Northern Lights 4x4 Tour from Reykjavik: Photos & Pastries

Four hours chasing the aurora while your guide handles the camera work

A four-hour Northern Lights tour from Reykjavik in a 4x4 minibus with hotel pickup and drop-off, hot chocolate, traditional pastries and hand warmers included. Your guide explains how the aurora forms, monitors weather and solar activity to find the best viewing spot, and helps you capture photos of the lights. The tour runs in English and Spanish, and if the Northern Lights don't appear, you can rebook for free.

Step-by-step itinerary

Northern Lights tour with refreshments

• Pickup from Reykjavik accommodation
• Travel to Northern Lights viewing location
• Learn about auroras' science and folklore
• Enjoy hot chocolate and Icelandic pastries
• Watch and photograph Northern Lights
• Return to Reykjavik accommodation

What’s included

• Hotel pickup and drop-off in Reykjavik.
• 4x4 minibus transport with WiFi onboard.
• expert guide in English or Spanish.
• hot chocolate and traditional Icelandic pastries.
• hand warmers.
• guide-assisted photography of the Northern Lights.
• a photo taken by your guide to keep.
• free rebook if the lights don't appear.

Times

• Every day 20:00 21:30

Last departure this season: 15 Apr 2027

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Before you book

Group Up to 16

Live guide English and Spanish

Meeting point and pickup Hotel pickup included. You can choose from 44 pickup points.

Book up to 4h before

Ages Adult (16 and older) · Youth (8 to 15 years) · Under 8: can't be booked

Cancellation and refunds Free cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund. It may be canceled due to bad weather or if the minimum number of travelers isn't reached. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund.

Good to know

Low physical effort Infant seats available Public transport nearby

Operated by Nordur Travel

Prices and times updated today

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The experience

The tour starts with pickup from your Reykjavik accommodation in a 4x4 minibus designed to get you away from city light pollution. As you leave the city, your guide monitors the night's weather and solar activity in real time, choosing the best viewing location on the fly. The drive itself becomes part of the experience: snowy landscapes roll past while your guide explains the science behind the aurora and weaves in Icelandic folklore about what people once believed they were seeing.

Once you reach the viewing spot, you step into the night air and settle in to wait. Hot chocolate and traditional Icelandic pastries arrive to keep you warm and occupied. Hand warmers go in your pockets. Your guide positions you for the best sightlines and stays close, when the green, purple or pink lights start moving across the sky, they help you frame the shot and adjust your camera settings so you actually capture what you're seeing instead of fumbling with settings in the cold. The guide also takes a photo for you to take home, so you're not stuck behind the lens the whole time.

The whole outing runs about four hours from pickup to drop-off. If the Northern Lights don't appear on the night you book, you can rebook the tour for free: no arguments, no expiration date. Groups stay small, capped at around 19 people per minibus, so the guide can actually help each person with their camera without shouting instructions across a crowd.

Top questions

What languages is the tour guided in?

Live guide in English and Spanish.

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Youth (8 to 15 years). Children under 8 can't be included in the booking.

What happens if it rains?

It may be canceled due to bad weather. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund. Free cancellation up to 24 h before the start.

How does the guide know where to go to see the Northern Lights?

Your guide monitors weather patterns and solar activity throughout the evening and chooses the viewing location based on real-time conditions, moving to the best spot each night rather than driving to a fixed location.

What happens if the Northern Lights don't appear when I go?

You can rebook the tour for free with no expiration date, so you get another chance to see them without paying again.

Do I need to bring my own camera to photograph the lights?

You can bring your own camera and your guide will help you adjust settings and frame shots, but the guide also takes a photo for you to take home if you'd rather just watch the sky.