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

The Northern Lights may be the star of this tour, but the Viking costumes and professional photographs give you something worthwhile even during a slow aurora night. Guides such as Emil, Kolbeinn, Tomas, Kobe, and BG use a small minibus to search for clear skies away from Reykjavík, while keeping the evening lively with museum replicas, hot chocolate, and cookies.

I like two things right away: the free repeat outings if the aurora fails to appear, and the care put into photographing every person in the group. The main catch is simple but important: no company can promise the Northern Lights, and there is no refund after you join, even if the sky stays dark.

Key points at a glance

• Small minibus, maximum 18 people: Easier to reach darker viewing spots than a large coach, with a more personal feel.
• Aurora photos included: Guides use high-spec cameras and send the finished images to you.
• Viking dress-up is part of the entertainment: Try costumes and museum replica weapons for playful night portraits.
• Free repeat outings: If you do not see the lights, you can join again at no extra charge.
• Warm breaks matter: Hot chocolate, gingerbread, cookies, and blankets help during long waits outside.
• Pickup is spread across Reykjavík: Choose from 16 listed pickup points, with matching drop-off locations afterward.

Chasing clear skies beyond Reykjavík

A Northern Lights outing is part science, part weather watching, and part luck. Aurora Viking guides, including owners Kolbeinn and Emil, have spent decades searching for the right mix of darkness, clear sky, and aurora activity. Their job is not to create the lights, but to improve your odds of being in the right place when they appear.

The four-hour tour begins with pickup at one of 16 Reykjavík locations. These include several hotels, Reykjavík Bus Terminal, Hallgrimskirkja, City Hall, the Culture House, and central bus stops. The driver will call your name at the pickup point, so keep your phone available and arrive ready to board.

The minibus is limited to 18 people. That is small enough for the guide to help with photos and answer questions, yet it is not a private tour. You may still share the vehicle with a full group, and one useful point from the experience is that the bus can feel cramped when everyone brings thick winter layers.

The smaller vehicle matters most once you leave town. A large coach needs wider roads, larger parking areas, and more room to turn. This minibus can reach spots that big buses may skip, helping the guide search for darker skies and breaks in the cloud.

The secret stop and the value of moving on

The main outdoor portion is described as a secret stop, with sightseeing and photography filling the four-hour outing. The exact location is not fixed, and that is an advantage here. A fixed viewpoint would look neat on a schedule, but Northern Lights chasing works better when the guide can react to the weather.

You might stop soon after leaving Reykjavík if a good patch of sky opens nearby. At other times, the group may drive much farther. One outing reached the Seljalandsfoss area, about two hours from Reykjavík, while another went more than two hours from the city in search of clear conditions. These longer drives are not guaranteed, but they show the effort involved when local skies are poor.

Do not expect a standard sightseeing tour with a set series of attractions. The goal is not to collect landmarks. It is to find darkness, open sky, and a useful foreground for photographs. You could spend time at one location, move to a second spot, or wait in the bus while the guide watches conditions.

That waiting is a real part of the experience. The Northern Lights can appear quickly, fade, and return later. Some groups have seen them within minutes. Others have waited through cloud, driven on, and finally found an open sky. I appreciate that the guides treat the hunt as an active search rather than simply parking once and calling it a night.

Viking portraits while the sky decides

The Viking theme gives the evening a welcome second act. You can try on Viking outfits and handle replica weapons sourced from a local museum. The costumes are not just a quick photo prop. They give you something to do while the guide monitors the sky, and they can produce both dramatic and deliberately silly portraits.

That mix of serious aurora photography and playful dress-up works well for families with older children, couples, and groups of friends. The tour is not suitable for children under seven, but older children can take part in the costume photos. One guide even made a special effort to help a nine-year-old feel included.

The Viking connection also provides a cultural thread. Guides explain local beliefs and the way Vikings connected the Northern Lights with old stories and gods. The supplied details do not promise a formal museum lecture, so expect informal storytelling rather than a long academic talk.

Photography is one of the strongest reasons to choose this tour. Night photography is tricky because a camera needs a long exposure, careful focus, and enough light on the people in front of it. The guides use high-spec cameras and reposition them as needed to include both the aurora and the group.

The process can take patience. You may need to hold still while the camera works, and the guide may photograph people one at a time so everyone gets a fair chance. The finished images are sent to you, giving you more than a dark phone snapshot with a faint green smudge.

Hot chocolate, cookies, and staying warm

Icelandic winter nights are cold, especially when you are standing still and looking upward. Aurora Viking includes hot chocolate and cookies, with gingerbread mentioned as part of the welcome snack. Some outings also provided blankets, and the heated minibus offers a useful place to warm up between attempts.

This is not a luxury detail. The best aurora may require waiting, and cold hands make photography and costume changes harder. You should still bring proper warm clothing, including layers, a hat, gloves, and sturdy footwear. The tour asks you to bring warm clothing, and the advice deserves attention.

The hot chocolate has become part of the character of the outing. It is served during the wait, not as a separate café stop, so you can keep watching the sky and warming up at the same time. If you are traveling with children over seven, this small comfort can make the long pauses much easier.

There is a tradeoff inside the minibus. It is heated and useful for warming up, but one account described limited room for storing extra layers and moving around. Pack with the vehicle in mind. Wear your main layers rather than bringing a large loose pile of clothing.

