The Northern Lights are one of the world’s most spectacular natural phenomenon, and Iceland is one of few places in the world where it’s possible to view the elusive Aurora borealis. Maximize your chances of witnessing nature’s lightshow on this tour from Reykjavík, and seek out the best viewing spots around the city.

Northern Lights viewing tour from Reykjavík
A chance to see the spectacular Aurora Borealis
Seasonal tour available from September to mid-April
Choice of evening departure times available

What's Included

Bus Fare
Professional Local Guidance
Free Wi-Fi

Food and drinks
Gratuities
Pickup from hotels

Meeting And Pickup

Meeting point

Bus Terminal Reykjavík
Vatnsmýrarvegur 10, 101 Reykjavík, Iceland
BSI Bus Terminal is the meeting point for the tour.

End point

This activity ends back at the meeting point.

What To Expect

Begin your evening adventure with pick-up from central Reykjavík and admire the capital’s illuminated landmarks as you head out of the city. As the glittering skyline fades from view, listen as your guide explains the natural phenomenon of the Northern Lights, caused by the interaction of particles from the sun with the upper atmosphere near the North Pole. Learn how the lights are the result of collisions between gaseous particles in the Earth's atmosphere and charged particles released from the sun's atmosphere, and discover the science behind the variations in color and brightness.

Depending on the weather and ‘Aurora forecast’, your guide takes you to the viewing locations where you are most likely to spot the Northern Lights, so make sure you have your camera ready. If you’re lucky, get a chance to admire the mesmerizing light show, before journeying back to Reykjavík, where your tour ends.

Please note: the Northern Lights in Iceland are visible only during the winter months, from September to April, and sightings are not guaranteed. However, if you don‘t see any Northern Lights during the tour, you are welcome to join the tour again, free of charge, on another night. For this reason, we recommend booking your Northern Lights tour for early-on in your trip, in case it needs to be rescheduled.

Reykjavik Excursions (Pass By)

Iceland (Pass By)

Additional Info

Confirmation will be received at time of booking
This tour depends on weather and sightings are not guaranteed. The tour may be cancelled on the day if the weather is poor
Remember to dress warmly
No pickups from hotels
Indicated return times can vary.

Not wheelchair accessible
Near public transportation
Most travelers can participate
This tour/activity will have a maximum of 99 travelers

Cancellation Policy

You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.

For a full refund, you must cancel at least 24 hours before the experience’s start time.
If you cancel less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time, the amount you paid will not be refunded.
Any changes made less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time will not be accepted.

Cut-off times are based on the experience’s local time.
This experience requires good weather. If it’s canceled due to poor weather, you’ll be offered a different date or a full refund.

about cancellations.

Traveler Photos

Traveler Tips

The northern lights are a must to anyone travelling to Iceland!

The wait for the magic was long and freezing cold but it was all worthwhile at the end of the day.

Luckily saw some activity second time so was worth it.

Reviews

3.5

649 reviews

Total review count and overall rating based on Viator and Tripadvisor reviews

Reviews by Viator travelers.

Showing 1-10 of 649 reviews

Fantastic experience!

Amy_F, Mar 2023

Fantastic. I wish I have a good camera to capture this amazing experience. The tour operators are amazing and extremely helpful. Before you take this trip make sure you have your camera set up so you don't miss when aurora dance in the sky. Wear warm clothes and shoes because it's so cold in iceland in winter nights.

Response from Host, Mar 2023

Thank you for your review! We're glad to read that you had a pleasant experience and you enjoyed the tour. We thank you for joining us and will be looking forward to seeing you again. Kind regards, Fine

Northern lights adventure

Jacob_L, Mar 2023

My wife and I had a good experience. It was not the best night to see the lights , however, it was not the worst either. As for the company and the staff they did a great job.

Response from Host, Mar 2023

Thank you for your review! We´re glad to read our team offered a pleasant experience and you enjoyed the tour. We thank you for joining us and will be looking forward to seeing you again. Have a lovely day! Fine

Awesome lights 3...

