Looking for a Reputable Tour company for a multi-day tour to include the Aug 12, 2025 Eclipse in the Westfjords, Iceland.
Many are already sold out, and independent travel would be difficult since the hotels are also already booked.
I am considering Betchart Expeditions, a tour company out of California. Does anyone have experience with them?
Are they reputable?
Thanks,
JD
Have you checked the local companies such as Tröll Expeditions, Arctic Adventures, Reykjavik Excursions?
Never heard of Betchart. Have you found any on-line reviews?
At this late date (and for total eclipse purposes, it's very late to book) you are probably going to have a hard time finding a company that has availability. Make sure to check other forums such as Trip Advisor, Reddit, BBB, etc. to ensure any company you select is legit. If there isn't much about them in multiple places, I would be wary (but that's me). As you're looking at a very expensive trip at $6k per person plus two airfares, I'd suggest getting very good travel insurance just in case.
Crossing my fingers that you will have clear skies for the eclipse!
Thank you to CL and everyone who gave such good advice.
I have developed the following standards for reviewing prospective tours:
Check reviews on Trip Advisor, Rick Steves, Google, etc.
Red Flag: The only reviews I found for Betchart were on a wierd website, and all 10 reviews had the exact same wording.
Does the tour company have a physical address and phone?
The physical address for Betchart is a 4 bedroom home per Google Map and realtor listings.
Do they have accreditation on IATA, ASTA (or similar for European tour companies)?
IATA allows you to verify the code to make sure it is real. I found no accreditation for Betchart.
Does the website look reasonable? Do they specify included and excluded costs? Do they post an itinerary?
The Betchart website just displays a brochure.
I hope these review standards will help the next person.
And, I am still looking for an eclipse tour, but now emailing local companies in Iceland. One difficulty is, because I turn 77 on Eclipse Day, I can not do the adventure tours where they hike to see the eclipse.
JD
