Northern Lights Yoga & Adventure Retreat in North Iceland

A typical day starts with breakfast at your apartment or hotel, then a walk or short transfer to the wellness centre for a morning yoga class — usually 90 minutes, in a room with underfloor heating and a view of the fjord. Some teachers run a slower, more restorative practice; others teach a stronger vinyasa flow. After class there is time for the sauna or jacuzzi before lunch.

Most afternoons are spent out in the landscape. The exact excursions shift with weather and road conditions, but the regulars on this itinerary are a hike to one of the region's frozen waterfalls (Godafoss and Dettifoss are both within reach), a drive out to the Myvatn area to soak in the Nature Baths, and a stop to ride Icelandic horses through the countryside. Evenings are either free in Akureyri — a small city with a handful of good restaurants and bars — or spent chasing the Northern Lights, which means driving out of town to somewhere dark and waiting.

What separates this from a general Iceland tour is that you are based in one place the whole week rather than moving hotels every night. Akureyri sits on Eyjafjordur, about 100km from the Arctic Circle, and it has a milder winter climate than the south coast, which makes the hiking and the evening drives more comfortable than people expect. It also means you get to know the town: the same café, the same walk to the studio, the same view each morning.

One Yoga Global handles the logistics — internal flights from Reykjavik to Akureyri, airport transfers, accommodation, the studio booking, and the excursions — so teachers who lead these weeks can concentrate on teaching, which is why the roster includes senior international teachers like Donna Farhi. It also means the group arrives and leaves together rather than assembling piecemeal.

Come for the yoga, but most people describe the aurora as the thing they remember. Guests regularly report the best moment of the week as standing in a hot spring at Myvatn while the lights moved overhead, and the second-best as riding Icelandic horses across open country. If you have never done either, this is a good first trip: the days are structured, the distances are short, and there is always someone from the group around.

What's included

- Accommodation in a private apartment with geothermal jacuzzi or at a local hotel - Internal flight from Reykjavik to Akureyri - Airport transfers in Akureyri - Daily morning yoga classes in a private studio - Use of the wellness centre's sauna, jacuzzi and facilities - Guided afternoon excursions (waterfalls, geothermal sites, countryside) - Visit to the Myvatn Nature Baths - Icelandic horse riding - Evening Northern Lights chases when conditions allow - Breakfast daily - Welcome and farewell group dinners

What's not included

- International flights to and from Iceland - Travel insurance - Lunches and most dinners - Massage and spa treatments - Alcoholic drinks - Personal expenses and souvenirs - Optional extra excursions not listed in the programme - Anything not specifically listed as included