier and the magnificent view over the south. This is real adventure.
OR
Þórsmörk Valley Tour
Your guide will take you up between the three glaciers; Myrdalsjokull, Eyjafjallojokull and Tindfjallojokull. In your specially adapted SuperJeep you will have the thrilling drive of fjording glacial rivers and driving across the floodplain to see the lasting effects and landscape changes following Eyjafjallajökull’s 2010 eruption.
You will be surrounded by an imposing mountain ridge and see spectacular landscapes. We describe it as like being in a production set from Lord of the Rings when they go to Mordur. You will see dramatic towering black volcanic cliffs.
Stop at the stunning Seljalandsfoss waterfall, which you can walk behind and be mesmerised looking back through the falling water. If you wanted to see the “raw Iceland” this is hard to beat!
OR
Visit Secret Ice Cave
Take a SuperJeep to Vik in south Iceland (about 1¼hr) where you will go on a very old track that only SuperJeeps can cross in order to reach the Secret Ice Cave.
The ice cave, known as ‘The Secret Ice Cave’, and the glacier itself, present you with black, white, and blue ice that is over 800 years old! Inside the cave there are high walls of ice that have been sculpted by glacial water throughout the centuries. Water drips all around and the air is cold and fresh. Helmets (and crampons if conditions require) are supplied. The beauty of this cave is it is not visited by hundreds of people unlike some of the others which means they don’t have the magical atmosphere of this secret ice cave.
There are plenty of things to see on the way back to Vik. The black volcanic beaches and dramatic basalt formations of Reynisdrangar with its famous archway. The dramatic and thundering Skogar Waterfall – one of the highest in Iceland at 60m and certainly worth a few photos! Finally, everyone enjoys the stop at Seljalandsfoss waterfall where you can walk behind and gaze out through the falling water. This tour takes about 5 hours.
Chef’s choice seasonal menu and overnight at Hotel Ranga. Remember to keep popping your head out to watch for the Northern Lights!
Hotel Ranga is a great base for a Northern Lights Trip
Day 3
Golden Circle including Pingvellir Rift Valley, Gullfoss Waterfall and Strokkur Geyser
Today is an early start so you can explore the “must see” Golden Circle at your own pace using your own 4WD vehicle. The day is packed full of surprising landscapes and Geological marvels.
You will walk in a dramatic mini rift valley created by Tectonic plate movement, gaze at the thundering Gullfoss Waterfall which can totally freeze in winter, and marvel at the Strokkur Geyser which erupts every 5 minutes.
We would also recommend you visit the spot where the first democratic parliament was established in 930 AD overlooking the stunning plains of Pingvellir.
Continue onto Reykjavik for your overnight stay.
Day 4
Blue Lagoon, Fly Home
This morning, self drive to the Blue Lagoon.
The Blue Lagoon is Iceland’s leading attraction. Bathe in the warm bright blue waters which are particularly good for your skin, put Silica mud on your face or try out the sauna and steam rooms which are carved into the lava.
You can easily while away a couple of hours and there is also a choice of restaurants with lovely views of the lagoon. We would also recommend the in-water massage treatments which are just heaven!
Onwards drive (20 minutes) to the airport for your flight home.
We have an extensive Northern Lights Information Hub if you need further information
Covering popular topics such as:
Where You'll Stay
Alda Hotel, Reykjavik
Discover the Alda Hotel Reykjavik, a lifestyle hotel nestled on Laugavegur, Reykjavik’s main shopping street. This boutique-style accommodation is designed to offer a peaceful haven amid the bustling city, allowing guests to absorb and reflect on their Icelandic adventures. Situated on the quieter upper stretch of Laugavegur, we are approximately a 15-minute stroll from the city center.
While our location places us in proximity to shops, cafes, and restaurants, we are strategically positioned away from the central nightlife hub, ensuring a tranquil stay. Experience the perfect blend of a fantastic location and a harmonious atmosphere at Alda Hotel Reykjavik.
