Iceland & Northern Lights

Overview

Unfortunately, this trip will not be confirmed for 2021.
It is too risky to organise a group trip in the current situation.
You can still pre-register and we will inform you whenever
we have a confirmed date for 2022.

If there is one country in the world that speaks to the imagination, it definitely would be Iceland. Nature is so incredibly special that it cannot be compared to any other place on Earth. Situated in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean and being shaped by two continents drifting apart, Iceland is also called the Land of Ice & Fire. Our 2018 and 2019 trips were a big success. Unfortunately we had to cancel our 2020 edition, but we are happy to put it back on the Expat Club calendar in 2021. We travel during the darker months of the year, so we are scheduling also a Northern Lights tour for you and already include that into the price. Join Expat Club on this discovery trip along geysers and boiling waters, volcanos, mega glaciers, lava fields and many waterfalls. We really see the best of the country!

Pictures

Iceland lies in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean | © Dmitrijs Kaminskis - Shutterstock

Reykjavik will be our base for the trip to discover the Land of Ice & Fire | © Tsuguliev - Shutterstock

The Hallgrimskirkja in downtown Reykjavik | © Tsuguliev - Shutterstock

The Hallgrimskirkja church with Northern Lights | © Vaclav P3K - Shutterstock

The Seljalandsfoss waterfalls | © Fabio Tomat - Shutterstock

Stand behind the waterfalls | © Ditty_about_summer - Shutterstock

Reynisfjara and the mount Reynisfjall | © Andrey Bayda - Shutterstock

Iceland's black Vik beach | © Marianna Ianovska - Shutterstock

It is likely we will see some real Iceland horses | © Karel Cerny - Shutterstock

On our second day trip we will visit the incredible Thingvellir Park, where the North-American and Eurasian continental plates are visibly drifting apart.

Walk between the 2 continental plates, a unique experience | © The scene - Shutterstock

The Strokkur geyser | © Puripat Lertpunyaroj - Shutterstock

The Strokkur Geyser is a busy boss, erupting every 7-8 minutes.

The trick is to be ready for the geyser to erupt and take the perfect picture | © ZinaidaSopina - Shutterstock

The Gullfoss Waterfalls fall down 30 meters in 2 stages

With a little bit of sunshine it is likely you will see a rainbow | © Vaclav Sebek - Shutterstock

Iceland lies in the middle of the ring of Northern Lights. With many dark spots it is the perfect country to spot this miraculous natural phenomenon.

The most common colours are white and green, but if you are lucky enough you can catch other colours on your camera too | © Krissanapong Wongsawarng - Shutterstock

Iceland is one of the Earth most active spots for volcanos. On our second road trip we will drive through vast fields of lava stones. As if you are on the moon! | © J. Helgason - Shutterstock

A visit to Iceland is not complete without a visit to the Blue Lagoon | © Puripat Lertpunyaroj - Shutterstock

Relax in the mineral rich warm water | © Alla Laurent - Shutterstock

© Alla Laurent - Shutterstock

Program

As with all Expat Club trips, our schedule is carefully designed to ensure you can enjoy these days optimally. We have our own private bus, so this give us much flexibility. Please note that the schedule may still change for various circumstances such as weather or traffic conditions. Your host, the bus driver, our guide and receiving destinations will always do their best to give the most optimal experience. Thank you for your understanding.

Thursday 11 November – travel & Northern Lights
This day we travel to Iceland and our hotel in Reykjavik. We will explore the city a bit and we make a Northern Light Cruise to see the famous Aurora Borealis from the water.
10:30 – Meeting time Starbucks in main departure terminal
13:00 – Departure on Icelandair FI555 to Iceland
15:15 – Arrival Keflavik International Airport
15:45 – Transfer to Reykjavik
16:45 – Check-in hotels & discover Reykjavik
21:00 – Northern Lights Chase

The Northern Lights Cruise leads us on to the open water from where you can see  the Aurora Borealis above you and reflecting on the water. Expat Club will arrange a separate section on the boat where we can all sit, relax and mingle until the lights show (the staff will call us for this, so you won’t have to wait outside the entire time). You must book this trip in advance during the reservation process. In case of cloudy conditions the tour will be cancelled and if replaced by a bus tour if weather conditions allow it elsewhere within driving distance from Reykjavik. Prices will be shown during the reservation process.

Friday 12 November
We will travel a full day along the South Coast and visit various impressive places, such as the beautiful Seljalandsfoss waterfalls, and the Reynisfjar black sand beach with stunning rock formations. We drive through spectacular landscapes, see big volcanoes and glaciers and learn more about how special Iceland actually is during visits to a large Geo-thermal plant and the Lava Center, a fascinating exhibition about Iceland.

Saturday 13 November
Today we are touring the famous Golden Circle and see the best of Iceland, including the Thingvellir National Park where you can clearly see the European and American continents drifting apart, the Strokkur Geysir that blows out hot water every few minutes, and the Gulffoss waterfall that spectacularly drops in two stages. The last part of the day we drive through a dramatic lava landscape along a wild ocean, which leads us to Icelands most relaxing and world-famous Blue Lagoon pool & spa.

