Northern lights from Reykjavík, by boat, quad bike or private car
From the sea, from the hills above the city, or from a car that goes wherever the sky is clear.
The northern lights are never guaranteed, so how you go matters as much as which night. From Reykjavík you can look from the sea, from the hills above the city on a quad bike, or from a private car that drives to wherever the sky is clearest.
By boat
Reykjavik Sailors’ northern lights cruise leaves the Old Harbour for two to three hours on the water, with hot chocolate, from 13.990 ISK per person. If no lights appear, you go again for free. There are warm flotation suits and heated cabins on board, and you can pair it with whale watching the same day in a combination cruise.
By quad bike
ATV Reykjavik Viking Riders’ Northern Lights the Viking way is a 90-minute night ride around Lake Hafravatn and Mount Hafrafell, 15 minutes from Reykjavík, from 23.000 ISK per person, min. 2 guests. Pickup from hotels and bus stops in the Reykjavík area and all the riding gear are included, and every driver needs a full, valid driving licence. They suggest booking it for one of your first nights, so there is time to reschedule if the sky is cloudy.
By private car
Icelimo’s private northern lights tour collects you from your hotel in Reykjavík at 21:00 for three to four hours, in an SUV for up to five, from 140.000 ISK per vehicle, up to 5 guests. The guides use readings from a worldwide network of magnetometers and the Icelandic Met Office’s latest reports to choose where to go. Their twelve-hour day adds the Golden Circle before dark.
Which to choose
The boat costs the least and leaves from the city centre. The quad bike is an adventure even when the lights stay away, as its operator puts it. The private car can go wherever the sky is clearest.
Book one of these
Northern Lights Cruise with Hot Chocolate & Free Retry
from 13.990 ISKper person
Whale Watching & Northern Lights Combo from Reykjavik
from 22.980 ISKper person
Northern Lights - ATV Reykjavik VIKING RIDERS Adventure
from 23.000 ISKper person · min. 2 guests
Private luxury tour Northern Lights SUV 5 pax
from 140.000 ISKper vehicle5
Questions
Are the northern lights guaranteed?
No. They are a natural phenomenon. On the boat tours, you get a free second trip if no lights are seen.
How much is a northern lights tour from Reykjavík?
13.990 ISK per person on the boat, 23.000 ISK per person, min. 2 guests on a quad bike, and 140.000 ISK per vehicle, up to 5 guests for a private car.
When in my trip should I go?
Early in your stay, so that you have nights left to try again if the first one is cloudy.