Iceland winter adventure: Road trip beneath the northern lights

Finally, the time has come! Your heart pounds with joy every passing second as you think about the land of volcanoes, geysers, waterfalls and glaciers. Just a moment later, at Keflavik Airport, you take a long, deep breath – adventure is in the air! You pick up the keys to your hire car, then you're ready to go. Iceland is absolutely gorgeous! After just a few miles, the full beauty of the country unfolds before you, making it almost impossible to concentrate on the road, and your first leg of the journey leaves you eager for more. And it's only just the beginning!
But when you arrive in Reykholt, first things first: time to settle in and relax!

The first rays of the day's sun accompany you along your way to the Snæfellsnes Peninsula. The area has tons to offer: steep cliffs, deep volcanic craters, dramatic waterfalls and cute seals. And all of that is exactly what welcomes you during your first stop at Ytri-Tunga beach. A little further west, the Bjarnafoss plunges 262 feet into the depths surrounded by moss-covered lava fields that lead you to the lonely Búdakirkja, The Black Church of Búdir, which stands in the barren landscape like a painting. Back behind the wheel, you constantly find yourself in awe. From the depths of the narrow Raudfeldsgjá gorge, you reach a stone bridge in the middle of the rugged cliffs, where the surf fiercely crashes against the steadfast rock. At the black lava pearl beach Djúpalónssandur, you feel like you've entered another world. The pitch-black sand and an old shipwreck immediately give you goosebumps. The curving stairs beside the Trail Geldingafell lead you to the next highlight: the Saxhóll crater. Southwest of here, you can't take your eyes off the majestic glacier-capped Snæfellsjökull volcano, which proudly dominates the peninsula. Attention, 'Game of Thrones' fans: a stop at Kirkjufell is a must, as behind it lies the famous 'Arrowhead Mountain' with the roaring Kirkjufellsfoss.
As soon as the sun sets, you can hardly draw your eyes away from the window. You eagerly wait for the moment when the northern lights begin their dance in the night sky.

Rushing torrents of water and splashes of icy water – don't miss a detour to the snowy Hraunfossar and Barnafoss waterfalls! At Hraunfossar, you'll discover a wall of small waterfalls flowing through a lava field into a river, and at Barnafoss, you'll find a series of rapids cascading into a narrow rocky valley. So make sure to snap a few pics while you're there to capture all the memories!
Clear the stage for the Golden Circle! First stop: Thingvellir National Park, where the movements of the North American and Eurasian Plates have created the dramatic and rugged Almannagjá rift. And almost nowhere else in the world would you get such an unobstructed view of them as here – simply wow! Next, you're off to the roaring Öxarárfoss, which quickly sneaks its way into your photo album, before the boiling fountains of the Strokkur, Stóri and The Great Geysir shoot metres high into the air out of seemingly nowhere in the Haukadalur geothermal area. Suddenly, you can already hear waterfall number four. Thundering torrents of water provide a promising soundtrack that accompanies you on your way to the mighty Gullfoss.
At the end of the day, you check all the Golden Circle's important highlights off your bucket list. And maybe you've even made it to the glowing Kerid Crater lake (admission payable on site)!

The icy air and the pearl-white, glistening snow fuel your thirst for adventure, and soon you find yourself behind the wheel of your hire car, ready to explore the most beautiful spots of the South Coast. Your eyes are glued to the rugged landscape of snow and ice until you reach the first must-see: the Seljalandsfoss waterfall. You watch as its waters cascade 197 feet into a basin filled with ice floes, and you're burning to see what's behind the curtain. And you're in luck! You can actually go behind the fall's thundering curtain of water! But be careful, it's slippery back there! Your finger starts to cramp as you snap pics like mad, trying to capture this incredible moment from every angle. Can it get any more beautiful than this? Oh, yes, it can! The Skogafoss waterfall takes it to the next level with torrents of water that rush amidst the snow and ice – like something out of a movie! In fact, Skogafoss has been used as the backdrop for several films. And the Sólheimasandur Plane Wreck is yet another cinematic wonder. You leave your hire car in the car park and hike through the lonely landscape feeling the cool breeze and gazing at the pitch-black rocks, the mountains in the distance and the sea. Then suddenly, the mysterious wreck appears. It's an unbelievable sight – especially in the light of the slowly setting sun or the glow of the dancing northern lights that pierces through the darkness.