The Northern Lights, or Aurora Borealis, draw hopeful travellers to Iceland from across the world, but knowing how to boost your chances of the best sightings requires skill and practise. On this Northern Lights bus tour, enjoy round-trip travel from your Reykjavik hotel and head out into the Icelandic countryside with your experienced guide. Hit the best spots for the clearest visibility, and reschedule for free if you don’t get lucky.

Hit the best viewing spots according to weather conditions on the day
Sip hot chocolate as the Northern Lights dazzle in the skies above
Reschedule with ease if the Northern Lights don’t appear
Includes round-trip travel from your Reykjavik accommodation

What's Included

WiFi on board

Dinner

Meeting And Pickup

You can head directly to the meeting point, or request pickup

Meeting point

Þórunnartún 1
Þórunnartún 1, 105 Reykjavík, Iceland
Tour Bus Stop 12, Höfðatorg, Þórunnartún 1 (64.144389,-21.910327)

Pickup points

Select a pickup point

End point

This activity ends back at the meeting point.

Pickup details

Our pickup can take up to 30 minutes so please wait at your pickup location from the time written on your ticket. More locations we do offer pickup service from: - Subway at the former Oddsson Ho(s)tel, Hringbraut 119 - Burgerjoint (Hamborgarabullan), Geirsgata 1 - Gamli Gardur, Hringbraut 29 - BSI Bus Terminal, Vatnsmyrarvegur 10 (front / taxi side) Many accommodations in central Reykjavik are redirected to official "Tour Bus Stops" from which we also offer pickup: - Tour Bus Stop 1, Ráðhúsið - City Hall, Vonarstraeti (64.146316,-21.941491) - Tour Bus Stop 2, Tjörnin - The Pond, Maedragardur on Laekjargata (64.145763,-21.938547) - Tour Bus Stop 3, Lækjargata, Laekjargata 4 (64.14678,-21.937296) - Tour Bus Stop 5, Harpa, Austurbakki 2 (64.14678,-21.937296) - Tour Bus Stop 6, Safnahúsið - The Culture House, Hverfisgata 15 by Arnarholl (64.147454,-21.932894) - Tour Bus Stop 7, Traðarkot, Hverfisgata 20 (64.146706,-21.930425) - Tour Bus Stop 8, Hallgrímskirkja, by Eiriksgata (64.141548,-21.927973) - Tour Bus Stop 9, Snorrabraut, Snorrabraut 24 (64.143497,-21.916289) - Tour Bus Stop 10, Hlemmur, Laugavegur 105 (64.143155,-21.915414) - Tour Bus Stop 11, Austurbær, Snorrabraut 37 (64.142364,-21.917228) - Tour Bus Stop 13, Rauðarárstígur, Laugavegur 120 (64.142658,-21.913866) Free pickup location: - Tour Bus Stop 12, Höfðatorg, Þórunnartún 1 (64.144389,-21.910327)

What To Expect

Additional Info

Confirmation will be received at time of booking
Minimum age is 8 years old
Booking this Northern Lights tour also gives you a free ticket to visit the Aurora Museum in Reykjavik, Grandagarður 2, 101 Reykjavík. The free entrance is only valid on the day you join the tour, from the time we announce whether the tour is ON (by email and on our website). The entrance fees to the Aurora Reykjavik exhibition are complementary meaning that if you do not wish to go to the museum, there is no partial refund.
Not wheelchair accessible

Near public transportation
Dress in warm, wind and waterproof clothing and footwear.
Most travelers can participate
This tour/activity will have a maximum of 65 travelers

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.
This experience requires good weather. If it’s canceled due to poor weather, you’ll be offered a different date or a full refund.

Traveler Photos

Traveler Tips

Our tour guided also brought her own professional camera and took pictures of us and sent them over via email FOR FREE!

Reviews

4.0

529 reviews

Total review count and overall rating based on Viator and Tripadvisor reviews

Reviews by Viator travelers.

Showing 1-10 of 529 reviews

Not as expected

Eileen_M, Mar 2023

Guide was very informative. Bus was very comfortable & clean. Disappointing that we did not see the lights as pictured but in the advertisement, but that’s on Mother Nature!

Unforgettable Celestial experience!

Michelle_M, Mar 2023

The experience was majestic and magical. We were lucky enough to have a clear night and our wonderful Tour guide Roberta said it was an amazing perfect night we had. Check out my pics! We even captured the Coronal hole! The only negative was the pick up experience..it was chaos at Stop 12.

