A luxury trip to Iceland? Well, they do servewhole lobsters for just £5 from time to time…
Joking aside, it feels like you might be in need of a holiday far beyond everyone’s favourite freezer-based supermarket? With the summer holidays just around the corner, now is the ideal time to plan – and we mean really plan – that dream ‘luxury’ getaway.
Of course, luxury travel means different things to different people, and although the first connotation with the word is so often found on the beach, if you don’t fancy a holiday spent on golden sands, then why not play the opposite game and consider a holiday in Iceland?
The Land of Ice and Fire is just the change of scenery you need; a jolting, magical place sure to dust off the cobwebs and inspire the mind, body and soul. If you’re looking to explore further, here are 9 ideas for the IDEAL luxury trip to Iceland.
Soak In Geothermal Luxury
When most people think of Iceland, the Blue Lagoon springs to mind – and rightly so. This milky blue geothermal wonder is one of the country’s most photographed spots, but luxury travellers know there’s so much more to Iceland’s spa culture than this famous lagoon. The entire country sits atop a geological hotspot, meaning natural hot springs bubble up from the earth across the island.
For a truly luxurious experience, consider The Retreat at Blue Lagoon, an exclusive spa hotel with private lagoon access, or venture to the Secret Lagoon in Flúðir for a more intimate setting surrounded by natural beauty. The mineral-rich waters aren’t just Instagram-worthy – they’re genuinely therapeutic, rich in silica and algae that leave your skin feeling impossibly soft. After hours soaking in naturally heated waters while snow might be falling around you, you’ll understand why Icelanders have made geothermal bathing an art form.
Chase The Aurora Borealis In Style
The Northern Lights are perhaps Iceland’s most magical draw, and witnessing this celestial dance is the kind of once-in-a-lifetime experience that defines luxury travel. But forget standing around in the cold with dozens of other tourists – there are far more sophisticated ways to aurora hunt.
Consider booking a luxury Northern Lights tour that includes heated glass igloos or geodesic domes where you can watch the sky in warmth and comfort, champagne in hand. Some operators offer aurora wake-up calls at luxury hotels, so you can slip from your warm bed directly into a private vehicle when the lights appear.
For the ultimate experience, combine your aurora viewing with other activities – Northern Lights photography workshops, romantic dinners under the stars, or even hot spring soaks while the green lights dance overhead. The aurora season runs from September to March, with the darkest months offering the best viewing opportunities.
Read: How to see the Northern Lights at their very best
Private Travel
A huge part of luxury travel is the opportunity to take things slow, not having to rush from site to site, museum to restaurant, or spa to Northern lights viewing spot. Such trips, spent hastily travelling from place to place, often in large tour groups and not at your own pace, certainly aren’t relaxing. Instead, consider hiring a private driver to take you to spots remote and off the beaten path.
If you want to go all out, then what about a private jet? Yes really. Private jet rentals are becoming more and more feasible – see: affordable – for everyday folk, and in increasingly uncertain times, private airline companies are finding their services needed by a wider range of travellers keen to keep things tight and exclusive.
For frequent flyers, there’s also the option of fractional ownership – where you buy a share of an aircraft rather than chartering per trip. You can either hunt down a detailed fractional jet ownership website or explore traditional charter options, depending on how often you plan to take to the skies.
One of the most surprising parts of private plane travel is that the fees are not based on the number of passengers, but the flight itself. With a group of a few friends or colleagues, many people find flying private less expensive than flying business class because of this. Doing so in Iceland, with the chance to view the dramatic landscape from below, sounds just the first class ticket to us.
Hire A Helicopter
Speaking of things that fly in the sky – nope, not the country’s famous puffins – an Icelandic holiday spent in a helicopter provides perhaps the very best opportunity to appreciate the stunning, dramatic scenery that this great country has to offer. A puffin’s eye view of must see Icelandic sights like the Gullfoss Falls, Öxarárfoss Waterfall, and the geysers and glaciers of Vatnajökull and Snæfellsjökull from the unrivalled vantage point of a helicopter? Yes please!
The exclusivity of having a helicopter experience just for the two of you is pretty luxurious, don’t you think? Incredibly, helicopter tours for two of some of Iceland’s most famous sites start at around ISK 50’000 – that’s less than £300!
Whale Watching With A Difference
If luxury to you means undertaking a new experience, then whale watching in Iceland is for you. Iceland, or rather the waters surrounding Iceland, is considered Europe’s premier whale watching destination. A mix of cold and warm water sea currents and abundant summer daylight means that a huge variety of fish and krill call the Greenland Sea, the Norwegian Sea, the Atlantic Ocean and the Denmark Strait home. Of course, this also attracts whales to these waters, happy for an all-you-can-eat buffet every time they swim with their mouths open.
