Reykjavik: Northern Lights Tour w/Pro Photos – Small Group

The sky can change your whole Iceland trip. This four-hour Northern Lights outing mixes a serious aurora hunt with Viking costumes, professional night photography, hot chocolate, and a small minibus limited to 18 people. I like the free retries when the lights do not appear, and I like that guides such as Emil, Kobe, Tomas, and BG keep working for clear skies instead of simply turning around. The main drawback is the cramped minibus, especially when you bring thick winter layers.

You pay $148 per person, which is more than a basic large-bus aurora trip. Still, the value is strong if you want personal help with photographs, a guide willing to chase gaps in the clouds, and a quieter outing away from crowded coach stops. Just remember that no guide can promise the Northern Lights, and there is no refund if the sky stays dark.

The quick take

• Small minibus, maximum 18 people: The group size makes it easier to move between viewpoints and gives you more personal time with the photographer.
• Free retries after a no-show: If the aurora does not appear, you can join again at no extra cost.
• Photos are part of the experience: High-spec cameras capture both the lights and portraits in Viking clothing.
• Viking-themed waiting time: Museum-sourced costumes and replica weapons give you something fun to do while the sky decides what it wants.
• Warm refreshments included: Hot chocolate, gingerbread, cookies, blankets, and a heated minibus help during long waits outside.
• Experienced local guides: Emil and Kolbeinn run the company, while guides including Kobe, Tomas, BG, Johan, Felix, and Trond have earned praise for patience, driving, and aurora hunting.

Why this Northern Lights tour feels different

Many aurora outings are simple: board a bus, drive into the countryside, wait, and hope. That can work, but a long cold wait becomes dull when the forecast changes or the clouds refuse to move.

Aurora Viking adds a proper activity plan around the hunt. You can put on Viking outfits, handle replica weapons, sip hot chocolate, and pose for photographs while the guide watches the sky. That matters because the lights are a natural event, not a scheduled performance. You may see a strong display within minutes, or you may spend much of the evening waiting for a break in the clouds.

I like this honest setup. The company does not promise an aurora sighting. Instead, it offers unlimited free retries until you see the lights, though you must rejoin on another available evening. There is no refund for a night without an aurora, and once you join, the booking cannot be refunded under the stated terms.

The experience is especially useful if this is your main reason for visiting Iceland. You get more than a transport service. You get a guide focused on weather, cloud cover, darkness, timing, and photography, plus another chance if the first attempt fails.

Pickup around Reykjavik and the compact minibus

Pickup is available from 16 locations around Reykjavik. These include several hotels, the Reykjavik Bus Terminal, Hallgrimskirkja, City Hall, Tjörnin pond, Lækjargata, Skúlagata, and other designated bus stops.

You need to be at the correct place and ready when the minibus arrives. The driver calls your name at the pickup point, which helps in a city where hotel buses often use numbered stops rather than hotel doorways. Check your exact location carefully, since some Reykjavik hotels use a nearby official bus stop instead of direct curbside pickup.

The minibus is one of the tour’s practical strengths. A vehicle carrying no more than 18 people can use smaller access roads and quieter stopping places that may not suit a full-size coach. It also gives the guide more freedom to respond to changing cloud cover.

The tradeoff is space. One person specifically found the bus cramped, with limited room for storing extra layers. That is worth taking seriously. You will need warm clothes, but you may also remove a layer inside the heated vehicle. Wear clothing you can manage without filling the aisle with coats, hats, and bags.

Driving beyond the city lights

The central part of the evening is a flexible search for dark skies. The published plan calls the destination a secret stop, with photography and sightseeing lasting about four hours. That wording is useful: you should not expect a fixed sightseeing route with named attractions and a strict timetable.

Guides choose the stopping place according to the conditions. Some evenings stay close to Reykjavik. On others, the minibus may travel a long way to find open skies. One outing went more than two hours from the city toward Seljalandsfoss, while other groups stopped at lakes, mountains, or open fields far from artificial light.

This flexibility is important. A beautiful location is not enough if clouds cover the sky. The guide may pass a scenic viewpoint to reach a darker or clearer area. You might also stop more than once. One group saw the lights at two locations, while another guide moved on after a decent display because he wanted a better view.

The best guides explain these choices. Tomas was praised for explaining where the group should wait and why. Kobe earned praise for driving to clear patches and choosing places without other tour vehicles. Emil kept hunting long after the first faint display, eventually finding a stronger break in the clouds.

That persistence cannot control the weather, but it can improve your odds. It also means the four-hour duration is best treated as an approximate evening plan rather than a rigid sequence of stops.

Waiting for the aurora without freezing

The waiting period is where this tour earns much of its character. The guide may set up the camera, monitor the sky, and ask you to remain ready while the aurora develops. Sometimes the lights appear quickly. At other times, the group has to wait.

Hot chocolate and gingerbread or cookies are included. Several people praised the homemade hot chocolate, and multiple outings included more than one cup. Blankets are also available, and the minibus can stay warm while you take breaks from the cold.

Bring warm clothing anyway. This is not a substitute for a proper coat, gloves, hat, and suitable footwear. The stated advice is simply to dress warmly, but the reports of cold waiting time make that advice more than a formality.

I also like that the tour provides entertainment without pretending the Viking theme replaces the aurora. The costumes and weapons are a pleasant way to pass time, not a distraction from the main goal. If the sky stays cloudy, you still get photographs and a memorable evening, but the central experience remains weather-dependent.

