Südküste, Gletscherwanderung & Nordlichter ab Reykjavik

We had the best time in Iceland, mainly special thanks to our tour guides, who made this experience so memorable. For our Morning & Afternoon tour, we had Ronan. He was incredibly knowledgeable and very intuitive guide, knowing when to switch things up and see certain view points. We had so much fun while he led the tour. It was so lovely learning a lot about Iceland in a day from Ronan. Thank you so much, you made this trip so special and an amazing experience for us! For our evening Northern lights tour, we had Palli! Whilst the hunt was frustrating in the beginning, our guide was very patient and tried his best to hunt down the aurora. Palli was very professional and a calm guide. He took us to the perfect spot to see the lights (which eventually came through in the end). We really appreciated the hot chocolate and lava clusters while we waiting for the aurora to flare up. We know aurora is out of the guides control however Palli was very knowledgeable and when the aurora did come through, he had taken us to the perfect spot to see it! Thank you so much Palli, this hunt and seeing the northern lights was cherry on cake to the already very special Iceland trip. We appreciate your efforts and hard work. Thank you so much! If we ever come to Iceland in the future, I will definitely be booking with AA and recommend these tour experts to all my friends and family!

Justinas was an absolutely amazing guide, made a great experience better. Very knowledgeable, told the stereotypical tour guide jokes that can't offend anyone, shared his personal experiences with the sites, got us everywhere on time, and on two occasions we actually had spare time and he fit in an extra thing to see nearby which is excellent improvisation. One note: make sure your boots go above your ankles. My hiking shoes are good enough for 99% of things but without that extra length crampons cannot attach. If you forget, they can rent them, but better to not forget. I also went on the Northern Lights minibus tour and was a bit dissapointed. We went the minimum distance out of Reykjavik to barely see the lights, stopped in a parking lot that had a sodium light, and they left the bus headlights on. All of which are totally understandable buisness/safety decisions, but I ended up wishing I had just rented a car and driven an hour out, checking the Doppler and solar forecast myself. Perhaps it was an issue with my expectations. Photos are of Seljalandsfoss and my view of Reykjavik during the Northern Lights.

We had a great 2 days in the south of Iceland with Arctic Adventures. Our tour guide was excellent and went above and beyond the itinerary to ensure we had a great experience. The waterfalls, black sand beach, glacier lagoon and diamond beach were stunning. We have great memories and pictures. Thanks for a great trip!

We picked this combination tour so that we could visit key locations in the South Coast including Seljalandsfoss Waterfall, Skogafoss Waterfall, Reynisfjara Black Sand Beach and Reynisdrangar Basalt Sea Stacks. The pit stops were relatively short but we didn’t mind it too much as the highlight for us was the Solheimajokull Glacier hike which was around 3 hours. For the hike itself we would recommend proper hiking shoes with good ankle support and then adequate clothing (we went during winter so we had to layer up). The Artic Adventure staff at the glacier are ever so friendly and it just topped off the experience. They help you check your clothing and provide hiking crampons and a pickaxe. We would just say that the hike is although relatively manageable it still involves hiking up and down crevices and at times steep slopes. The views at the plateau of the glacier are absolutely breathtaking in winter and definitely worth the visit - We’ve never seen something quite like this! In terms of things we felt could have been improved - the website itself says lunch is not provided and to bring our own food, but when we got to the Black Sand Beach there was a little cafe that was serving hot food which we would have preferred especially in the cold. The biggest downfall for us was our driver/tour guide. There was a huge difference from this experience compared to other companies we used during our stay in Iceland where others shared local anecdotes, history and facts to make the trip more interesting, whereas our tour guide was more of a driver bringing us to point A to B. I understand we were running on a strict schedule which was probably more difficult to maintain with poorer driving conditions in the snow but he did make it very obvious he was frustrated with some of the other group members. At times we asked questions he came across rather unfriendly and it did ruin the experience for us but thankfully the glacier walk made the trip worth it. The website also sells that the tour includes highlights to see the Eyjafjallajokull Glacier / Volcano view and the Hekla Volcano view which we didn’t have as part of our tour. Im unsure if that was because of bad weather and visibility during winter but it would have been nice to know if this wasn’t possible. Unfortunately our northern lights tour had to be cancelled which we already expected that evening due to the aurora forecast but thankfully we managed with another tour company earlier in the trip. All in all we would still recommend this trip if you’re keen on visiting the South Coast and doing a glacier walk as not many tours provide this (as far as we could find) as it is definitely worth it, but as long as you’re aware of what we’ve mentioned above.

