*This tour has happened and it was cold, but a lot of fun! To see what we got up to, check out my Instagram story highlights here!
If you want to know about my future tours as soon as they go on sale, email me at [email protected] with the subject line ‘Future Tours’ and I’ll add you to the mailing list*
Long Weekend Women’s Winter Group Tour to Iceland!
Thursday 1st Feb – Monday 5th Feb 2024
4 Nights & 4-5 Days
Highlights:
Searching for the Northern Lights
Into the Glacier Ice Cave Tour
2 x Hot Spring Visits
Horse Farm & Optional Horse Riding
Golden Circle Tour
Waterfalls & Geysers
Women’s City Culture Walk
Hotel with Spa
Group of Like-Minded Women
Led by Viking Women
£1650.00
To Book:
Pay your £200 non-refundable deposit and confirm your spot by clicking here, then, click the GREEN SELECT button!
Scroll down for the full itinerary, cost inclusions & exclusions and payment plan.
Join me and a group of like-minded women from around the world on a long weekend, winter trip to Iceland!
After the success of my Spring Iceland Tour in May 2023 I was desperate to run another tour but this time in Winter with the hope of seeing the Northern Lights, experiencing long dark days, lots of snow and winter experiences in Iceland such as an Ice Cave Tour, Horse Riding and warming up in Natural Hot Springs.
Why a Long Weekend?
I have kept this trip a bit shorter because I want you to be able to come if you have kids/things on at home and can’t travel for long!
This tour is 4 nights and 5 days, however, you can arrive late on day 1 and leave early on day 5 making you able to do the school runs / work either side of our main 3 days of adventuring Iceland in the winter!
If you want to stay in Iceland longer, you can! You can book your own independent experiences from the capital city Reykjavik. Iceland is a really safe country and so is Reykjavik, and I can help you with extra accommodation and activity bookings!
ITINERARY
Below is a day-by-day itinerary for this tour along with information on our transport and accommodation.
Please note that the itinerary is subject to change as weather conditions may mean we have to change things around but we will do our best to stick to this itinerary and make the most of the situation if things need to change!
Day 1 – Thursday 1st February
Arrive at Keflavík international airport on your own time based on the ideal flights for you. If you fly in the morning, you can visit the Blue Lagoon when you land. It’s possible to book a package like this that includes a bus transfer from the airport to the Blue Lagoon, Blue Lagoon entrance and a bus transfer from the Blue Lagoon to the hotel.
We will go on a Reykjavík Women’s History Walk at around 5:00pm and at 8:00pm have dinner at a restaurant in the city close to the hotel. It will be great if you can arrive in time for the walk and group dinner however they are not mandatory and if you land in the evening, this is ok.
Included:
- 1 Nights Accommodation at Exeter Hotel in Reykjavík in a twin room
- Walking Tour
- Dinner at pre-booked restaurant
Day 2 – Friday 2nd February
We’ll kick off the first full day of our Iceland adventure by leaving Reykjavík after breakfast and visiting the Golden Circle where we’ll see 3 of Iceland’s major natural attractions – Thingvellir National Park where the tectonic plates of North America and Europe meet, the highly active Geysir Geothermal Area, and we’ll see our first waterfall of the trip – Gullfoss Waterfall. We’ll stop for lunch at Fridheimar Greenhouse where we can warm up with the freshest tomato soup you’ve tasted!
In the afternoon, before heading to our hotel we’ll visit the Secret Lagoon hot spring where we can warm up in the natural waters of Iceland’s oldest natural pool! For those who might not want to swim, you can sit in the Lagoon cafe with a hot drink.
Included:
- Breakfast at hotel
- Lunch at pre-booked restaurant
- Dinner at the hotel
- 1 Nights Accommodation at Gullfoss Hotel in a twin room
Day 3 – Saturday 3rd February
After breakfast we head to Husafell which is a natural gem and a popular tourist destinations in Iceland. It benefits from a milder climate which I’m sure we’ll appreciate! We’ll check out Deildartunguhver hot spring & Hraunfossar Waterfall and have lunch in a cafe on route to our next destination.
