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.
Northern Lights Paradise
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Afterwards, relax at the Blue Lagoon Silica Hotel famed for its spa treatments and of course the Blue Lagoon!
This break is a great mix of self-exploring and guided adventure superjeep tours.
Overview
Highlights
- 3 nights at Hotel Ranga, famed for its northern lights sightings.
- Wake up aurora call at Hotel Ranga
- Þórsmörk Superjeep Adventure Tour in south Iceland
- Explore an Ice Cave
- Discover the Golden Circle with Pingvellir Rift Valley, Gullfoss Waterfall, Kerid Crater and Strokkur Geyser
- 1 night at the Blue Lagoon Silica Hotel with Blue Lagoon entry
What’s included
- 4 nights accommodation with breakfast (3 nights at Hotel Ranga and 1 night at Silica Hotel)
- Entrance to the Blue Lagoon
- Guided visit to the Ice Cave
- Guided Thorsmork Super Jeep Adventure Tour
- 4WD car hire
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
Fly to Reykjavik and drive to Hotel Ranga.
On arrival in Reykjavik, pick up your pre-arranged 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 the hot tubs watching the northern lights is a very special experience.
Hotel Ranga has recently built their own observatory, and an expert is there every night that the sky is cloud free, who can teach you about the stars and the aurora borealis. 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!
Overnight at Hotel Ranga.
Þórsmörk Super Jeep Tour
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 on this day from satisfied clients who enjoy this personalised, relaxed, guided day experience with enthusiastic local guides who are keen that you have an extra special experience.
SuperJeeps take up to 8 people but the norm is for 4 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.
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!
Tonight 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 Aurora flash above you is one of life’s great experiences!
Alternatively Hotel Ranga has built their own first observatory a short stroll from the hotel in order to minimize light pollution.
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 amazing detail on Jupiter, 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.
Secret Ice Cave, Black Beaches, Skogar Waterfall, Volcano Eruption Centre
This morning, self-drive to Vik in south Iceland (about 1¼ hr). From there we will pick up you and drive our heavily modified superjeep on a very old track that only superjeeps can cross.
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.
The beauty of this cave it that it is not visited by hundreds of people, unlike some of the others, which means this secret ice cave has a magical atmosphere unspoilt by too many people.
This tour takes up to 3 hours. Afterwards enjoy the charming small village of Vik and we would highly recommend the brand new Lava Show in Vik where molten lava is poured over ice right in front of you. It is a thrilling experience!
Afterwards you can visit the Black Beaches and dramatic rock formations of Reynisdrangar with its famous archway. On the way you will also see the dramatic and thundering Skogar waterfall – one of the highest in Iceland at 60m and certainly worth a few photos!
On the return self-drive journey, allow time for a stop for an hour at the Lava Centre. They have an interactive exhibition about the volcanoes, eruptions, and earthquakes. There certainly is not a shortage of things to do and see!
Overnight at Hotel Ranga and a last look out for the northern lights.
Why Hotel Ranga is such a good base for a Iceland Northern Lights Trip
Discover the Golden Circle including Pingvellir Rift Valley, Gullfoss Waterfall and Strokkur Geyser, Self-drive to Blue Lagoon
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.
See our Local Insider’s top tips when self driving in Iceland
Continue onto Blue Lagoon Silica Hotel to overnight. There is a separate lagoon reserved just for the hotel and treatment guests which is open until 10 pm so you can have a taster of the wonderful Blue Lagoon experience to come tomorrow.
This morning stroll down to the Blue Lagoon.
The Blue Lagoon is Iceland’s leading attraction and timing it to arrive early to avoid the crowds is a real benefit. 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 away 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.
If this is not the perfect break for you then you might like to consider the Blue Lagoon Northern Lights Escape or give us a ring and we can tailor-make the perfect Aurora Holiday for you.Blue Lagoon Northern Lights Escape.
We have an extensive Northern Lights Information Hub if you need further information
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Where You'll Stay
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.
Blue Lagoon Silica Hotel
Set in the heart of a stunning lava landscape the Blue Lagoon Silica Hotel is just ten minutes’ walk from the Blue Lagoon, and 1 admission is included in your room price.
The hotel has 35 bright and spacious rooms. All rooms offer a veranda with breath-taking views of the surrounding lava fields.
All rooms are equipped with private bathrooms and a shower and the hotel has its own private bathing lagoon, available only to guests at certain hours of the day.
The Blue Lagoon Silica Hotel has won several design awards as it is built in harmony with the surrounding landscape, offering an oasis of calm, relaxation and healing.
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See what our clients say
My wife and I had an awesome and memorable trip to Iceland thanks to Alex at Aurora Nights. Alex tailored the itinerary to exactly what we wanted to see and chose excellent hotels to stay at. We totally enjoyed the city of Reykjavik and the many beautiful waterfalls. He went above and beyond to not only recommend sights to see around the Golden Circle and Ring Road, but also mapped it out so we were prepared to drive through the country during unpredictable weather and road conditions. And we were especially pleased to see the Northern Lights on our visit. Alex was very flexible to make changes to our plans and choosing the wonderful Sky Lagoon to replace our tickets for the Blue Lagoon due to the closure from the volcanic activity. We highly recommend Alex and Aurora Nights.
