Iceland tours in Spanish, German or Chinese

Short answer: yes. If you would rather hear the day in Spanish, German or Chinese, there are scheduled small-group tours from Reykjavík at €114 to €205 a seat, and private guides from about €800 a vehicle. The choice is narrower than in English, so book earlier than you would otherwise.

Spanish

Nordur Travel runs two full days entirely in Spanish, in a minibus of no more than 19 people. The Golden Circle with Kerið and a farm visit is €114 for nine hours. It covers Þingvellir, Geysir, Gullfoss, a family farm, the Friðheimar tomato greenhouse and Kerið crater. The South Coast day is €124 for ten hours: Skógafoss, Reynisfjara, Vík, the Sólheimajökull glacier and Seljalandsfoss. Both take children from 4 and cancel free until 24 hours before.

The downside is the number of departures. These are not hourly buses. Check your date before you plan around them.

German

The scheduled option we sell is aimed at cruise passengers. The German-guided Golden Circle from the cruise terminal is €141 for 6.5 hours, small group, with Þingvellir, Geysir and Gullfoss. It is built around a ship’s schedule, so it is a short day. If you are not on a ship, it still works as a half-day, but you will not have time to linger.

For a longer day or a family, go private. Andy Iceland Guide offers a private Golden Circle in English, German or Dutch at €800 for the vehicle, nine hours. It is non-refundable once booked, which is the real catch. If your plans might move, pay for a tour with the 24-hour free cancellation instead.

Chinese

Magic Iceland Travel guides entire days in Chinese on a coach. The South Coast tour is €121 for 10.5 hours: Seljalandsfoss, Skógafoss and Reynisfjara, with the Sólheimasandur plane wreck as an extra you add at payment. Minimum age is 6. The glacier lagoon and Diamond Beach day is €205 for 14 hours. Its description is written around a winter itinerary with Seljalandsfoss lit at night, so read the listing for your month before you pay.

Does the language matter?

For a waterfall, not much. For Þingvellir, yes. The story of the old parliament, the plates and the lawspeaker does not read well from a signboard, and it is the one stop where a guide in your own language earns the fare. Children who are bored in English are bored in Spanish too, so it will not fix that.

The other reason is plain comfort. Ten hours is long to follow a second language, and a guide who can joke in yours makes it a different day.

What to check before booking

• Language is for the guide, not the hotel pickup. The Spanish tours collect from designated bus stops in Reykjavík, not from your door.
• Seats per language are limited. A full English bus does not stop you booking another day. A full Spanish departure may leave you with one date.
• Winter changes the route. In dark months the glacier lagoon day becomes a very long drive in the dark. Weigh it against the shorter South Coast.
• Weather is the same in every language. Tours can be changed or cancelled for road conditions, and nobody promises you a clear sky.

Our honest take

For Spanish speakers, take the Golden Circle first. It is the cheapest at €114, the least tiring, and Þingvellir is where the language matters most. Add the South Coast on another day if you have two to spare.

For German, book the cruise-terminal tour only if you are on a ship. Otherwise go private and accept the €800, or look at an English small-group tour and read the Þingvellir history before you go. For Chinese, the South Coast at €121 is the sensible start, and the 14-hour lagoon day only makes sense in months with decent daylight.

If you travel as five or more with a shared language, the private route stops looking expensive. €800 split five ways is €160 each, with your own timing.