Reykjavik
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New Year's Eve in Reykjavik: Bonfire Tour and Fireworks Display

Reykjavík, Iceland
Likely to Sell Out

From $119.06

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Free cancellation
Up to 24 hours in advance.
Reykjavik Tours
All Reykjavik Tours
Audio Guides
Kid-Friendly
Likely To Sell Out
Unique Experiences
  • 5 hours (approx.)
  • Hotel pickup offered
  • Mobile ticket
  • Offered in: English

Overview

Celebrate the new year "Icelandic style" by experiencing two local New Year's Eve traditions: a Nordic bonfire and fireworks displays like none other. When midnight draws near, get views of the fireworks from one of the best vantage points in Reykjavik, with a glass of sparkling wine hand. Round-trip transportation from select Reykjavik hotels is included.
  • New Year's Eve bonfire and firework tour in Reykjavik
  • Travel around central Reykjavik on New Year's Eve with a local guide
  • Stay warm in front of impressive bonfires
  • Soak up the party atmosphere, seeing Reykjavik revelers celebrating the New Year
  • Enjoy a coffee halfway through the tour and a glass of sparkling wine at midnight
  • Watch the sky lit up with an extravagant fireworks bonanza at midnight

What's Included

  • Hotel pickup and drop-off (selected hotels only)
  • Beverages
  • Air-conditioned vehicle
  • Professional guide
  • Food and drinks, unless specified

Meeting And Pickup

You can head directly to your preferred meeting point, or request pickup.

Meeting points

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Pickup points

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Start time

08:00 PM

End point

This activity ends back at the meeting point.

Pickup details

Pick-up is offered from most hotels and guesthouses in the capital area, as well as from cruise ports. Pick-ups from hotels in the city center are not possible from directly in front of the hotel due to traffic restrictions, instead passengers must come to the nearest bus pickup point.

What To Expect

Meet your guide downtown or enjoy pickup from your Reykjavik hotel. Then, board a bus and head off into the city for an exploration of traditional New Year's Eve celebrations, which include fireworks and bonfires.

Drive in search of a bonfire while your guide tells you about local New Year's Eve customs, myths, and traditions. Disembark your vehicle to attend a bonfire with your guide, chatting it up with the locals and enjoying the atmosphere. You're served complimentary drinks to warm your frosty extremities.

Then head for the biggest fireworks display of the evening, the city's official blast-off that begins around 11:30pm. Your bus ferries you to one of the best vantage points to see the full display. Count down to the new year, then clink glasses of complimentary sparkling wine to start the year off right.

Stay at the party, then board your bus to head back to your drop-off point downtown or at your hotel.

Reykjavik

5 hours • Admission Ticket Free

Additional Info

  • Confirmation will be received at time of booking
  • Not wheelchair accessible
  • Near public transportation
  • Infant seats available
  • Most travelers can participate
  • This tour/activity will have a maximum of 100 travelers
Operated by Gray Line Iceland

Cancellation Policy

You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.

