The 10 best northern lights tour operators in Reykjavik, and how to choose your guide

If you’re travelling to Iceland at the right time of year, it would be a shame not to make the most of it and try to see the northern lights. So, quick recap: you can potentially see the northern lights from mid-August to the end of April.

To maximise your chances of seeing the northern lights, you need mild weather, a clear view, a cloudless sky and to be far from any lights. That’s a lot of boxes to tick, so you need a bit of perseverance and a bit of luck. Because unlike northern lights hunting in Tromsø, where you can more or less easily get away from the clouds, here in Iceland, when the weather’s bad, it’s really bad 😀

Anyway, in this article we’ll look at whether you need an agency, what kind of agency and which one to pick! Because there’s good, not so good, and you need to sort the wheat from the chaff. So I’ll do everything I can to point you in the right direction 🙂

But first things first: seeing the northern lights is one of the things you absolutely have to do in Iceland. Seriously!

The best northern lights agencies and guides in Reykjavik

Here are the agencies. There are quite a few buses. Now, I often tell you “noooo, not the buses!”, except that here there are one or two that look a lot better than the buses in Tromsø. And on top of that, they’re cheap.

On the other hand, unlike the northern lights agencies in Tromsø, there’s a lot less choice.

Buuut the big plus is that there are some really nice combos, like the Golden Circle with the northern lights. Multi-day trips in search of the aurora.

Anyway, here are the main operators, bearing in mind I don’t include the ones I’ve found bad feedback on. Let’s go!

Northern lights in a small group

To see the details of each tour, just click. These agencies are all rated at least 4.6/5, with verified reviews. So you can book these with your eyes closed (well, not too closed, or you won’t see a thing, ho ho ho).

• AURORA VIKING, €140, in a minibus with 18 people max. A very good reputation and, above all, you can go again for free if you don’t see any northern lights
• KALMAN TOURS, €110, by minibus. Kalman is a proper local, a tiny agency, it’s the very definition of the kind of aurora trip we love
• NORTHERN LIGHTS BUS – MINIBUS, €89, this is the small-group version from the bus company. So it’s pretty good, and they also offer a second chance
• EAST WEST, €140, by minibus. One of the best-rated agencies, with 4.7 on Getyourguide. Ideal for heading out in a small group
• ULTIMAGE ICELAND & AURORA EXPERTS, €190 in a really small group with one of the best guides on the island. A go-to agency, and a family-run one
• NORDUR TRAVEL, €120, 4×4 minibuses with 16 max and, above all, a 98% recommendation rate!
• DAVID THE GUIDE, from €109, Christian is one of the most highly regarded guides on the island. The thing that bugs me: the minibuses take 24 people.
• ICELAND EVERYWHERE TOUR, from €109, excellent feedback for this minibus agency
• NORSE ADVENTURE, it’s pricier because it’s groups of 14 max in a big old 4×4. But the agency has a great reputation!
• THOR TRAVEL, the latest addition to the list (because I’ve only just discovered it), excellent reputation, groups of 18 max, and it often heads to Thingvellir rather than always to Reykjanes, which makes a change, so it’s worth a look

Seeing the northern lights by bus

Yes, I know, the bus is less sexy. The tours are shorter, don’t go as far, there are more people (so noise and lights), but it has one huge advantage: it’s cheaper, plain and simple. The buses take you to see the northern lights, no more, no less.

• NORTHERN LIGHTS BUS, €76 (cheap!), it’s the most popular northern lights trip. It’s a bus, but it’s a reputable company. And they give you another go if you don’t see the lights
• MAGIC ICELAND TRAVEL, €77, the other reputable bus company in Reykjavik. The rating is slightly better than Northern Lights Bus, but I can’t work out why. Anyway, all that to say it’s pretty good for a bus!
• MIDNIGHT SUN, €65, yes, a northern lights company called Midnight Sun. Bold name for people who need the dark. I’ll admit I don’t know them; they don’t run that many tours, or at least apparently not all season.

For something a bit different with the northern lights:

• GOLDEN CIRCLE – go and see the northern lights after exploring the stunning Golden Circle, Iceland in a nutshell! Bus trip, from €120
• SUPER JEEP – see the northern lights in a seriously impressive vehicle that can take you absolutely anywhere! In a really small group, for €160
• WHALES AND NORTHERN LIGHTS – head out on a 6-hour cruise to see the whales, then carry straight on with the northern lights, for €150
• NORTHERN LIGHTS CRUISE – go and see the northern lights by boat for €80
• BLUE LAGOON AND NORTHERN LIGHTS – a great day out combining the two most popular activities!

For a multi-day tour in search of the northern lights:

• A 3-day trip along Iceland’s south coast in search of the aurora, with a visit to an ice cave
• 8 days all the way round Iceland with the most beautiful spots and the northern lights

Find the best northern lights tour operator!