Great experience, poor organisation.

Ronnie_G, Mar 2023

The guide (Marten I think) and driver were excellent, but the experience of being picked up at bus stop 12 can only be described as chaotic, stressful, and totally unacceptable. We ended up running between three buses trying to hear our names being called simultaneously by three different guides. Why not scan the tickets?

Chaotic fun

Emily_G, Mar 2023

Not very well organised at the start. Several buses from the same company turn up and you don't know which one you are on. However, once on the bus they are very informative and we were lucky enough to see the northern lights.

Chaos

Domonick_S, Mar 2023

Total chaos at the pick up location. Please add bus numbers to reservations so people know which bus they are on. It was very unorganized last night.

Great locations with plenty of time to photograph the spectacular Northern Lights

Fred_M, Mar 2023

The tour was well organised and we’re taken to locations that gave us a great view of the Northern Lights which thankfully put on a display for the entire night. We were given plenty of time to photo plenty of images and watch the display. We couldn’t have asked for a better way to end our stay in Iceland.

Magical

Eva_B, Mar 2023

Our tour guide Ester was amazing. Learned a lot about folk and ghosts stories too! It took a bit of patience but the lights showed up in the end. I will definitely go again when I’m in Iceland.

Great trip and great guide

Tyler_T, Mar 2023

Didn’t see the lights the night we booked… but the company made it very easy to book again for the next night where we were very lucky to see an amazing show!! Daniel (the Aurora whisperer) made the trip very enjoyable and knew the best places to go The direction from the tour company regarding the pick up for the tour is a bit of a nightmare crowds of people all scrambling around the buses so be sure to check your bus company on your email and split up to cover all the buses to make sure you don’t miss yours!

Amazing lights

Stephen_R, Mar 2023

We had a very informative guide for the tour and although the forecasted activity was not great we did see the northern lights, although better through a camera than with the naked eye. It’s a very cold experience in March in Iceland so the hot chocolate helped and although very well wrapped up we still did get cold. My only criticism was that the large coach that we joined using feeder minibuses then had to drop everyone off at the end which took a long time. Would have been better if the minibuses had been central again to take back to hotels.

Mind blowing !

MOON_M, Mar 2023

We couldn't see the first day , but next day we could see northern lights thanks to our guide .must visit for everybody once in life .we couldn't see green color properly with naked eyes , but in camera it comes up

The tour was good but it...

junet_k, Mar 2023

The tour was good but it could have been better. We were waiting for the tour bus at bus stop 12. There were loads of people waiting for different agencies. But more people waiting for BusTravel Iceland tour. Everytime a BusTravel tour bus arriving, loads of guests run towards the bus, waiting for their names to be called. I mean lots of people flocking the bus! If they can’t hear their names, they run to another bus. Mind you, it’s so cold. I was so disappointed because it’s so disorganised. I would suggest, even if I’m not asked, to number your bus, BUS 1, BUS 2,etc. Inform your guests what designated bus they are assigned so that they will not keep on running here and there from one bus to another. Pls consider that it’s so cold. And also there are buses and vans, just for the safety of everybody. That was just the part that I am disappointed but the tour was good. The driver did his job safely. The tour guide was so pleasant and very accommodating. Thank you for the experience.

A night to remember

Charlise_G, Mar 2023

really enjoyed the museum before going out to see the northern lights. Daniel, our guide, was very knowledgeable and willing to share his expertise. He helped with camera settings for photos of the aurora. We even had a fire to help with the cold winter night.

Great Tour

Patricia_F, Mar 2023

This tour is really good if you are visiting Iceland for the first time and you have no idea where to go to see the Northern lights. Our tour guide Victoria was very friendly and funny. She delighted us all with incredible facts about the lights and Iceland. Thank you to our driver Simon as well.

