Off Duty Traveler

Why I Chose a Guided Tour to Iceland in March

I took the Iceland: Reykjavik & the Northern Lights tour with Go Ahead Tours, in March, and overall it was an unforgettable experience. Iceland had been on my list for years, but it’s not a destination I wanted to plan on my own. Between the winter weather, shorter daylight hours, and how spread out many of the major sights are, I decided a guided tour would be the easiest way to experience the country without having to worry about driving, planning routes, or dealing with unpredictable conditions.

Traveling in March gave the trip a true winter feel. There was still snow on the ground in many areas, temperatures were cold, and the daylight hours were shorter than I’m used to in the United States. The advantage of going this time of year is that late winter is still a good season for seeing the Northern Lights.

This particular itinerary included several days based in Reykjavik along with guided excursions to waterfalls, geothermal areas, volcanic landscapes, and Northern Lights viewing locations. The package covered hotels, transportation, some meals, and a tour director, which made the trip feel very structured and easy to follow. For a destination like Iceland, where distances are long and weather can change quickly, I was glad I chose a guided tour instead of trying to plan everything myself. You probably know I work a LOT, so for off-duty travel, this tour made sense.

First Impressions of Iceland

Iceland looks like another planet. That’s the best way I can describe it.

From the moment we arrived, the scenery was dramatic, including lava fields, waterfalls, glaciers, and wide open spaces that don’t look like anywhere else in the world. Just driving between locations was interesting because the landscape changes constantly.

Reykjavik itself is small but very charming. It felt safe, clean, and easy to walk around. The architecture is colorful and modern, and there are lots of restaurants and small shops to explore during free time.

One thing I appreciated about the tour was the balance between scheduled activities and time on our own. We had guided sightseeing most days, but also enough free time to explore without feeling rushed. My son and I had a blast walking around the quaint city and exploring the marvels of nature.

The Tour Organization and Group Experience

Overall, the tour was very well organized.

Our tour director, Osk, kept everyone on schedule, explained what to expect each day, and made sure transportation ran smoothly. That alone takes a lot of pressure off when you’re traveling internationally.

The excursions were exactly what I was there to see: waterfalls, geysers, volcanic areas, and Northern Lights viewing. Iceland is not the kind of place where you just walk outside and see everything, so having transportation arranged was a big advantage.

Like most guided tours, some meals were included and some were not. Breakfast was provided at the hotels, and a few lunches or dinners were part of the itinerary, but you should expect to pay for several meals on your own. That’s typical for tours like this, and it gives you flexibility to try different places.

Optional excursions included:

• The Blue Lagoon
• The Lava Tunnel

The group dynamic was also good. Everyone was there for the same reason, and it was nice not having to travel completely alone.

Pricing, Costs, and What to Know About Iceland’s Currency

One thing travelers should be prepared for is the cost of traveling in Iceland. It is one of the more expensive countries I have visited, and prices for food, drinks, and everyday items are noticeably higher than in the United States and Europe.

Iceland uses the Icelandic króna (ISK). Credit cards are accepted almost everywhere, so you don’t need to carry a lot of cash, but it helps to understand the exchange rate so prices don’t catch you off guard. Iceland is mostly a contactless pay society, which makes it easy to buy things, but you might have sticker shock when you get home!

Meals in restaurants were often the biggest surprise. A basic lunch could easily cost the equivalent of $30 per person, and dinner was often higher depending on where you ate. Even quick snacks, coffee, or bottled drinks cost more than what most travelers are used to paying.

The tour package itself covered hotels, transportation, guided excursions, and some meals, which helped control costs, but you should still budget extra spending money for:

• Meals not included in the tour
• Snacks and drinks
• Souvenirs
• Optional excursions
• Airport food and airline purchases

Because the cost of living is high in Iceland, planning ahead financially makes the trip much more enjoyable. Overall, the tour price felt fair for what was included, but Iceland is not a cheap destination, and knowing that ahead of time will help you avoid sticker shock once you arrive.

Pro tip: To save on meals and snacks, visit their grocery store Bonus, which is yellow and pink with a Pig logo. The prices there were more than reasonable.

Visiting the Lava Tunnel

One of the more unique excursions on the tour was visiting the Lava Tunnel, which gave us the chance to walk inside a real volcanic lava tube. This was something I had never experienced before, and it ended up being an interesting part of the trip.

