The land of fire and ice beckons you to discover a new world this New Year. Search for the star drop as the Northern Lights dance on New Year’s Eve. Then celebrate 2022 atop Iceland’s highest mountains and Europe’s largest glacier! Could there be a more epic way to start a new year?
Countdown to 2022 with a Star Drop
Each night on Iceland’s Magical Northern Lights tour with Collette, you’ll be on an incredible adventure in search of the aurora borealis.
One evening will have you sailing into the embrace of the sea to find the dancing lights. Other evenings, you will be embraced by the stillness of rural Iceland as you look up into the dazzling sky.
The Northern Lights occur when solar particles collide into the atmosphere within Earth’s magnetic field and erupt into dancing colors. This breathtaking phenomenon will awe you with the truth of our origins: from stardust we come and to stardust we shall return.
The highest likelihood to experience the Northern Lights is mid-winter, which is precisely why this trip was designed. The current Kp forecast (expected global geomagnetic conditions) peaks at the end of December 2021.
This is a great year to see the Northern Lights because it is at “solar minimum.” Although the colors are not as bold or bright as a “solar maximum” year, the minimum year actually makes the aurora borealis more predictable - which increases your likelihood of seeing stars dance with earth.
Sparkling by Night, Stunning By Day
As you chase the Northern Lights by night, you will be equally stunned by the majestical scenery by day.
Experience how land was created as you step on the youngest ground on earth. Here the wild is free and unadulterated. Here the volcanoes are still forming mountains, forging valleys, and bubbling thermal hot springs. In fact, volcanos power most of the electrical grid in Iceland (thus making it one of the most eco-friendly countries in the world).
One visit to an explosive geyser thermal area, and you’ll understand the true force of Mother Nature. Contemplate the miracle of our existence as you stand upon the crest of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge at Thingvellir National Park. Feel the colossal power of thundering waterfalls, including Gulllfoss, the double-cascade and Skógafoss, one of Iceland’s tallest. A volcanic sand beach framed by basalt formations awaits to stir your senses into another dimension.
You will ring in 2022 in the Jökulsárlón glacial lagoon, filled with stunning icebergs and seals. Then you’ll journey to Vatnajökull, Europe’s largest national park. In fact, Vatnajökull is three times the size of Rhode Island! It is filled with jaw-dropping volcanic peaks and massive glaciers.
Finish your incredible journey at the fabled Blue Lagoon, a geothermal pool inside a lava field. Your muscles and mind have not known relaxation like this before. And your eyes have not seen a scene like this elsewhere! The bright teal waters embrace you with steaming minerals as snowflakes kiss your eyelashes. You may even be serenaded by the Northern Lights above. Either way, you’ll emerge feeling as young as newly birthed land.
Uniquely Icelandic
In addition to the unique landscape found only in Iceland, you’ll also enjoy the cultural creations unique to Icelanders alone. Iceland is the last place on earth to be settled by humans, when it was accidentally discovered 1100 years ago by the Vikings. It has a zeitgeist unlike another, as epitomized perfectly by the Icelandic artist Bjork.
During your day in the capital Reykjavik, you’ll have the blessing of touring Hallgrimskirkja Cathedral, which is Iceland’s national monument and the most visited place in the country. Here you can see Christ in the eyes of the Icelandic. There’s no other church like this in the world, as it took 41 years to build and designed to specifically forge an Icelandic identity. Architect Guðjón Samúelsson was inspired by Iceland’s landscape and reflected its volcanoes and glaciers in this homage to The Creator. The unique sloping sides of the cathedral represent cooling lava, and the entire effect feels very New Jerusalem.
You also might just find your favorite new book perusing the cute shops of Reykjavik. After all, 1 out of 10 Icelanders is a published author!
Ring in a phenomenal New Year as you stand on the newest land on earth - and make memories for a lifetime!