Well organized & nice guide

Terry_H, Mar 2023

Well it was unsuccessful as we saw no lights but we can rebook for free. Fun guide and made it interesting

Response from Host, Mar 2023

Dear Terry H, Thank you for sharing your experience with us regarding our Northern Lights Bus Tour from Reykjavik. We are sorry to hear that you were not able to see the lights on this occasion, but we are glad that you found our guide to be fun and interesting. We are pleased to offer our guests the opportunity to rebook for free if they are not able to see the lights on their initial tour. Our goal is to ensure that our guests have the best possible experience and that they are able to witness the natural phenomenon of the Northern Lights. Thank you for choosing our tour service, and we hope that you will consider us again in the future. If you have any further concerns or suggestions, please do not hesitate to contact us at info@bustravel.is Kind regards, Andrius

Northern Lights 10th March 2023

Keith_E, Mar 2023

First ever trip booked with Vaitor & it was so easy on line that we booked another three trips with them over our six day break. Chasing the NL, we headed to a National Park to avoid the light pollution of the city. Our guide picked out the lights showing themselves before we arrived so our driver found a safe place to park en route so we could all disembark and get some snaps. The guide was brill, offering his services to help set up people’s phones to get some good images. We felt ever so fortunate to see this supreme spectacle that is not guaranteed…..

The disappointment in...

Sue_C, Mar 2023

The disappointment in this excursion did not come from the lack of Northern Lights. Seeing the lights is not guaranteed, as it depends on Mother Nature. We were brought to an empty parking lot just outside the city and left to our own defenses. The tour guide disappeared without any explanation as to how long we might wait there. The bus was cramped and not equipped with a bathroom, as we were promised by the tour company. I would have expected some oversight with suggestions on where to look in the sky, maybe some knowledge of constellations to make up for the lack of northern lights. Just spend one night well outside the city in a hotel like Hotel Umi. They'll wake you up and tell you when the lights are visible - no charge.

Response from Host, Mar 2023

Dear Sue C, Thank you for your honest feedback regarding your Northern Lights excursion with our tour company. We are sorry to hear that you did not have a satisfactory experience with us. We acknowledge that seeing the Northern Lights is not guaranteed, as it depends on natural occurrences. We were surprised to hear about the lack of communication from our tour guide. We understand that this lack of information could be frustrating, and we would like to assure you that we have taken steps to investigate this matter and improve our communication with our customers. Regarding the cramped bus and lack of a bathroom, we apologize for any inconvenience caused. We would like to clarify that our Northern Lights tours are operated using comfortable and spacious coaches. We apologize if there was any confusion regarding this matter. We appreciate your suggestion regarding constellations and sky-watching, and we will take this into consideration when designing our Northern Lights tours in the future. We kindly ask you to forward more details on what has gone to info@bustravel.is. We apologize for any inconvenience caused and look forward to hearing from you. Kind regards, Andrius

Disappointed but good guide

Mathew_L, Mar 2023

Good bus company and Thor was a great guide. Disappointed that we didn’t really get to see the lights and there was no sign of hot chocolate either! I appreciate that there are no guarantees but I feel the trip was a little disorganised!

Response from Host, Mar 2023

Dear Matthew, Thank you for taking the time to share your experience with us. We are glad you found our tour guide Thor was a great guide. However, we are disappointed to hear that you did not get to see the Northern Lights. We would like to clarify that hot chocolate is indeed included in our Northern Lights Bus Tour as part of our commitment to providing an enjoyable and comfortable experience for our customers. We apologize for any disappointment or inconvenience caused by the absence of hot chocolate during your tour, and we assure you that we will take steps to ensure that this does not happen in the future. Thank you for your time and valuable feedback. With feedback like yours, we can identify areas for improvement and ensure that we provide the highest level of service to our customers. We apologize for any disappointment or inconvenience and will take your comments into account as we continue to improve our services. Please know that we are committed to providing our customers with an exceptional experience, and we value your feedback. If you have any further concerns or suggestions, please feel free to contact us at info@bustravel.is

Northern lights

Jacqueline_E, Mar 2023

We had the most amazing tour with spectacular lights. Our tour guide Martyn and driver Simon were excellent. They were very friendly and helpful. They helped to make our experience so much more enjoyable. Thankyou

Brilliant trip for the lights

Sharath_S, Mar 2023

The trip was made memorable just because of Daniel, a very well informed and great guide. He made the whole experience a brilliant one! We were so glad we were part of this trip and we got to see the lights too, again due to their deep understanding of how and where it can be expected.

Wonderful

Patricia_C, Mar 2023

Just amazing to see Aurora Boralis on my first outing.... Forever thankful to our guide on Sunday night

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Northern Lights Bus Tour from Reykjavik

From $53.00

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Overview

What's Included

Meeting And Pickup

Meeting point

Pickup points

End point

Pickup details

What To Expect

Additional Info

Cancellation Policy

Traveler Photos

Traveler Tips

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