Iceland Northern Lights Tour: Small Group, Hot Chocolate & Photos

Summary

Chasing auroras in Iceland’s wild night with locals and warmth

You’ll ride out from Reykjavik into Iceland’s darkness with a small group, wrapped in wool blankets and sipping hot chocolate as your local guide chases down the best spot for northern lights. There’s time for stories, pastries, and photos under the aurora if it appears. It’s not guaranteed — but that makes it feel real when it happens.

Step-by-step itinerary

Day 1 — Northern Lights hunt with hot chocolate

• Check Aurora forecast and plan
• Drive up to one hour to spot
• Wait for Northern Lights to appear
• Enjoy hot chocolate and pastries
• Use Icelandic wool blankets to stay warm
• Change spots if needed to find lights
• Receive free rebooking if no lights

Top questions

How many people are on this northern lights tour?

The tour runs with a small group of up to 19 guests per minibus.

Is pickup included from Reykjavik hotels?

Pickup and drop-off are included from designated meeting points in Reykjavik.

What happens if we don’t see the northern lights?

If you don’t see any northern lights during your tour, you can join again another night for free (subject to availability).

Are professional photos included?

Yes, your guide will take photos of you under the northern lights (if visible) and send them to your email within 8 days.

What should I wear on an Iceland northern lights tour?

Dress warmly with layers—bring a hat, gloves, scarf, and waterproof clothing as tours run at night in cold conditions.

Are there restroom stops during the tour?

Restroom access is very limited outside urban areas during this tour.

What snacks or drinks are provided?

You’ll get hot chocolate and traditional Icelandic pastries during your wait for the aurora.

How long does it take to reach viewing locations?

You may drive up to one hour from Reykjavik to find optimal spots away from crowds and light pollution.

What’s included

Your evening includes pickup and drop-off from Reykjavik meeting points, all taxes and fees covered, use of thick Icelandic wool blankets to keep warm outside, live commentary from your expert driver-guide who also takes professional photos if conditions allow, plus steaming hot chocolate and traditional pastries while waiting beneath Iceland’s night sky.

What’s the experience like?

I didn’t expect the city lights to vanish so quickly once we left Reykjavik — one minute there’s traffic, then suddenly it’s just black fields and the bus headlights bouncing off snow. Our guide, Ásgeir, kept checking some weather app I couldn’t make sense of (he called it his “aurora radar”), and honestly I was glad he knew what he was doing. The minibus was quiet except for someone unwrapping a pastry behind me. I remember thinking: this could be a long night if the northern lights don’t show up. But that’s kind of the deal with any northern lights tour in Iceland, right?

We stopped somewhere that felt like nowhere — just wind and crunchy gravel underfoot. Ásgeir handed out thick wool blankets (Icelandic ones — scratchy but warm) and poured us hot chocolate from a thermos that steamed up my glasses. He told stories about elves hiding in rocks while we waited, which made the dark seem less empty somehow. At one point, another minibus pulled up and two guides started chatting in Icelandic about “green bands” on the forecast. It felt like everyone out there was rooting for the sky to do something wild.

When the aurora finally flickered in — pale at first, then stretching across half the sky — nobody said much. It wasn’t loud or dramatic; just this slow, shifting green that made even our guide go quiet for a minute. Ásgeir took photos of us standing awkwardly under the lights (I still laugh at my frozen smile), promising to email them later. The air smelled sharp and cold; my toes went numb but I didn’t really care by then. And if you don’t see anything? They let you come back for free, which is fair enough because you can’t really schedule magic.