Booking choice: The 2-day lava cave tour, from $559 per person. Check dates Tour details
Two two-day trips run from Reykjavik. Nicetravel's 2-Day West ($559) does the peninsula on day 1, sleeps in Borgarnes, and spends day 2 at Hraunfossar and inside the Vidgelmir lava cave, admission included. The 2-day northern lights trip ($562) spends longer at Arnarstapi and Djupalonssandur, adds an aurora hunt if the sky allows, and offers the Vatnshellir cave as a paid extra.
Both include a hotel night and breakfast. Neither includes dinner.
The quick answer
Pick the Nicetravel 2-Day West for the lava cave: Vidgelmir is included, it rates 4.9 and takes children from 5. Pick the northern lights trip from late September to early April for the aurora hunt and two hours each at Arnarstapi and Djupalonssandur, but know the lights are never guaranteed and Vatnshellir costs extra (ISK 5,900). In summer, the cave trip is the clear pick.
What two-day Snaefellsnes tours are there?
Two: Nicetravel's 2-Day West with the Vidgelmir lava cave ($559), and a 2-day small group with a northern lights hunt ($562).
Side by side, from the listings:
| 2-Day West (lava cave) | 2-day northern lights | |
|---|---|---|
| From | $559 per person | $562 per person |
| Operator | Nicetravel ehf | Not named on the listing |
| Night | Hotel in Borgarnes, double or twin | Hotel in the Borgarfjordur area; single room option |
| Meals | Breakfast | Breakfast on day 2 |
| Lava cave | Vidgelmir, 90 min, admission included | Vatnshellir, optional, extra fee |
| Aurora | No hunt | Hunt if conditions are right |
| Snaefellsnes stops | Day tour route: Ytri Tunga 40, Arnarstapi 45, Djupalonssandur 30, Kirkjufell 30 | Arnarstapi 120, Djupalonssandur 120, Kirkjufell 30 |
| Day 2 | Hraunfossar, Barnafoss, Vidgelmir, Deildartunguhver, horse farm | Deildartunguhver, horse farm, Hraunfossar, Gerduberg, Reykholt |
| Ages | 5+ | Child 6 to 15 |
| Luggage | Small carry-on only | Not stated |
Two days, a hotel night and the Vidgelmir lava cave included, rated 4.9 by guests.
Check dates for the 2-day lava cave tourIs a two-day Snaefellsnes tour worth it over a day trip?
Worth it if you want the lava cave and Borgarfjordur's waterfalls, or if a 12-hour day sounds like too much. Not worth it just to see more of the peninsula itself.
Day 1 of the 2-Day West follows the same route and minutes as Nicetravel's day trip ($154). The extra $405 buys the hotel, breakfast and a full second day in West Iceland. That second day is the point. One guest thought the night in Borgarnes, about an hour from Reykjavik, wasn't needed and that two separate day trips would have done the same job.
Others loved the mix. "Variety of activities, from black beach, waterfalls, lava cave, horse farm", a guest wrote of the trip in October 2025. If you'd rather see the peninsula slowly, the northern lights trip gives Arnarstapi and Djupalonssandur two hours each.
Which two-day tour includes a lava cave?
The 2-Day West includes 90 minutes at the Vidgelmir lava cave with admission paid. The northern lights trip lists Vatnshellir only as an optional extra, at ISK 5,900 for adults.
Vidgelmir lies under the Hallmundarhraun lava field in Borgarfjordur, about 1,100 years old and one of the largest lava caves in the world (thecave.is). You walk on wooden walkways and stairs with a helmet and headlamp; inside it stays cold all year. A guest called it "an epic once in a lifetime experience".
Vatnshellir sits in the national park near Malarrif: an 8,000-year-old tube reached by a spiral staircase, a 45-minute guided tour, ISK 5,900 for adults, minimum age 5 (Summit Adventure Guides). On the northern lights trip it is yours to add and pay for on the day. No day tour enters either cave.
Can you see the northern lights on a two-day Snaefellsnes tour?
Maybe. The 2-day northern lights trip hunts for them if the forecast is good, from roughly late September to early April. Nobody can guarantee them.
