Taking a Northern Lights tour from Reykjavik is the best way to increase your chances of seeing the Aurora in Iceland if you don’t want to rent a car or don’t know exactly where to go to look for the Lights.
Although seeing the Northern Lights in Iceland on your own is possible, for many travelers, it’s more convenient to take a Northern Lights excursion in Reykjavik. Another option is to take a multi-day Northern Light tour, but in this article, we will focus only on one-day tours.
Best Northern Lights Tours from Reykjavik (Iceland)
There are incredible places to see the Northern Lights in Reykjavik, just a few minutes away from the city and the light pollution. However, if you don’t know where these locations are and reading the Northern Lights Forecast seems very complicated, my advice is to book a Northern Lights night tour from Reykjavik.
Of course, if you don’t travel during the Northern Lights season, no matter how good the tour you hire; you won’t see this phenomenon.
Best Northern Lights excursions in Reykjavik
We run Photo tours in Iceland every year, and, on the first and last day of our itinerary, we always chase the Northern Lights in areas very close to Reykjavik. However, our tours are aimed at landscape photography enthusiasts, and the tours last seven days.
If you’re just looking for a one-night Northern Lights Tour, don’t worry. We still want to help you make your dream of seeing the Aurora in Iceland come true, since it’s one of the best places to see the northern lights.
Below you’ll find the best excursions to see Northern Lights in Reykjavik, organized by trusted tour operators and with experienced tour guides. With them, seeing the Northern Lights in Reykjavik is always easier. Besides, you can check our guide on the best things to do in Reykjavik, in case you are going to spend some time in this city.
There’s a wide offer of Northern Lights tours in Reykjavik, so in this article, you’ll find only the best ones:
- Best Northern Lights Tours from Reykjavik
- Small-Group Northern Lights Tour
- Northern Lights Private Tour from Reykjavik
- Affordable Northern Lights Tour in Reykjavik
- Northern Lights by Boat in Reykjavik
- Multi-day Northern Lights Tours from Reykjavik
- Other Northern Lights tours in Reykjavik
Best Northern Lights Tours from Reykjavik
Although there are different kinds of excursions, this is the best Northern Lights tour from Reykjavik. The tour operator has many years of experience and will take you to the best places to see the Aurora in Iceland. Even better, they are currently offering a discount, providing one of the best quality-price Northern Lights tours in Reykjavik.
However, the reason this company offers the best Northern Lights excursions in Reykjavik is not because of their price or experience; it’s their policy. If there’s bad weather and you can’t see the Aurora, you can reschedule to be on the next tour for free as many times as you wish until you finally see the Northern Lights (valid for two years).
For this reason, I recommend taking this Northern Lights excursion from Reykjavik during the first night of your trip. That way, if you aren’t lucky, you can take the tour again the rest of the nights on your trip until you finally see the “Green Lady.”
Best Tour to see Northern Lights in Reykjavik
With the tour tickets, you’ll also have the opportunity to visit the Aurora Museum, where you can learn what causes the Northern Lights, how to predict the northern lights, and all the history about this natural phenomenon.
Please bear in mind that this is a Northern Lights bus tour from Reykjavik. Since the Aurora visibility changes every night depending on the conditions, all buses usually go to the same area. In the end, there may be a lot of people in the same location, since the sky is only clear in a small area close to Reykjavik.
If you want something more intimate, I recommend a private Northern Lights tour from Reykjavik or a minibus Aurora tour. You’ll find more information about these options below.
Small-Group Northern Lights Tour from Reyjkavik
Taking a small-group Northern Lights tour from Reykjavik has many advantages. Firstly, you’ll see the Aurora without the crowds that usually gather in the previous tour.
Secondly, the attention is much more personal, and in these tours, the guides offer a much more intimate experience, telling the Icelandic stories and legends related to Northern Lights. If that is something you would like, I suggest taking a minibus Northern Lights tour like this one.
Small-Group Northern Lights Tour from Reyjkavik
It also includes hot chocolate and cookies, perfect for enjoying this natural phenomenon in the cold temperatures.
Like the other top Northern Lights tours in Reykjavik, if you aren’t lucky with the weather, you can retake the tour over the subsequent days.
Northern Lights Private Tours in Reykjavik
There aren’t many experiences like seeing the Northern Lights basically on your own; you can enjoy the show in complete silence, see the lights with your closest friends and family, and even propose to your partner under the magic of the Northern Lights. For any of this, I recommend taking a private Northern Lights Tour from Reykjavik like this one.