We took a chance based on reviews and decided with Arctic Adventures and we were lucky to have Vjeran as our tour guide. You can tell that he loves Iceland and truly feels the essence of the beauty of this magical country. He was very knowledgeable and I, my wife, and especially our 10 year old daughter learned a lot about the volcanos, and the glacier and the impact they have on one another in forming the beautiful landscapes, but also the impact they had on Icelandic society. A true history lesson. Vjeran was very personable and went out of his way to make sure that the group had the best time which includes answering all questions, making sure that we had plenty of places to stop to use the bathroom and eat (He even gave great food recommendations) and making himself available to take pictures for us at every stop for the first 10 minutes. He did this for all of his customer. He truly loves Iceland and that to me was the selling point as a guide is to have someone passionate in showing tourist as much as he can. He made us feel like we were friends and family and not just tourists. I wish I remembered the guide who took us on our glacier hike and cave tour, because he was incredible also and really made my daughter feel comfortable and confident. The hike and adventure is a bit overwhelming because it is uncharted territory but he took care of us. This 2 day trip was literally a once in a lifetime experience and it was the highlight of our 9 day stay in Iceland. Everything was wonderful. Lastly, we had booked with other tours guide throughout our vacation and he was absolutely the best. Cheers Vjeran and Arctic Adventure!

We would highly recommend SENSATIONAL ICELAND - SOUTH COAST, GLACIER HIKE & NORTHERN LIGHTS tour! The tour was capped at 19 people and ours had about 17 or 18- nice and small group size to keep everything moving along and not get caught up in annoying transitions or long breaks. The van was compact (honestly if you are claustrophobic or a larger person, it probably wouldn’t be the most comfortable van) but it was fine for us moderate-sized people. Be mindful that everything you pack needs to remain on your lap or between your feet unless compact enough to fit in the micro-overhead container. The van pickup throughout the city was so easy and took less than 30 minute total. Our tour guides were Bessi and Martin and they were excellent. Informative and funny. The entire drive there was filled with the perfect amount of information about the geography of Iceland and cultural history. Bessi talked just the right amount to keep the drive interesting but not overpowering. After about an hour-ish there was a quick 20 min rest stop break and then after about another 30 min we stopped at the first waterfall Skógafoss for about 40 mins. A perfect amount of time to walk around and take pictures. Then we drove about an hour more and stopped at Reynsjara for an hour for the black sand beach and lunch. Bessi was extremely informative and kept us safe at the beach. There is a cafeteria at the beach to purchase food. Then we drove about 30 min and started the glacier hike with Simon. Simon was an excellent tour guide. He was so knowledgeable about the glacier. The hike in total lasted about 3 hours and it was about 2 hours of active hiking. The company provided a helmet, crampons, and a pick. This hike was challenging in that you needed to be physically fit because there are some steeper inclines and you need a little bit of balance. It was completely doable because Simon told you exactly how to do everything safety, easily, and correctly. There were also plenty of breaks and opportunities for photos. This hike was the coolest part of the tour!! After the hike we returned to the original bus (we were able to leave our bags on the bus if we wanted), we drove another 30 min to Seljlandsfoss and spent about 20 minutes there. This was a good amount of time as it was getting cold and cloudy and we were all pretty tired at this point. Since it was winter, the path behind the waterfall was closed. If it were warmer, the path were open, and I had more energy, I would have wanted more time, but under these circumstances I did not, and I think most of the tour group felt the same way, and Bessi selected the time appropriately. The drive all the way back to Reykjavík was about 1 hr and 45 min and we all pretty much slept on the way home, arriving back around 7 pm. Excellent excellent tour!! A note about clothing: we went in March, and had warmer weather. For the waterfalls, we wore leggings, waterproof pants, a long sleeve, a thinner jacket, and a puffy coat. For hiking, we stripped some layers, and removed the puffy coat and wore multiple thinner layers- a windbreaker was very helpful here, but Simon did share that we were lucky with the weather and it rains 6/7 days. On to the Northern Lights tour... We would highly recommend our northern lights tour and that is pretty much all due to our tour guide Fred! Firstly, for anyone interested in booking a northern lights tour, I'd highly recommend completing your research on the northern lights as it is a phenomenon and you must "hunt" for the northern lights. Fortunately, we completed this research and entered the tour experience knowing that we would spend most of the evening driving around looking for breaks in the clouds for the chance the see the lights. This is how Fred made this experience! We had a cloudy night, and he made the 1.5 hours we spent looking for a break in the clouds so enjoyable. He educated us on how the Northern lights occur, how they are tracked/predicated (and why he doesn't think the predictions are accurate), and his history as a 15 year northern lights hunter. He also prepped us on how to capture the lights on our cameras. Fred also shared some folklore and a special Elf dance to make the lights appear. We eventually found the northern lights and all took photos and the photos that Fred took of us were excellent and shared so quickly. Of note (which again we knew from doing research, but might come as a disappointed if research isn't done), the northern lights appear very green and bright in pictures but to the naked eye can vary in appearance. My one friend just saw gray streaks while my other friend saw green. I saw gray and had a hard time discerning the lights from clouds (which Fred helped explain how to do!). After we saw the lights, Fred played a song on the harmonica to thank the elves for the lights. Overall it was such a great experience because of Fred!