  • For a full refund, you must cancel at least 24 hours before the experience’s start time.
  • If you cancel less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time, the amount you paid will not be refunded.
  • Any changes made less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time will not be accepted.
  • Cut-off times are based on the experience’s local time.
Reviews
3.5
52 reviews
Total review count and overall rating based on Viator and Tripadvisor reviews
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Reviews by Viator travelers.
Showing 1-10 of 52 reviews
Perfect Evening
Wendy_W, Jan 2023
What a perfect way to start the New Year. Plenty of time at each stop, and was a great way to enjoy Icelandic culture.
Fun
Ed_I, Jan 2023
The bus situation was a bit rough, but overall fun night. Bonfire was huge, and the fireworks were great!
Spectacular- must do in your lifetime!
Megan_R, Jan 2023
Overall very good. The bus was late picking us up with the reason being it was hard to drive a large bus in the city center- this only made me wonder why we had fewer pick up spots that accommodated a bus. Grey Line was great in letting me change my pick up spot same day, which I appreciated. The guide was very good. I enjoyed that we went to a bonfire as well as the Pearlan to see the fireworks. The latter was just spectacular (and that word doesn’t do it justice).
Disappointed
Sandra_D, Jan 2019
We were very disappointed on this trip. Paid all that money just to stand at a bonfire for two hours and long queues for toilet and drink, which I didn’t get. Then we went perlan to see fireworks. You can get a free bus to the perlan. Couldn’t go in so had to stand outside in the car park. Didn’t see much for the crowds of people. Much better the year before, when we watched from the cathedral.
Parking lot Prosecco Party
David_D, Jan 2019
Drinking a glass of Prosecco in a parking lot without access to facilities for 1.5 hrs is NOT ideal. I had been expecting same as last year when we were IN the Perlan, not just the parking lot.
I would go back to Iceland for NYE...
Joan C, Mar 2018
I would go back to Iceland for NYE because it was absolutely AMAZING! The neighborhood bonefire was so much fun with so many people from so many countries singing and celebrating together! The locals were extremely friendly! Viewing the fireworks from the museum high on the hill was breathtaking. Being outside on the 4th flour deck with a wrap around deck was perfect! There was a 360 degree view of fireworks going off around the city for over 40 minutes. It was by far the BEST New Year's Eve I ever exerienced. I would only celebrate NYE in Iceland if I could do the tour again.
This was amazing. I didn’t know what...
Douglas_L, Mar 2018
This was amazing. I didn’t know what to expect, but New Years in Iceland is crazy! Worth it for the view of Reykjavik with almost 360 degree fireworks.
This is a must do for New Years...
Carmen_W, Jan 2018
This is a must do for New Years Eve...to see the magnitude that the city of Reykjavik explodes in colors with fireworks is truly breathtaking. The party that accompanies it is a nice gathering of fellow travelors.
Amazing! Fireworks EVERYWHERE...
Heather B, Jan 2018
Amazing! Fireworks EVERYWHERE! Bonfire was good.
Bonfire - definitely cool, but you...
Thomas F, Jan 2018
Bonfire - definitely cool, but you could just take a cab yourself. The fireworks - beyond cool. A shouldn't miss. Fireworks everywhere in the city and a pretty decent viewing location. BUT, the nearly two hours between was not managed well - people were sitting on floors, on stairs, just standing around and waiting for the fire works. The tour has a big void in the middle, which should be better filled with something more than free coffee. Come on guys - make the evening the event that it should be don't just drive us around and make us wait between the city's events.
This tour was so much more than we...
lesley k, Jan 2018
This tour was so much more than we expected, following a visit to bonfire and fireworks we were taken to The Perlon and watched the whole of Reykjavik from a balcony, fireworks and celebrations for 2 hours with a couple of glasses of bubbly included.
This tour began great with the...
Connie C, Jan 2018
This tour began great with the bonfire and ended well with the fireworks. In between however it was pretty lame. We just drove around. Another stop needs to be planned to make this great. The tour guide Didi was really good and did try to keep thing interesting but it really did not work.
This was a good way to experience...
Rebecca S, Jan 2017