Douglas_H, Mar 2023

Awesome lights 3 consecutive nights. Also very COLD!!! Highly recommend this experience. Company very helpful at return to hotels at 1am.

Response from Host, Mar 2023

Thanks for the review! We´re glad to read our team offered a pleasant experience and you´ve enjoyed the tour. We thank you for joining us and will be looking for seeing you again. Have a wonderful day! Adam

Rubbish

Carol_S, Feb 2023

I know the Northern Lights are unpredictable and we did get the chance to rebook. However a friend went on the same night but with different company. They were taken to a couple of different places and good a great sighting. Our tour went to one place with about 10 coaches stayed about 1.5 hours and saw nothing. Why can't companies communicate if they have good sightings and then move.

Response from Host, Mar 2023

Hello Carol, thank you for taking the time to share your experience with us. We´re sorry to read about this. As the tour is not refundable if operated, we also try our best to operate it if we´re sure we´ll be able to see the lights. Each tour operator is free to estimate whether or not the lights will be visible. Feel free to email us at info@re.is with your booking reference and our team will be happy to help you out if there´s anything you need. Have a wonderful day. Ayline

Don’t do it. Honestly a nightmare.

Laura_S, Jan 2023

The worst tour we went on during our two weeks in Europe. There was no clarity or fun at all. It’s not listed anywhere but you have to go to their office for physical tickets even though you have a viator ticket. Parking, nobody would say if we could park at BSI or not so that was fun. Then the tour was literally just driving out to a little spot with 6 other buses and getting off the bus and standing there. Our guide was useless at explaining anything about the northern lights and was not kind or fun or interactive at all. We had no idea what was happening. We didn’t see the lights which was not their fault but we literally stood in freezing cold for 3 hours with no “guidance” or kindness or info at all. If you have a car go to the lighthouse and see more than you will on this tour or go to the boat northern lights hunt (way more fun, a guide that actually talked, and some guidance but still confusing on meeting points). Avoid this honestly at all costs. A total joke and waste of time.

Response from Host, Mar 2023

Hello and thank you for taking the time to share your experience with us. We´re sorry to read about what happened and would love to hear more about it. Feel free to email us at info@re.is with your booking reference and our team will be happy to help you out. Have a wonderful day. Ayline

1 traveler found this review helpful

Northern lights night trip

Sophia_B, Jan 2023

Great night trip to the Northern Lights. Tour guide was very fun and friendly. Well organised trip with the pick up and drop off points. The northern lights were present on my visit but it’s important to remember that photos may show the lights more than what can be seen with the eye in real life

Response from Host, Apr 2023

Thank you for taking the time to share your experience with us! We´re glad you had a great time! I hope you have a lovely day! Eleni

1 traveler found this review helpful

Not really

Khem_t, Dec 2022

Not really seen the northern lights what we accept still enjoy Maybe not a good time for us on the night

1 traveler found this review helpful

Wonderful

Valentina_F, Dec 2022

Wonderful esperience! It has been fantastic see the northern lights. It was so cold! People and guide were very Kinder. I enjoy a lot the trip!

Would not recommend

Eleanor_H, Dec 2022

Quite unhappy with this tour. It was most disappointing that were were left in the cold and dark trying to sort transport back to our accommodation. In the end we could not book a taxi because the operator was too busy so ended up walking 40 minutes home in the early hours of the morning! Not a very positive experience. We would have appreciated it if our bus guide had been more helpful in ensuring we got back to our accommodation ok.

1 traveler found this review helpful

Good lights, more info on stop needed

Bethan_P, Nov 2022

Pick up and drop off very smooth. Useful information on coach. We also got to see the northern lights. Reason for only 3 stars was guide said multiple stops and didn't tell us how long first stop was. Consequently we kept coming back to bus and rushed experience to check. Turned out we were at the one stop all night. This would have been useful to know rather than every time we asked we were told the Northern lights come and go, which was not helpful.

