Golden Circle, Blue Lagoon & Northern Lights Tour

Þingvellir is where Iceland's parliament, the Alþingi, first met in 930, and it lies in a rift valley where the North American and Eurasian plates are pulling apart. Chieftains gathered here every summer, laws were recited from the Lögberg (Law Rock), and the plain below still shows where the assembly booths stood. The lake beside it, Þingvallavatn, is the largest natural lake in Iceland. The park is free to enter and open all year. A UNESCO World Heritage Site where you can walk through the rift between the North American and Eurasian plates.

Geysir gave every geyser in the world its name. The original Great Geysir now erupts only rarely, sometimes after earthquakes, so the show is Strokkur, a short walk away. It throws boiling water 15 to 20 metres into the air every 5 to 10 minutes, and sometimes a good deal higher, so you will see several eruptions while you are here. Keep to the paths between the pools and stay behind the ropes, as the water is very hot.

Gullfoss, the Golden Falls, drops about 32 metres in two steps into a narrow canyon roughly 70 metres deep and 2.5 kilometres long. The water comes from the Hvítá river, which is fed by the glacier Langjökull. Glacial water often turns golden-brown in sunlight, and rainbows hang in the spray on bright days. A path with stairs leads down to a lower level, closer to the water.

Kerið is a volcanic crater about 270 metres long, 170 metres wide and 55 metres deep, with a blue-green lake at the bottom. Unlike the black basalt found almost everywhere nearby, its walls are deep red, from oxidised volcanic rock. It is thought to have formed when a magma chamber emptied and the ground above collapsed, rather than in a violent explosion. You can walk the rim and, where allowed, down to the water. There is a small entry fee.

The Blue Lagoon is a milky-blue geothermal spa on the Reykjanes peninsula. The water is geothermal seawater from the nearby Svartsengi power plant, rich in silica and minerals, and it stays at 37 to 40°C all year, whatever the weather outside. The silica gives the water its blue-white colour and a slightly cloudy, mineral feel. The lagoon holds about nine million litres, renewed roughly every 40 hours. Your Comfort entrance includes a towel, a silica mud mask and a drink at the swim-up bar.

A break back in Reykjavík before the evening aurora hunt. Meals are not included other than the drink at the Blue Lagoon, so use the time to eat and put on warm layers.

An evening drive of about 3 to 4 hours to find clear, dark skies away from the city. Your guide follows the forecast to find the best chance, with hot chocolate and a sweet treat along the way. The lights are never guaranteed.