Hotel Ranga
Hotel Ranga offers luxury and relaxation in Iceland’s countryside. There are 51 luxurious and cosy rooms in this serene setting without external lighting interference to spoil the Northern Lights. It is Iceland’s only member of the “Special Hotels of the World”, and is also a member of Small Luxury Hotels of the World.
Its gourmet restaurant has an excellent reputation offering typical Icelandic dishes, as well as a few unusual surprises. We would highly recommend you take a drink and sit in the outdoor hot tubs and watch the skies for the Northern Lights. A splendid way to pass the time.
Although there is never any guarantee, this is one of the best places in Iceland to see the Aurora Borealis. They have also recently built an observatory so you can view the stars and Northern Lights up close. An expert is in there to guide you through the use of the computerised telescope on clear nights.
Hotel Ranga also has the most incredible range of themed suites. Take your choice from 2 levels with the themes being Africa, Asia, North America, South America, Australia, Antarctica, Royal Suite.
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Reviews
See what our clients say
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
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
Dear Abigail, We have safely returned from Iceland and we wanted to say a huge and sincere thank you for all the plans that you put into place to make this one of the most memorable holidays we have ever had. It was simply beautiful each and every day. The cabin was idyllic and so cosy and warm. The tour guides were so knowledgeable and friendly and the scenery was breathtaking. All the arrangements worked so well and we will remember the trip for a long time to come.
Thank you once again.
Gillian Griffiths
What a fantastic trip! I booked this for myself and my husband to celebrate my 40th birthday and it didn’t disappoint! Booking was simple and we were kept up to date with all the details from the office team in the UK.
From the moment we arrived at Kiruna airport all the staff we encountered were so friendly and couldn’t do enough for us. We opted for the upgraded room at the Abisko Mountain Lodge which I would highly recommend. The cold weather clothing which was supplied was fantastic and kept us really warm in the sub-zero temperatures. The dog sledging, snowmobiling and the Northern Lights photography were all superb and the staff leading the trips were really friendly and so knowledgeable. Even though we weren’t able to do the sky station trip because of the weather, there was a lovely alternative evening organised for us which included a traditional dinner and a walk to the lake where we were able to see the lights. The food at the lodge was also exceptional and showcased some lovely traditional dishes using Moose and Reindeer which were wonderful to try.
I would like to send a massive thank you to all the staff at The Abisko Mountain Lodge as well as the guides we used for our guided walks, dog sledging and snowmobiling. I’d highly recommend the trip, it was our first visit to Sweden and we would definitely return. Thanks again to everyone (including the huskies) who made it so memorable!
Carly Webster
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
A well organised trip which was tailored to our specific requests. The arrangements all ran perfectly and any queries prior to the holiday were handled very quickly and professionally. The standard of accommodation and organised tours was very high. I would use this company again and recommend them.
Iain Baxter
Hotel Ranga was perfect, with amazing food. It is in the middle of nowhere, very quiet and with the weather being bad there wasn’t the possibility of leaving the hotel in the evening so mightn’t suit all for that reason. Super Jeep tour we thoroughly enjoyed with 2 lovely guides.
Hotel Borg was in the perfect location. For us, one night in Reykjavik would be ample.
Blue Lagoon was a wonderful experience only heightened by the appearance of the northern lights on our walk home from dinner. All in all we had the best holiday and we plan to return to Iceland hopefully sooner rather than later.
Lisa McAleer
An excellent holiday which was enjoyed by all. The super jeep ride on the second day to the Eyjafjallajokull volcano was memorable and thanks to our driver Margaret who proved to be a really good guide. We thoroughly enjoyed the facilities in the hotel Ranga. The staff were very helpful and we managed to see the Northern Lights. The Hotel Reykjavik Centrum was very nice with amazingly helpful staff. All in all, the whole holiday was brilliant.
Brian Coombs