Amazing guide, pretty sure goes by the name Egor, kept saying to call him Chris 😂 was a awesome dude, bald and wears a flat cap, funny as. Makes great conversation and told many story's and interesting facts about Iceland, gave tips and interesting information on other tours and things to do, explained everything very well and spoke great English, had an amazing time during the tour, the glacier was amazing led by a Greek lady who was a great guide up the glacier itself the waterfalls and the beach was amazing. All safety concerns were properly followed and delt with and we had plenty of stern warning from the guide on what to do and what would happen if anything went wrong or how it could go wrong. So we felt safe! Overall one of the best experiences I've ever had and my girlfriend loved it too as it was her first time in Iceland! Thankyou to all the tour guides we had, Egor(Chris) I think*. And the Greek lady on the glacier!

It was an excellent experience. Each stop along the way was gorgeous and as we moved along each stop was better then the prior , culminating with our Glacier walk. Our guide on the walk was excellent and always put our safety first. Maura paid special attention to my wife and myself as we were the oldest members of the tour. All in all beautiful exhilarating and a terrific day

Had an amazing day trip with our awesome tour guide Ronan who took us on an adventure to see the best waterfalls in Iceland and hike a glacier. We lucked out with great weather so Ronan was able to take us behind the waterfall and be our photographer. Considering he does this trip everyday, he didn't lose any of the enthusiasm as you would expect. I think most guides having done this tour for the 1000s time would stay in the van and have the tourist run off but Ronan was there at every waterfall, getting soaked with the rest of us in icey glacier water, and sharing with us lots of stories and culture of Iceland. He certainly made the adventure all the more memorable. Also being french, he has great tips for where you should travel in France if you are interested. All in all well worth spending the day doing this trip. *Pro Tip: Bring waterproof pants and boots with ankle protection.

This was the first of two tours I had signed for. The first was great . Friendly tour guide, knowledgable. However the Lights part was cancelled. FIne. it happens. Except they would not give a refund for it. The next day I had an Ice Cave hike booked. Despite red travel warnings advising strongly driving at all. Tour was not cancelled, and and again no refund. I would suggest anyone that reads this seek out a different tour company. Especially in the winter and spring months. That's a shame because I think their tour staff is quite good.