Norway & Iceland Cruises

Table Of Content

• Explore Europe
• Exciting 2 Hour Whale Watching Boat Tour in the Westfjords with Transfer from Holmavik
• Disadvantages of Northern Lights Hunting in the City
• The Ultimate Guide to a Blue Lagoon Iceland Vacation
• The Best Secret Mediterranean Beaches Royal Caribbean Cruises
• Inside the Volcano Thrihnukagigur Tour with Transfer from Reykjavik

Despite these guidelines, the Northern Lights are a natural wonder with no guarantees. Their unpredictability is part of the adventure, making the experience of catching them all the more thrilling. With a bit of luck and the right conditions, travelers on a Northern Lights cruise from Iceland are in for an unforgettable experience.

Explore Europe

Attend original productions from Broadway legend Stephen Schwartz, composer of Wicked. Or learn traditional moves, like Flamenco or Irish stepdance, and listen to popular music from the destinations on your itinerary. From savory Norwegian meatloaf to sweet Icelandic celebration cake, Northern Europe is bursting with flavor. Head ashore to enjoy Icelandic skyr with porridge for breakfast, and savor a Norwegian seafood dinner. Or embark on an all-encompassing culinary tour right on board with our Chef’s Table Lumiere.

Exciting 2 Hour Whale Watching Boat Tour in the Westfjords with Transfer from Holmavik

Many campsites are rural, meaning the light pollution will be minimal. However, the rest of the camping season is typically too bright for them to appear. The only exception is Akureyri because it’s the second-largest city in Iceland. Although it is possible to see the northern lights in Akureyri, the light pollution makes it less ideal for viewing them. It’s worth examining where you’ll stay in Iceland if you want to hunt for the auroras. Ideally, you’ll want to find a place with as little light pollution and cloud cover as possible.

Disadvantages of Northern Lights Hunting in the City

Selecting the perfect Northern Lights cruise from Iceland can be a thrilling yet daunting task. With so many options available, potential travelers should consider several key factors to ensure they have the best possible experience. If you prefer not to drive yourself, you can travel the entire Ring Road of Iceland and the Snaefellsnes Peninsula in winter with this guided eight-day package.

Cruisetours like the 13-Night Great Frontier Expedition (8A Northbound) and the 13-Night Grand Heartland Adventure (7A Northbound) show Alaska’s many majestic sides. Board a glass-domed rail car, called the Wilderness Express, to Fairbanks, and soak up picturesque views every step of the way. On Celebrity, cruises to Alaska and Iceland just might yield sightings of Aurora Borealis. If you want to know the status of the Aurora forecast of the night of your cruise, contact the tour operator directly.

The Best Secret Mediterranean Beaches Royal Caribbean Cruises

If the outings are canceled or unsuccessful, the tour company will usually offer you a second opportunity to see them for free. To maximize your chances of seeing the northern lights in Iceland, we always recommend a guided tour. You have a great shot at spotting them on clear nights with a good forecast. One of Reykjavik's best backdrops for the northern lights is at the Grotta lighthouse. Even if you’re only visiting the capital, you still have a chance to see the northern lights in Reykjavik.

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Under the Northern Light Promise, if the Northern Lights do not appear on a traveler's applicable Norway Expedition cruise, the expedition group will give travelers another Norway cruise free of charge. Laid-back and effortlessly cool, the world's most northerly capital, Reykjavik, is like nowhere else on earth. We are a professional and authorised day tour provider and operate as a part of Elding Adventure at Sea; a renowned boat tour operator in Reykjavik and Akureyri in Iceland. Weather plays a crucial role, and in the event of unfavorable conditions, the tour may be canceled.

Aurora Expeditions: Northern Lights Explorer

Discover the wonders of Iceland’s nature by hiking along snow-capped mountains, marveling at enormous waterfalls, and exploring gurgling fields of Icelandic lava. Please note that these tours are subject to the correct weather conditions and sightings cannot be guaranteed. The right is reserved to cancel the tour due to unfavourable weather conditions if need be. Remove the hassle from air travel and give yourself the gift of flexibility, time and a thicker wallet with Princess EZair flights.

