The 10 Best Winter Activities in Iceland

1.3-Day South Coast Winter Tour with Ice Cave

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

See Iceland’s Golden Circle, waterfalls, black beaches, glacier lagoon, and a blue ice cave on a guided three-day winter tour.

“I had an amazing experience with David as our guide! He made the tour so enjoyable with his energy and extensive knowledge. We got to see many extra things and had a lot of fun. Also, the amount of beautiful things you are going to see is just insane! Highly recommended!”

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

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

Explore Iceland’s Ring Road, Snæfellsnes, ice caves, waterfalls, whales, and Northern Lights on this practical 8-day winter tour.

“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

Review of Reykjavik’s winter South Coast minibus tour, with waterfalls, black sand beach, glacier views, small groups, and practical tips.

“Long, but interesting and beautiful tour. Our guide David was amazing, he made always sure that we were comfortable, safe and were informed well. Would recommend booking this tour!”

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

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

Review of Iceland’s South Coast, glacier hike, waterfalls, black beach, and Northern Lights tour, with practical advice on price, gear, and timing.

“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

Combine whale watching and a Northern Lights cruise from Reykjavik, with warm gear, English commentary, and a free return option.

“We did the combo whale watching and northern lights cruise. Both were amazing. They provide warm coveralls so that you’re comfortable throughout the entirety of the trip. We saw one green streak of the northern lights, and even though we did have a sighting, they still offered a free return. As for the whale tour, we saw humpbacks and minke whales. Well worth the time to go on a tour.”

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6.Goðafoss Waterfall Winter Tour

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

Review the 3-hour Goðafoss winter tour from Akureyri, with local guiding, small groups, minibus transport, Viking lore, and flexible drop-offs.

“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

Explore Iceland’s South Coast in two winter days, with waterfalls, black sand beaches, an ice cave, Diamond Beach, and a chance at northern lights.

“Our 2-day trip was excellently planned! John our tour guide was very friendly and accommodating! He was telling us stories and facts about the areas while we were passing by driving and he planned our visits at our destinations at the correct time of the day to make the most of the sceneries. Overall, the trip went smoothly and organised and had a chance to see many of the attractions at the South Coast of Iceland! Definitely recommending this activity!”

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

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

Review of Iceland’s private ice cave climbing photoshoot, with guide details, pricing, itinerary, fitness advice, photos, and booking tips.

“We booked two days with Icepic. The first day we did a glacier cave tour and ice climb with Claudia. She was knowledgeable about Iceland, Icelandic culture and the glacier. She explained how glaciers form, move and melt, the history of Vatnajökull as well as its future. Claudia was great with our kids (9&12) - they really loved spending the day with her. She helped them get their harnesses and crampons on properly and guided them expertly over the glacier ensuring they clipped onto the anchored ropes wherever available. When it came time for climbing, she gave the kids a thorough demonstration, made them feel safe and encouraged them to…”

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9.Lake Mývatn & Northern Lights – Winter Special

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

Explore Lake Mývatn, Goðafoss, geothermal baths, and Northern Lights near Akureyri on a flexible two-day small-group tour.

“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 · from $1,273

Review of Arctic Fox Travel’s private winter Super Jeep tour from Akureyri to Goðafoss, Lake Mývatn, Dettifoss, and the Mývatn Nature Baths.

“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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