Awe-inspiring Iceland and the Northern Lights
About the Trips
October 4−12, 2024 | 9 Days
Get ready to explore the wonders of Iceland on this nine-day adventure. Start in Reykjavík and spend time at the Sky Lagoon, a serene thermal spa inspired by nature and Icelandic culture. Continue to Borgarnes (known as the original Viking settlement), visit historic fjord Borgarfjörður, climb the famous Grábrók volcano crater, take a dip in Europe’s most powerful hot spring Deildartunguhver and travel underground to get up close to the Snæfellsjökull glacier’s lava tube. Next is Hella, then a two-night stay in the Vatnajökull National Park region on a quest for the shimmering Northern Lights. Other highlights include a visit to the 60 metre-high Skógafoss waterfall, a stroll along Reynisfjara’s black-sand beaches and a stop at Jökulsárlón, an immense glacial lagoon.
Member-exclusive Benefits
We reward all our CAA Members on our Extraordinary Explorations® tours/cruises.
- $25 CAD Beverage card†
- 25 CAA Dollars®^
- 25% savings on CAA Travel Insurance◊
Extraordinary Experience
CAA has curated an exceptional experience unique to your tour. Details of this experience are listed below:
Geothermal Tasting at Geysir Restaurant
Join the chef at Geysir Restaurant to learn how the area’s geothermal springs are used for cooking Icelandic specialties. Enjoy freshly-baked hot spring rye bread served with Icelandic butter, hard-boiled eggs (also boiled in the geothermal area) and herring.
Package Includes:
- Return airfare from Toronto or Winnipeg to Reykjavík
- 1+1-night stay in moderate-class accommodation in Reykjavík
- 2-night stay in moderate-class accommodation in Borgarnes
- 1-night stay in moderate-class accommodation in Hella
- 2-night stay in moderate-class accommodation in Kirkjubæjarklaustur
- Breakfast daily, 2 lunches, 6 dinners and 1 tasting
- Land transportation via first-class motorcoach
- Sightseeing and entrance fees as per itinerary
- 5-night Northern Lights Academy program (featuring lectures and midnight refreshments)
- Explorer equipment: non-slip snow and ice gripper spikes and a flashlight
- Professional English-speaking tour director throughout
- Destination transfers
Awe-inspiring Iceland and the Northern Lights
Activity Level: Moderate. Embark on a stunning expedition through Iceland, including fjords, glaciers, hot springs, black-sand beaches, the shimmering Northern Lights and more
Day 1
Depart from Toronto or Winnipeg on your overnight flight to Reykjavík.
Day 2
Reykjavík – Upon arrival, transfer to the Viking Museum, where you’ll enjoy breakfast. Next is Sky Lagoon thermal spa. After lunch, transfer to your hotel and check in for a one-night stay. Spend the balance of your day at leisure. (B/L)
Day 3
Borgarnes – Meet your guide for a tour of Iceland’s capital, then head to Borgarfjörður, the location of many historical events. Climb the Grábrók volcano crater and visit Deildartunguhver hot springs. This evening, watch for the Northern Lights. (B/D/R)
Day 4
Borgarnes – Visit Snæfellsnes Peninsula, see the fishing village of Grundarfjörður and explore the lava tube under the glacier Snæfellsjökull. Tonight, watch for the Northern Lights. (B/L/D/R)
Day 5
Hella – Travel along the Hvalfjörður fjord and continue to Þingvellir National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage site. See the Geysir geothermal fields before your Extraordinary Experience: a geothermal tasting. Tonight, watch for the Northern Lights at your hotel in South Iceland. (B/T/D/R)
Day 6
Kirkjubæjarklaustur – Visit the Lava Centre to learn about volcanoes. Go to a folk museum, then see the Skógafoss waterfall followed by a visit to the black-sand Reynisfjar beach. Transfer to your hotel for another night of Northern Lights. (B/D/R)
Day 7
Kirkjubæjarklaustur – Travel to the Jökulsárlón glacial lagoon. Walk the black sands of Diamond Beach, visit the tiny turf church at Hof and spend time in Europe’s largest national park. Tonight, watch for the Northern Lights. (B/D/R)
Day 8
Reykjavík – Travel across the Eldhraun lava field to the village of Vík to see the black-sand beach
then visit the Seljalandsfossz waterfall. Arrive back in Reykjavík for a whale-watching tour before you check in to your hotel for your last night. (B/D)
Day 9
Reykjavík – Transfer to the airport for your return flight to Toronto or Winnipeg. (B)
B - Breakfast | L - Lunch | D - Dinner | T - Tasting | R - Refreshments
Terms & Conditions
*All CAA Member prices are per person, based on double occupancy, in Canadian dollars unless otherwise indicated and are subject to change without prior notice until final payment is paid. All prices are correct at press time and apply to new bookings only, based on availability at time of booking. To receive CAA Member-exclusive benefits, there must be one valid CAA Member travelling per booking. Non-members booking Extraordinary Explorations will not receive Member-exclusive benefits. †Beverage card is one per person, in
Canadian funds and has no cash value.
