5 Day Iceland Itinerary: Northern Lights, Ice Cave and Glacier Lagoon

A 5-day Iceland itinerary for winter travellers: a Northern Lights tour, the Golden Circle and Blue Lagoon, and a 2-day South Coast tour with a natural ice cave, glacier hike and Jökulsárlón.

• Northern Lights tour on Day 1, with rescheduling and a free retry if no lights are seen
• Golden Circle highlights plus Blue Lagoon comfort admission
• Guided 2-day South Coast tour with one night in the countryside
• Ice cave and glacier hike experience
• Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon and Diamond Beach
• Reynisfjara black-sand beach
• Airport transfers included

Your day, stop by stop

1Day 1: Arrival, Reykjavík and Northern Lights tourAirport transfer, free time, then a Northern Lights small-group tour.

You arrive at Keflavík Airport and transfer to Reykjavík, where there is free time in the city to settle in. In the evening a small-group Northern Lights tour heads out of town to look for the aurora. It comes with rescheduling and a free retry if the lights do not show, and the overnight stay is in Reykjavík. Accommodation is not included, so you book your own.

Overnight · Reykjavík

Read our Reykjavík guide →

2Day 2: Golden Circle and Blue LagoonÞingvellir, Geysir, Gullfoss and Kerið, then the Blue Lagoon.

A guided small-group tour of Þingvellir National Park, the Geysir geothermal area, Gullfoss waterfall and the Kerið crater, followed by Comfort admission to the Blue Lagoon.

Overnight · ReykjavíkIncludes · Blue Lagoon comfort admission

Read our The Blue Lagoon guide →

3Day 3: South Coast, ice cave and glacier hike (Day 1 of 2)Seljalandsfoss, Skógafoss, then a natural ice cave and glacier hike.

The first day of the two-day South Coast tour begins with Seljalandsfoss and Skógafoss, then continues to the glacier region for a natural ice cave and a glacier hike with a qualified guide. You walk on ice and uneven ground. The night is in South Iceland, and the accommodation is included.

Overnight · South IcelandIncludes · One night's accommodation

4Day 4: Jökulsárlón, Diamond Beach and Reynisfjara (Day 2 of 2)Glacier lagoon, Diamond Beach and the black-sand coast.

The second day takes you to Jökulsárlón glacier lagoon and Diamond Beach, where icebergs from the lagoon wash up on the black sand. You also stop at the black sand beach at Reynisfjara before returning to Reykjavík.

Overnight · Reykjavík

Read our Jökulsárlón guide →

5Day 5: Reykjavík and departureFree time, depending on your flight, then the airport transfer.

Free time in Reykjavík, depending on your flight, then the transfer to Keflavík Airport for departure.

Read our Reykjavík guide →

About the 5 day Iceland itinerary

This 5-day itinerary suits winter travellers who want to see Iceland's best-known sights without self-driving in winter conditions, in a schedule built by local Iceland-based travel planners.

You'll spend the first part of the trip in Reykjavík with a Northern Lights evening and a guided Golden Circle day, then head east on a guided 2-day South Coast tour that includes an overnight stay in the countryside and some of Iceland's best-known winter scenery.

One night of accommodation is included as part of the South Coast tour; Reykjavík accommodation is booked separately so you can pick a hotel that suits your budget.

The Northern Lights tour runs on the first evening to keep the rest of the trip flexible. If conditions are poor the tour is rescheduled, and if it runs but no lights are seen, you can join again free of charge, subject to availability.

Questions people ask