Viking clothing, replica weapons, and local stories

The Viking element gives the tour a clear identity. You can try on outfits sourced from a local museum and pose with replica weapons. These are not presented as a full museum visit or a historical reenactment. Instead, they are hands-on props for portraits and a bit of playful atmosphere.

The guides also explain the old connections between Viking beliefs and the Northern Lights. One guide framed the hunt through local stories about the old gods, while others explained the science behind the aurora and the beliefs that grew around it.

That mix works well. You get a basic explanation of how the lights form, followed by the cultural ideas people once attached to the sky. The science helps you understand why forecasts are useful but imperfect. The stories make the waiting feel more rooted in Iceland than simply standing in a dark parking area.

The costumes are also a good choice for families with older children. Children under seven cannot join, but a nine-year-old was made to feel welcome during one outing. The replica gear gives younger participants something active to do, though the late hour and cold conditions may still be tiring.

Professional photographs, not just phone snapshots

Night photography is hard. Your phone may record a faint green smear, but it may not give you the portrait you hoped to take home. This experience includes a guide and photographer using high-spec cameras designed for dark conditions.

The photographer takes portraits with the aurora behind you and also captures Viking-themed shots. Guides adjust the camera position and give each person a chance to pose. That fairness matters in a small group, since one person can easily dominate the camera time if the process is casual.

The results depend on the strength of the aurora, cloud cover, darkness, and the guide’s technique. Still, the feedback consistently highlights the photographs as one of the tour’s strongest features. People received images with green, red, orange, and purple lights, while others had clear portraits beneath snow-covered mountains.

You should ask how and when the final photographs will be delivered, since the supplied details only say they are sent or made available to take home. Also, do not assume every night produces dramatic colors. A weak aurora may look subtle to the eye and on camera. The photography service improves your chances of keeping a good image, but it cannot create a display that nature did not provide.

Guide quality makes the biggest difference

This tour is unusually dependent on the individual guide. The company owners, Kolbeinn and Emil, have decades of experience searching for the lights, and several guides receive repeated praise for effort and care.

Kobe is noted for finding quiet locations, explaining the aurora, and keeping the mood upbeat. Tomas is praised for photography, safe driving, clear explanations, and patience. BG is remembered for finding a good spot quickly and helping everyone get photographs. Emil is repeatedly associated with staying out longer, driving farther, and making sure the group had a real chance.

Other named guides include Johan, Trond, Felix, Jonas, and Valeria. Experiences can naturally vary by weather and by who leads your departure, but the pattern is clear: the guide is not just a driver. The guide reads the forecast, watches cloud breaks, chooses a stopping point, handles the camera, explains the sky, and keeps people warm and involved.

That personal attention is difficult to reproduce on a large coach. If you want a guide who can answer questions and give you a fair turn in front of the camera, the small group is worth considering.

Is $148 a fair price?

At $148 per person, this is not the cheapest way to search for the aurora. You are paying for several things at once:

• A four-hour outing with hotel or bus-stop pickup and drop-off
• A minibus limited to 18 people
• A local English-speaking guide
• A photographer and professional night images
• Viking costumes and replica weapons
• Hot chocolate, cookies or gingerbread, and blankets
• Free retries if the aurora does not appear

The free retry policy changes the value calculation. A failed first night is disappointing, but you do not lose the whole investment if your schedule allows another attempt. You should leave room in your Iceland plans for that possibility rather than booking the tour on your final evening.

The price makes the most sense for someone who values photographs and a smaller group. If you only want transport to a dark location and are happy taking your own pictures, a cheaper option may suit you. If the Northern Lights are a once-in-a-lifetime priority, the extra cost buys effort, flexibility, and a better photography setup.

Who should book it?

I would choose this tour if you want a social but not oversized outing, care about getting proper portraits, and enjoy a little humor while waiting in the cold. It also suits families with children aged seven and older, couples, and solo visitors who want a guide to handle the camera.

It is less suitable if you dislike sitting in a compact vehicle, need a fixed sightseeing itinerary, or have only one evening available. No operator can guarantee the aurora, and the free retry has little value if you fly out the next morning.

Book early enough to leave a spare night. Bring warm clothes, keep your bag small, and expect the route to change according to cloud cover. If you see the lights quickly, enjoy the show. If you do not, use the retry policy rather than treating the first dark sky as the final verdict.

FAQ

How long is the Northern Lights tour?

The tour lasts four hours, including pickup, the search for dark skies, photography, sightseeing, and the return trip.

How many people can join the minibus?

The small group minibus accepts a maximum of 18 people.

What happens if the Northern Lights do not appear?

You can join the tour again free of charge until you see the lights. There is no refund if the aurora is not visible, so you need enough time in your schedule for another attempt.

Are photographs included?

Yes. A guide and photographer use high-spec cameras to take Northern Lights photographs and Viking portraits for you to take home.

What refreshments are provided?

Hot chocolate and cookies are included. Some departures also describe the cookies as gingerbread, and blankets are available on the minibus.

Can young children join?

Children under seven are not permitted on this experience. The tour is conducted in English, and pickup and drop-off are provided at designated Reykjavik hotels and bus stops.

Should you book Aurora Viking?

Book it if you want more than a bus ride into the darkness. The small group, serious photo help, Viking props, warm drinks, and free retries give the evening extra value. The strongest reason to choose it is the effort guides such as Emil, Kobe, Tomas, and BG put into finding clear skies and giving everyone a fair shot at good photographs.

Skip it if you need a guaranteed sighting, a roomy vehicle, or a refund when the weather fails. The Northern Lights remain luck-driven. But with a flexible schedule and realistic expectations, this is a thoughtful choice for making the wait as worthwhile as the sky itself.