^CAA Dollars awarded per adult Member. To earn and redeem CAA Dollars, you must be a current CAA Member in good standing (CAA Membership dues paid in full by membership expiry date). CAA Dollars will be credited at time of departure. For more information on CAA Dollars, please visit www.caasco.com/caadollars.
◊CAA Travel Insurance is underwritten by Orion Travel Insurance Company, a CAA Company. Twenty-five percent (25%) Member savings is made up of a ten percent (10%) Member savings as well as a promotional fifteen percent (15%) savings when you purchase an Extraordinary Explorations tour through CAA Travel, applies to CAA South Central Ontario and CAA Manitoba Members in good standing (CAA Membership dues paid in full by membership expiry date). This promotional offer is valid until December 31, 2024. Ten percent (10%) Member savings applies to Members in good standing of all other CAA clubs. Savings apply to the total premium excluding applicable taxes. Minimum premium applies. Visitors to Canada Insurance is limited to the promotional savings. Certain exclusions, limitations and restrictions apply. Subject to change without notice. A Medical Questionnaire may be required to purchase travel insurance.
Extraordinary Explorations vacations are organized and booked by CAA Travel (South Central Ontario) Inc. and CAA Manitoba (“CAA Travel”) on behalf of CAA Club Group (o/a CAA South Central Ontario and CAA Manitoba). In the event of an increase in any of the cost factors, CAA Travel reserves the right to increase the price whereby the provisions of the Travel Industry Act shall prevail. CAA Extraordinary Explorations packages are 100% non-refundable at final payment. CAA Travel service fee for cancellation prior to final payment varies by program. For full payment terms and conditions, please ask your CAA Travel Consultant. CAA Travel reserves the right to cancel or reschedule any tour departure in accordance with operating requirements (minimum number of participants) or circumstances beyond its control. Additional fees for checked luggage or
other incidentals may be incurred and vary according to itinerary and airline. Air schedules with some tours are not available at press time and may include several connections or forced overnight at passenger’s expense. CAA Travel strongly recommends the purchase of trip cancellation and emergency travel and emergency medical insurance at the time of booking.
Please note: Participants must be able to embark and disembark cruise ships and coaches without assistance as well as have a good level of mobility for walking tours in destinations where stairs and traditional cobblestone streets can be challenging. International transportation vehicles and facilities may not meet accessibility standards.
Flight
IncludedTour Itinerary
Day 1
Depart from Toronto or Winnipeg on your overnight flight to Reykjavík.
