By Zoë Robert
Whale watching, bathing in hot springs, horse riding and sailing under the midnight sun will all be part of a new tour of northern Iceland aimed at taking advantage of the long daylight summer hours.
SBA-Nordurleid (Akureyri Bus Company) Marketing Manager Bergthór Erlingsson says that the 5-day Nature by Night tour offers visitors a full program aimed at experiencing the natural beauty of Iceland.
“In May and June when the sun is highest the idea is to use the part of 24 hours when people are usually sleeping,” he said.
“Instead of just doing something between 10 and 3, the main part of the program is at night. Instead of sleeping in your room or watching TV you’re out doing something.”
According to the tour’s schedule, guests sleep during the morning and awake to brunch before leaving the hotel at 1 pm for the daytime sightseeing program. After dinner the second part of the schedule begins at 10 pm with guests arriving back at the hotel around 3 am.
“We want to use this time of night […] it’s very nice to see nature at this time […] the birds are sleeping so it’s very quiet to watch the sunset,” he added.
The tours, which start in Akureyri, will meet direct flights from Copenhagen and connections from Keflavík during the summer months. Erlingsson says that he wants to offer tourists an alternative experience of Iceland without having to go to Reykjavík. “We want to cover all of northern Iceland,” he said.
After a trial run with press and travel professionals, it is hoped that tours will begin this summer.
Photo courtesy of SBA-Nordurleid.
