10 Winter Activities in Iceland to Build a Day Around

1.3-Day South Coast Winter Tour with Ice Cave

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 171 reviews · 3 days · from $977Our pick

Travel with an English-speaking guide such as Jonas, Oli, Vlad, or Hakon from Reykjavik through Iceland's Golden Circle and South Coast. You will see waterfalls, Reynisfjara, Jökulsárlón, and a seasonal Vatnajökull ice cave, with two countryside hotel nights and a hot tub on night one.

“This was a great tour of the south coast - we saw all the highlights and had the perfect amount of time at each stop. We were debating getting a car and driving ourselves but opted for the tour and we were so relieved not to be driving in the winter and could just relax. Vlad was our tour guide and he was a pleasure to talk to, gave us tips for each stop, and talked about the history of Iceland along the way. Thanks Vlad!”

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2.8 Day Winter Circle Tour, Ring Route of Iceland with Snæfellsnes Peninsula

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 110 reviews · from $679Top rated

Follow Iceland’s Ring Road and Snæfellsnes Peninsula in a minibus capped at 17 people. You’ll see glaciers, ice caves, waterfalls, black-sand beaches, geothermal sites, and whale country, with glacier gear, a super-jeep ride, seven nights’ lodging, WiFi, and an English-speaking guide included.

“My 8 day tour was broken up as 6 days + 2 days so I was with 2 different groups. But the Troll Ex. Did such an excellent job with the logistics ( i.e pick ups), accommodation and tour itinerary that even though this was a last minute trip. I felt well looked after and unstressRead more”

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3.Winter South Coast Day Tour by Minibus from Reykjavik

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 109 reviews · 10 hours (approx.) · from $180

Travel from Reykjavik to Iceland’s South Coast in a Mercedes Sprinter limited to 16 people. Visit Seljalandsfoss, Gljúfrabúi, Skógafoss, Vík, Reynisfjara Beach, and Sólheimajökull Glacier with an English-speaking guide such as Anton or Martin. Expect winter conditions, flexible timing, WiFi, USB charging, and possible crampons.

“The guide demonstrated excellent knowledge and provided clear, insightful explanations throughout the tour. The overall experience was highly satisfying, with ample time allocated to explore all the destinations. I’d highly recommend this trip to anyone looking for a memorable tour!”

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4.South Coast, Glacier Hike and Northern Lights Winter Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.4 · 66 reviews · from $255

Spend 16 hours exploring Iceland’s South Coast with a certified guide, walking on Sólheimajökull glacier, visiting Reynisfjara and two major waterfalls, then hunting for Northern Lights with guide Frank. Pickups run from authorized Reykjavik locations. Bring sturdy boots, warm layers, food, and rain gear.

“Frank the northern lights tour guy is an absolute credit to the company and to Iceland. Would’ve made the trip even if we weren’t lucky with the lights (pretty sure his magic made us lucky!)”

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5.Winter Whale Watching and Northern Lights Cruise from Reykjavik

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 24 reviews · 5 hours (approx.) · from $198

Spend about five hours on two Reykjavik boat trips: a three-hour whale watching cruise in the afternoon, followed by a two-hour Northern Lights hunt after dark. Elding provides warm overalls, blankets, live English commentary, wildlife exhibition access, and a free return option if sightings do not appear.

“We set off on 3hr whale watching trip and we managed to spot a whale not far from the harbour. We spent about an hour watching the whale dive and surface and it was fantastic to experience the sighting in the whale’s nature environment. unfortunately the northern lights evening excursion was cancelled due to bad weather. Highly recommend this operator for a whale watching excursion ❤️”

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6.Goðafoss Waterfall Winter Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 16 reviews · 3 hours · from $117Best value

Travel from Akureyri by comfortable minibus to Goðafoss, the Waterfall of the Gods. You get about 80 minutes at the falls with an English-speaking guide, time to explore at your own pace, and drop-off choices including Akureyri hotels, the city center, Forest Lagoon, or the Botanical Gardens.

“We were upgraded to the Lake Myvatn tour due to numbers. Asa was very communicative, knowledgable and engaging. Highly recommend. We thoroughly enjoyed the adventure and recommend Asa! Thank you for sharing your part of the world with us.”

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7.2 Day Iceland Winter Tour to South Coast

★★★★★★★★★★4.4 · 9 reviews · 2 days · from $660

Spend two winter days exploring Iceland’s South Coast in a small group of up to 17. Guides such as John and Sebastián lead you to waterfalls, Reynisfjara, a real ice cave, Jökulsárlón, and Diamond Beach, with one hotel night, breakfast, and a chance to see the Northern Lights.

“Poorly Organized Tour – Disappointing Experience. Our experience on this tour was unfortunately very disappointing. The organization throughout the entire day was extremely poor. The guide, Sebastián, rushed us constantly and gave us very little time at each stop, which made it difficult to enjoy the places we visited. Several activities were canceled due to the weather, yet there was no proper communication or alternative plan offered. On top of that, there was a noticeable lack of connection and care from the guide. I had a fall during the tour, and even though Sebastián saw it happen, he didn’t check in or ask if I was okay. This lack of…”

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8.Winter Ice Cave + Climbing Private Photoshoot – 20 Shot Package

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 6 reviews · 6 hours (approx.) · from $765

Meet at Jökulsárlón at noon for a six-hour private ice-climbing trip near Skaftafell. A certified glacier guide and adventure photographer lead beginners or experienced climbers into suitable caves, crevasses, and ice walls, with edited photos sent about 14 days later.

“What an amazing day with my adult son. Climbing was super fun and the caves were spectacular. All of it was made special because of our private guide Julien. He was awesome. Knew the perfect photo spots and made the day just great. Thanks Julien!”

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9.Lake Mývatn & Northern Lights – Winter Special

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 3 reviews · 2 days · from $350

Spend two days with an English-speaking guide such as Sigi, visiting Goðafoss, Lake Mývatn, Dimmuborgir, Grjótagjá, and Hverarönd. Add a soak at the Nature Baths, then head into dark skies near Akureyri to seek the Northern Lights. Airport transfers are included for EasyJet passengers.

“Excellent in all aspects. Pick up easy and straightforward. Northern lights evening and Myvatn trips lead by Sigi who kept us informed and entertained. Great lights show and the lake trip was excellent with lots of interesting stops never feeling rushed and plenty of time to explore. The baths were closed for refurbishment so drive 45 mins for an alternative we opted to not do this as been in the forest lagoon the evening prior, but sigi dropped us in a local town to explore whilst others visited the baths.”

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10.Arctic Fox Travel Dettifoss lake Mývatn winter private super jeep tour

★★★★★★★★★★3.5 · 3 reviews

Travel from Akureyri in a private Super Jeep with a local guide, stopping at Goðafoss, Lake Mývatn, and powerful Dettifoss before a soak at the Mývatn Nature Baths. The 8 to 9-hour trip includes pickup and drop-off, but food, drinks, and bath admission cost extra.

“0 stars. We flew into Akureyri just for this tour (desperately wanted to see Detifoss). Got a confirmation from Viator. Got a ticket from Viator. Got reminders and prompts from Viator. Got nothing from the vendor, which made us worried in advanRead more”

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