Kaiyote Tours

Winter Tour in Iceland

Our Iceland winter tour has the same itinerary as the New Year's tour, but takes place a week later and without the New Year's celebration. Winter is a great time to see the northern lights and the winter birds of Iceland. There are shows to see at the amazing Harpa building and plenty of indoor activities, as well as outdoor hiking and sight-seeing.

Printable Bird List
(This is a checklist of the birds that we have seen on this trip)

Travel Dates: January 7 - 14, 2021
Group Size: 8 travelers plus guides, spots left for 2021 = 8
Trip Length: 8 days
Rates: Rate per person = $3,250 (based on double occupancy)
Rates include: Domestic transfers, lodging, breakfast, lunch, dinner, scheduled group tours, entrance fees & Allianz travel medical insurance.
Not included: International airfare, customs & immigration fees and visas, alcohol, trip cancellation insurance.

Weather in December is a combination of sunshine changing back and forth to clouds and snow, in the winter that is pretty much how it goes in the Iceland. The island gets a lot of snow and December is a snowy month. The average high temperatures are in the mid 30'and the average lows are in the upper 20's. On winter solstice, the sun rises at about 11:00am and sets at 4:00pm. There is about 6 hours of light, some of which is a beautiful twilight during midday. Reykjavik harbor is a good to place to look for winter birds. There is also a small lake at the edge of the downtown area where birds congregate.

Basic Itinerary

January 7: Fly to Iceland
Flights are usually overnight with arrival on day two.

January 8: Arrive in Reykjavik
Flights usually arrive in the early morning. We will be flying into the international airport at Keflavik. It is a 45-minute shuttle ride to Reykjavik from the airport. We will be staying at one of our favorite B&B in town. A city walking tour is available to visit the Hallgrímskirkja which offers a panoramic view of the city from atop the church tower. After dinner we will be visiting the Harpa Performing Arts Center for a 1-hour comedy show where you will learn everything you need to know for the upcoming week.

January 9: Reykjavik
Reykjavik is the capital of Iceland and is rich in maritime history and close to numerous geological wonders. We will visit three museums today: Saga Museum and Aurora Borealis Center where you will learn about Icelandic history and the northern lights and also the Maritime Museum where you will tour a coast guard ship. If instead, all you want to do is bird all day and skip the museums, we can arrange that for you.

January 10: Hveragerði
In the afternoon it is a 1-hour drive to the geothermal village of Hveragerði, here the land steams and boils. We will be staying in this small village for two nights. This is an excellent location to see the northern lights.

January 11: Hveragerði
Today will be a full day of Icelandic adventures. Hveragerði is located at the base of an area call Reykjadalur, also known as the "Hot River". This is an area where the cold glacial melt meets the boiling hot water flowing from the ground. It is possible to swim in the river if you choose. Afterwards, a visit to the local geo-thermal pool for a swim and a soak. In the evening, a walk to look for the northern lights.

January 12: Reykjavík
In the morning you will have several options; birding, horseback riding or a morning hike. In the afternoon, we will be travelling back to Reykjavik with a stop at the Hengill geo-thermal power plant to witness geo-thermal energy at work.

January 13: Reykjavik
In the morning we will be visiting the wonderful and amazing thermal pool and spa called the Blue Lagoon. In the afternoon you will have the option to stay at the spa for the day or return to Reykjavik for a city walking tour to visit the harbor, look for birds and visit the Höfði, which is the building where Reagan and Gorbachev met to end the cold war.

January 14: Fly Home
Flights usually leave in the late afternoon and due to the time change, you will arrive at your home airport “just a few hours later”. There will be free time in the morning for visiting the Reykjavik lighthouse, looking for birds, shopping or whatever you like.

Please note: The lodging described in this itinerary is always our first choice based on availability. If we must book with our second choice, the lodging type and style is comparable.