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About tour

Learn about the science of Northern Lights at the Aurora Museum and see them in action on this stunning combination tour. Starting with the incredible Aurora Reykjavik, visitors will learn about the science and the ancient stories behind the aurora borealis across the Arctic Circle. The museum is the only place in Iceland where you’re guaranteed to see these lights at all times, so it makes a perfect introduction to a day all about Iceland’s Northern Lights!

Highlights

  • Visit Aurora Museum
  • See the Northern Lights
  • Get Northern Lights photos
  • Explore Icelandic countryside

Included

  • Pick-up & drop off from Reykjavík
  • Entrance to Aurora Reykjavik Museum
  • Minibus transport
  • English speaking expert guide
  • Northern Lights photos
  • Hot Cocoa, chocolate & blanket
  • Free WiFi on the bus
  • Complementary retry valid for 3 years when no Northern Lights are seen on the tour

What to bring

  • Hiking boots or other very sturdy footwear
  • Warm outdoor layers
  • Weatherproof top layer
  • Headwear
  • Gloves
  • Scarves
  • Camera

Tour Snapshot

Availability Sept - April
Departs From Reykjavik
Duration ~5 hours
Level Easy Suitable for most people in fair condition.
Meet on Location No
Pick Up Yes
Minimum age 6 years

From

100
Per
Adult
Save 14 USD
per person

Get the best value for money by booking a combo tour for up to 10% less!

  • Expert Guides
  • Small Group Experience
  • Free Wifi
  • Combo deal
  • No Booking Fees
  • Fast & Secure Payment
  • Best Price Guarantee
  • Operated with our trusted partner

From

100
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Itinerary

The tour will start with an independent visit to Aurora Reykjavik, full of incredible interactive exhibits to learn more about this fascinating phenomenon. This visit can be taken at your leisure throughout the day. Learn how to take pictures of the Northern Lights, watch videos about the science behind them, and discover some of the cultural beliefs that nations held throughout history. You can relax into comfortable bean bags for the 30-minute film of aurora sightings from all over Iceland, a glimpse into what you could be spotting later in the evening! The 360° VR experience is also a spectacular immersive Northern Lights experience, the only one like it in the world.

Later, a minibus will pick you up and take you out of the city to have a clearer view of the night sky and aurora borealis. You can bring your own photography equipment to capture mesmerising images of the Northern Lights, or simply soak in the sights with the naked eye. Your guide will carry a camera with a tripod to take pictures of you and your family with mesmerizing aurora lights in the background.

Note: The ticket to the Aurora Museum is valid throughout the day of the tour and can be visited at any time. Keep in mind that pick-up for the Northern Lights tour will be from the Aurora Reykjavik Museum.

Since the spectacle of the Northern Lights is very much weather-dependent, if no aurora is seen, you’ll have unlimited re-tries valid for up to 3 years. That’s right, you’ll be able to re-join the chase of Northern Lights until it’s a successful one! 

What to do in this case? Our Customer Care is ready to help you and book your next re-try.

Please keep in mind that refunds are not issued when a tour takes place but no Northern Lights are seen.

FAQ

The Northern Lights are natural phenomena and we unfortunately cannot promise you will see them on our tours. Their appearance depends upon atmospheric and weather conditions, which are factors entirely out of our control.

For more information on the Northern Lights, please have a look at our Northern Lights information.

Unfortunately, there isn’t just one simple answer to this question.

Your camera doesn't have a single setting that will guarantee excellent pictures.  But if you have manual controls, playing with different mixtures of ISO, aperture, and exposure settings is usually preferable. As a general rule, ISO settings of 800 to 3200, f/2.8 to f/5.6, and shutter speeds of 15 to 30 seconds have been found to be successful.

Keep in mind that ISO settings between 800 and 3200, f/2.8 and f/5.6, and shutter speeds between 15 and 30 seconds have produced excellent results.

Results from various combinations can vary greatly. You can take faster exposures with a higher ISO setting, but the photographs can turn up grainier as a result. 

If the shutter speed is above 15 seconds it will result in a slight star movement.

In low-light situations, wider-angle lenses are typically more adaptable, while longer lenses provide you with more compositional alternatives. Make sure to take off any lens filters because they could cause image distortion. Most likely, using a manual setting for infinite focal length will get the greatest results. 

For more tips, read our blog on photographing the Northern Lights.

Since the spectacle of the Northern Lights is very much weather-dependent, if no aurora is seen, you’ll have unlimited re-tries valid for up to 3 years. That’s right, you’ll be able to re-join the chase of Northern Lights until it’s a successful one! 

What to do in this case? Our Customer Care is ready to help you and book your next re-try.

Please keep in mind that refunds are not issued when a tour takes place but no Northern Lights are seen. During a re-try, the tour is operated on a minibus.

When Northern Lights tours are cancelled it’s usually due to unfavourable weather conditions.

In that case, your options will be to:

1. Reschedule for another day.

2. Find another tour to embark on and use the deposit for it.

3. Get fully refunded.

Please contact our Customer Care team to re-book your tour.

The Northern Lights are a pretty difficult thing to predict. You can check the Icelandic Meteorological Office website to see the forecast - if the level is high and the skies are clear then it’s very likely that the tour is going ahead. We do update our website’s tour departure sheet with the information at 17:00 at the latest. If the tour is canceled, you will receive an email from us notifying you.

If we think there is no chance at all of seeing the lights, we will cancel the tour. We don’t want to bring you out and disappoint you if there will definitely be no aurora activity.

Yes, the guide will take a photo of you with the Northern Lights behind you. These can be single or group photos and are free of charge.

The Northern Lights season is said to be from late August until mid-April. However, if you want to increase your chances of seeing them, it is best to wait until the colder winter months, from mid-September until March.

If luck and weather are on your side, then you will be able to see the aurora borealis above the inviting streets of Reykjavik. Whether you see the lights or not depends on two unique factors. The first is the weather: If the sky is clear, with no clouds, then you are halfway to seeing the astonishing spectacle that is the Northern Lights (although light pollution can sometimes be a problem). Increased solar activity is the second factor, so if these two are both favorable at the same time you may well be able to see the Northern Lights from Reykjavik.

Since it’ll be nighttime and winter when you chase the Northern Lights, it’s important to dress warmly! Be sure to dress in comfortable layers. Take an undershirt, a fleece sweater, and a jacket to go over everything. Don’t forget thermal underwear or leggings too!

The cost will really depend on the tour. Our basic Northern Lights tour in a minivan starts from 9.990 ISK. Upgrade to a Super Jeep for just 18.990 ISK more! Combo Tours and Multi-Day Tours are also priced at the best value possible.

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