Watch the skies above Faxaflói Bay light up on a 2.5-hour northern lights cruise from Reykjavík aboard a comfortable sightseeing vessel. Learn the science behind the aurora borealis during a short multimedia presentation at the Whale Watching Centre, then wrap up in a warm overall and head out on the water. Enjoy unobstructed panoramas of the water and sky from a viewing deck, or slip into the heated, indoor lounge for warm drinks. Leave the city lights of Reykjavík far behind, and take in Iceland’s finest show from the sea.

2.5-hour aurora borealis cruise on Faxaflói Bay
Discover the science of the Northern Lights
See the coastline at night
Enjoy a boat with viewing decks and a heated cabin
Once-in-a-lifetime experience

What's Included

Excellent guidance
Warm floatable overalls
Multimedia show
Wi-Fi on board

Hotel pickup and drop-off

Meeting And Pickup

Meeting point

Elding Whale Watching
Ægisgarður 5c, 101 Reykjavík, Iceland
Meet us in the ELDING ticket office located at Ægisgarður 5c by the Old Harbour district in Reykjavík. Once at the pier, simply follow the red colour to find us! Be sure to arrive at least 15 min. before departure to ensure enough time to check in and to board the boat.

End point

This activity ends back at the meeting point.

What To Expect

Additional Info

Confirmation will be received at time of booking
Northern lights are a natural phenomenon and therefore very unpredictable, so remember to bring patience and optimism with you.
Not wheelchair accessible
Complimentary tickets (valid for 2 years) are offered in case of no sightings. You can try again as often as needed to see the lights!
Stroller accessible
In case of unfavourable conditions, the tour may get cancelled on short notice. You will be contacted via phone or email in this case.
Service animals allowed

We recommend wearing good sturdy footwear and warm clothing. You can borrow overalls if needed.
Near public transportation
Most travelers can participate
Please note that our fleet is not completely wheelchair accessible as there are steep stairs between lower and upper decks and high thresholds to get from the decks into the saloon as well as from the saloon to the toilets.
Wheelchair users are welcome to bring a foldable chair onboard our bigger boats, but if possible, please advise our office prior to departure as we may need to assist with boarding.
This tour/activity will have a maximum of 150 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

Featured review

eva_s

Excellent tour with lots of information about the Aurora and how it forms. We were fortunate in the Aurora showed up just as we pushed off from the dock! You wouldn’t think that you could see the lights so close to the city, but we had absolutely no trouble.

Reviews

4.5

384 reviews

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

Reviews by Viator travelers.

Showing 1-10 of 384 reviews

We got to see the Northern Lights

David_K, Sep 2023

Great night, and boat crew were very helpful. Must do if in Iceland and sky is clear. Comfortable boat to ride out and back before going outside to see the sky.

A boat ride and lights!

eva_s, Sep 2023

Aurora Borealis! Wow!

Charlotte_W, Sep 2023

Great crew! Easy to find. And Mother Nature did not disappoint. Wow! What an experience! The seas were calm and the skies were exceptional

Good trip

Viveka_S, Apr 2023

Well organised boat with lots of seating. We weren’t able to see the northern lights very clearly but the staff were really helpful & informative.

Northern Lights

Mary_H, Apr 2023

Nice boat! Staff tried to find us the northern lights but the cloud coverage made it impossible. They gave us tickets to come back another night since we weren’t able to view the lights

Disappointing

Paul_R, Apr 2023

Unfortunately we went out twice and only saw the northern lights very weakly through our night vision mode on iPhone on second night. Complimentary tickets were given after we saw nothing the first night. Would have preferred the option to cancel and refund with the expected poor cloud cover. Rather than go out on the boat two nights in a row. Understand it’s not guaranteed but when the weather forecast is very cloudy would rather had the cancellation option.

Okay

Robert_W, Mar 2023

The boat itself and the staff were great. We didn't really see the Northern Lights, just a very slight grey which hardly showed up on the camera, however, this was classed as seeing the lights. We did a minivan tour which was much better as you can travel into complete darkness instead of being restricted to the water. The tour wasn't bad but would not book it again.

Not their fault but it...

Ross_P, Mar 2023

Not their fault but it was advertised that the Northern lights would not be visible on the day we went, but they went ahead anyway! They should have cancelled and given refund as they knew it wasn't going to he possible to see the lights due to the weather

Once in a lifetime

Kelly_K, Mar 2023

We really enjoyed the cruise to see the northern lights. The first night we went, they were not visible, so the company offered a free do-over, which we did the next night. I am so glad we did, as we got a beautiful show of the lights the second time. The boat was clean, the staff friendly and we would recommend it to friends.

Disappointed not to see...

Robert_J, Mar 2023

Disappointed not to see the lights but a great trip and a repeat trip is possible if no lights seem.

From start to finish our...

Deirdre_M, Mar 2023

From start to finish our trip on the Elding was fantastic. Boat is extremely comfortable with bar if you needed a drink. Overalls were provided to keep you warm and l would highly recommend wearing one as it enables you to stay outside comfortably. Within minutes of leaving port our guide announced that the lights were visible so up we went on deck. It was a fantastic experience and the lights just got better and better. My phone camera was terrible at capturing the lights but the guide takes photos which you can get by e mail which was fab. Trip took about 2 hrs. Book with Elding you won't be disappointed!

Fantastic trip and way to see the northern lights

Jenni_T, Mar 2023

Fantastic trip and we saw the aurora! The crew were friendly and helpful, we were out on the water about 2 hours. The free warm flotation suits were great and came in different sizes. There were toilets and refreshments available throughout the trip. After the trip we were able to email the tour company and they sent us their professional pics and video of the northern lights that night as a memento! Definitely worth bracing the cold for this trip!

Great excursion by ship!

arw505, Mar 2023

What a great experience on a ship with a captain and crew members who are all professional and made the excursion exceptional! You can get a free exposure suit and free seasickness pills if necessary. Dress warm!!!!!

Don’t Bother

Roger_P, Mar 2023

If there are nothern lights to see there is zero to do. Boring. Besides it was soooo cold and it should have been canceled. This is far too expensive for what you actually get. Don’t do it!

Finally saw the Aurora borealis!!

Lindsey_S, Mar 2023

Great experience with amazing crew that helped find the Aurora and gave advice on how to bast set cameras and phones for optimal pictures.

Amazing experience.

Kemi_T, Mar 2023

Staff were all very friendly. It was -12° so it was very cold, but there was warm suits available to wear if you wanted to go onto the deck and also a cafeteria on board that sold hot drinks. We were on the boat roughly 1 hour 30 minutes before we seen the lights but it was well worth the wait. Was an unforgettable experience.

WOW!

Jessica_C, Mar 2023

Incredible! The crew was amazing , very friendly and helpful helping us capture this unforgettable experience!

Amazingly spectacular

Angela_M, Mar 2023

Great service & luck made chosen enough to see the sky light up . Great service be the team. Do wrap up warm as it was cold

Nothern Light decide not to show up!

Barbara_A, Mar 2023

It was a nice night not to cold but unfortunately the Northern Lights decided not to show up. It was a bit cloudy and git cloudier as the bight went on. We knew this was a possibility. We did get a voucher for a return trip within 2 yrs!

Don't go, if it's a sure no show.

sigentry, Mar 2023

I know that seeing lights is hit or miss, but we came back in two hours early because the Captain determined that we would not see any. Problem is, if they had cancelled early they would have to refund money, but by going out for only a short time , they could give a voucher for another trip, which probably 95% will never use. Ahhhh well.

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