1 traveler found this review helpful

Gratitude

Cecilia_E, Mar 2022

It was a powerful, meaningful, philosophical, scientific, spiritual and unique experience. It is so powerful, that i could not contain my tears , could feel it was -19 C I just felt peace, excitement, reconciliation with the two worlds, and I was able to enjoy it because I was not taking pictures, my husband did, so I got the best of the experience. Gratitude is something that I should tell you, is a moment when you realize how special you are, and how magnificent life is. Shelma

2 travelers found this review helpful

Best night of our life

Shameeka_G, Mar 2022

It was the most amazing experience in my life. The meter was at 2/3 all day but the skies were clear and the weather was good for a majority of the day. As soon as we got off the bus Aurora appeared as a huge rainbow arch in the sky. The last hour of the tour she started dancing and that’s when we got an amazing show of all the colors. Even our tour guide was amazed and fascinated by what we saw. She said it was one of the best northern lights she’s seen because every color was present and Aurora was dancing of course. We took bus #6 and our guide was AMAZING. She really was very friendly, helpful and FUNNY. Please thank all of the staff for us because the night was unforgettable and please give our your guide for bus #6 on 3/4 9pm tour a BIG FAT RAISE!

Host was nice…

Lucia_K, Feb 2022

Host was great (Cecillia?).. the tour was meh. I know you can’t control the lights and it’s not always possible to see them but we drove only 15 minutes out of the city to a car park to try and ‘hunt’ them. This is the only glimpse I got.. they can’t be seen with the naked eye and so you have to have a camera with you that’s capable of night mode. It was freezing, much much colder then I could ever have expected and we saw nothing.. just stared at a black sky for 3 hours.. Bonus, the tour dropped us back near our hotel..

10/10

yvonne_d, Jan 2022

Amazing to see the lights. What an unbelievable experience. Professional tour guide who knew a lot about the lights and how we could best photograph them.

1 traveler found this review helpful

Really Enjoyable

Noah_B, Jan 2022

Tour guide was super nice and made it her mission to get to a good spot to see the lights. Got to see as many lights as were available at the time.

1 traveler found this review helpful

Very cold

Sara_P, Dec 2021

We didn’t get to see the northern lights but it was a nice night with some stars. There is obviously no guarantee that you will see them but if you go in December/winter time make sure to dress extra warm. You stand outside on a peninsula for close to two hours. if you get cold you are allowed to go back into the bus but the busses are shut off with no heat on because it needs to be dark to see the lights. So make sure to dress very very warm. You will be cold.

1 traveler found this review helpful

See nothing tour

Amine_B, Nov 2021

Guide on drugs and bad light polluted area to see Northern lights. Wast of money. Do it yourself is better in this case

2 travelers found this review helpful

Aurora sighting

Raul_L, Oct 2021

Love it will do it again. A memorable experience. Our guide is an expert! Everyone is happy and satisfied how it turns out to be.

Great company to choose

Megan_P, Oct 2021

Good that the operator lets you go back as many times as you wish if you don’t get to see the lights well enough but we didn’t get to see them properly even with 2 nights out in the cold. Each time was a different location based on the forecast that predicts where is best.

1 traveler found this review helpful

Great driver and operator

Mark_F, Feb 2020

Unfortunately we didn't get to see the lights however driver was great and the tour operator was too couldn't fault either and would recommend but hopefully see the lights.

2 travelers found this review helpful

No lights for us.

Kim_S, Feb 2020

Sadly, we did not see any activity, the night of our tour. Tour was rescheduled two previous nights, due to rain. The 3rd night, although cloudy, we were taken out. Not much the tour operator can do about nature.

