Volcano Hike and Northern Lights Tour: Day Into Night at Meradalir

The inclusions and the gaps

Transportation, expert guidance and on-board WiFi are included on both legs, and the structured itinerary also lists a 30-minute visit to the Northern Lights center in Reykjavik with admission covered. What is not included is food or drink at any point, and hiking poles, which the operator rents for $9 per person. There is no stated entrance fee for the hike or the aurora portion. A second pickup for the evening leg is part of the ticket, which matters because the gap between the tours is your own time in Reykjavik.

The honest note: this is also a thin listing on practical detail. No return time, no stated hiking distance and no weather guidance beyond the standard cancellation policy. If those gaps matter to you, confirm them with the operator before paying, and read the packing guide so nothing on the trail surprises you.

Where the money goes

Compared with the daytime-only listings, the extra cost buys the second coach leg and the aurora hunt rather than more time at the volcano. The Fagradalsfjall small-group hike costs $157 for 4 hours with a cap of 8 participants, against up to 60 here. The full picture of what each tour type charges sits in the Fagradalsfjall price comparison.

If your main goal is the volcano and the aurora feels secondary, a daytime hike alone starts at $132 with the afternoon hike. If you want one booking and one pickup, this is what the premium pays for.

Afternoon: the drive and the hike

You leave Reykjavik in the late morning, with views of Kleifarvatn Lake on the way across the Reykjanes peninsula. The hike itself gets about 5 hours in the structured itinerary, over mossy lava fields and mountain slopes to the Meradalir eruption site, the valley where lava covered the 2021 flows for about 18 days in August 2022. The description warns routes change with volcano activity and the hike can run anywhere from 2 to 4 hours.

Expect uneven ground the whole way, no shops on the trail, and no flowing lava, whatever the description says.

• Drive from Reykjavik toward the eruption area, passing Kleifarvatn Lake
• Hike to Meradalir, 1.5 to 2 hours each way, routes change with conditions
• About 80 minutes of driving around the Reykjanes peninsula
• A 10-minute stop at Seltun hot springs, skipped on longer hike days

Evening: the aurora hunt

You are dropped back in Reykjavik with time to eat and change, since dinner is your own cost. At 21:30 the second pickup starts from the same location as the morning tour. The itinerary also lists about 30 minutes at the Northern Lights center in Reykjavik, admission included, and roughly 4 hours of hunting.

The driver heads toward whatever part of the countryside has the best cloud gap, visiting 2 or 3 locations. This is the part of the ticket with a real safety net: the listing states that if the weather wins, you can join another northern lights tour free of charge. Daylight is the constraint, because the aurora needs full darkness.

The month-by-month guide shows when the night leg has a fair chance.

Under 12s and pregnancy

Children under 12 are not permitted on this tour, on the hike or the aurora leg. That is stricter than several daytime listings, and Safetravel guidance also recommends under-12s stay away from the eruption area when gas pollution is present, so the limit has a safety logic as well as an operator one. Pregnant travelers are advised against joining, again consistent with the gas guidance for the area.

Families should look instead at the minibus loop through Grindavik and the geopark, which has no stated age limit, or read the guide to visiting Fagradalsfjall with kids.

Fitness, backs and mobility

The listing asks for a high level of physical fitness and describes the terrain as uneven. It is not recommended for travelers with spinal injuries, and no wheelchair access is stated. The 1.5 to 2 hour hike each way, possibly stretching to 4 hours total if routes change, is the reason.

If you want the volcano without that demand, the helicopter flight over the eruption sites needs no hiking at all, or the geologist-led hike offers expert interpretation in a 6-person group if you can handle rough ground. Anyone unsure about gas, weather or their own health should read the safety guide first.

The stale eruption language

The description promises a live volcanic eruption and piping hot magma. The Icelandic Met Office reports no active eruption on the Reykjanes peninsula, with the most recent one ending in early August 2025, and its own update names a magma intrusion from Svartsengi into the Sundhnúkur crater row, possibly leading to an eruption, as the likely next step without predicting a date. You will walk the cooled 2022 lava in Meradalir.

That is still a good walk, but arrive with that expectation. The mistakes guide covers this booking mistake.

Cancellation and the questions to ask

Cancel 24 hours or more before departure for a full refund, nothing inside that window. The operator can also cancel for bad weather or too few travelers. Before paying, confirm three things with the operator: your exact pickup point and time, which trail the guide plans for that day since routes change with volcano activity, and what happens if gas pollution or a new eruption closes the area, which can happen at short notice.

In winter, ask whether crampons are provided if the trail ices. The weather cancellation guide explains who cancels and what you get back.

What to wear and the rules on the ground

Coastal Iceland in the dark months means wind, rain and uneven cooled lava. Waterproof layers, sturdy boots, gloves and a hat matter more than any gadget, and a headlamp helps after sunset. Never walk on the lava itself, even where it looks solid, because the crust can hide hot rock underneath and the rule stays in force after an eruption ends.

Check the live gas forecast at loftgaedi.is before you set out, since gas is invisible and odorless and can collect quickly. The full kit list is in the what to bring guide.

Darkness is the point of the second leg

The aurora half needs real darkness. In September Reykjavik sunset moves from 20:47 to 19:03 across the month, which makes the 21:30 departure work well. From late August or September through mid-April is the general aurora season, when dark clear skies away from town light are possible.

On a cloudy night the listing lets you rejoin another aurora tour free of charge, which is the honest answer to Iceland's cloud cover.