The tunnel was formed by flowing lava thousands of years ago, and you can actually see the different layers of rock and mineral colors inside the cave. The walk itself was not too difficult, but the ground can be uneven, so good shoes are important. It was also colder inside the tunnel, which gave us these amazing ice formations. Having a warm layer helped. If you enjoy learning about geology or want to see something different from waterfalls and glaciers, the Lava Tunnel excursion is definitely worth doing.

Visiting the Blue Lagoon in Iceland

One of the most memorable parts of the trip was visiting the Blue Lagoon, which is probably Iceland’s most well-known attraction. The water is a bright, milky blue and stays warm even when the air temperature is cold, which makes the experience feel surreal. Sitting in hot water surrounded by lava rock and steam is something you don’t get to do every day.

If you have long hair, I recommend putting it up or bringing conditioner. The minerals in the water can leave your hair feeling very dry or stiff. It’s not a problem, but it’s something people don’t always expect.

The Blue Lagoon is tourist-friendly (some might say touristy, but I disagree) and very organized. The facilities were clean, the locker rooms were nice, and everything was set up to make the visit easy even with a large group.

Even though it’s one of the most popular stops in Iceland, I’m glad it was offered through the tour. It was relaxing, different, and one of those experiences that makes the trip feel special and it was not overly crowded in March. Since it was on our first day, it washed the overnight flight right off us too!

Important Tip: Be Prepared for the Icelandair Flight

Speaking of flights, one thing I wish I had known ahead of time was what to expect on Icelandair. I booked my flights through EF Go Ahead, and they used United to coordinate, so I used the United Airlines app and discovered later I was missing important information.

Our flight was about five hours, and I assumed that since it was an international flight, a meal would be included. That was not the case. We were given a small complimentary drink, but food was not provided unless you purchased it onboard.

This isn’t necessarily unusual for some airlines now, but if you’re used to international flights including a meal, it can be surprising. Icelandair offers buy-on-board food in economy class, and meals are not automatically included.

My advice is simple:
Pack snacks or bring your own meal, especially if you have dietary preferences or don’t want to buy food on the plane.

This isn’t a complaint about the tour itself, but it’s something future travelers should know so they can plan ahead and be more comfortable.

Thingvellir National Park

One of the most unforgettable stops on the tour was Thingvellir National Park, where you can actually walk between the North American and Eurasian tectonic plates. Standing there feels surreal, knowing you are literally in the gap created by continental drift as the two plates slowly pull apart.

It’s hard to describe the feeling of walking through a place where the ground itself is moving over time, but it makes you realize how geologically alive Iceland really is. Even though the walk itself was not difficult, the setting made it feel like we were somewhere far more remote, almost like stepping into another world. It ended up being one of the most fascinating highlights of the entire trip.

Seeing the Northern Lights

Of course, the big question everyone asks is: did you see the Northern Lights?

Yes, and it was worth the trip.

Seeing them in person is completely different from photos. The colors move across the sky, and it feels surreal. Our tour included scheduled opportunities to go out at night to look for them, which helped because you need the right weather conditions and the right location.

There’s never a guarantee with the Northern Lights, but the tour gives you multiple chances, which increases your odds.

Go or No? What I Liked Most About the Tour

I’m glad I chose the Go Ahead Iceland & Northern Lights tour, especially for a destination like Iceland where the weather, distances, and driving conditions can make planning on your own more complicated. Don’t even get me started about one of our bus trips in complete whiteout conditions!

Having the hotels, transportation, and excursions arranged made the trip feel easy, and it allowed me to focus on enjoying the experience instead of worrying about logistics.

Traveling in March meant dealing with cold temperatures and unpredictable weather, but it also made the scenery feel more dramatic and gave us a real chance to see the Northern Lights. Between the waterfalls, volcanic landscapes, Blue Lagoon, lava tunnel, and Thingvellir National Park, the trip included a lot of variety, and I felt like we were able to see parts of Iceland that would have been hard to manage alone.

I would recommend this tour to anyone who wants a structured way to visit Iceland, especially first-time travelers or people who don’t want to drive in winter conditions. Just be prepared for the higher cost of food, understand that not all meals are included, and plan ahead for the flight if you are traveling on Icelandair. Knowing those things ahead of time makes the whole experience much more enjoyable.

For me, the trip was worth it, and Iceland is one of the most unique places I’ve ever visited. If you’d like to see all the photos of Iceland, visit my Google Photo Album here.