1 traveler found this review helpful

Not worth your money

Kamila_C, Feb 2020

Not a professional way to treat people. It's very commercial and you don't feel good in hunderds of people squeezed into 6 buses. Lady in our bus sounds bored talking about northen lights. We have our trip in rainy day and there was no way for aurora but they didn't return busses and people were getting cold in the rain. Don't waste your money fot this company, they don't care about you but about money.

2 travelers found this review helpful

Northern lights seen

Simon_B, Jan 2020

A week planned trip to see the northern lights, less by a knowledgeable guide. We were told how to look, where to look and how to photograph the lights. We managed to do this and saw the lights. Would recommend this trip.

Response from Host, Jan 2020

Dear Traveler Thank you for the kind words both about our guide and the tour :) we could not be more thrilled that you enjoyed the tour. Best wishes Team Reykjavik Excursions

Not the best tour

Elvira_W, Dec 2019

The guides were great at building excitement on the night driving out to the spot however, we did not see activity on the night. I think to see the lights it would be better to do a smaller more specialised tour perhaps. There were too many people (3 bus loads at the one spot) and when you are there it is pitch black and people were walking all over the moss and damaging the surrounding area. After the tour we were told by locals that you generally have about a 25% chance of seeing the lights on a tour like this.

Northern Lights Tour

Juni_R, Nov 2019

Overall is good, well organize but it would be a plus if all the bus have a toilets since it's about 3 hours trip.

Response from Host, Nov 2019

Dear traveler, Thank you very much for your feedback, it means a lot to us. Kind regards and welcome back! Team Reykjavik Excursions

1 traveler found this review helpful

Unlucky

BarryA1720, Nov 2019

We were very unlucky when it came to seeing the Northern Lights but I will still rate Reykjavik excursions 4 stars regardless as they can't help the weather. We were booked the first night but unfortunately it got cancelled due to extremely bad weather. Reykjavik excursions sorted this and transferred us on to the following nights tour. This night we got out and they tried their best to hunt down a break in the clouds, taking us to various locations for us to try and see the lights unfortunately it just wasn't meant to be and the weather and clouds wouldn't give us a break we were hoping for. The guide was very knowledgeable and helpful and I would still recommend this tour. Unfortunately you can't plan for bad weather so you know it's a 50/50 chance of seeing the lights when you book the tour. My only gripe was I would like to see reykjavik excursions maybe offer a hotel pick up for the tour as you have to make your own way to the BSI Bus Station which in the cold and rain isn't the most pleasant 20-30 minute walk (when you are on a budget with reykjavik prices paying a taxi wasn't really an option haha) but that is only a minor issue.

Response from Host, Nov 2019

We are glad to hear that you were happy with our services. Thank you for taking the time to give us your feedback and hopefully we will see you on board again in the future! -Team Reykjavik Excursions

No lights seen for us

MichelleK3373, Nov 2019

Tour guide was very friendly & knowledgeable. Bus journey was comfortable. Unfortunately we never seen anything but then it's not a guarantee. It does get very cold out so wrap up warm. Would definitely go again to see if lucky enough next time.

Response from Host, Nov 2019

Thank you for taking the time to share your great experience with us! All the best, Team Reykjavik Excursions

Cancelled

christianhewitt, Nov 2019

I had a message a few hours before to say the tour was cancelled - no response at all and no refund!

1 traveler found this review helpful

Northern lights trip

Storyteller448826, Nov 2019

Managed to see lights which was good but there’s a lot of waiting around in the cold - you must dress warmly. The tour guide was very very chatty and talked the entire way there. We weren’t so lucky as the lights only lasted about 10 minutes but there was a hot drinks and snacks van.

Response from Host, Nov 2019

Dear traveler, Thank you very much for your feedback, it means a lot to us. Kind regards and welcome back! Team Reykjavik Excursions

Cancelled without reason

Kevin_R, Nov 2019

Cancelled on the morning. Within the terms but no word as to why, would have been useful to know so could have booked elsewhere for that night or Sunday if it was not due to the opportunity to see them

1 traveler found this review helpful

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