Reykjavik: Northern Lights Hunt & Midnight Photography Tour

Chasing the Aurora Over Iceland's Dark Winter Sky

You travel in a heated minibus with a guide who hunts for the best Northern Lights viewing spots around Reykjavik, moving in real time as conditions shift. The guide explains the science, photographs everyone if the lights appear, and includes hot chocolate and free retry if you don't see them. Pickup from your hotel or bus stop, photos on USB, no professional camera needed.

Step-by-step itinerary

Northern Lights hunt from Reykjavík

• Travel in heated minibus
• Guide searches best viewing spots
• Guide explains Northern Lights science
• View and photograph Northern Lights

The experience

Picture this: a minibus cutting through the black Icelandic night, your guide scanning the sky for the first green flicker of the aurora. You're somewhere outside Reykjavik, wrapped in warmth while the landscape disappears into darkness, and then it happens (if it does) a ribbon of light that moves like it's alive. The Northern Lights hunt from Reykjavik is exactly what it sounds like: you don't sit in one spot and hope. Your guide drives, watches the weather, checks the forecast in real time, and moves the group to wherever the best chance is that night. Some tours plant you at a viewpoint and call it done. This one keeps moving.

The minibus is heated, which matters more than it sounds when you're standing outside at midnight in Iceland. Your guide explains what you're actually looking at (the solar wind, the magnetosphere, why it happens in winter and not summer), so you're not just watching colors shift. You're understanding them. And when the lights do appear, the guide photographs everyone. You don't need a fancy camera or know how to shoot in low light. You show up, and you get the image. If the Northern Lights don't show that night, you get a free retry on another evening, no extra cost. If the weather turns bad enough that the tour cancels, you can reschedule or take a full refund.

Pickup happens from your hotel or a bus stop in Reykjavik 101, starting 30 minutes before the tour begins, so there's no scrambling to meet a guide at some landmark. You get hot chocolate during the hunt, free Wi-Fi on the minibus, and photos uploaded to a USB drive afterward. The group stays small enough that the guide can actually move and adjust, not herd thirty people into a field. It's a midnight adventure, which means late nights, but that's when the aurora actually shows.

What’s included

Your night includes hotel or bus stop pickup and drop-off in Reykjavik, transport in a comfortable heated minibus, hot chocolate during the hunt, a guide who explains the Northern Lights science and searches for the best viewing location, free professional photography if the lights appear with images on USB, free Wi-Fi on the minibus, and a free retry on another evening if the Northern Lights don't show.

Before you book

Days and timesEvery dayDeparts at 21:00Last departure this season: 15 Apr 2027

Meeting point and pickupHotel pickup is optional; you can also go straight to the meeting point. Ends back at the starting point.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24h 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.

Prices and times updated today

Good to know

Easy physical level

Operated by Iceland Everywhere Tours

Is this one for you?Book this if you're in Reykjavik during winter and want the actual hunt for the Northern Lights rather than a static viewpoint: the moving minibus and real-time weather tracking are what make a sighting possible on a night when it might otherwise be missed.

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Top questions

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 24h before the start.

Can I see the Northern Lights guaranteed on this tour?

No. The Northern Lights are a natural phenomenon and sightings cannot be guaranteed. If they don't appear, you get a free retry on another evening.

What time does the tour start and how long does it run?

Pickup begins 30 minutes before the tour start time. The tour operates at midnight during Iceland's winter season when darkness is longest.

Do I need a professional camera?

No. Your guide will take photos for all participants if the Northern Lights appear. Photos are provided on a USB drive.

What's included in the price?

Hotel or bus stop pickup and drop-off in Reykjavik, transport in a heated minibus, hot chocolate, free Wi-Fi, guide explanation, and free photos on USB.

What happens if the weather is bad?

If the tour is cancelled due to unfavorable weather, you can reschedule to another evening or receive a full refund.

Is this tour suitable for all fitness levels?

Yes, it's suitable for all physical fitness levels. You spend most of the time in a heated minibus. Standing outside is optional.

Can I get a refund if I don't see the Northern Lights?

No, the tour is not refundable if the Northern Lights don't appear. However, you receive a free retry on another evening.

Where does pickup happen?

From your hotel in Reykjavik or from designated bus stops in the Reykjavik 101 area. Pickup starts 30 minutes before tour start time.