Do you really need a guide to see the northern lights in Reykjavik?

Quite honestly, if you don’t have a car on your trip to Iceland, then yes.

For several reasons:

• first of all, seeing the northern lights in town is hard because there’s loads of light pollution. Sure, if the sky is clear you can see them on the seafront, but there are street lamps everywhere, so it’s not a great experience
• to be out in nature, because that’s where you see them best: far from the lights, far from people, in peace and quiet
• to escape the clouds, because if there are clouds, you’ll see no northern lights, or hardly any. So you need to be able to move around, and without a car or a guide in Reykjavik, that’s tricky. Generally, guides mainly go to two places. Mostly the Reykjanes Peninsula, a real classic. But also regularly around the Golden Circle and Thingvellir National Park, because there are huge areas with no lights
• to pick up loads of info. Guides know where to go, and why. That’ll come in handy for the rest of your trip, to become a top-notch aurora hunter.
• a guide can also teach you how to photograph the northern lights
• and finally, you don’t want the hassle of organising it all. The guide “knows”, so they handle it and all you have to do is hop in the vehicle and wait. Not bad!

If you’ve hired a car in Reykjavik, I generally recommend booking a guide on the first night and then doing it yourself after that. Because to chase the northern lights, you need to pick up quite a bit of info. Where to go, what the weather’s doing, which spots have no lights and a clear view.

And all of that comes with experience, hence the point of having someone “who knows” at the start.

To be honest, on my first two trips to Tromsø, I used a guide to see the northern lights. The first time, it was to understand how it all worked, build some confidence, especially driving on snow, and know where to look. But faced with so many agencies and guides, I had loads of questions.

My goal wasn’t just to see the northern lights, but also to learn how to photograph them. So I went for photographers who ran tours. And honestly, it was a good experience.

Over time, I’ve met guides out there, and some have even become friends. I’ve learnt to tell the “good guides” from the “bad guides”. It’s a bit like the difference between a good hunter and a bad hunter, except here the aurora replaces the game.

So here, I want to help you tell the good guides from the bad ones in Iceland. The principle is exactly the same!

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The downsides of going with a northern lights agency

Let’s be clear, there are downsides:

• The first one in Reykjavik is how long the tour lasts. It seems much shorter than in Tromsø: 3h30/4h, instead of 5/8h. I imagine it’s because the aurora tends to show up later, it gets dark later, that kind of thing.
• You’re not in charge of your own schedule. If the guide decides to head back, you head back (around midnight or 1am). Even if the lights haven’t finished, you have to follow the guide
• You’re in a group, so the atmosphere depends on the general vibe. If a few people are noisy, talk too much, keep switching lights on and the guide doesn’t deal with it, it can get pretty annoying
• It isn’t cheap. You’ll find pricey and less pricey, but it’s still an expense. That said, in Iceland it’s much cheaper than in Tromsø.
• There can be nasty surprises with the agency, like a guide who’s having an off day or who doesn’t pick a good spot. You need to choose your agency carefully.
• The agencies don’t drive as far as in Tromsø or Rovaniemi, from what I can tell

But one thing’s for sure: if you don’t see the northern lights, it won’t be the agency’s fault (unless you pick a really bad one). All the agencies and all the guides have the same information. If there are no northern lights, nobody will see them. With very rare exceptions, they’ll all do their utmost to find a patch of clear sky. But if the sky is clear and the aurora isn’t there, well, it isn’t there.

How to choose the right northern lights guide in Reykjavik

Here are a few things to watch out for when choosing your agency, so you avoid any nasty surprises.

Price

Honestly, I don’t want to push you into spending. But watch out for prices that are too low. For buses, it’s fine, it’s around 60 to 80. For minibuses, though, if the price looks too low, check the reviews carefully because there may be a catch.

The really good guides are more expensive, yes, and you don’t have to go with them. But there can be a middle ground. Mind you, even small-group tours aren’t over the top. Between €100 and €150, and it can go up to €200 for some experiences and ultra-specialised guides.

But between a bus and a small group, the experience really isn’t the same 🙂

Group size

I’ve always gone for small groups (between 3 and 8) and I’ve also seen coaches roll up. It’s cheaper, but for me, coaches are a bit of a nightmare.

You know me, I like being on my own. Seeing the northern lights is a moment apart, calm and zen. So big groups are a tad tricky.

That said, it suits some tourists, especially those on a tight budget. You need to be really careful about how reliable the company is, because if you’re with loads of people and on top of that it’s a bad guide, then it really stinks.

So I’d say yes, the experience is probably worse on a big bus, but the price makes up for it, like here with Northern Lights Bus.  And above all, a bus is there to get you to see the northern lights, no more, no less, and it does the job.

