Northern Lights in Mini Bus, Photos, Hot Cocoa and Pastries

GYG

Northern Lights in Mini Bus, Photos, Hot Cocoa and Pastries

★ 2.9(5 reviews)

• Guide works in English
• Duration per the operator: 4 hours

from $124

See dates, price and what is included at the operator

Four hours out of Reykjavik after dark

This tour leaves from Reykjavik and spends four hours chasing the northern lights in a minibus, with a guide who works in English throughout. The small group size is the point: a minibus gets you out of the city lights faster and stops more easily than a full-size coach, and the guide can adjust the route as the sky changes. It is built for travellers who want the hunt for the aurora without the crowds of the bigger buses, and who are willing to trade a little comfort for mobility. The tour runs in the evening, which is when the lights are most often visible in Iceland's long winter nights. You will be picked up in Reykjavik and driven to wherever the guide judges the conditions best, which could be a hillside outside the city or a coastal spot with a clear northern horizon. The four hours include driving time, so the actual time spent standing in the dark watching the sky is shorter than the total. This is a straightforward, no-frills way to see the lights, aimed at visitors who want the experience without a long commitment or a high price tag.

Photographs from the operator Glaciers and Waterfalls ehf. They show the listing, not your day.

What the price covers and what it does not

The entry price starts at 124 USD, which places this tour in the cheaper third of the 68 northern lights tours listed in Reykjavik. For that money you get the minibus transport, the English-speaking guide, and a camera to capture the lights if you do not have your own. The guide will also help you set up the camera for night shots, which is useful if you have never photographed the aurora before. Hot cocoa and pastries are served during the tour, and these are part of the price. Food beyond that is not included, so if you want a meal you should eat before you leave or bring your own snacks. There are no admission fees or parking charges at any of the stops on the itinerary, and no official surcharge is added on the day. The operator offers free cancellation, though no deadline is given for it. What you pay at booking is what the tour costs, apart from anything you choose to buy for yourself before or after.

What five ratings can tell you

This tour holds a rating of 2.9 out of 5, but that score comes from only five reviews. Five ratings are not enough to draw any reliable conclusion about the quality of the tour, and the score should be read with that in mind. It ranks 46th out of 68 northern lights tours in Reykjavik by the number of reviews it has received, which puts it near the bottom of the list for evidence. The low score could reflect a few bad experiences, or it could be a statistical fluke from a very small sample. Compare that with the other tours in the same category: the standard bus tour with hot cocoa has a 4.3 rating from nearly 15,000 reviews, and the small-group premium tour has a 4.4 from over 3,000. Even the yacht tour, which runs only two hours, has 1,340 reviews behind its 4.4 score. What this means for you is simple: the 2.9 here is not a reliable indicator of what your own experience will be like. It is a tour with very little public feedback, so you are booking more on the description than on the track record.

When the dark hours work in your favour

The northern lights are a winter phenomenon, and this tour runs in the months when the nights are long enough to see them. In Reykjavik, the average high temperature in January is 3 degrees and the low is minus 2. February is similar, with a high of 3 and a low of minus 2. March warms slightly to a high of 4 and a low of minus 1. By April the average high reaches 7 degrees, but the nights are getting shorter and the lights are harder to spot. The best months for this tour are September through March, when the sun sets early enough for the aurora to appear after dinner. In the depths of winter, the tour runs in full darkness from start to finish. In September and late March, you may still have some twilight at the beginning. The temperature chart shows that even the warmest winter evenings stay near freezing, so dress for standing still outdoors in the cold. The tour lasts four hours, which means you are outside for stretches at a time, not just stepping out for a quick look.

What happens once you are on the minibus

The guide drives you out of Reykjavik to a spot chosen for clear skies and low light pollution. There is no fixed itinerary of stops, because the whole point is to go where the conditions are best. The guide watches the forecast and the cloud cover and makes the call on the night. You will get out at one or more locations, depending on how the sky behaves. The minibus keeps you warm between stops, and the hot cocoa and pastries are served during the wait. If the lights do not appear, the guide will still have taken you out for the drive and the experience. The tour does not promise a sighting, and there is no guarantee built into the price. What you can expect is a guide who is watching the sky and knows where to go. The weather in Iceland changes quickly, and a clear forecast can turn cloudy within an hour. The guide's job is to read the conditions and make the best of what the night offers.

Who should take this tour and who should not

This tour suits travellers who want to see the northern lights without paying for a premium experience, and who are comfortable with a small group and a flexible plan. It is a good choice if you have your own camera or want help taking photos, since the guide works with you on the settings. It is also fine if you are on a budget, since the 124 USD starting price is below the midpoint for the category. If you want a shorter outing, the yacht tour from Reykjavik runs two hours and costs from 107 USD, but you are on the water and the experience is different. If you prefer a larger group with a stronger track record, the standard bus tour with hot cocoa runs the same four hours, costs from 83 USD, and has thousands of reviews behind it. That tour is the safer bet if you want to know what you are getting. This minibus tour is for those who accept the lower review count and want the smaller vehicle and the more personal guiding. It is not for anyone who needs a confirmed sighting, because no tour can promise that, and it is not for travellers who want a fixed schedule with named stops.

GYG

Northern Lights in Mini Bus, Photos, Hot Cocoa and Pastries

Dates, remaining places and the current version of what is included are at the operator. This page reflects the state of the catalogue, not the state of this morning.

from $124

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