On the second morning, we got on the bus early. First, we met Soffía, our tour guide/driver. There were 8 people in total on the tour – a British couple, a trio from Denmark and us. We were worried about having 20 plus people with us so this was a very welcome surprise!
The tour started at Aurora Reykjavík, a center about the Aurora Borealis. They offer history on how people and cultures around the world viewed the Northern Lights through legends and myths. Many folklore stories described them as spirits or fire in the sky. There are also multimedia exhibits explaining the science behind the lights and a ‘photo booth’ where visitors can practice with their camera settings to capture the auroras.
Akranes
Then we left Reykjavik and drove northwest via an undersea tunnel through Hvalfjordur (Whale Bay). The next stop for the day was the town of Akranes. We climbed up three staircases to the top of the new lighthouse – Akranesviti – to get 360° views of the coastline and the Old Akranes Lighthouse. The Old Akranes Lighthouse is one of the oldest concrete lighthouses in Iceland. It was deactivated in the 1940s and replaced by the newer one we went in. The coast was full of sea birds and stunning waves. I could have stayed for hours.
From there we visited the Akranes Folk Museum to learn more about the history of the fishing town. We also entered one of three fully furnished houses on the property.
Hraunfossar and Barnafoss
Then we moved on towards Borgarfjordur. Here we saw our first of many waterfalls. Barnafoss (Children’s Fall) and Hraunfossar (Lava Falls) are a waterfall duo situated next to each other. Hraunfossar are a series of waterfalls which flow out of Hallmundarhraun lava field. The 300 feet (91 meters) length of the falls are spectacular to view in person and you can walk along them from the opposite side of the river.
There was a beautiful turquoise current running from Barnafoss waterfall past the Hraunfossar waterfalls. It was still winter when we visited so there was snow and ice right next to flowing water. Above Barnafoss we were also able to get a gorgeous view of Langjökull glacier.
Krauma
Our final stop before the hotel was Krauma, a natural geothermal bath resort. We switched into our swimsuits and were able to relax in hot baths. The hot water comes from Europe’s most powerful hot spring Deildartunguhver, with temperatures up to 100°C (212°F). To achieve the ideal bathing temperature, they mix the hot water with cold water originating from Ok. This was a fantastic way to close out the day – so soothing after being on a bus all day.
Ok used to be the smallest glacier in Iceland, known as Okjökull. Due to climate change, the glacier was declared dead in 2014 so ‘jökull’ (glacier) was stripped from its name. Now it just goes by Ok.
Our hotel near Borgarnes – Icelandair Hotel Hamar – was our home for the next 2 days. For dinner, we had a pre-booked group meal at the hotel restaurant and spent the time getting to know each other.
Northern Lights (Aurora Borealis)
Our evening capped off with a Northern Lights hunt. As a group we bundled up and walked out in the dark where Soffia explained what we should look for to indicate the auroras. We were amazed to see how many stars were visible to the naked eye. There were no lights at that time so we all went back inside to warm up. My friends and I decided to go back out on our own around 11:30 p.m. I’m so happy we did!
One of the most incredible parts of seeing the Northern Lights on our trip was being able to see them right outside our hotel. We were able to wander just far enough away for our eyes to adjust to the dark. For 30 minutes, we watched the aurora from behind the hotel while I snapped photos. Then we moved in front of the hotel to see what the lights looked like from there.
The primary determining factor of what colors we see in the Northern Lights is what altitude the solar particles hit the atmosphere. Green is one of the most common colors. Particles colliding with oxygen often produce green and yellow lights while nitrogen produces red, violet, and blue.
We soaked in as much of the stunning colors as we could before the cold became too much. The main reason we booked a winter tour was in the hopes of seeing these phenomena, which made the frozen noses and fingers worth it. Returning inside, we took hot showers before retiring for the night.
Want tips on how to capture the Aurora Borealis? Check out my Beginner’s Guide to Photographing the Northern Lights.