Northern Lights Boat Tours from Reykjavik: Yacht, Cruise or Combo?
Northern lights boat tours from Reykjavik compared: the yacht, the cruises and the whale-watching combos, with retry policies and prices as of October 2026.
The best-reviewed northern lights boat tour from Reykjavik is Sea trips Reykjavík’s northern lights yacht: from US$104 as of October 2026, with three panoramic decks, a bar and lounge, warm blankets, and hotel pickup as an option. A boat leaves the city lights behind on the water, but it cannot drive away from a cloud bank the way a bus can, so pick a clear evening, and pick a boat with a free return ticket.
The Reykjavik boats compared
| Tour (operator) | From | Rating (reviews) | What stands out |
|---|---|---|---|
| Northern lights yacht (Sea trips Reykjavík) | US$104 | 4.4 (1,375) | Three decks, bar, warm blankets |
| Northern lights sightseeing cruise (Sea trips Reykjavík) | US$99 | 4.3 (461) | Free return ticket valid 3 years |
| Motor yacht cruise (Harpa Yachts) | US$94 | 4.3 (133) | Inside seating, warm blankets |
| Cruise with hot chocolate (Reykjavik Sailors) | US$92 | 4.1 (90) | Flotation overalls, free ticket to join again |
| Whale watching and northern lights combo (Reykjavik Sailors) | US$195 | 4.3 (137) | Two tours, a free ticket if no sightings |
| Whales and northern lights (Special Tours) | US$197 | 4.2 (55) | Warm overalls, a free ticket to try again |
Prices in US dollars, ratings and review counts as listed on GetYourGuide in October 2026; they change with the date you pick.
Boat or bus?
Choose the boat for comfort and the view back to the city: a bar, a heated cabin to retreat to, and the lights over the water. Choose the bus if the forecast is cloudy, because a bus can drive to the clear side of the country and a boat cannot leave the bay. Several boats soften that with a free return ticket if you see nothing: the Sea trips sightseeing cruise, Reykjavik Sailors’ cruise and both whale combos. The bus tours are compared in the best northern lights tour from Reykjavik.
Is the boat worth it?
You can stand on the harbour wall for free on a clear night, though the city lights wash out weaker displays. What the boat adds is distance from those lights, a warm seat and a drink between displays, blankets or flotation overalls, and on most boats a free second sailing if the sky stays shut.
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Sea trips Reykjavík's yacht from the old harbour, with three panoramic decks and warm blankets.
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