We had five fantastic days in beautiful Iceland, as we had never been before Aurora Nights helped with everything and made the holiday so easy and stress free. We stayed at Hotel Ranga which was amazing, we very much enjoyed the tours and the guides were brilliant, very knowledgable and friendly. We will certainly be returning to Iceland and wouldn’t hesitate to book through Aurora Nights again, special thanks to Abigail as her experience and reccommendations made the trip even better.
We did the aurora nights break and had a great time overall. Everything related to flights, hire car, and hotels ran smoothly. There were a few issues largely relating to the weather and driving conditions (we travelled in mid March), but what we did manage to do was amazing.
The blue lagoon was easy to access from the airport and was a brilliant experience. We booked the standard package and it came with a free drink and face mask. Facilities were clean and organised with free toiletries in the shower rooms, which helps if you’ve gone there straight from the airport.
The drive to Hotel Ranga afterwards was long but fine (check out the road on google streetview to know what to expect). The hotel and staff were great. We were limited to one option as vegetarians on the bar and a la carte menus, but the food was lovely and if you are a meat eater you will see options of unusual dishes like puffin and reindeer.
Our northern lights super jeep trip was cancelled on both nights due to a poor forecast, but we were lucky enough to get an aurora wake up call from Hotel Ranga the first night. We couldn’t use the hottubs as there are only a few and they were always taken in the limited time we spent at the hotel, so don’t go expecting to get lots of time in one and you won’t be disappointed. View them as an add on if you can time it right. We were travelling with an 11 year old, so we didn’t stay up really late. If you are a couple you probably have a better chance of getting one later on.
The glacier/volcano super jeep trip was outstanding. Our driver, Íbí was excellent. She went above and beyond and gave us such an awesome experience. We were also super lucky with the weather the first two days and had great views across Iceland.
The ice cave tour was also incredible and the guides running it were excellent. The group size was much bigger than expected (especially after the more exclusive volcano super jeep tour), but it was broken down into smaller groups that were managed well, with plenty of time factored in for photographs. There were several unexplained delays getting to the cave during the tour that meant we weren’t able to ‘mini tour’ the rest of the South Coast afterwards, so if you plan to do the ice cave don’t overplan for the afternoon as you may not have much time. Not a huge disappointment for us as we got to experience the cave, but I imagine someone who planned a full itinerary afterwards might be frustrated by the estamiated timings not always being right and subject to change with the weather (which was wicked that day).
Driving around Reykjavik was a horrible experience as we arrived around rush hour and weren’t prepared for all the traffic, having only experienced quiet roads along the south coast. It was difficult finding a parking space, so be prepared to drive around a little when you arrive. If you haven’t driven on the right before and are not a confident driver this could leave you feeling stressed. Again, check out the roads into Reykjavik on Google maps to get a sense of what awaits if you aren’t used to self-driving.
We didn’t get to tour the golden circle because of road conditions/ice/road closures, so we spent the day in Reykjavik instead. This turned out okay for us as we did some of the attractions (Lava Centre and Fly Over Iceland – both hughly recommended), but it ended up being an extra expense and we missed out on the golden attractions. Again, not a big issue if you are aware this could happen. The weather is so changeable that having a plan B is a good approach.
Weekend a la Carte sent us a text warning us about the bad weather conditions, which we’d already seen on the Safe Iceland app, but we were grateful for anyway. It was good to know they were looking out for us!
All in all, a remarkable trip, with some unique experiences. If you book this in the knowledge that nature will have her own way, and you may not see everything you want (especially in winter), you will have a great time. Ranga is definitely the best place to maximise your chances of seeing the lights.
Thoroughly enjoyed the trip. The Abisko Mountain Lodge was fantastic, every member of staff was friendly welcoming and charming. Accommodation, upgraded room was excellent. The food in the lodge definitely deserves the high reviews. Good breakfast, great hime made lunch soups and extremely tasty evening dinners.
The included trips were great. The only let down was the camera night, couldn’t see the lights no one fault, but we were walked through thigh high snow to be left on a frozen lake for the duration of the trip. There was no warning of the difficult walk and we had a 91 year old with us and I have hip problems! That said the guide was great, as were the ones on the skimobile and husky rides. We went up to the sky station in a snow storm with high winds, added to the experience!
Would go back in a heart beat.
We had little communication with Weekend a la carte, no need as all communications were clear and contained all the information we needed. Very informative emails
Would use again if going back
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!
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.
Overall very good. Staff excellent and helpful. Accomodation basic but was what we expected. Tour guides very good (nature walks, snow mobiles, dog sleighs). Sky station disappointing as we never got to go up due to the weather and this seem to be a recurring feature.The alternative walk at night and meal was a let down as a result.Overall would recommend to others.
This was a bucket list trip. The company are specialists and I’ve valued their advice. Everything from the when to go for the best opportunity to see the lights and equipment needed and provided.Our activities included, the Ice Hotel, night photo shoot, snowmobiling, guided walk and the sky station meal. All excellent and well run by knowledgeable experts and guides. The Abisko Lodge is warm comfortable and relaxing the food is excellent and the staff welcoming, friendly and very helpful. I would highly recommend if you’re looking for a different and exciting experience.