147 reviews of Northern Lights Night Tour from Reykjavik
Read what other Viator.com travelers think about the Northern Lights Night Tour from Reykjavik. What they loved, what they liked and what they think could be improved, it's all here to help you make the most of your next trip.
Reviewed by ltownsend2008, April 2013
Right, let's get this straight so no one else gets as confused as we did. First off don't expect to see lights like you do in pictures and postcards. This is how the camera see's the lights which is NOT the same as how the naked eye sees the lights. A camera lets in a lot more light so is able to collect more colour for the image. If you see lights like in the photos then you are very very lucky indeed! What you will be looking for are "bows" or "electrically charged" sections of the sky. You might see some cloudy night time rainbows or some pale green swoops. Of course this is still a nice experience.
I tried this trip four times to try and get some good photos. The first night we saw a very pale "bow" and on the way home a green streak that was apparently rated a 5 but we couldn't get out the coach. The second night was cancelled. The third we saw nothing at all. The fourth night was the best as we went to a family run hotel in a field. They had hot chocolate and waffles, ping-pong table and seating area so this was a much more enjoyable trip. Previously we had only the coach to keep warm on and stopped for an hour at a service station to wait for it to get dark.
If you are patient, bring lots and lots of warm layers and BRING A TRIPOD then you will have a much nicer time than everyone else. You can not take photos just holding the camera or balancing it on the floor/your knee/friend's head. You need to have a camera that will let you set manually or have at least a 10 second shutter speed.
Go with the expectation that you won't see anything but it will be nice if you do and just enjoy the ride, then you won't be disappointed if nothing happens. Don't sit on the bus and complain that it's late and cold and boring and you didn't see anything. Nature is unpredictable and you need to respect this!!
On the plus side the tour guides are very enthusiastic, helpful with setting up your camera and have a lot of things to tell you and share with you.
Reviewed by Angela A, March 2013
our trip was cancelled twice because of cloud . When we eventually went on our last night, it was a very a clear night but unfortunately there was no solar activity. however we were informed that as we had not been lucky enough to see the Northern Lights our tickets would be valid for two years if we hapened to return to iceland. You cannot get fairer than that! It was an enjoyable but cold trip anyway.
Reviewed by aluminiumfrank, March 2013
Great tour but the pick up at 7.30 ish is far too early, going out about 9 would be much better and leave you exposed to the cold much less. About 45 min trip out of the city away from all light polution to an isolated spot, there is a cafe you can go in and out of and the buses stay open..guides are really good and know when they are about to appear...Unless you have an intimate knowledge of photography and a brilliant camera, don't take photos, as the flash on your digital one just spoils it...all you could hear was shouts of no flash for hours...we went after the solar flares so we were dead lucky
Reviewed by santosh h, March 2013
the tour was awesome... we were lucky enough to check out the northern lights
Reviewed by cecilia o, March 2013
After waiting for a couple hours, we saw the lights right before we were leaving. That was awesome
Reviewed by Tian S, January 2013
Our tour was cancelled the first night due to poor weather. We went two other nights but didn't see the lights on either night. Overall the tours were well run and the tour guides were very engaging and entertaining. It was a good tour overall, just a shame we didn't get to see the lights.
Reviewed by SARAH D HUSFORD H, December 2012
I DID SEE THE NORTHERN LIGHTS-NOT AN AMAZING DISPLAY BUT IT WAS GOOD TO SAY I HAD SEEN THEM .
WE WENT TO A BEACH AREA NOT FAR FROM THE AIRPORT and IF THEY WERE NOT SIGHTED YOU WOULD GET A FREE RETURN VISIT
Reviewed by caz13, December 2012
This was a v ery interesting and fun trip even though we did not get to see the Northern Lights. We managed to do the trip a second time but again without success. It is just not possible to always see the lights but obviously disappointing not to do so.
Reviewed by Tim F, April 2012
Unfortunately we didn't,t see the lights but this was certainly not for lack of trying from the tour guide and bus driver. They made several stops in different places to try and get visibility but it was not to be. The tour guide was very knowledgeable and we took in a stop at a beach which went down very well with our 2 children.
Reviewed by Mark L, March 2012
Good tour, we were lucky in that we got to see the lights at the last moment. But if we didn't get to see them they would have offered going on a tour on another night free.
Reviewed by Tracy, February 2012
This company (Icelandic Excursions) is great! We came during a very cloudy week and the tour was pushed off for three days. On the third day it was clear enough to try, and the tour guide and bus driver really did. We did see the lights a little bit, but I was more impressed with how hard the company was working to get us to the right spot. This tour depends on weather, so you must be patient and you may be disappointed if you do not see the lights. You will NOT be disappointed with this company's service, Icelanders, or Iceland. Good luck!
Reviewed by broadwayeyes, September 2011
Sadly there were no Northern Lights but still had an amzing time!
Reviewed by Keeley M, March 2011
What's to say, if you get to see them the reviews I'm sure would be great. We got to see a faint ribbon, but it wasn't classed as seeing them though. If you want photos make sure your camera can be set a slower shutter speed (20-30secs). We could see them better on the photos than to our eye.