In the afternoon, we have an adventure! We’re doing an ‘Into the Glacier’ classic tour inside Iceland’s second-largest glacier! This is an opportunity of a lifetime as we journey up the white slopes and go deep inside the man-made ice tunnels leading to the blue heart of the glacier. We will ride in modified glacier vehicles specially made to explore the glacier environment and enjoy the view as we drive on top of the ice cap!
Our hotel for the evening – Fosshotel Reykholt has a brand new spa with free outdoor hot and cold tubs, relaxation room, sauna and steam bath which we can enjoy after checking in. We’ll also have dinner at the hotel and once again be on the lookout for the Northern Lights!
Included:
- Breakfast at hotel
- Into the Glacier Tour
- Dinner at hotel
- 1 Nights Accommodation at Fosshotel Reykholt in a twin room
Day 4 – Sunday 4th February
Today will be our last full day of adventuring in Iceland and it will be a good one! We’ll head to Sturlureykir Horse Farm after breakfast and checking out from our hotel. This is a family-run farm and has been in the same family for 150 years. We’ll have a talk in their coffeehouse about how the first geothermal system in Europe was made here at Sturlureykir, meet the horses and see how they bake the homebaked rye bread. There will then be an option to do a 1 hour horse ride for those that want to. Those that don’t can relax in the coffeehouse and explore the farm.
Prepare to warm up in the afternoon as we spend 2-3 hours at Hvammsvik Hot Springs! Newly opened in 2022, Hvammsvik Hot Springs are situated right on the Atlantic Ocean with 8 natural hot springs at a range of temperatures that glide into the ocean and are surrounded by majestic mountains and black beaches. This will be an amazing, relaxing and beautiful way to end our winter trip in Iceland and we can enjoy the fresh food and drinks in their cafe too.
Later on, we’ll drive back to Reykjavik, check back into Exeter Hotel and have a farewell dinner at a pre-booked restaurant in the city.
Included:
- Breakfast at the hotel
- Horse Farm Entry & Drink
- Hot Springs Entry
- Dinner at pre-booked restaurant
- 1 Nights Accommodation at Exeter Hotel in Reykjavík in a twin room
Day 5 – Monday 5th February
Today is a free day to do as you wish! If you need to get an early flight home you can do this. Breakfast is included but you can leave as early as you want (there are airport transfers running all night and morning to get you to the airport).
If you can get an evening flight, I’d recommend it. Reykjavik is a a lovely city to walk around and you can visit attractions in the city such as the Perlan Museum of Wonders and a VR experience FlyOver Iceland.
You could also visit the Blue Lagoon on your way to the airport by booking a package like this that includes a bus transfer from the city to the Blue Lagoon, Blue Lagoon entrance and a bus transfer from the Blue Lagoon to the airport.
If you want to stay longer in Iceland, you can book yourself an additional nights at Exeter Hotel in Reykjavík, or another hotel in the city, enjoy the cities shops and cafe culture and take yourself on one of the many organised day trips from Reykjavik. Reykjavik is a very safe city and easy to get around.
Included:
- Breakfast at the hotel
TRANSPORT
We will spend the tour driving around Iceland in a comfortable mid-sized coach driven by our female guide. Our luggage will be transported on the coach with us.
ACCOMMODATION
We will stay in 3 different hotels during the tour – Exeter Hotel, Gulfoss Hotel and Fosshotel Reykholt *. They are a mix of 3-4* hotels to keep the price of the tour down as much as possible. It is worth noting that 3* hotels in Iceland offer much higher quality than 3* hotels in other countries (like the UK). All the hotels will be warm (very important!), clean and have everything we need. Fosshotel Reykholt even has a spa we can use!