Personally: up to 12 people is fine, 6/8 is really good. 4/5 is brilliant. On your own, it’s heaven 😀

The size of the tour company: big operators vs independent guides

Now, maybe I’m judging a book by its cover (and I own it :D) but the big agencies don’t always guarantee the same quality of service. I prefer small agencies: it’s more personal, less industrial, and the groups are generally smaller.

Small agencies offer more authentic experiences, but make sure you choose a real guide, a real agency, and not someone who’s got into it purely out of opportunism. Because small agencies don’t have the sales muscle of the big groups, so they stake everything on quality of service and their customers’ reviews. And, quite honestly, they’re passionate.

So if you can, go with this kind of agency. But, once again, a big agency that’s good beats a bad independent. And a good agency, whatever its size, beats no northern lights at all.

The company’s reputation and reviews

This is super important. You ABSOLUTELY must check the reviews when you’re about to book an activity.

Look at the overall rating and how many reviews there are. But that’s not all: look at what the comments actually say, why people were happy or not. If there are bad ratings because of bad weather, that’s not the guide’s fault. Especially in Iceland, where the weather is particularly tricky. If it’s about their behaviour or lack of commitment, that’s a different story.

That’s why I recommend booking through third-party platforms that collect customer reviews, such as Getyourguide, Viator.

Sort the reviews by date, otherwise it can be skewed: the best reviews often come first. The overall rating matters, but the latest reviews matter most.

And on top of that, with these platforms you get free cancellation, usually up to 24h before.

Are the guides good photographers too

That’s a criterion that isn’t necessarily important for everyone.

If an agency highlights its photographers, take two minutes to check out their work (their website, their Instagram account…). For me, it’s an important criterion! A photographer has an eye for the good spots, the most photogenic ones, simply because they also go out chasing the northern lights for themselves. And as a bonus, they give you tips for nailing your northern lights photos, depending on what you want to do, which can be really interesting.

A word of warning, though: some agencies show AI-generated photos. For me, that’s a deal-breaker. It’s misleading the customer, plain and simple.

Your to-do list before you go

A quick reminder before you head off chasing the northern lights, so you don’t forget anything:

• Fully charged batteries, for your camera and your phone alike. You’ll be snapping away, obviously, and the cold drains them at an impressive speed (a spare battery kept warm in a pocket is even better).
• Empty memory cards. It would be a real shame not to be able to press the shutter right when the sky lights up!
• A tripod, a proper one for your camera or a small one for your phone. Without it, no sharp photos at night: it’s essential.
• Water and something to snack on. You never know how long you’ll be out there.
• Lots of patience. The northern lights don’t give you any warning, neither about when they’ll show up nor about how strong they’ll be.
• A head torch, always handy for adjusting your camera or walking in the dark.
• Extra layers: spare socks, gloves, a hat… Enough to add or take off quickly without freezing on the spot. And don’t forget hand and foot warmers!

Find the best northern lights tour operator!

Conclusion

There you go, now you know everything!

Hunting for the northern lights in Reykjavik isn’t necessarily the easiest thing because of the light pollution, but mooooostly because of the weather.
So having a guide take you to the best spot can be one solution.

That said, with some preparation, a bit of planning and the right tools (like the best apps for seeing the northern lights), you can head off on your own adventure if you have a car.

It’s always a laugh in Iceland, though, because the weather is beyond unpredictable. Part of the country’s charm? Well, yes, up to a point 😀

But either way, if you’re up there at the right time of year (by the way, feel free to check out my article on the best places to see the northern lights), go for it! Only those who try get to see the northern lights. And honestly, given the show, it would be a shame to miss out 🙂

Here are some more resources and blog posts about Iceland:

• Planning your trip to Iceland – all the essential info for your next trip
• Things to do in Reykjavik – here’s an introduction to this really nice and more-than-surprising city
• When to go to Iceland – I explain month by month, activity by activity, when you should go to Iceland
• The map for travelling around Iceland – on this interactive map I show you all the places to see, the waterfalls, the hikes, the most beautiful viewpoints… and plenty more!
• The most beautiful places to see in Iceland – there’s so much to see that I’ve picked out the essentials here
• Exploring Iceland via the Ring Road – here’s the info for discovering Iceland along this legendary road
• The best activities in Iceland – northern lights, glaciers, ice caves… discover the best things to do in the country!
• How to hire a car in Iceland – which car suits your needs? find out here
• Things to do in Vik i Myrdal – I show you around this really nice village and its black sand beaches
• Discover the south coast of Iceland – everything you need to know about this pretty incredible region
• Sleep comfortably on the south coast of Iceland – the best places to stay when you visit the south coast
• Myvatn, its lake and so much more – there’s loads to see in the north of Iceland, here’s a little taster
• The bus from Keflavik airport to Reykjavik – I give you all the info on this bus and the other ways to get there
• When to see puffins in Iceland – all the info and the best places to see these cheerful little birds