Reykjavik: Small Group Northern Lights Tour

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Reykjavik: Small Group Northern Lights Tour

★ 4.6(8 reviews)

• Guide works in English
• Duration per the operator: 3.5 to 4 hours

from $125

See dates, price and what is included at the operator

A small-group chase after the aurora

This is a 3.5 to 4 hour evening tour that leaves from Reykjavik and heads south along the coast, reaching as far as the village of Vik i Myrdal when conditions allow. The operator, ICELANDIA, runs it in English with a guide, and it is deliberately kept to a small group so the guide can adjust the route as the sky changes. You are not on a fixed itinerary; the whole point is to follow the clearest skies, which is why the drive can stretch to Vik and back rather than stopping at the first patch of darkness. It suits travellers who want more than a quick look from the city outskirts and are willing to trade a longer ride for a better chance of seeing the lights away from Reykjavik's glow. The tour runs in the evening, so you need to be dressed for standing outside in the cold for stretches at a time. The price starts at 125 USD, and the total time on the road depends on where the guide decides the best viewing spot is that night.

Photographs from the operator ICELANDIA. They show the listing, not your day.

What the 125 dollars covers

The entry price of 125 USD buys you the guided drive, transport from Reykjavik, and the small-group setting. Food is not part of the deal, so you should eat before you go or bring your own snack for the ride. There are no official fees added on top of the listed price. None of the places this tour stops at charges admission or parking, so the figure you see is the figure you pay. The operator offers free cancellation, though the exact deadline is not part of the published terms. What you are paying for is the guide's judgement about where the sky will be clear, the flexibility of a small group, and the willingness to drive as far as Vik to find it. There is no mention of any extra charge for the longer drive, so the 125 USD appears to cover the full journey regardless of how far south the guide decides to go.

A score with too little behind it

The tour carries a rating of 4.6 out of 5, but that number comes from only 8 reviews. In a category of 68 northern lights tours, that places it 41st by the number of ratings, which is the more honest way to read it. A 4.6 from eight people tells you almost nothing about how the tour performs on a bad night or a good one. It could be an excellent operator with a small customer base, or a lucky run of eight satisfied travellers. The price, however, is more informative. At 125 USD it ranks 23rd of the 68, putting it among the cheapest third of the group, where prices range from 32 to 1,995 USD. So you are paying a modest amount for a tour that reaches further south than most, but you are doing so without the reassurance of a large sample of past customers. The score is a hint, not a verdict.

The season for chasing darkness

The northern lights are a cold-weather pursuit, and the monthly temperatures in Reykjavik make that plain. From September through March, the average high sits between 3 and 11 degrees Celsius (37 to 52 degrees Fahrenheit), and the lows drop to around freezing or below. The tour runs for 3.5 to 4 hours in the evening, which means you are out during the coldest part of the day. In the deep winter months of December and January, with highs around 3 degrees and lows at minus 2, you need serious layers for the stretches when the van stops and you wait outside. The shoulder months of September and March are milder, with highs near 11 degrees in September, but the nights are still cold. The tour itself does not run in summer, since the midnight sun leaves no darkness for the aurora to appear in. The best months are those with long nights and relatively clear skies, which in Iceland tend to be September through March, with February and March often offering a balance of darkness and less severe cold.

What happens once you leave the city

The tour gathers in Reykjavik and heads out in the evening, with the guide watching the forecast and cloud cover as you drive. The stops are not fixed in advance. The guide decides where to pull over based on where the sky is clearest, and the drive can take you all the way to Vik i Myrdal, about 180 km (112 miles) south of the capital, before turning back. The places you stop at are open countryside, so there is no building to step into for warmth. You get out of the van, stand in the dark, and look up. The guide is there to point out the lights when they appear and to handle the logistics of the drive. The weather is the deciding factor. If the sky is overcast in Reykjavik, the guide drives south to find a break in the clouds, and if the clouds do not break, the tour still runs its course. There is no indoor backup plan, so dress for the temperature you would face standing still in a field in the middle of an Icelandic night.

Who should take this tour and who should not

This tour is for travellers who want a serious attempt at seeing the aurora, not a quick box to tick. The willingness to drive as far as Vik means you are spending real time in the van, and that is the trade-off for getting away from city lights. It suits photographers and patient observers who understand that the lights are not guaranteed and that the guide's job is to put you in the right place, not to make the sky perform. It is not for anyone with limited mobility, since the operator states the tour is not wheelchair accessible, and the stops involve standing on open ground in the cold. It is also not for those who want a short evening out. If you prefer a briefer commitment, the Northern Lights Yacht Tour from Reykjavik runs for 2 hours from 107 USD and gives you a different perspective from the water. If you want the cheapest option and are willing to accept a lower rating, the Northern Lights Tour with Lifetime Guarantee runs for 3 hours from 71 USD, though its 3.7 score from 1,629 reviews suggests a less reliable experience. For a middle ground in price and duration, the Small-Group Premium Northern Lights Tour runs 4 hours from 116 USD with a 4.4 rating from 3,124 reviews, which gives you a far stronger evidence base than the 8 reviews behind this tour's 4.6.

GYG

Reykjavik: Small Group Northern Lights Tour

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 $125

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