*The hotel specified have been reserved for us but could be subject to change
COST, INCLUSIONS & EXCLUSIONS
*This tour will only be on sale until 10th December as we need to have confirmed numbers for hotels by then as February is a popular time to travel to Iceland*
Please scroll down for the payment plan.
Inclusions:
- 4 Nights Accommodation in a twin sharing room
- 4 Breakfasts
- 1 Lunch
- 4 Dinners
- Transport from Day 2 – Day 4 of the tour
- Into the Ice Glacier Tour
- Hvammsvik Hot Springs Entry
- Horse Farm Entry
- Walking Tour
Exclusions:
- Flights (check flights to Reykjavik on Skyscanner here!)
- Airport Pick-up & Drop-off*
- Travel Insurance
- Any Visa Fees (UK, USA, Canada and all countries in the Schengen Area do not need a visa)
- 2 Lunches (Approx £15-20 each)
- Snacks and Beverages
- Secret Lagoon Entry (Approx £23.00)
- Horse Riding (Approx £60.00)
*It’s very easy to book and get an airport transfer like this from and to Keflavík Airport. I have decided to not include airport transfers as everyone will arrive and leave at different times, and this way you can visit the Blue Lagoon with included transfers to or from the airport.
As we get closer I will set up a WhatsApp group and we can chat about who is arriving at what time and who wants to do extra activities like the Blue Lagoon so we can help plan them together!
PAYMENT PLAN
A £200.00 deposit is required to book a place on the tour. This is a non-refundable and non- transferable deposit.
Half of the remaining cost (£725.00) will be required by 1st December 2023 and the other half (£725.00) by 1st January 2024.
HOW TO BOOK
Click this link to be taken to the WeTravel payment booking page and pay your £200.00 deposit.
I will email you with confirmation of your place on the tour within 2 days afterwards. Please do not book flights until you have received confirmation from me.
*This tour will only be on sale until 10th December as we need to have confirmed numbers for hotels by then as February is a popular time to travel to Iceland*
REFUNDS & CANCELATIONS
Please note that the deposit of £200.00 is non-refundable no matter when you cancel or your reason for cancelling which is industry standard.
If you do need to cancel after you have paid the 2nd or 3rd payment plan, these payments are non-redundable too however I want to help you out as much as possible and will refund you the money paid so far (minus the £200.00 deposit) once I have re-sold your place.
Of course, I will be more likely to resell your place if you cancel further out than if you cancel just before the trip and re-selling your place on the trip is never guaranteed.
For information on refunds if the whole tour has to be cancelled, please scroll down the Terms and Conditions.
VIKING WOMEN
Showing us around Iceland will be the team from Viking Women just like my tour in June 2023!
On my group tours for women, it’s really important for me to use female guides and companies where possible to support them and keep the intimacy that a women’s tour offers.
I had a great experience with Viking Women from the start of the booking process in 2022 and once on the tour in June 2023, our guide was full of energy and full of interesting Icelandic facts and knowledge.
I can’t wait to work with Viking Women again and support their female business with my female business.
Ready to join?? Click here and then click the GREEN SELECT button to pay your £200.00 deposit!
YOUR QUESTIONS ANSWERED
Do you need a visa for Iceland?
Please check whether you need a visa for Iceland before committing to the tour. You can view the Iceland government visa page here. It is your responsibility to apply, pay and get your visa approved by the time the tour starts.
Iceland is in the Schengen Area so if you usually have to apply for a visa for the Schengen Area you will need to apply for a visa for Iceland.
Those travelling on a UK, US or Canadian passport, plus many more countries do not require a visa.
Flights into Reykjavik?
You will need to book flights in and out of Reykjavik the capital city of Iceland. Many countries in Europe and North America offer direct flights to Reykjavik which is really great.
I suggest you look at Skyscanner here to compare the best flights there on Thursday 1st February, returning on Monday 5th February 2024 (if you wish to arrive early or stay on after the tour, you can certainly do this!)
Arrival Time and Departure Time?
