Discover the hidden wonders of west Iceland and immerse yourself in its untamed beauty, rich history, and vibrant culture while upping your chances of seeing the mesmerising northern lights.
Our Secret Northern Lights of the Westfjords tour will take you on an extraordinary adventure, exploring the remote and lesser-known parts of Iceland. Discover remote villages, beautiful waterfalls, dancing lights, and colourful lava fields.
Get ready to be captivated by the magical sky and landscapes of the Westfjords, where each day promises exciting experiences and unforgettable moments.
Overview
Highlights
- Get the best chance of seeing the captivating northern l ights
- Experience authentic culture in small villages and local museums
- Discover some of Iceland’s most iconic natural reserves and enchanting waterfalls
- Embark on gastronomic journeys to discover hidden culinary gems
- Hike up a volcanic crater in a picturesque lava field
- Behold the magnificent Dynjandi waterfall, the true crown jewel of the Westfjords.
- Visit one of the last standing traditional turf houses
- Visit Flateyri’s avalanche protection fences – learn about history and the might of nature
- Small groups, maximum 22 people
What’s included
- 6 nights accommodation, in rooms with shower/WC
- 5 days escorted tour with English-speaking guide/driver-guide
- Arrival & departure airport transfer by Flybus shuttle (no guide)
- 6 x breakfasts & 5 x lunches
- Hike Grábrók crater
- Dynjandi waterfall
- Tjöruhúsið
- Ósvör Maritime Museum
- Gamla bókabúðin or “The Old Bookstore”
- Museum of Icelandic Sorcery and Witchcraft
- Settlement Center
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
Individual transfer by Flybus shuttle bus from Keflavik airport to your accommodation in Reykjavik. You may explore Iceland’s capital city on your own if time allows.
Meet our tour guide early morning and travel west. The first stop of the day will be at Grábrók, a 3.400-year old volcanic crater, where a 360-degree view of the entire valley can be enjoyed. We then stop for lunch at the charming coastal town of Búðardalur before travelling along the fjords of Ísafjarðardjúp, where more incredible views can be enjoyed. If you are lucky, you might even spot a whale!
After a scenic drive we visit Litlibær, one of the very few turf houses still standing in Iceland, which has been turned into a charming café and museum. Enjoy delicious home-made waffles and coffee in this historical landmark overlooking the fjord and sea. In the afternoon, arrive to the largest town in the Westfjords, Ísafjörður, which will be our resting spot for the next three nights. Once darkness falls, get ready to hunt for the northern lights across the night sky! We will immerse ourselves in this magical phenomenon while listening to interesting facts from our guide and learning how to photograph them.
Begin the day at Dynjandi waterfall, widely regarded as one of Iceland’s most impressive and beautiful waterfalls in Iceland. Dynjandi features a tiered structure which creates an ethereal stream of small cascades that is truly breathtaking to behold. We will continue to travel by the coastline and fjords to the captivating pier of Önundarfjörður. Jutting out from a stunning golden beach well into the water, the pier is a perfect place for panoramic views of the imposing mountains.
After an energizing stroll in nature, we head to Tjöruhúsið, a quaint family-owned restaurant for a delicious fish buffet offering fresh and varied treats straight from the sea! Afterward, we take a stroll around the beautiful town of ísafjörður, filled with colorful houses and cobblestone streets. This town is not only full of history, but it is also a cultural hub with many festivals and celebrations taking place throughout the year. As the day comes to an end, we dress up and head outside for another chance at seeing the magical aurora.
Start the day at the restored fishing hut at Ósvör Maritime Museum, to learn about the old days of rowboat fishing and the challenging life in isolated fishing villages in the 19th century. Afterwards we drive to the village of Suðureyri, where we will enjoy an informative walk around town and have the opportunity to savour delicious seafood sourced from a local producer, which promises to acquaint you with Iceland’s rich heritage and fishing traditions.
Next, we visit the village of Flateyri where we will stop at a hidden gem, Gamla bókabúðin or “The Old Bookstore”. In operation since 1914, this charming little store is a great place to browse for unique souvenirs and appreciate traditional Icelandic design at its finest. We will learn more about the history of Flateyri and the devastating avalanche in 1995, venturing out to the avalanche protection fences built to protect the locals from future tragedies. In the evening, we go for a stroll in search of the celestial wonders of the Arctic sky, the Aurora Borealis.
Today takes us to the picturesque village of Hólmavík and its Museum of Icelandic Sorcery and Witchcraft. Learn about the history and folklore surrounding witchcraft and sorcery in Iceland, in a vast collection of artifacts such as ancient grimoires, ritual objects, and the remarkable Icelandic magical staves which were believed to possess protective and magical powers.
Next, we stop for lunch to taste the exquisite traditional Icelandic meat soup followed by irresistible rhubarb cake. After an exciting day of discoveries, we travel to the remote Vogur Country Lodge in West Iceland. This overnight location is a truly peaceful and pristine place perfect for northern lights hunting, so be sure not to go to bed too early!
As a week of adventures in the stunning west slowly comes to an end, we head toward the town of Borgarnes, where we stop at the Settlement Center. Featuring an exhibition encompassing a warehouse, a merchant house, and reception hall, you’ll learn about the fascinating and challenging days of early human settlement in Iceland.
We continue south to the capital city of Reykjavík, learning about its history and stopping by its many landmarks such as the popular church of Hallgrímskirkja, The University campus and Reykjavík’s charming harbour to observe the colourful fishing vessels, the beautiful mountain backdrop, and the spectacular concert hall and conference centre of Harpa. We end the day at the Icelandic Bar, where we get to taste the famous fermented shark and toast to an unforgettable journey with a drink of Brennivín.
Individual transfer by Flybus shuttle from your accommodation in Reykjavik to Keflavik airport.
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See what our clients say
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Fantastic service, with every detail taken care of and communicated to your agencies and hotels. Would definitely recommend and will be using again.
We had a wonderful time! The food at the lodge was amazing and there were some great vegetarian dishes. I had the best beetroot I’ve ever had (beetroot tartare).
Everyone was really friendly and all the guides were good fun and very knowledgeable.
A special thanks to William and Petri who were really friendly and really added a personal touch to our trip. The activities were really well planned and we especially enjoyed the trip with the huskies. The area we were in is stunning and the lodge was very nice. We would definitely recommend this to friends and family.
Fantastic trip with great hosts & made even more special by seeing the Northern Lights twice!!