While this list is not inclusive, lines to choose from include Hurtigruten, Viking, Cunard, Quark, P&O, Silversea, Fred. The best northern lights hotels are in remote locations with no light pollution. Many hotels offer northern lights wake-up service during the winter season, so guests don’t miss out on the spectacular aurora. Cruise to Iceland, where you can visit the enchanting cities of Reykjavik and Akureyri and marvel at the country's rough and unusual natural wonders. With a population of only 123,300 people, Iceland's capital and largest city, Reykjavik, is home to colorful houses, a bustling arts scene and centuries of history. For a glimpse into the northern past, check out the Settlement Exhibition, a combination of an archaeological ruin and museum based around a 10th-century house.

If the conditions are favorable, you can see the northern lights anywhere in Iceland, but it’s easier and more scenic in some places than others. We’ve dedicated a whole post to the best time to see the northern lights in Iceland. It includes information about the northern lights season in Iceland and even the best time of the day to see the northern lights. On cruisetours like these, you’ll traverse to towns like Seward, Anchorage, Denali, and tiny Talkeetna. Of course, sightings of the Northern Lights on your cruisetour depend entirely on natural circumstances, relying on weather, darkness, and a bit of magic.

They’re on a scale of one to nine, and anything above three is worth setting out for, as a two is usually visible. It also describes the cloud cover around the country, so you can know where the skies are clear. You’ll find answers to many of these questions in our FAQ on the northern lights in Iceland for more in-depth information. They’re usually visible above a latitude of 60 degrees north and below 60 degrees south, with the ‘southern lights’ being called the aurora australis. Dancing in the skies above the land of ice and fire, these striking blue and green lights are at the top of many people’s bucket lists.

Instead, it’s about enjoying being out on the sea, surrounded by beautiful landscapes while floating under a canopy of stars. If you’re not a fan of group tours, we recommend you go on your own self-drive northern lights hunting tour so you can go aurora hunting at your own pace. Combining a guided northern lights tour with other excursions, such as sightseeing around the Golden Circle, is also possible. These tours have much smaller groups, so you have more opportunities to speak with your guide and fewer people around you while you’re watching the northern lights. Those less worried about the cost—or just keen for a more personal, immersive experience—can elect to take Reykjavik’s northern lights super jeep tour that includes a photographer guide. These tours run regularly from September to April, whenever the northern lights are visible.

Northern Lights: What You Need to Know to Help Plan Your Clients' Aurora Borealis Vacation - Travel Market Report

Northern Lights: What You Need to Know to Help Plan Your Clients' Aurora Borealis Vacation.

Posted: Tue, 30 Jan 2024 08:00:00 GMT [source]

Iceland, Greenland, and polar regions around the Northwest Passage promote some of their active, adventurous cruises around the equinoxes in September and March as northern lights viewing opportunities as well. Lines cruising in these regions include Hurtigruten, Silversea, Lindblad Expeditions, Viking Cruises, Quark Expeditions, Adventure Canada, and others. Both Hurtigruten Expeditions and the Hurtigruten’s Norwegian Coastal Express, offer a good number of itineraries that showcase the Northern Lights.

The many remote locations in South Iceland also present great opportunities to see the northern lights. The best place to see the northern lights in Iceland is the Jokulsarlon glacier lagoon, which lies by the Vatnajokull glacier. The Westfjords and North Iceland have longer hours of darkness and typically less cloud cover than other areas, making them ideal spots for watching the aurora borealis. Many of Iceland’s most stunning natural sites are popular places to see aurora borealis. These include Thingvellir National Park in the south, Asbyrgi canyon in the north, and Kirkjufell mountain in the west, being a few of the most notable ones.