The tour starts on Thursday 1st February and our only set plan for that day is a city walking tour starting at around 5:00pm and our included welcome dinner which will be around 8:00 pm. It will be great if you can arrive in time for the walk and/or meal but if you have to arrive later on due to flights or commitments at home, this is ok.
Our tour ends on Monday 5th February in the morning. Breakfast is included on this day at our hotel however you may leave as early as you wish this morning, or, if you want to leave later or can only get a later flight out, you can explore the city of Rekjavik and our hotel will hold your luggage after check out until you leave to the airport.
You can visit the Blue Lagoon on the way from or to the airport. There are packages like this on offer which include pick up from the airport to the Blue Lagoon, the Blue Lagoon ticket and transfer afterwards to the city (or vice versa) which is great value and a great time saver for fitting in the Blue Lagoon.
You are more than welcome to spend extra time in Iceland before or after the tour at your own expense, however, we are seeing a lot of Iceland on the tour so unless you have a specific activity in mind that we aren’t doing on the tour, it’s unlikely you will need extra time to see the country.
Ready to join?? Click here and then click the GREEN SELECT button to pay your £200.00 deposit!
What will the group size be?
There will be 17 ladies on the tour including myself, plus our female guide.
Level of Fitness needed?
There will be no hiking on this tour therefore only a reasonable level of fitness is needed.
With the winter weather conditions, please ensure you are stable and have full capability of walking over uneven ground, slippy ground and steps as the terrain will be uneven and slippery at times.
What will the weather be like in Iceland in February?
There is usually a lot of snow in Iceland in February which is why I am planning the tour at this time, for a snowy winter adventure! February is a great time to visit Iceland to be able to see the Northern Lights, experience winter activities and see snow capped mountains!
The average temperature in Iceland in February is usually between -3 and +3°C (26-34° F) so it will not be Antarctica freezing, but it won’t be warm.
However, inside, everywhere will be warm and cosy!
Clothing and Footwear Required?
February will be cold and we will need winter wear. There will be a few special items you’ll need for this trip but a lot of the clothing will be layered clothing you may have already.
Base layers will be key including thermal layers and Merino wool layers like thermal leggings and thermal long sleeved tops with waterproof trousers, a good waterproof jacket, hiking boots and snow boots required.
Jeans and Cotton layers are not recommended.
Here are some great blog posts on what to pack for Iceland in winter:
- What to wear in Iceland in winter
- Packing list for winter in Iceland
- What to pack for Iceland’s Winter
Ready to join?? Click here and then click the GREEN SELECT button to pay your £200.00 deposit!
Will we see the Northern Lights on this tour?
I can’t promise it, we can’t predict nature, however our aim will be to see the Northern Lights and we will try our hardest to see them each evening until we do (We have 4 attempts!). February is a good time to see the Northern Lights hence the reason for choosing this month to travel!
Is the tour for Muslim women only?
No, not at all. In 2023 I have organised tours to Morocco, Iceland and Pakistan for a range of women from different religions and backgrounds and I really hope this tour will be the same.
Because of the potential mix of religions, ages etc I do ask that we are all respectful of one another.
Is this a ‘dry tour’?
I don’t drink alcohol and none of our activities include alcohol however I’m not going to stop that do drink having a glass of wine or beer at dinner (this has happened on all my tours without any issue from other guests).
I ask people who drink alcohol not to intend or expect to drink too much on this trip and to be respectful of those who don’t drink around them.
Is there an age requirement?
The minimum age is 18 years and there is no maximum age! I really want to stress this too as from the tours and retreats I’ve organised in the past, the issue of women thinking they are too old to join always comes up!
I’ve had women from 18 up to 65 on my tours. I love this big age range as it means we can all learn from each other and have such varied conversations and experiences.
The only requirement around age is that you must be relatively fit and have ease in walking uneven ground and be prepared for long days.
Ready to join?? Click here and then click the GREEN SELECT button to pay your £200.00 deposit!
What will the food be like and what if I have dietary requirements?