The aurora needs dark and clear skies, and the peninsula has plenty of cloud. The listing says it plainly: if the forecast looks promising, the guide takes you on a hunt; the lights depend on the weather. Solar activity peaked around 2024-25 and stays high, which helps. Check the Icelandic Met Office aurora forecast for cloud cover and activity.
In summer there is no dark night, so no aurora at all. The 2-Day West has no hunt, but you sleep in Borgarnes, away from Reykjavik's lights: on a clear winter night, step outside and look north.
Two hours each at Arnarstapi and Djupalonssandur, a hotel night and an aurora hunt if the sky clears.
Explore the 2-day northern lights tour Tour detailsWhat do you see on day 2?
Borgarfjordur: the Hraunfossar and Barnafoss waterfalls, Deildartunguhver hot spring and a horse farm, plus Vidgelmir on the 2-Day West or Reykholt and Gerduberg on the northern lights trip.
2-Day West: Hraunfossar 40 min, Barnafoss 20, Vidgelmir 90, Deildartunguhver 15, then 45 minutes at the Sturlureykir horse farm. Deildartunguhver is Europe's most powerful hot spring by flow, steaming beside the road.
Northern lights trip: Deildartunguhver 30, the horse farm 60, Hraunfossar 30, the Gerduberg basalt columns 30 and Reykholt 30, the medieval home of the saga writer Snorri Sturluson.
Waterfalls, a hot spring, horses and a real lava tube walk on day 2, admission included.
Check dates for the 2-day lava cave tourWhere do you stay and what is included?
The 2-Day West sleeps in a double or twin room in Borgarnes with breakfast. The northern lights trip uses a hotel in the Borgarfjordur area with breakfast and offers a single room.
On the 2-Day West you bring only small carry-on luggage, such as a backpack. Leave the suitcase at your Reykjavik hotel. The minibus has WiFi and a USB charger at every seat. Dinner is on you; a guest found the hotel "in a lovely little town with plenty of dinner options".
On the northern lights trip, solo travellers either pay for the single room option or share with a participant of the same gender. Lunch on both days and dinner are not included.
Which two-day tour should you book?
The 2-Day West for most people and every summer date. The northern lights trip for a winter trip where the aurora is the priority.
- Book the 2-Day West for the included lava cave, the higher rating (4.9), children from 5 and the Silver Circle waterfalls.
- Book the northern lights trip from late September to early April if the aurora hunt matters most, and if two hours at Arnarstapi and Djupalonssandur appeal. It rates 4.4.
- Skip both if one long day is fine: the day tours cost a third of the price.
Can you make your own two days instead?
Yes: a Snaefellsnes day tour plus a separate Silver Circle and Vidgelmir day, or a hire car with a night at Arnarstapi or Hellnar.
Two separate day tours mean two early starts and two long drives from Reykjavik, but you keep your own hotel and can leave a rest day between them. A hire car in summer lets you walk Arnarstapi to Hellnar, take the Vatnshellir tour and catch Kirkjufell at sunset. Private tour or self-drive runs through the costs.
Day one sorted: the Nicetravel small group, the same route as the 2-Day West's first day.
Check dates for the small-group national park tripFrequently asked questions
Is the lava cave included on the 2-day Snaefellsnes tour?
On the Nicetravel 2-Day West, yes: Vidgelmir admission is included. On the 2-day northern lights tour, Vatnshellir is optional at extra cost.
Are the northern lights guaranteed on the 2-day tour?
No. The guide hunts for them only if the forecast is promising, and cloud often wins.
Can I bring a suitcase on the 2-day tour?
Not on the 2-Day West: only small carry-on luggage such as a backpack. Leave the rest at your Reykjavik hotel.
Are meals included on the 2-day tours?
Breakfast at the hotel is included on both. Lunches and dinner are not.
Ready to book
Choose your tour
Free cancellation up to 24 hours before on every option. Prices are from-prices in USD and move with the season.
2-Day West: Lava Cave & Silver Circle
Snaefellsnes, a night in Borgarnes, then Vidgelmir lava cave and Hraunfossar
2-Day Snaefellsnes & Northern Lights
Two hours each at Arnarstapi and Djupalonssandur, a hotel night and an aurora hunt
