Have you been on a Gate 1 trip to Iceland?
 

A group of us (ten couples) are interested in taking one of Gate 1's trips to Iceland. Has anyone gone on this particular trip? or any of the Gate 1 trips to Iceland? https://www.gate1travel.com/europe/s...ffisnlp16.aspx

We are really not interested in doing this on our own...when you have twenty people it will be much easier to go with a tour group.

We would like to go in February in hopes of seeing the Northern Lights.

ttt

anybody out there?

Hello marlib,
I haven't been on this trip (or any Gate 1 or other organised tour) so you can take this with a pinch of salt, but the tour in your link looks like good value to me.

It would be interesting to know which hotels / accommodation you'll be in at both locations as naturally standards and quality vary wildly but it looks like a pretty safe bet for a first-time, scratch the surface tour for a group of twenty.

I've been to Iceland a few times and can't say that I was ever interested in seeing a couple of the stops on the proposed itinerary (Hofdi House and the Geothermal power plant) but if it's interesting to you and your group, that's all that matters.

I think there are more interesting places to spend half a day in Iceland, but cost-wise, this looks good value, considering all transfers and most meals are included.

Again, would be good to know what food you'll be served (or if you even have a choice) as the food options in Iceland can range from "challenging" to absolutely incredible.

Hope this helps!

Well, at least it'll be more useful than the previous responses...

I have taken Gate 1 trips: two were independent and one escorted. They were well done and I was very satisfied with Gate1. All were good a value. Customer service was excellent. Tour director on the esorted trip was outstanding.

Years ago I took an escorted tour with a group of 23 friends. Our organizer contacted the tour company, asked if it would consider setting up a tour just for our group. The organizer had to guarantee a minimum number of participants. The tour was one of their standard tours but it was only for our group.
I will point out our organizer uses this tour company often for personal trips.

I would call Gate 1 customer service and ask if they could arrange a tour for you.

We used Gate 1 for the Northern Lights Iceland last February for 4 nights in Reykjavik. We saw the Northern Lights but waited for a few hours before its appearance. Wear worm clothes. Hand and Feet warmers used for skiing were really a life saver. The Foss Hotel in town was great and near everything. Their breakfasts are hearty and plentiful. We took the tours you are offered but had to pay extra. Interesting to learn about Iceland and what makes the land sustainable. Very educational. the price is reasonable. If you are using Iceland Air........It is a no frills flight..........very friendly, efficient, clean and impressive. We had to fly out of Seattle since Icelandic did not fly out of SFO so had to pay extra. Have a great time.......... Food in Iceland is wonderfully fresh and everything is so natural..........

One last thought.......Gate 1 is very efficient and organized. When one of our tour was cancelled due to weather, Gate 1 immediately reimbursed us without delay. They had a rep at the hotel to answer any questions we may have had. Only thing to consider would be the amount of people in the group...........If that does not bother you......enjoy!

I'd only add that if customization is possible for your group of 10, to add a night to the South Coast so from Vik, you can get to Jokulsarlon, the incredible glacial lagoon and black sand beach littered with icebergs. One of the South Coast's top sights, it'd be a shame to miss it, and was one of my favorite places in Iceland on my 10 day trip in March 2015. It's 2 1/2 hrs or so drive from Vik.

On the way to or fro, you can visit Skaftafell, maybe see if Gate 1 can organize glacier trekking or ice caving. Svartifoss is another worthy waterfall in that area to add to Skogafoss and Seljalandsfoss.

Thank you for all the replies! We have booked the trip and I will try to post a review of it!