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About Tour

Sail out from Reykjavik harbor to observe the Northern Lights dance above the ocean waves!

Highlights

  • Northern Lights
  • Boat Tour from the Old Harbour

The Northern Lights are a phenomenon simply out of this world. Out on the waves in the North Atlantic, you’ll have a chance to spy on the Aurora Borealis as it dances its timeless magic. Spirit yourself away from the hustle and bustle of Reykjavik and wrap yourself in the darkness of the open ocean. Leave the world behind and join us for a spellbound night of Nature’s most supernatural wonders.

Availability Sept - Apr
Duration 2 - 2.5 hours
Departs From Reykjavík
Level Easy Suitable for most people in fair condition.
Minimum age No min age
Meet on Location Yes
Pick Up Yes

From

94
Per
Adult
  • Expert Guides
  • No Booking Fees
  • Operated by our trusted partner

What's included

Included

  • Northern Lights Boat Tour
  • Northern Lights Video
  • English Language Guide
  • Warm Overalls
  • Café/bar and souvenir shop

What to bring

  • Hiking boots or very sturdy footwear
  • Warm outdoor layers
  • A weatherproof top layer
  • Headwear
  • Gloves
  • Scarves

Not Included

  • Meals

Itinerary

Information

Meet us at the Old Harbor in Reykjavík, also called the Downtown Harbor. In just 15 to 20 minutes, our expert sea crew will take you across those bracing North Atlantic waves to a place far enough away from the light pollution of Reykjavík. We monitor the aurora and cloud forecasts to make sure we go to the best place optimal for viewing.

The northern lights are a truly spectacular and unforgettable experience. You’ll never forget that magic moment when they first appear. They usually shimmer softly at first, before breaking out into more vibrant swirls of color rippling across the sky. Whether they’re delicate or dramatic, they’re always special to behold. The northern lights typically appear in hues of green and yellow, with blue, violet, and rose coming in a close second. As for the rarer reds, though still elusive, you’re likelier to observe these in Iceland than in any other country. So rest assured, you’re in good hands here!

While you’re waiting for the lights to appear, the boat crew will explain the science behind the majestic and magical aurora borealis. Your guide will also tell you all about some fascinating northern lights myths, stories, and legends from cultures around the world. We show our own specially made video in the ship café/bar. This is packed full of folklore, fun facts, and, of course, magnificent northern lights photography. We offer overalls to keep you comfortable on deck while you’re waiting for the lights to appear. There is also our cozy bar/café, video show, and souvenir shop to keep you entertained if you want to be in the warm for a while. As soon as those colors begin to appear, rest assured, we’ll fetch you!

Northern Lights are formed by certain reactions when particles emitted by sun collide with the earth's atmosphere. These particles are transported by the solar wind to those areas around the north and south poles. We do our utmost, but due to the nature of the phenomenon, we can’t guarantee the northern lights will appear.

We can never guarantee that you will see the northern lights. If you do not see them we offer you a free second tour but please note that you must contact us to re-book this. We cannot promise to offer you a second tour on the next night because this is dependent upon places being available.

Because northern lights boat tours are reliant upon suitable weather and aurora forecasts they are sometimes cancelled. Your tour may be cancelled up to 18:15 on the day of departure. When this happens your payment is refunded in full.

Contact us for more Information about this tour

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FAQ

The Northern Lights are natural phenomena and we unfortunately cannot promise you will see them. Their appearance depends upon atmospheric and weather conditions.

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

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

There isn’t just one single setting for your camera that ensures great photos.  But if you have manual options, you are probably best served with experimenting with various combinations of ISO, aperture, and exposure settings. As a rule of thumb, ISO setting between 800 and 3200, aperture between f/2.8 and f/5.6, and shutter speed at between 15 seconds and 30 seconds have proven effective.

A good thing to keep in mind, ISO setting between 800 and 3200, aperture between f/2.8 and f/5.6, and shutter speed between 15 seconds and 30 seconds have given great results.

Different combinations may give very different results. Higher ISO setting will allow you to capture faster exposures, but the downside to this might be for example grainier images.

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

Wider angle lenses are usually more versatile in low light settings, but longer lenses give you different options for compositions. Make sure that you remove all lens filters, as they may distort images. You will probably get the best results with manual setting for infinite focal length

A refund is not available if the northern lights tour goes ahead and no northern lights are seen but we do offer you the chance to join a Northern Lights Minibus tour free of charge.

Please contact our Customer care to re-book your tour.

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 do and use the deposit for it.

3. Get fully refunded.

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

Like you might have heard, the northern lights are a pretty difficult thing to predict. You can check en.vedur.is to see the forecast and if the level is high and the skies are clear then it’s very likely that the tour is going. We do update our website’s tour departure sheet with the information at 17:00 pm the latest. If the tour is cancelled, you will receive an email from us.

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 if there is no chance to see the lights.

Yes, the guide will take a photo of you with the northern lights behind you. These can be single or group photo’s and 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 clear winter months of 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 are dependant on two different factors. The first being the weather. If the sky is clear, no clouds, then you are halfway there to seeing the astonishing spectacle that is the Northern Lights (although light pollution can sometimes be a problem). Increased solar activity is the second half so, if these two merge together you may well be able to see the Northern Lights from Reykjavik.

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