These exclusive Iceland Northern Lights Holidays are for those who are looking to celebrate a special occasion and want something above the norm!
Exclusive Aurora Breaks in Iceland
Many of our clients travelling on our Northern Lights Trips are celebrating a milestone such as a big birthday or anniversary, but these Northern Lights Breaks also offer private use of accommodation for your booking, as well as the option of private guiding and transfers throughout.
With the option of a private designer wilderness cabin or a wilderness boutique hotel you really are spoilt for choice!
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Frequently asked questions
Have a different question? We are always happy to help.
Cabins
We are thrilled to have secured exclusive access of two wilderness cabins each with its own unique feel but both built to a high specification for the Northern Lights Wilderness Cabin Escape. The beauty of having private accommodation cannot be underestimated as you can relax in your own space, sit outside with a glass of Bubbly watching your own private Northern Lights display and feel like you own a slice of Iceland’s wilderness for the time you are there.
Eyjafjallajokull cabin sits alone on the volcanic plain running down to the Atlantic with the backdrop of the volcano of the same name (famed for erupting in 2010 and shutting down European airspace). Modern, bright and airy with huge windows it is built with Northern Light viewing in mind and we love hearing about our clients who watch the Northern Lights from the back door with a glass of wine in their hand! This has 4 bedrooms taking up to 7 people but we are very happy to book this just for 2 people and for you to take over the whole cabin.
Our other cabin, Saeli Icelandic Cabin, is more of a log style cabin with a stunning view of Hekla, Iceland’s most notorious volcano and the surrounding volcanoes (you are spoilt for choice). Perfect for two couples or a family group in 2 main bedrooms with an attic which the kids will love. This cabin comes with its own private hot tub too. Just imagine sitting in the hot tub as the Northern Lights perform above you and no-one else in sight. Do memories get better than that?!
We work with two top-end hotels in the area
Hotel Ranga has long been a firm favourite with us with its Aurora wake up call, hot tubs and the new observatory with computerized telescopes. Every clear night an astrology expert will be on hand to talk you through the science of the Northern Lights as well as show you how to use the telescopes and even hook up the telescopes to certain cameras so you can photograph the Northern Lights. The team at Hotel Ranga tries very hard to make sure your Northern Lights stay with them is wonderful.
The food is exceptional at Hotel Ranga with a service level to match and their themed suites (Themed around the 7 continents of this world) are out of this world.! On our exclusive breaks we would always recommend you stay in one of the suites. Each has been authentically decorated with furnishings from the appropriate continent. The Junior Suites are themed Asia, N America, S America, Australia whilst the Master Suites represent Africa & Antartica. The ultimate suite is the Royal Suite and the newest addition is the Icelandic Suite.
A new kid on the block is Skalakot Manor Hotel, with only 14 bedrooms and refurbished to an extremely high standard and situated with Mount Hekla as the backdrop. The hotel is an extension to a farm where the owners live and they like to look after their visitors as guests of the family, so expect to be treated to a very warm welcome. Situated on farmland there are no artificial lights to spoil your Northern Lights Holiday and the peace of the wilderness will envelop you. It’s a beautiful boutique hotel with stunning food and a lovely atmosphere. The top suite- the master suite has its own log fire which you can relax in front of after your day exploring the volcanic beauties in the area. It’s a very romantic spot!
Personal superjeep tours
On all of our breaks we only offer small personal superjeep tours. Iceland has a vast choice of bus tours and huge superjeeps that take up to 12 people, but we want to give you a personalized and special experience where the guide can gauge and adapt to your interests, and take you to places the others cannot reach in the heart of the wilderness. The superjeep tours we offer are limited to 8 people and often this number will be split into two superjeeps of four people. (Though of course we will not split you if you are one larger group of 8 people!).
Personal guide
However we understand that some wish to take this to the next level and have a private guide to themselves. Of course that upgrade is possible and means that the day can be totally flexed to your interest and pace. The joy of tailor-making private tours is that the guide really can solely focus on what he thinks will enthuse you. We can offer private ice hiking on glaciers, snowmobiling, SuperJeep Tours – both day and night, Hiking tours, visiting Ice Caves, as well as helicopter trips. It all depends on your needs and budget!
To give you a feel to how this break can look we have worked up The Iceland Aurora Mecca staying at either Skalakot Manor Hotel or Hotel Ranga, but remember we can craft a break bespoke to you. Do contact us to let us know your thoughts on what you would like your Northern Lights Holiday to be.
See what our clients say
This was a bucket list trip. The company are specialists and I’ve valued their advice. Everything from the when to go for the best opportunity to see the lights and equipment needed and provided.Our activities included, the Ice Hotel, night photo shoot, snowmobiling, guided walk and the sky station meal. All excellent and well run by knowledgeable experts and guides. The Abisko Lodge is warm comfortable and relaxing the food is excellent and the staff welcoming, friendly and very helpful. I would highly recommend if you’re looking for a different and exciting experience.
This vacation has without without doubt, has been the best experience we have ever had. The organisation from the minute we landed in Kiruna until we departed at the close of our trip was second to none. The transition between hotels was always seamless and punctual. Everywhere we stayed was beautifully clean and the meals were top quality. Every driver was polite, entertaining and very knowledgeable, furnishing us with invaluable information about Sweden and the activities in which we were to participate. The snowmobiling was wonderful giving access via our guide, to stunning panoramic views of the mountain whilst viewing reindeer in their natural habitat.
Our guide demonstrated how to use the snowmobile safely he was pleasant and informative. When visiting the reindeer on the Sami reservation; we found the brother and sister team who hosted lovely. Again they were so hospitable and helpful and feeding the reindeer up close was a wonderful experience.