Incredibly, off the 3000 miles of Iceland’s rugged coastline you’ll find 23 different species of whale, and you might see everything from huge sperm whales to playful killer whales on a whale watching trip. The Minke whale is the most commonly sighted and can be seen off Reykjavik on a boat tour.
However, if you’re looking for a near-guarantee of whale pod sightings, then you should head to Húsavík, on the island’s north east, which also boasts a whale museum in the town. Should your thirst still not be sated, then back in Reykjavik, there’s a whale museum too, which is, in fact, the largest whale exhibition in Europe. Wow.
Read: 8 of the best places in the world for whale watching
A Foodie Tour Of Reykjavik
While ‘Nordic’ cuisine as a whole has enjoyed significant publicity and praise in recent years, Icelandic fare remains something of a niche enthusiasm outside of the subregion. But those who scratch the surface just a little are richly rewarded.
Though throwing back some Hakarl – that’s fermented shark – or Svio (half a sheep’s head) may not sound exactly luxurious to the layperson, some of Iceland’s traditional recipes have been seriously refined over the centuries. Some preparations, however, remain exactly the same; if it’s not broke, don’t fix it, hey?
We’ve written a guide to six of Iceland’s signature dishes and where to try them in the capital Reykavik, but if you’re seeking a more ‘fine’ dining experience, then rest assured, Iceland’s capital boasts cutting edge cuisine in droves. Some of the premier foodie spots in the city for a luxury eating experience include Dill, the country’s only Michelin starred restaurant, and Óx a tiny hidden counter dinner joint serving ultra-modern interpretations of Icelandic classics. A fusing of traditional and modern eating? Sounds like luxury to us!
Camping
Whilst camping in colder climes isn’t exactly everyone’s idea of luxury (brrrrr), if accruing new experiences – rather than Egyptian thread count, marble bathtubs and gold taps – is how you define opulence, then sleeping out under the stars and nylon in Iceland might be just up your snow covered street.
Rather than waste both our time detailing advice on how to do camping right in the country, we’ll redirect you to our tips for a camping trip in Iceland. You’ll find everything you need there!
Stay In Unique Luxury Accommodation
Iceland’s accommodation scene goes far beyond standard hotels, offering some truly extraordinary places to rest your head. For travellers seeking something special, the country boasts luxury glass igloos and geodesic domes that let you sleep under the stars (and hopefully the Northern Lights) while staying perfectly warm and comfortable.
Some of the most exclusive properties include remote luxury lodges accessible only by private transport, offering complete isolation in Iceland’s dramatic landscape. These aren’t just places to sleep – they’re experiences in themselves, with floor-to-ceiling windows showcasing views of glaciers, volcanoes, or the ocean, private hot tubs fed by natural geothermal sources, and interiors that blend Scandinavian design with Iceland’s raw natural beauty.
Many also offer bespoke experiences like private chef services featuring local ingredients, in-house spa treatments, and guided excursions that start right from your accommodation’s doorstep.
Explore Ice Caves & Glaciers With Expert Guides
Iceland’s glaciers and ice caves offer some of the most otherworldly experiences on Earth, but accessing them safely requires serious expertise. This is where luxury travel shines – private glacier guides and small-group ice cave expeditions that prioritise both safety and exclusivity.
Vatnajökull National Park, home to Europe’s largest glacier, offers stunning blue ice caves that form naturally each winter. With a private guide, you can explore these crystal cathedrals without crowds, learning about glaciology and climate science while surrounded by impossible shades of blue.
Some luxury operators even offer helicopter access to remote ice caves and glacier lagoons, combining multiple Iceland experiences into one spectacular day. The expertise of professional guides means you’ll not only stay safe but gain insights into Iceland’s unique geology that you’d never get on a standard tour.
The Bottom Line
If luxury to you means having everything taken care of and not having to plan anything, then consider booking a tour operator to take care of your every need and get the most out of the geothermal wonderland that is Iceland.
Traversing the Land of Fire and Ice safely, without leaving a trace or a memory behind, requires logistical prowess. As such, this is one country where we’d recommend having your itinerary penned and taken care of for you; places are remote and rugged, hotels exclusive and travel options often limited and erratic.
Enlisting a tour operator assures access to the unknown locations and private, restricted access resorts and restaurants which you may not be able to reach otherwise. They’ll be able to plan all the important details of your trip, like the best and vantage point to see the Aurora Borealis and the quietest time to visit the Blue Lagoon.
Being able to luxuriate in Iceland’s culture and lose yourself in the landscape without worrying about researching your next move sounds like pure luxury to us.
