Iceland in Winter: Waterfalls, Black Sands & Northern Lights
Experience Iceland's winter magic on this 7-day guided adventure. Hunt for Northern Lights, explore frozen waterfalls like Skógafoss and Gullfoss, walk the dramatic black sands of Reynisfjara, and journey the Golden Circle by 4x4 with expert guides. Includes accommodation, vehicles, and your choice of whale…
Highlights
Experience Iceland's winter magic on this 7-day guided adventure. Hunt for Northern Lights, explore frozen waterfalls like Skógafoss and Gullfoss, walk the dramatic black sands of Reynisfjara, and journey the Golden Circle by 4x4 with expert guides. Includes accommodation, vehicles, and your choice of whale watching or Sky Lagoon.
Go deeper Want the full story behind this journey?
There's an Iceland that doesn't exist in summer: one where waterfalls dress themselves in ice, daylight lasts only a few precious hours, and when darkness falls, it fills with aurorae. This is the Iceland we invite you to discover on this journey, behind the wheel of a 4x4, with a Teekonda Tour Leader by your side from the first day to the last.
We start in Keflavík, taking our time as the whole group arrives before hitting the Ring Road east. From there, the South Coast tells its own story: Seljalandsfoss and Skógafoss, two waterfalls that feel plucked from another era, their outlines reshaped by ice hour by hour; and then Reynisfjara, the island's most famous black sand beach, with its basalt columns and the Reynisdrangar sea stacks rising out of a stormy ocean — a place we give an entire day to, unhurried, because it deserves to be lived, not just photographed.
Then the road climbs back toward Reykjavík, the northernmost capital in the world, where we spend three nights. One day is dedicated to the Golden Circle: Þingvellir National Park, where the tectonic plates of America and Europe visibly drift apart and the Öxarárfoss waterfall tumbles into the Almannagjá canyon; the Geysir geothermal area, where Strokkur erupts again and again; a stop among the greenhouses of Friðheimar, the celebrated tomato farm that thrives even in the depths of the Icelandic winter, powered by geothermal energy; and finally Gullfoss, the "golden waterfall" that turns into a frozen amphitheatre of spray in winter. The remaining days are yours, to experience Reykjavík your own way — galleries, cafés, the silhouette of Hallgrímskirkja — and to enjoy the activity you'll have chosen at booking, just one of the two included in the package: the thrill of whale watching in Faxaflói Bay, searching for humpbacks and maybe an orca, or the warm waters of the Sky Lagoon, its infinity pool suspended over the Atlantic.
On every evening the schedule allows, we go hunting for the Northern Lights, weather permitting — because in February, when the Icelandic sky clears, it puts on one of the finest shows on the planet.
A journey built for those who aren't afraid of the cold, and who know that Iceland's most beautiful experiences are found right there: in the quiet of winter.
The tour includes: 6 nights in handpicked hotels (double rooms, breakfast included, private bathroom), rental of 3 4x4 vehicles, fuel, a Teekonda Tour Leader for the entire journey, Northern Lights hunting on available evenings (weather permitting), and — chosen at the time of booking — one activity per person between whale watching and the Sky Lagoon.
Included & excluded services
- All Wheel Drive
- Breakfast
- Car rental without driver (Teekonders will drive)
- Fuel
- Full Insurance
- Handpicked boutiques / cottages / luxury hotels
- Parking tickets
- Second driver
- Tolls
- Tour Manager
- Airport Transfer at Arrival
- Airport Transfer at Departure
- Dinner
- Flights
- Lunch
Itinerary
Keflavik
It starts right here, with the Icelandic wind welcoming you off the plane. First stop: picking up your rental cars — three Dacia Duster 4x4s, ready for the South Coast. We spend the first night near the airport, taking it slow while the whole group arrives — because a trip like this begins together, not one flight at a time. Dinner is on your own, a chance to settle in and get a first taste of that sharp North Atlantic air.
Skogafoss
Heading east along the Ring Road, hugging the ocean the whole way. First stop: Seljalandsfoss, a waterfall you can admire from every angle — and in winter, with ice forming on the surrounding rocks, the scene shifts colour by the hour. Next up, Skógafoss, a 60-metre wall of water that you hear before you see. Time for photos, time to breathe, time to be caught off guard — today is entirely dedicated to this, no rush at all. Overnight in the Skógafoss area, just steps from the falls.
Skogafoss
A second night at Skógafoss, but today the scenery changes completely: destination Reynisfjara, Iceland's most famous black sand beach, near the village of Vík. Basalt columns that look hand-carved, the Reynisdrangar sea stacks rising out of a stormy ocean, and an atmosphere that turns almost otherworldly in winter. We give ourselves all the time we need to soak it in, walking the shore and stopping for photos — no clock-watching today.
Reykjavik
We leave the South Coast behind and head for the northernmost capital in the world. A transitional day, watching the landscape shift as Reykjavík draws closer. Check-in for the next three nights, right in the heart of the city. Evening free to start exploring: the streets downtown, the bars lighting up while it's already been dark for hours.
Reykjavik
Today is all about the Golden Circle, the trio of sights that tells the story of Iceland's restless geology: Þingvellir National Park, where the North American and Eurasian tectonic plates visibly pull apart, with a stop at Öxarárfoss, a waterfall tumbling straight into the Almannagjá canyon for an almost otherworldly winter scene; the Geysir geothermal area, where Strokkur erupts every few minutes. We stop for lunch at Friðheimar, the celebrated tomato farm in Reykholt, where geothermal-heated greenhouses grow tomatoes all year round, even in the depths of the Icelandic winter: you eat right among the plants, with a homemade tomato soup that warms body and soul. Last stop is the mighty Gullfoss, the "golden waterfall" that turns into a frozen amphitheatre of spray in winter. Back in Reykjavík by evening.
Reykjavik
Your last full day, free to experience the city your way: art galleries, the towering silhouette of Hallgrímskirkja against the skyline, cafés to warm up in with something hot in hand. The afternoon is dedicated to an activity included in the package, to be chosen at the time of booking — one of the two, not both: whale watching in Faxaflói Bay, with real chances of spotting humpback whales, harbour porpoises, and — if luck is on your side — even orcas, which tend to come closer to shore in winter; or the Sky Lagoon, just minutes from downtown, where the infinity-edge pool seems to spill straight into the Atlantic, moving through sauna, cold plunge, and the seven-step ritual. Two different ways to say goodbye to Iceland — both equally perfect.
Keflavik
One last Icelandic breakfast, cars returned, and transfer to Keflavík Airport for your flight home. You'll leave with black sand still in your shoes and a quiet promise to come back.