They provided additional activities for us to try and we were treated to a traditional Sami lunch in their hut. They provided us with invaluable information appertaining to their culture and caring for their reindeer. The reindeer were in superb condition and happy in their environment. Similarly, when out with the dog sleds the experience was magical. Two hours of beautiful scenery, and frozen lakes, finishing with a one-on-one experience massaging the dogs. Magic! We were so impressed with the care that was placed upon ensuring the dogs were comfortable, well-nourished and so loved by their owners/handlers.
Now to the photographic experience. A large group of us were treated to a demonstration of how to operate some serious camera equipment with tripod. Each of us was loaned the camera and given assistance setting up the camera on a frozen lake in preparation for the appearance of the Northern Lights. We were taken to this lake on large wooden sleighs pulled by a snowmobile. We cannot speak too highly of the two young men who accompanied us on this experience. They could not do enough for us. They were there to offer assistance with our cameras throughout the two-plus hours we were on this beautiful lake.
They advised where to position the camera and when the Lights appeared, what a performance. We had a two-hour display of this most breathtaking phenomenon. We were so fortunate to be able to experience this once-in-a-lifetime occurrence for which we are so grateful. We will never forget this memorable holiday and cannot thank you and everyone who assisted in making a lifetime dream come true. Karen & Andrew Adamson
Superb holiday to Iceland, well organised, advice regarding trips informative and far exceeded our expectations (Glaciers and ice Cave) run by South Coast. Hotel Ranga is a lovely hotel, perfect to see Northern Lights (which we did see on our 3rd night), very comfortable, food excellent, staff helpful and informative. SouthCoast Adventure tour company were excellent, guides knowledgeable, and clearly very experienced.
We did the aurora nights break and had a great time overall. Everything related to flights, hire car, and hotels ran smoothly. There were a few issues largely relating to the weather and driving conditions (we travelled in mid March), but what we did manage to do was amazing.
The blue lagoon was easy to access from the airport and was a brilliant experience. We booked the standard package and it came with a free drink and face mask. Facilities were clean and organised with free toiletries in the shower rooms, which helps if you’ve gone there straight from the airport.
The drive to Hotel Ranga afterwards was long but fine (check out the road on google streetview to know what to expect). The hotel and staff were great. We were limited to one option as vegetarians on the bar and a la carte menus, but the food was lovely and if you are a meat eater you will see options of unusual dishes like puffin and reindeer.
Our northern lights super jeep trip was cancelled on both nights due to a poor forecast, but we were lucky enough to get an aurora wake up call from Hotel Ranga the first night. We couldn’t use the hottubs as there are only a few and they were always taken in the limited time we spent at the hotel, so don’t go expecting to get lots of time in one and you won’t be disappointed. View them as an add on if you can time it right. We were travelling with an 11 year old, so we didn’t stay up really late. If you are a couple you probably have a better chance of getting one later on.
The glacier/volcano super jeep trip was outstanding. Our driver, Íbí was excellent. She went above and beyond and gave us such an awesome experience. We were also super lucky with the weather the first two days and had great views across Iceland.
The ice cave tour was also incredible and the guides running it were excellent. The group size was much bigger than expected (especially after the more exclusive volcano super jeep tour), but it was broken down into smaller groups that were managed well, with plenty of time factored in for photographs. There were several unexplained delays getting to the cave during the tour that meant we weren’t able to ‘mini tour’ the rest of the South Coast afterwards, so if you plan to do the ice cave don’t overplan for the afternoon as you may not have much time. Not a huge disappointment for us as we got to experience the cave, but I imagine someone who planned a full itinerary afterwards might be frustrated by the estamiated timings not always being right and subject to change with the weather (which was wicked that day).
Driving around Reykjavik was a horrible experience as we arrived around rush hour and weren’t prepared for all the traffic, having only experienced quiet roads along the south coast. It was difficult finding a parking space, so be prepared to drive around a little when you arrive. If you haven’t driven on the right before and are not a confident driver this could leave you feeling stressed. Again, check out the roads into Reykjavik on Google maps to get a sense of what awaits if you aren’t used to self-driving.
We didn’t get to tour the golden circle because of road conditions/ice/road closures, so we spent the day in Reykjavik instead. This turned out okay for us as we did some of the attractions (Lava Centre and Fly Over Iceland – both hughly recommended), but it ended up being an extra expense and we missed out on the golden attractions. Again, not a big issue if you are aware this could happen. The weather is so changeable that having a plan B is a good approach.
Weekend a la Carte sent us a text warning us about the bad weather conditions, which we’d already seen on the Safe Iceland app, but we were grateful for anyway. It was good to know they were looking out for us!
All in all, a remarkable trip, with some unique experiences. If you book this in the knowledge that nature will have her own way, and you may not see everything you want (especially in winter), you will have a great time. Ranga is definitely the best place to maximise your chances of seeing the lights.
Brilliant short break. Hotel Ranga was lovely, excellent food. Managed to see the Northern Lights as well! Iceland on the whole was quite expensive but a lovely place to visit, the people were very friendly.
Fantastic service, with every detail taken care of and communicated to your agencies and hotels. Would definitely recommend and will be using again.
Dear Abigail, We have safely returned from Iceland and we wanted to say a huge and sincere thank you for all the plans that you put into place to make this one of the most memorable holidays we have ever had. It was simply beautiful each and every day. The cabin was idyllic and so cosy and warm. The tour guides were so knowledgeable and friendly and the scenery was breathtaking. All the arrangements worked so well and we will remember the trip for a long time to come.
Thank you once again.
An amazing trip and excellent service provided by all involved. Great value for money too. Food was excellent. Accommodation was wonderful and the trips booked were outstanding. An amazing trip
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