Shore Excursions Iceland

[RoyBoys44]

We are on a cruise to Reykjavik, Iceland in early October and arrive at 12pm and depart at 4pm the following day. We would like to see the Golden Circle and if possible the Northern Lights on the first day. Does anyone know if there are tours that leave for the Golden Circle at 12.30pm or 1.00pm? Most seem to leave at 10.30am or 11.30am. Would it be possible to do the Golden Circle and then the Northern Lights that night? We were hoping to go to the Blue Lagoon the next day.

Or would we be better hiring a car?

thank you

[Nitemare]

There is a great and lengthy Iceland thread on this board, check down maybe one page back.

 

Not sure what time your ship's tours leave, but there are lots of great local companies in Iceland with offerings, but most do leave earlier in the day to get tourists back to the city before sunset which is around 6:30PM in October.  You might want to see if you can put together a private tour through your Roll Call here and hire a minibus through any of the major providers that goes on your schedule.  If you can get 8 to 12 folks together you will get good pricing and a tour that works best for you.

 

Hiring a car is a good way to see Iceland in good weather, but winter starts in Iceland in October so there is a real chance of snow and ice and strong winds.  The roads in Iceland are narrow and winding, with no streetlights or guardrails, and can be terrifying in a winter storm (been there, done that).

 

Blue Lagoon is great, and you can book transportation from the port when you book the spa on their website.  The BL does usually sell out, so pick your time early and make sure you reserve it at least a couple of months in advance to get the time you want.

 

You'll also find tons of advice on the Tripadvisor Iceland forum.  Too much, even!

[Turtles06]

I second Nitemare's advice to do additional reading here in the forum.

 

I will add that the Golden Circle is a full day tour -- ours was about 7-8 hours long.  The tours (ship and private) left early in the day and returned in the very late afternoon.  I'm not sure how you'd do the Golden Circle on your arrival day and have sufficient daylight, but it's a question I would ask a private tour operator.    For that purpose, and in any event, I highly recommend GeoIceland; a number of us used them in September for Golden Circle and/or South Coast tours out of Reykjavik, and they were fabulous.  They use mini-buses seating about 18 people. 

 

Another possibility is the Golden Circle on your second day, getting a really early start.  Again, check into this possibility with a private tour operator.  Or -- is your ship offering a Golden Circle tour on either day?   (Ship's tours aren't my favorite, but your time frame might warrant one here, especially to ensure you get back to the ship on time on Day 2.)   

 

Enjoy your cruise!

 

 

 

 

[RoyBoys44]

thank you for your replies. It is a great help!