Why the photography package adds value

At $148 per person, this is not Reykjavík’s cheapest Northern Lights bus outing. The value comes from combining several services that are often separate: transport, a guide, active weather-based searching, professional photos, Viking costumes, replica weapons, and refreshments.

If your priority is simply getting outside the city for a chance to see the aurora, a lower-priced tour might meet your needs. But you would need to compare what is included. Here, the photo service alone may matter if you are not carrying a camera that can handle long exposures.

The small group also changes the experience. With no more than 18 people, the guide can work through the group more carefully than on a large coach. That does not mean unlimited personal attention at every moment, but it does help when everyone wants a portrait.

I especially like the retry policy. If you complete the outing without seeing the lights, you can join again free of charge until you do see them. This can be a major saving if your schedule allows another evening in Reykjavík.

Read the terms carefully. There is no refund simply because the aurora does not appear. Once you join the tour, the booking is not refundable. The free retry is the remedy offered instead. Standard cancellation is free up to 24 hours before the tour, which gives you flexibility before the outing begins.

What happens when the weather turns bad

Weather controls this experience more than the company does. Cloud can hide strong aurora activity, and a good forecast can still fail at the precise place where you are waiting. The operator may cancel or help you move to another night when conditions are poor.

Communication has been a strong practical point. People have been able to reschedule after a cancellation, and some changed dates more than once without a fee. If you have several nights in Iceland, book early enough to leave room for a second attempt.

The free retry makes this tour a better fit for visitors spending at least a few nights in Reykjavík. If you fly home the morning after the outing, the policy has less value because you may not have time to use it.

The guides also appear willing to keep searching when conditions shift. Several outings moved to another location after a weak first sighting or continued waiting beyond the expected finish when the sky showed promise. You should not assume every tour will run late, but the company’s priority is clearly the sighting rather than a rigid stop-and-go schedule.

The people behind the steering wheel

The named guides include Kolbeinn, Emil, Tomas, Kobe, BG, Johan, Jonas, Felix, and Trond. The guide you meet depends on the date, but the role requires more than driving. The guide watches forecasts, chooses stopping points, explains the aurora, handles the camera, organizes the costumes, and keeps the group moving fairly.

The best accounts of the outing repeatedly point to guides making sure each person receives a photo before anyone takes a second turn. That is a small detail, but it matters. Night photography can become chaotic when everyone wants the same perfect portrait.

Several guides also earned praise for calm driving on icy or foggy roads. That is important in Iceland, where the route can change and conditions can worsen after dark. You should still expect a road trip, not a quick ride to a viewpoint.

The family-run nature of Aurora Viking adds a personal touch. Emil and Kolbeinn are identified as the owners and primary guides, and the operation feels built around their own enthusiasm for the aurora. That can make the evening feel less like a standard transfer and more like joining a local search party.

Who will enjoy this tour most

This is a good choice if you want the Northern Lights but also need activities during the wait. The Viking portraits, warm drinks, and shared hunt keep the evening from becoming four hours of standing silently in the cold.

It suits:

• First-time aurora watchers who want help with both the search and the photography
• Couples and friends who want polished portraits rather than phone pictures
• Families with children aged seven and older
• Visitors who have enough time in Reykjavík to use the free retry
• People who prefer a small minibus to a large coach
• Anyone willing to pay more for a guide-led hunt and included photos

It may not suit you if you dislike uncertain timing, long drives, or waiting outdoors. It is also a poor fit if you need a guaranteed finish at a precise hour, since the route and search can change with the sky.

The tour is conducted in English. Pickup and drop-off are included at the listed Reykjavík points, with 16 options in each direction. Choose the point closest to your accommodation, but check the exact stop carefully because Reykjavík bus-stop arrangements can change.

Should you book Aurora Viking?

I would book this tour if the Northern Lights are a major reason for your Iceland trip and you can leave room for a repeat outing. The free retries and included professional photographs make the $148 price easier to justify than a basic bus ride, especially for people without suitable night photography equipment.

Book it if you value effort, flexibility, and a little fun while waiting. Skip it if you only want the cheapest possible aurora outing or cannot tolerate a result controlled by weather.

Go prepared for cold, cramped transport, and uncertainty. If the sky cooperates, you may get green, red, orange, or purple light above the mountains, plus photos that actually show you in the scene. If it does not, you have a clear next step: try again without paying for another tour.

FAQ

How long is the Northern Lights tour?

The tour lasts four hours, though the search may involve changing locations as weather and aurora conditions develop.

How many people can join the minibus?

The minibus carries a maximum of 18 people.

Is hotel pickup and drop-off included?

Yes. Pickup and drop-off are included at 16 listed Reykjavík locations, including selected hotels, bus stops, Reykjavík Bus Terminal, Hallgrimskirkja, and central landmarks.

What language is the tour conducted in?

The live tour guide speaks English.

Are professional Northern Lights photos included?

Yes. A guide and photographer use high-spec cameras to take night photographs, including portraits with the aurora when conditions allow.

Can I dress as a Viking?

Yes. Viking costumes and replica Viking weapons are provided for the photo sessions.

Are hot drinks and snacks included?

Yes. Hot chocolate and cookies are included. Gingerbread is also described as part of the refreshments, and some outings include blankets.

What happens if I do not see the Northern Lights?

You can join the tour again free of charge until you see the lights. There is no refund for a night without an aurora sighting.

Can I cancel for a full refund?

You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance for a full refund. Once you join the tour, there is no refund.

Is the tour suitable for young children?

The tour is not suitable for children under seven years old.