Day 2
Reykjavík
Upon arrival at Keflavik International Airport, meet your tour director and transfer to the Viking Museum, where you’ll enjoy breakfast. Continue on to the Sky Lagoon, a thermal spa inspired by Icelandic culture. After lunch at the Sky Lagoon’s Sky Café, transfer to your hotel and check in for a one-night stay. Spend the balance of your day at leisure. (B/L)
Your Sky Lagoon package includes:
- Sky Pass entrance for one and a half to two hours
- One journey through the seven-step Icelandic bathing Ritual
- Private changing facilities with use of the signature Sky Body Lotion
- Use of towel
- 2-course light lunch with coffee or tea at the Sky Café
Day 3
Borgarnes
Meet your tour guide and see the exciting highlights of Iceland’s capital. Stop at the Settlement Center to learn about the earliest days of Iceland. Next, head to Borgarfjörður, also known as the Saga Valley due to it being the location of many important historical events. Climb the Grábrók volcano crater and visit Deildartunguhver, Europe’s most powerful hot spring. Then see Hraunfossar, a series of waterfalls pouring from beneath a wide lava field, then Barnafoss – the Children’s Falls. In the afternoon, enjoy a lecture about the Northern Lights. After dinner, step into the hotel garden in search of the Northern Lights followed by a cup of hot chocolate or tea. (B/D/R)
Day 4
Borgarnes
The Snæfellsnes Peninsula, which is known as ‘the peninsula of the snowy mountain’, juts out from Iceland’s West Coast like a long arm with a clenched fist at its tip and has a rugged mountain chain running its length. In many ways the landscape is a microcosm of the whole island. Visit the fishing village of Grundarfjörður, located near an impressive coastline of mountains, lakes and waterfalls. Next, see Arnarstapi and Hellnar before experiencing the area from inside Vatnshellir cave. Travel 35 metres underground and 200 metres into the lava tube under the glacier Snæfellsjökull. On the way back to Borgarnes, as part of the Northern Lights Academy Program, your guide shares practical tips on how to photograph the Aurora Borealis (Northern Lights). Once darkness falls, soak in the hotel’s outdoor hot tubs while watching for the Northern Lights. (B/L/D/R)
Day 5
Hella
Travel along the Hvalfjörður fjord. Stop at an Icelandic Wool outlet store, then continue inland to Þingvellir National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage site. Travel the Golden Circle route and see steam rising from the Geysir geothermal fields. Enjoy your Extraordinary Experience: A geothermal tasting of freshly-baked hot spring bread served with Icelandic butter, boiled eggs and herring at the Restaurant Geysir. Next, travel to the double waterfall of Gullfoss. In the afternoon, learn about the history and unique qualities of the Icelandic horse, visit a geothermal greenhouse then arrive at your accommodations in South Iceland. Tonight, step into the darkness and search for the elusive Northern Lights in the peace and stillness of rural Iceland. (B/T/D/R)
Day 6
Kirkjubæjarklaustur
Today, travel along the South Coast. Start at the Lava Centre and learn about geology and active volcanoes. Further east, visit one of Iceland’s finest folk museums, where you’ll see an outstanding collection of farming artifacts from Iceland’s past as well as several turf-built houses. Nearby is the 60 metre-high Skógafoss waterfall, one of the most impressive waterfalls in the country. In the afternoon, take a stroll along Reynisfjara black-sand beach. Then, enjoy your first of two overnights in the Vatnajökull National Park region, which is located in darkness and ideal for the appearance of the Northern Lights. (B/D/R)
Day 7
Kirkjubæjarklaustur
Today’s program is all about glaciers, ice and icebergs. Travel to Jökulsárlón, a glacial lagoon known for its icebergs and volcanic black sand. Explore this amazing site and potentially see seals swimming in the arctic waters. Walk the black sands of Diamond Beach, where icebergs from the Jökulsárlón glacier lagoon wash up on shore. In the afternoon, visit the tiny turf church at Hof and spend time in Europe’s largest national park. There, see Iceland’s highest mountains and Europe’s largest glacier. In the evening, get prepared for your Northern Lights-watching experience by enjoying a viewing of a film from the Northern Lights Academy program. Be careful not to go to bed too soon in this remote and quiet location – you may miss one last chance to witness the colourful Northern Lights shimmering and dancing across the night sky. (B/D/R)
Day 8
Reykjavík
From Kirkjubæjarklaustur, head across the Eldhraun lava field to the village of Vík to make a photo stop. The black-sand beach and pounding waves are set against a backdrop of awe-inspiring cliffs. Further west, we reach the breathtakingly beautiful Seljalandsfoss waterfall. Finally, arrive back in Reykjavík and enjoy a whale-watching tour before checking in to your hotel for your last night. (B/D)
Day 9
Transfer to the airport for your return flight to Toronto or Winnipeg. (B)
B - Breakfast | L - Lunch | D - Dinner | T - Tasting | R - Refreshments