All of our dinners and one lunch are included on the tour. You will get to choose from a menu of 3-4 main course options. One option will always be Vegan/Vegetarian and another will always be Fish.
Lamb, Fish and Soups are common in Iceland but you can also get different worldly cuisines, especially in the capital city of Reykjavik.
Halal meat isn’t common in Iceland however there is a Muslim community so Asian and Middle Eastern restaurants and takeaways run by Muslims do offer halal meat. We will not be visiting these restaurants during our included dinners so if you want to eat halal only you will need to eat Fish or the Vegetarian option.
I felt like I ate really well in Iceland in June. I ate all vegetarian / fish. On this tour, I imagine I will be filling myself with warming soup and homemade bread!
Most of our lunches will be at cafes by the tourist attractions, for example many of the waterfalls and beaches in Iceland have cafes offering a good option of food and drink. They always have fish and vegetarian options available and lunch will cost between £15 – 20 for a meal.
If you’re in Reykjavik on day 1 and day 5 of the tour for lunch, you can choose from many options in the city.
I have special travel requirements, but I’m not sure if they’ll suit this tour to Iceland.
If you have special travel requirements please email me – [email protected] with more details and I’ll look into this for you.
Ready to join?? Click here and then click the GREEN SELECT button to pay your £200.00 deposit!
Terms & Conditions
By paying the £200.00 deposit you are agreeing to the below terms and conditions:
1. If you need to cancel after paying your deposit, the deposit is non-refundable and non-transferable as per industry standards.
If you need to cancel after paying the 2nd, or 2nd & 3rd instalments, these are non-refundable too, however, I want to help you out as much as possible so I will try my best to resell your place. If and once I have sold your place, I will refund you the money paid so far minus £200.00 deposit. Please note that I am going to be more likely to resell your place if you cancel further out than if you cancel just before the trip and I can’t guarantee I’ll be able to re-sell your place.
2. If the final 2 instalment payments are not paid on time, I (Ellie Belhaj) have the right to cancel and re-sell your place however I will give you prior notice of this so you can make the payment. I have a commitment to how many people I bring on the tour and if you do not pay on time, I need time to re-sell your space.
3. You must take out travel insurance prior to the tour. I suggest doing this as soon as the deposit has been paid. I will ask you for your travel insurance details just before the tour starts so if anything happens I can call your insurance company and know your policy details. Your travel insurance must include Glacier Walking/ Ice Cave walking, depending upon your insurance company, you may need to add cover for Winter Sports to cover this activity as we will be doing an Ice Cave Tour.
4. Neither I (Ellie Belhaj) nor any of the team at Viking Women are responsible for any accidents or losses you may have before, on, or after the tour. You join this tour with responsibility for yourself and if something happens, you have your travel insurance to claim on.
5. If the tour gets cancelled due to covid, a natural disaster or another type of event where we have to completely cancel, we will still need to pay suppliers on the ground as we have agreements with them and this is the morally right thing to do so your payment paid is not refundable. I will try my best to refund you what is available after paying local guides, accommodation etc but I cannot guarantee anything or a specific amount.
In the case of a total cancellation, we (Ellie and Viking Women) will try our best to reschedule and move deposits but this is not guaranteed.
6. If you cancel whilst on the tour, no refunds will be made as we have commitments to suppliers and they will be paid even if you cancel and it is your responsibility to cover extra costs back to the airport unless agreed otherwise.
If you are concerned about a cancellation happening, I advise you to take out travel insurance straight after paying your deposit. Travel insurance is mandatory on this tour (I will ask you for your details before you arrive) and as soon as you take travel insurance out you will be covered for certain cancellations. It is much safer to buy insurance once the deposit is paid than plan to buy it a week before leaving and something happens between then as you will have no insurance to cover you.
7. The itinerary is subject to change due to weather conditions and situations out of our control.
Ready to join?? Click here and then click the GREEN SELECT button to pay your £200.00 deposit!
Any other questions?
Email me at [email protected]