This was a good way to experience new year, we were taken to a bonfire with tourists and locals, there was a band playing and a firework display, when this finished we were taken back to the grayline depot where they put on coffee, water and chocolates and the grayline staff entertained us. My friend asked for tea but the only option was coffee, would have been nice to have tea or hot chocolate available as alternative options. The downside was the portable toilets, you couldn't see what you were doing in the dark and the queues were massive, perhaps need to rethink that part for next year. Then around 11 we were put back on a bus and taken to a high vantage point across the city. At 11.30 the sky lit up, Icelanders are crazy about letting off fireworks for new year, these were display grade and were going off until around 1 in the morning. We got dropped back off in downtown Reykjavik at 1.30 and went to a bar for a few hours. It was worth it, but wrap up warm.
New Year's Eve was beautiful...
Debra_P, Jan 2017
New Year's Eve was beautiful. Seeing all of the fireworks were amazing! 2 problems were they ran out of Hot Chocolate and NO TEA! Only coffee. They should be more prepared. and they drop you off so far from your hotel and you have to walk at 1:30 in the morning back to the hotel. They should drop you off at their office more light .
This was amazing and the time spent...
Maria A, Jan 2017
This was amazing and the time spent watching the display was well worth it. A not to be missed experience
Iceland wins NYE for all time! We...
Gretchen H, Jan 2017
Iceland wins NYE for all time! We were picked up by a mini coach and dropped off a few minutes later at the Gray Line headquarters to check in and then load a large motorcoach. We had a fantastic guide and who gave us the itinerary as we made our way to a large community bonfire. Dress WARM! My toes were freezing at times and I had on silk liners, 2 pairs of wool socks, and snow boots! The bonfire had hundreds of people, a fun band, and there was a big fireworks display. The Northern Lights also made an appearance for 10 minutes! We were then taken to the Gray Line bus depot where they set up a party with some donut like things, coffee, hot chocolate and water. They mentioned it was the first year they were doing this. There were 750 of us just standing around listening to just okay music. There were portable restrooms clean and stocked! to use during this stopover. It's necessary, but a little boring so just prepare! Then the fun happens! We were taken to a top point in the city for an hour where you get out, enjoy a glass of sparkling wine, and just take in hundred and hundreds of fireworks displays going on at the same time all over the city for as far as the eye can see! There is NOTHING like this anywhere I've been and it's surreal. Iceland doesn't do one big fireworks display. Everyone usually just buys fireworks from the local rescue squads as a way of supporting them and then after a nationally televised broadcast, everyone goes back outside and enjoys fireworks. I HIGHLY recommend everyone going to Iceland during New Years Eve and checking this out! Bucket list item for sure!
Tour from Gray Line. Well...
Jamma_L, Jan 2017
Tour from Gray Line. Well coordinated hotel pickup and dropoff. 8pm bonfire was a fantastic experience. From 9:45pm, we were taken back to Gray Line's office to a garage/warehouse style party to wait until 11pm, which was not that great. There were only portable toilets for the 6 buses. Coffee, hot chocolate and doughnuts were offered but ran out after the first 3 buses. Live music was good. A guide takes each bus to a different vantage point overlooking Reykjavik for fireworks, prior to hotel drop offs from around 12:30am.
This tour is multiple large buses...
Darryl M, Jan 2017
This tour is multiple large buses filled to capacity. Hundreds of people all going to the same places. The bonfire itself was actually very interesting and worthwhile, however, once the bonfire was over, you get loaded back onto the buses and taken to the Greyline headquarters for a party. This is actually just their bus barn, with a few snacks, hundreds of people, and what appears to be a Greyline talent show with employees signing karaoke. You are held hostage at the bus barn.....this was terrible. Finally, you are allowed back on the bus and taken outside the city to watch the fireworks. This was ok, but not great. In hindsight, I wish we only took a tour or cab to the bonfire, then went back downtown and watched the fireworks from the balcony of the hotel. Not worth the money or time for the entire evening.
Great time at the Bon Fire and...
Della_B, Jan 2017
Great time at the Bon Fire and Fireworks tour. The only thing I did not like was having to go to the bus depot for coffee, hot cocoa and bathroom trips but it was only a slight inconvenience. The tour guide and the driver did their best to make sure we enjoyed ourselves and the location to view the Fireworks at midnight was absolutely fantastic. Thanks for a great trip.
The fireworks were epic! Never in my...
Maria L, Jan 2017
The fireworks were epic! Never in my life have I seen anything like this. After the bonfire and before the fireworks they took us to the bus depo for coffee, hot chocolate, and donuts. There was live entertainment. Clean port-a-potties were also available. An added bonus: the northern lights were visible! Unlikely in the city, but it shows you anything is possible.

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