The Blue Lagoon geothermal spa is located in the middle of a lava field. It is the perfect relaxation after an amazing trip. So many people told us this was the best closure of this short holiday to Iceland. The warm waters are rich in minerals like silica and sulphur and are a constant temperature between 37˚ and 39˚. You are welcome to try on a silica mud mask of course. It definitely makes a good picture! Upon checkout you can indicate whether you would like join. We arrive around 19h30 at the Blue Lagoon and you can use the pool between 20h00 and 21h30 (the combination of warm water and minerals makes 1,5 hours enough for most people). If you don’t want to go into the water yourself, you can stay for dinner.

Sunday 14 November
Today we have an early flight (7h40 – Icelandair FI554), simply because virtually all flights to Western Europe leave early morning. However, since Expat Club has arranged a hotel at just 100 meters from the airport (!!!) you can literally walk over there in 2 minutes, check-in for our direct Brussels flight, get back to the hotel for breakfast before boarding the flight.

Flights

We will fly with Icelandair directly from Brussels to Reykjavik on Thursday 11 November with departure at 13h00 and arrival at 15h15. Our meeting time is 10h45 at the long table of Starbucks in the main departure hall. The return flight to Brussels departs at 07h40 in the morning and arrives at 11h55. Since Keflavik airport is up to an hour away from Reykjavik city, we will stay the last night in a hotel at just 2 minutes walking from the airport terminal. You can literally check-in, return to the hotel for your breakfast, and walk to the gate. During checkout you can indicate your seat preference: window, middle, or aisle. Those who book first also have first choice.

NOTE: Expat Club checked all travel options for our group, but in the fall season there are considerably less flights to/from Iceland and virtually all flights to mainland Europe depart early morning. There are simply no afternoon/evening flights. The few flights that leave later have an extra (long) connection, do not offer spots for groups and are significantly more expensive. In 2018 we had a return flight to Amsterdam (+ bus transfer), so flying straight to Brussels is a great improvement!

Accommodation

We arranged accommodations in highly rated 3* and 4* hotels near to each other and located in the Reykjavik city centre. We stayed here also in 2018 and the group loved it. Both hotels have comfortable and clean rooms. The 4* hotel is the largest and one of the best hotels of Iceland and offers more comfort, nicer rooms, and better breakfast. For the last night we stay in a good 3* hotel near the airport (to avoid long travel times in the morning). Rooms in each hotel have private bathrooms with either a bath or shower. We offer single rooms (1 single or large bed), double rooms (1 large bed) and twin rooms (2 single beds). For the single rooms and double rooms we cannot guarantee 1 large bed, but we always guarantee 2 single beds for the twin rooms if you would like to share. The basic trip fee is based on 2 persons sharing a room (double or twin) in the 3* hotel. During the checkout process you will see possible surcharges (e.g. for a single room and the 4* room).

Room sharing
Expat Club offers twin rooms with 2 single beds for 2 friends who want to share the room, but do not want to stay in 1 large bed. These rooms are also offered to single travellers who do not want to pay the single surcharge. You can share the room with another lady or gentleman from our group (only male or female rooms). In that case you will NOT pay any surcharge and you will NOT have to worry about finding a roommate. There are plenty of other travellers in your situation, so we will introduce you to them (before or during the trip) and you mutually agree to share the room. This arrangement worked out perfectly during our other trips, so don’t hesitate to choose this option. Note: male twin rooms are always on request.

Comments & special terms

• This trip is carefully and realistically planned. Still, all timings are indicative and may change if required by circumstances.  Expat Club cannot be held liable for long delays that impact the program (e.g. missed guided tours, reserved entries etc.), neither can Expat Club be held liable for weather-related cancellations or any other unforeseen circumstances that influence the course of the trip, including, but not limited to technical problems with the airplane, strikes, weather, inundations etc. Pretty logical we think, but we just want to be clear about it. Both day trips and the Northern Lights bus tour are included in the trip price, but cannot be refunded in case of cancellation.
• The trip is sold as a package. You cannot go with your own transportation or arrange your own accommodation. If there are specific things that you do not want in the package, please let us know and we may consider a discount.
• You are personally responsible for getting a good cancellation and/or travel insurance that covers you for unforeseen emergencies that prevent you from coming on the trip and medical expenses before or during the trip. 
• Pictures on this page, and especially from the hotels are carefully selected but not legally binding. This means, your room may differ from what you see on the pictures.
• Expat Club has the right to change your hotel to another similar or better hotel (star-rating, location). In case of a lower class hotel, which virtually never happens (e.g from 4* to 3* hotel), you will receive an appropriate compensation.
• You are personally responsible for using the hotel room in an appropriate way. Any missing or broken items will be billed after the trip.
• The cancellation with a refund deadline is 8 weeks in advance of departure.
• Expat Club cannot be held liable for personal injuries during the trip, such as, but not limited to, things that happen during the guided tours, visits to places we go to, transfers by bus and plane, the boat ride, or any other part. Joining this trip is safe but still at your own risk (it’s a low risk activity).
• If you do not find a room partner on your own, we will find one for you (male/male, female/female). During the outbound trip we will connect you with others in the same position. If you decide to take a single room during the trip, then you will have to fully pay for it yourself. If you book this option, you are never forced to pay for a single room.
• If you book a double / twin room and your travel partner cancels, you will have to pay the single room supplement or share a room with another person (if still available).
• You can only checkout with the “Bank transfer” option. This means you do not pay while making the reservation, but you are required to do so within 2 days (unless you opt for payment in 2 instalments).