Iceland’s classic day trip, with the aurora on the way home
If you only have a day or two in Reykjavik, a combo tour packs the Golden Circle and a northern lights hunt into one booking. It is a long day, but it saves you a second evening and a second pickup. Here is how it works.
The combo tour that passes our review bar. Rating and review count from GetYourGuide.
A long day and night in one: Þingvellir National Park, the Geysir geothermal area and Gullfoss waterfall in daylight, then an aurora hunt on the way back once it is dark. Best for short stays when you want to tick off both in a single booking. It makes for a long day, around nine hours.
Check availabilityIn midwinter there are only four to five hours of daylight, so the sightseeing part is done in soft, low light and it is dark by mid-afternoon, which leaves plenty of time for the aurora. In September, October, March and April the days are longer, so the tour starts later and the hunt happens later at night. The total is around nine hours either way.
The combo is cheaper and simpler than booking a Golden Circle day trip plus a separate bus tour, and you only need one pickup. The downside is fatigue: after a full day of sightseeing, some people find it hard to stand outside for long at night. If you have three or more nights in Reykjavik, separate tours give you more flexibility and a better chance of picking the clearest night for the aurora.
Around nine hours, including the Golden Circle stops and the aurora hunt.
In October 2026 it started at about $160 per adult on GetYourGuide.
You still see the Golden Circle. Check the booking page for the operator’s policy on retrying the northern lights part.
Usually not. There are cafes at Geysir and Gullfoss where you can buy lunch or snacks.
