Reykjavik Northern Lights Tour & Aurora Museum Entry

★★★★★★★★★★ 3.67 (3 reviews)

Free cancellation

1/6

Duration4h

GroupUp to 19

LanguagesEN

PickupAt your hotel

Chasing the Aurora from Reykjavik: What Does It Actually Take to See It?

You're picked up in Reykjavik in the evening and driven into the dark countryside with a guide who hunts for clear skies and signs of the Northern Lights. The 3–5 hour tour includes hot chocolate, free photos if the aurora appears, and access to the Aurora Museum. If weather cancels the tour, you can rebook for another date at no cost.

Step-by-step itinerary

Northern Lights jeep tour from Reykjavík

Pick up in Reykjavík in evening
Travel by jeep to countryside
Watch for Northern Lights with guide
Enjoy Icelandic landscape views
Guide shares nature and aurora info

The Experience

What if you flew all the way to Iceland and the sky stayed dark the whole time? That's the thing about chasing the Northern Lights — you can't force them to show up, but you can put yourself in the best possible position to catch them if they do. This tour picks you up in Reykjavik around 9 p.m. and drives you out past the city lights into the countryside, where an expert guide spends the next 3 to 5 hours scanning the sky and reading the clouds for gaps where the aurora might break through. The jeep keeps you warm while you're watching, and they've got hot chocolate with optional Brennivin or rum to keep you occupied during the wait.

The guide isn't just looking up — they know the Icelandic landscape well enough to pick the best dark spot for the night, and they'll talk about what you're driving past: the fields, the mountains, the way the country looks when there's almost no light pollution. If the clouds don't cooperate and the lights don't show, you don't lose the money. The tour comes with unlimited retries, which means you can rebook for another night within two years if weather or cloud cover gets in the way. That's the real safety net here, not a guarantee but a second (or third, or fourth) chance.

If you do see the lights and want a photo, they'll take one of you with the aurora in the frame at no extra cost and help you dial in your camera settings if you're shooting yourself. Tripods are available to rent. The groups stay small, which means the guide can actually see who's in the jeep and adjust the hunt accordingly. And because your ticket includes entry to the Aurora Museum in Reykjavik, you can visit before or after the tour — it's open during regular hours, so you can slot it in whenever it fits your schedule.

What’s included

Evening pickup from your Reykjavik location (starting at 9 p.m.).
guided jeep hunt through the Icelandic countryside.
expert guide who reads the sky and selects the best viewing spot.
hot chocolate with optional Brennivin or rum.
free professional photo of you with the Northern Lights if they appear.
tripod rental available.
entry to the Aurora Museum at your leisure.
small-group format.
unlimited retries if weather cancels the tour.

Good to know

Easy physical levelPublic transport nearby

Operated by Gravel Travel

Is this one for you?Book this if you want to hunt for the Northern Lights without arranging your own transport or timing — the guide handles the search strategy and the jeep keeps you warm during the wait, and the unlimited retries mean a cloudy night doesn't end your chances.