.jpg){kind=link}
Big bus · From Reykjavík
Northern lights bus tour from Reykjavík with hot chocolate
The budget choice. Suits a first night or a short trip.
- 4 h
- 4.3★ (15,012 reviews)
- Free retry if no aurora
- Pickup available
A big-bus tour is the cheapest way to chase clear sky; a small group or super jeep goes further; a boat is the easiest dark sky from Reykjavík.
Key takeaways
- Tours cost from about ISK 8,999 on a big bus to over USD 200 on a super jeep, and prices change by date.
- Pickup is usually between 8pm and 10pm and most tours last 3 to 5 hours, so expect to be back after midnight.
- Most operators offer a free retry if the tour sees nothing, which is worth more on a long trip than a short one; read the small print.
- A self-drive hunt is free: check the cloud map and drive 30 to 60 minutes out of the city light, but expect unlit winter roads.
Some links on this page go to booking partners. If you book through them we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. It never changes what we recommend. How we make money
What a tour night is like
In short A guide checks the cloud and activity forecasts, drives you out of the city light and waits with you, often moving on to try somewhere else.
- Pickup is usually between 8pm and 10pm.
- The guide checks the cloud and activity forecasts and picks a direction.
- The bus or jeep drives out of the city light.
- You get off, wait, look north, and often get back on to try somewhere else.
- Most tours last 3 to 5 hours, so you're back after midnight.
The kinds of tour
In short You can choose a big bus, a small group, a super jeep, a boat, or a Blue Lagoon combo; they differ in price, length and group size.
Prices below are the operators' own. The tours further down are GetYourGuide listings, which may be run by other operators at other prices.
| Type | Example (operator's own price) | Length | Group |
|---|---|---|---|
| Big bus | Gray Line Northern Lights Tour, ISK 8,999 | 3h30 | Large coach |
| Small group | Gray Line small group, from ISK 14,999 | 3h | Minibus |
| Super jeep | Arctic Adventures, from USD 214 | 4–5h | Small, 4x4 |
| Boat | Elding, ISK 14,500 · Special Tours, ISK 12,998 | 1.5–3h | Ship, heated cabin |
| Combo | Gray Line Blue Lagoon & northern lights, from ISK 32,699 | 8h | Coach |
Which one to pick
- Short trip, tight budget: the big bus. It's the cheapest way to get out of the city light with someone watching the forecast, and Gray Line and Reykjavík Excursions both include free entry to the Aurora Reykjavík centre (stated value ISK 3,900).
- You hate crowds or want photos: a small group or super jeep. Fewer people at each stop, more flexibility to move, and a guide who has time to help with your camera.
- You don't want a long night: the boat. Within about 15 minutes of the Old Harbour you have a full, unobstructed horizon and almost no light pollution. Elding and Special Tours leave at 21:00, moving to 22:00 from 15 March. The trade-off is a fixed, short window and a moving deck. More in northern lights boat tours from Reykjavík.
- Your first night in Iceland: a guided tour, whatever kind. You're jet-lagged, the roads are dark and unfamiliar, and a guide knows where the clear sky tends to be.
The free-retry promise
Most operators let you come again for free if the tour sees nothing. Read the small print:
| Operator | If you see nothing |
|---|---|
| Special Tours | Another ticket, "valid indefinitely" |
| Arctic Adventures | Free retry "valid for up to 3 years" |
| Reykjavík Excursions | Rebook "as many times as you need… valid for two years" |
| Gray Line | Retry "up to 2 years"; sighting "not guaranteed" |
| Elding | "Complimentary tickets" for another night if no aurora (its Cruise 101 page, checked 24 September 2026) |
The small print
The retry only applies if the tour actually leaves. If it's cancelled for weather, you get a refund or a new date, not a retry. And the operator decides whether what you saw counts.
On a 3-night trip a two-year retry is worth almost nothing unless you have another free night. Book your tour for your first night, so you have nights left to use it.
Tours you can book
Listings on GetYourGuide, one of each kind. Check the operator, group size and retry policy on the listing before you book. Details here are compiled from the operators' published terms and prices and GetYourGuide's listings as checked on 17 September 2026; we have not taken these tours ourselves. For pictures of your own, read how to photograph the northern lights on a phone.
Small group · From Reykjavík
Small-group northern lights tour from Reykjavík
Fewer people at each stop and more freedom to move to clear sky.
- 4 h
- 4.9★ (20 reviews)
- Max 19 people
- Free retry if no aurora
- Pickup included
4x4 · From Reykjavík
Northern lights hunt by 4x4 Sprinter
A bigger vehicle for rougher roads, so the guide has more places to try.
- 5 h
- New listing, no reviews yet
- Max 19 people
- Free retry if no aurora
- Pickup included
Photography · From Reykjavík
Northern lights hunt with photography coaching
For anyone who wants to come home with a sharp photo, not just a memory.
- 4 h
- New listing, no reviews yet
- Max 19 people
- Free retry if no aurora
- Pickup included
Boat · Old Harbour
Northern lights sightseeing cruise from Reykjavík
A short night with dark water and no driving. Bring a warm hat for the deck.
- 2 h
- 4.3★ (456 reviews)
- Free retry if no aurora
- Pickup available
We couldn't read GetYourGuide prices for these dates, so none are shown here. Check the price on the listing.
Or go on your own
You check the Met Office cloud map (white is clear, green is cloud), drive 30 to 60 minutes out of the city light, and wait with the engine off. Read getting around Iceland in winter first.
Why self-drive
- A self-drive hunt is free
- Nobody makes you leave, so you can stay until 3am
The cost
- Winter night driving on unlit roads after a full day
Iceland aurora tours: FAQs
How much is a northern lights tour in Iceland?
From ISK 8,999 on a Gray Line big-bus tour, about ISK 13,000–14,500 on a boat, and from USD 214 on an Arctic Adventures super jeep, at the operators' own prices in September 2026.
Are northern lights tours in Iceland worth it?
On your first night, yes: a guide knows where the clear sky is and you avoid night driving while jet-lagged. After that, a car can do the same job if you're comfortable driving in winter.
What happens if we don't see the northern lights?
Most operators give a free retry, valid from two years to indefinitely. It only applies if the tour ran; a weather cancellation gets a refund or new date instead.
Is the boat or the bus better?
The boat gives dark sky fast with no driving, but in a fixed short window. The bus can drive to clearer sky. On a cloudy night, the bus has more options.
More for an Iceland aurora trip
Sources (7)
- Gray Line Iceland: northern lights tours and prices (checked 2026-09-17)
- Arctic Adventures: northern lights day tours (checked 2026-09-17)
- Reykjavík Excursions: northern lights tour (checked 2026-09-17; prices not readable)
- Elding: northern lights by boat, schedule and prices (checked 2026-09-17)
- Special Tours: northern lights by boat (checked 2026-09-17)
- Icelandic Met Office aurora forecast and cloud map (checked 2026-09-17)
- Elding: Northern Lights Cruise 101, on board, guarantee, sea conditions and photo advice (checked 2026-09-24)