roonee As soon as I booked my plane ticket to Iceland, there were a few things I knew I wanted to try and do while I was in the country. Exploring Reykjavik was a must for me, but I was also determined to try and catch the Northern Lights, and see some of Iceland’s most iconic sights outside of the capital.
The Northern Lights
My solo Iceland trip falls at the beginning of November, which is apparently a great time to see the Northern Lights, although nothing is guaranteed. It didn’t take much research to find some great sounding ways of seeing a fantastic light show, but my main issue is that I don’t drive. While drivers might find the easiest way of chasing the lights to be in a car, I wouldn’t feel comfortable undertaking the drive on unfamiliar roads at night as a solo traveller, even if I did drive! Luckily, there are plenty of tour busses that operate for this exact reason. I spent a good day trawling through different tour company’s offerings online to see what would suit me best.
After reading through lots of tour descriptions, comparing prices, and reading countless reviews, I decided to book a bus tour through a company called Reykjavik Excursions. The company will pick me up from a designated spot near my hotel in the evening, and a local expert will guide us on a tour to see if we can catch a much anticipated glimpse of the Northern Lights. I am confident that this tour will be a good experience, but I will report back to confirm after the event!
The Golden Circle Tour
While browsing on the website for Reykjavik Excursions, I found some other tours that were of interest to me, and while I am yet to book, I am incredibly tempted by the Golden Circle Tours on offer. For under £100 I can hop on a bus with another local expert, and be driven around some of Iceland’s scenery with interesting commentary all the way around. As a solo traveller, tours like this are a very attractive notion as it’s a pretty safe feeling way of exploring, rather than going it completely alone. Also, for the price it’s a bargain if you’re travelling alone – the particular tour that has caught my eye is eight hours long!
Blue Lagoon
The final thing that I have booked in for my short trip is a trip to the Blue Lagoon. This was probably the easiest booking I made, as bookings can be made directly with the site, and the location is great for making this excursion a stop on the way back to the airport. Once again, transport to and from Reykjavik and / or the airport can be included in bookings, making things as simple as possible – a joy for the solo traveller!
