Best Iceland Cruises 2024 and 2025 : See Northern lights

Table Of Content

• Visiting Lovely Loch Ness on Scotland Vacations Royal Caribbean Cruises
• What Ports Do You Visit on a Northern Lights Cruise?
• Berlin for Oktoberfest: What To Know Before You Go Royal Caribbean Cruises
• Top Winter Self Drive Tours
• Scenic 4-Day Northern Lights Tour of Vatnajokull Ice Cave, Jokulsarlon & the South Coast
• Best Scotland Castle Tours

Then, commune with nature at the world-famous Blue Lagoon, a geothermal spa built on a lava field and heated with geothermal energy. Pamper yourself with mud masks and massages while wading in the soothing waters. Even though Akureyri has only 18,000 residents, it's called the Capital of the North for a reason. Head there to warm up in the steaming thermal pool at the head of Iceland's longest fjord, Eyjafjordur. In Iceland, the northern lights season is between September and the beginning of April, as the sky is too bright during the rest of the year.

Visiting Lovely Loch Ness on Scotland Vacations Royal Caribbean Cruises

If you're brave enough, try hakarl, the national dish of fermented shark. If you're not feeling uparagraphCopy for the challenge, try herring pickled in vinegar and served a top a slice of dense rye bread. Both the capital Reykjavik and the Akureyri have a large variety of restaurants, where you can eat local or international dishes. Icelandic cuisine is largely based on dairy products, fish, lamb, root vegetables and herbs, so get ready for a hearty meal. The Greek capital has a history of more than 3,400 years to entertain you. As you browse cruises, the first question you ask will be "Where are cruise ports near me?" Here's how to choose a port, and what to do once you're there.

7 Best Northern Lights Cruises - Travel + Leisure

7 Best Northern Lights Cruises.

Posted: Sat, 04 Mar 2023 08:00:00 GMT [source]

What Ports Do You Visit on a Northern Lights Cruise?

Enjoy the rare opportunity to see the aurora borealis — one of nature’s most dazzling light displays, also known as the northern lights. The northern lights, also known as the aurora borealis, result from the collision of charged particles from the sun with atoms in Earth's atmosphere. This creates the vibrant, colorful lights that dance across the night sky. Reykjavik's coastal location makes it an ideal spot for this breathtaking phenomenon, providing clear views and optimal conditions for an awe-inspiring spectacle. Embark on an unforgettable northern lights adventure with Amelia Rose's cruise along Reykjavik's coastline, renowned as one of Earth's prime spots for witnessing this amazing spectacle.

Berlin for Oktoberfest: What To Know Before You Go Royal Caribbean Cruises

Announcements (even opt-in late night wake-up calls) may be issued when there’s an opportunity to view the northern lights from your ship. Excursions may give you the opportunity to be transported to northern lights viewing spots by everything from buses and minivans to small boats and dogsleds. Both Hurtigruten Expeditions and the Hurtigruten’s Norwegian Coastal Express, offer a good number of itineraries that showcase the Northern Lights.

The best places in Iceland to see the northern lights without paying extra are at campgrounds. However, it’s only possible to camp in Iceland between April and September because of the cold winter. Modern scholars have theorized that the Old Norse people might have thought the northern lights were the glinting of the shields and armors of the Valkyries. The valkyries were female figures who guided warriors who died in battle to Valhalla. However, there are no mentions of the northern lights in the old Icelandic sagas, so these are just speculations. Also, find out what the northern lights are and the deep mythology behind them.

This means no other group members will be distracting you on your tour, there are no time limitations, and you can choose where to look for the aurora borealis in Iceland yourself. So the chance of seeing the aurora borealis while you’re soaking in the mineral water there depends highly on luck. When the auroras are incredibly vibrant, you might see them from urban areas, even with light pollution, such as from a garden, your hotel, or just from the street.

Scenic 4-Day Northern Lights Tour of Vatnajokull Ice Cave, Jokulsarlon & the South Coast

When the northern lights do appear, "more than likely the ship will turn off most of the exterior lights," Weber says. "But you can prepare as soon as you board the ship by scouting out the darkest spot outside, and up top on the ship." That may be away from the ship stairways and public rooms. Travel Insured International offers the Worldwide Trip Protection plan with the option to add upgrade benefits (available for additional cost) including CFAR when purchased within 21 days of your initial deposit. Other upgrades include Electronic Equipment, Event Ticket Fee Protection, Travel Inconvenience. Here you will be able to find pictures, information, departure schedule and availability for all our northern lights tours.

Seabourn's Luxury Arctic Cruise: See Photos of Ship, Suite; Review - Business Insider

Seabourn's Luxury Arctic Cruise: See Photos of Ship, Suite; Review.

Posted: Sat, 28 Oct 2023 07:00:00 GMT [source]

Best Scotland Castle Tours

Your adventure begins at the scenic Old Harbour by Reykjavík's city centre. The Harpa Concert Hall and Conference Centre lights up the area with an incredible glass panel display, as you board your boat and set sails for Faxaflói Bay. Iceland's cold waters produce top-quality seafood, and one of the country's signature ways to enjoy the fruits of the sea is fiskisupa, or fish stew.

Or you might see them on the plane over to Iceland or the drive from Keflavik airport. If you want to know the status of the Aurora forecast of the night of your cruise, contact the tour operator directly. 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. 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. Since not a lot grows in Iceland during much of the year, the local cuisine has developed a strong traditional of preserving foods through fermentation.

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. It’s a stunning mix of green plains, wild volcanic scenery, beautiful coasts and lakes, spouting geysers, hot springs, mud pools and sophisticated cities. Topped off by clean, fresh air, you’ll find yourself in a trance surrounded by unique natural beauty throughout the country.

Much like trying to spot aurora borealis anywhere else in Iceland, it depends on the weather conditions and solar activity. Cunard’s Norway and Northern Lights cruise is a 12-day roundtrip along Norway’s coastline from Southampton, England on Queen Mary 2, or Queen Victoria ships. Guest speakers, astronomers and award-winning photographers are usually on board to join guests on deck to each evening to scan for and enjoy the northern lights show. The conditions must be just right, but it's highly likely to see this magical and sometimes elusive scientific phenomenon on a Northern Lights cruise sailing the Arctic Circle during the long, dark winter nights. If you’re unsure, there are dedicated tours like this eight-day northern light winter photography workshop tour that would help you capture the best photos of aurora borealis and Iceland’s beauty in the winter.

If you’re trying to see the northern lights via cruise, a late-August to September Northern Europe cruise is your best bet, though there are never guarantees. 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. The northern lights are spectacular and Iceland is the ideal place to search for this natural phenomenon. Sightings are most likely in the evening hours from September to March. This tour takes you to beautiful Iceland to search for thiselusive phenomenon.

However, this option should only be considered by those who are very confident driving on winter roads. The Hofsstadir Country Hotel in Skagafjordur in North Iceland has wide windows to take in the sweeping views of lava fields and fjords. They serve excellent food, so you can enjoy a meal while waiting for the elusive northern lights. Contrary to popular belief, colder weather does not affect whether the northern lights in Iceland will appear.

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. The general rule is that the darker it is, the better for seeing the vibrant colors of the aurora.

Try local delicacies, go snorkeling or see the natural marvels of the great European cities and Caribbean ports. Discover a northern paradise where ice meets mountains and nature abounds. From stunning landscapes to modern and traditional food to the ultimate thermal baths, make the most of your time on a cruise to Iceland with excursions for all interests and activity levels. Laid-back and effortlessly cool, the world's most northerly capital, Reykjavik, is like nowhere else on earth.