The Best Northern Lights Tour from Reykjavik: Ten Tours Compared
The best northern lights tour from Reykjavik: ten tours compared on group size, photos, retry policy and price, as of October 2026.
The best northern lights tour from Reykjavik for most visitors is Northern Lights Bus’s tour with hot cocoa: from US$81 as of October 2026, the most-reviewed northern lights tour on this site with 15,264 reviews, and a free follow-up tour if you see no lights, with an open ticket for three years. Pay more for a smaller group or photos of you; the policies below are what separate the rest.
Check dates for the Northern Lights Bus →
Which Reykjavik tour suits you
Small-group premium
The same operator and retry, a smaller group, no under-8s.
Check dates →Aurora Viking
A guide-photographer and pro photos of you; join again free if no lights.
Check dates →Prices, ratings and review counts as listed on GetYourGuide in October 2026; operators change prices with the season, so treat them as the shape of the market, not a quote.
The ten Reykjavik tours compared
| Tour (operator) | From | Rating (reviews) | What stands out |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bus tour with hot cocoa (Northern Lights Bus) | US$81 | 4.2 (15,264) | Free follow-up tour; open ticket for 3 years |
| Small-group premium (Northern Lights Bus) | US$113 | 4.4 (3,209) | Free retry; no children under 8 |
| Adventure tour with hot chocolate (Soleil de Minuit) | US$73 | 4.3 (796) | Free retry the next day |
| Small group with pro photos (Aurora Viking) | US$165 | 4.8 (466) | 18 max; join again free if no lights |
| Guided tour with photos (David The Guide) | US$120 | 4.3 (798) | Photos emailed within 7 days |
| Minibus with photos (EastWest) | US$162 | 4.6 (733) | Wool blankets; rebook free, no refund |
| 4x4 tour with treats and photos (Nordur Travel) | US$152 | 4.4 (519) | A 4x4 off the main roads |
| Northern lights yacht (Sea trips Reykjavík) | US$104 | 4.4 (1,375) | Three decks, warm blankets |
| Golden Circle and northern lights (Gray Line) | US$163 | 4.1 (704) | A day tour, then the evening hunt |
| Golden Circle and northern lights combo (Icelandia) | US$157 | 4.3 (396) | A day tour, then the evening hunt |
Prices in US dollars, ratings and review counts as listed on GetYourGuide in October 2026; they change with the date you pick.
Is a northern lights tour in Iceland worth it?
On a strong, clear night you can see the aurora from Reykjavik’s darker edges, and the forecast is free. Most nights are cloudier than that: NASA’s climatology puts typical night cloud over Reykjavik near 76% in December. What a tour adds is the drive out of the city lights to wherever the sky is clear, a guide who reads the forecast, and on most of the tours above a free retry if the lights do not come.
Do you get a refund if you see no lights?
Usually a retry rather than a refund. Northern Lights Bus gives a free follow-up tour with an open ticket for three years, Soleil de Minuit a free retry the next day, Aurora Viking a free place on another night, and EastWest a free rebooking, as listed in October 2026. If the operator cancels for weather, the tours rebook or refund you; check the terms in the calendar below.
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Select your preferred date and time. Cancel up to 24 hours in advance for a full refund.
More on Iceland: northern lights in Iceland, the boat tours and the Blue Lagoon combinations.
Book the Most-Reviewed Reykjavik Tour
Northern Lights Bus's tour with hot cocoa, and a free follow-up tour if you see no lights.
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