Your guide and driver will pick you up from your hotel (here you can see the best Northern Lights hotels in Iceland) and will take you to the best places to see the Aurora that night. Since this private Aurora tour is just for you and your family/friends, the guide will have maximum flexibility to move around to new spots, drastically increasing your chances of seeing the Aurora compared to bus Aurora Tours in Iceland.
Affordable Northern Lights Tours in Reykjavik
Iceland is an expensive country, so if you want to see the Northern Lights on a budget, this is the cheapest Aurora Borealis tour from Reykjavik. Also, you can even enjoy a discount if you book it in advance.
Even though it’s a very cheap Northern Lights excursion from Reyjkavik, they offer you the chance to reschedule the tour for free for a second occasion if the weather doesn’t cooperate.
Cheap Northern Lights Tour from Reykjavik
Bear in mind that this tour, unlike the other Northern Lights tours in Iceland you’ve seen so far, doesn’t include pickup from your hotel.
Aurora bus tours in Reykjavik don’t include personal pick-up either, since they are not allowed to drive on most of the narrow streets of Keflavik. However, they’ll pick you up at the bus stop closest to your hotel.
If this downside is not a problem, this is the best cheap Northern lights tour in Reykjavik for you.
Northern Lights boat tour from Reykjavik
Taking an Aurora Borealis boat tour in Reykjavik is a unique experience. It can take you to a place with clear skies and no light pollution to see the Northern Lights over the volcanoes and mountains of Iceland.
The weather can change overnight in Iceland, but the flexibility of this means of transport allows you to go wherever conditions are the best for seeing the Aurora.
If you take this tour, they offer the possibility of changing to a Northern Lights bus tour from Reykjavik if conditions on the ground are better than at sea.
Also, if you take this yacht Northern Lights tour from Reykjavik, you’ll have the chance to reschedule the excursion as many times as you need until you can see the Aurora.
The price of the Northern Lights boat tour from Reykjavik also includes pickup from your hotel. You can check here the best places where to stay in Iceland.
Multi-day Northern Lights tours in Reykjavik
Northern Lights are a breathtaking natural phenomenon, but they’re elusive and unpredictable. Even if you have a promising aurora borealis forecast, it may change in a matter of minutes or not show up, even if all the conditions are favorable.
Multi-day Northern Lights tours in Reykjavik
If you want to increase your chances of seeing the Northern Lights, I strongly recommend taking a multi-day Northern Lights tour from Reykjavik. This will allow you to enjoy some of the essential places to visit in Iceland, in addition to increasing your chances of seeing the Aurora.
- 4-day Northern Lights tour: You’ll visit the Golden Circle, Southern Iceland, and the Snæfellsnes Peninsula. This tour also includes a visit to an ice cave.
- 6-day Northern Lights tour from Reykjavik: You will turn around the whole island, passing through the Golden Circle, Southern Iceland, the eastern fjords and the geothermal area of Lake Mývatn.
- 8-day Northern Lights tour: This Iceland Aurora tour will take you around the whole island, passing through the Golden Circle, Southern Iceland, the eastern fjords, the geothermal area of Lake Mývatn and the Snæfellsnes peninsula.
Other Northern Lights tours from Reykjavik
If you plan to take different tours, it might be best to take combo tours that combine activities to save some money.
These are the best Northern Lights combos from Reykjavik:
- Whale watching and Northern Lights tour
- Glacier hike and Northern Lights tour
- Golden Circle and Northern Lights Tour
- Blue Lagoon and Northern Lights tour from Reykjavik
Tours with guaranteed Northern Lights in Reykjavik (Iceland)
That’s it. Whatever tour you take, keep in mind that the Northern Lights are a natural phenomenon that depends on many factors, such as solar activity or cloud coverage.
If you hire a Northern Lights tour from Reykjavik and it’s canceled due to adverse weather conditions, don’t get mad. This is very common, regardless of the tour operator you choose.
If they don’t cancel your tour despite adverse conditions and finally, after hours of waiting, you can’t see the Northern Lights, don’t get angry either. If there is the slightest chance to see them, the guides will run the tour. Logically, they prefer that you return to the hotel without having seen the Aurora than that you stay in your hotel and find out the next day that other travelers managed to see the Lights since their tours weren’t canceled.
In any case, I recommend you take the tour on the first day of your trip and reschedule it if it is canceled or if you can’t see the Northern Lights. This way, you’ll have a higher chance of success.
Finally, here is our ultimate guide to learn how to photograph Northern Lights. If you aren’t renting a car to visit Iceland, don’t worry. With these 15 top-rated excursions from Reykjavik, you can explore the whole island without driving.
Best of LUCK WITH THE aurora hunting FROM Reykjavik!
