Northern Lights by Super Jeep: Private Tour from Reykjavik

by VAREN Iceland · Northern lights · Super jeeps · Reykjavík

4.50· 126 Google reviews of the operator

from €1,321.35 per vehicle

Next departure: Thu 22 Oct

Book Thu 22 Oct · €1,321.35 the vehicleOther dates
Northern Lights by Super Jeep: Private Tour from Reykjavik — VAREN Iceland
Northern Lights by Super Jeep: Private Tour from Reykjavik, photo 2
Northern Lights by Super Jeep: Private Tour from Reykjavik, photo 3
Northern Lights by Super Jeep: Private Tour from Reykjavik, photo 4
Northern Lights by Super Jeep: Private Tour from Reykjavik, photo 5
Northern Lights by Super Jeep: Private Tour from Reykjavik, photo 6

1 / 6

  • Duration

    4 hours

  • Difficulty

    Easy

  • Season

    Sep – Apr

  • Starts in

    Reykjavík

  • Pickup

    Hotel pickup included

  • Guide

    Guided in English

  • Departs

    20:00, 21:00, 22:00

  • Cancellation

    Free until 24 hours before

About this experience

Hunt for the northern lights in a Super Jeep, a raised 4x4 built for Icelandic roads and winter conditions, with your own driver-guide and no one else on board.

Your driver-guide checks the cloud and aurora forecasts before and during the tour and drives to where the chance of a sighting is highest that night. The route is decided on the night, so it is not set in advance and guests do not choose it.

While you wait for the sky to light up, your guide explains what causes the aurora and what to look for.

The tour lasts 4 hours. The start time depends on the weather. We choose it on the day, always between 20:00 and 22:00, and let you know.

The Super Jeep takes up to 5 guests. One price per vehicle, not per person.

Our aurora promise: if your guide's camera records no northern lights during your tour, you get a free second attempt on a shared northern lights tour (one of our other vehicles or a partner minibus), or 50% off a second private hunt with us. One re-run per booking, valid for two years, so it still counts if you come back next winter.

Description from the operator, VAREN Iceland. Prices and availability in the booking panel are live.

Where you go

  1. Pick-up in the Capital Area
  2. Northern Lights Hunt
  3. Drop-off in the Capital Area

Included

  • Private northern lights hunt by Super Jeep, just for your group
  • Friendly English-speaking local driver-guide
  • Pick-up and drop-off at your accommodation or any address in the Capital Area
  • Hot chocolate
  • Bottled water
  • USB charging on board
  • Free retry or voucher if no northern lights are seen
  • Child seats, free of charge (add them when you book)
  • All parking fees and local taxes

Not included

  • Gratuities (optional, always appreciated)
  • Meals (we recommend eating before the tour)

Good to know

  • Warm, windproof and waterproof clothes, thermal layers, a hat and gloves, and boots with good grip. Standing still at night feels much colder than daytime sightseeing.
  • Northern lights are a natural phenomenon and a sighting cannot be guaranteed.
  • We check cloud cover and aurora forecasts closely. If there is no realistic chance of a sighting, we cancel no later than 2 hours before the start. You then choose a retry at the nearest available date and time, or a full refund.
  • A retry may run in a different vehicle and may be a small-group tour, including after a private or Super Jeep booking.
  • Even a faint but visible aurora counts as a sighting. To the naked eye the lights often look softer and paler than in photos online, which are usually edited.
  • Much of the tour is spent outside in the dark on uneven ground. You should be able to walk short distances on your own.
  • Season: 1 September to 15 April.

Cancellation for this tour

Free cancellation until 24 hours before departure; no refund after that. If the operator cancels for weather or safety, you get a full refund or a new date.

If the weather cancels this tour

Iceland's weather is real. What usually stops this one is a solid cloud forecast — most operators call it by late afternoon and let you rebook on a clearer night free of charge. Here is exactly what happens to your booking.

  1. 1VAREN Iceland decides, and tells us. Operators cancel when it is unsafe or pointless, and we back that call every time — we do not ask them to run anyway.
  2. 2We contact you by email, and by phone if your tour is the same or next day. You choose: another date if there is one you can make, or a full refund. There is no fee and nothing to argue.
  3. 3The refund goes back to the card you paid with, through Stripe, usually visible within a few working days. If this tour was one of several in your booking, the others are untouched.

What you do not get is the day back. If this is the only free day in your plan, put a spare day next to it — the planner leaves days free with the rest-day option. And if you want out because the forecast looks bad, that is your own cancellation: free until 1 day before departure, the operator's policy after that.

Questions on the day: [email protected] · +354 497 1373. How cancellations work in Iceland →

Who this is not for

  • Priced per vehicle, so it is poor value for one or two people and good value for four or more sharing.
  • Not available in summer; the operator runs it roughly September to April.

Read off the operator's own conditions. If none of it applies to you, this is a good one.

Why we list it

VAREN Iceland is one of 204 operators we work with — chosen for reliability, honest descriptions and how they treat guests when weather changes plans. We don't list everything; we list what we'd book ourselves. The six checks every operator passes →

What travellers say about VAREN Iceland

Read all 126 reviews on Google →

Operator rating 4.5/5 from Google — these are reviews of the company, not this specific tour. Shown as Google returns them, unedited.

  • Chris Allen

    ★★★★★ · a year ago

    Lovely hour-long cruise round the Utrecht canal. Friendly guide with lots of information about the history and people of Utrecht. Prices were very reasonable, and longer trips available if you wanted.

  • Tilman Dominik

    ★★ · a year ago

    We Bootes a place to see the grachten in Utecht. Unfortunately there were no explanations or informations about the area or buildings at all. So Next time I would Book another ship

  • Ginney Liu

    ★★★★★ · 7 years ago

    Five stars service - super nice and helpful staff We booked the boat for a bachelorette party. We had a few logistical challenges prior and on the day itself - and Varen in Utrecht staff were so helpful and kind to help us to find solutions. On th day itself, Max - our captain- went out of his way (quite literally, by picking up the bride by boat at a location that would be easily accessible by car). Moreover, as the bride wasn't able to get to the spot until 40 minutes later, Max at his own initiative even extended our time because the next reservation wasn't until half an hour later after our initial time was supposed to end. How incredibly kind is that? A million thanks to the lovely people of this company - would recommend them in a heartbeat.

  • Peter M

    ★★★★★ · 7 years ago

    Visitors of Utrecht often forget that its canals are just as attractive as those in Amsterdam and the best way to see them is by boat. Good angles for photography as well.

Reviews from Google · updated 21 Oct 2026

Read before you book

Reviews from our travellers

Only people who booked this tour through us can write here. We publish every review in full — good or bad.

Reviews arrive the day after each trip — none yet for this one. After your tour we send one email asking how it was, and what you write goes here, unedited.

Northern lights — questions people ask

When is the best time to see the northern lights in Iceland?

September to April, when the nights are dark enough. Within that, late September to March gives the longest dark hours, and the equinox months, September and March, often have active skies. There are no lights in June or July; the sky never gets dark. Anyone selling you a June lights tour is selling you a bus ride. Give yourself at least three nights, because clouds, not the aurora, are the usual reason people miss them.

Are the northern lights guaranteed on a tour?

No. Nobody can promise them, and we will not. Two things have to line up: a clear sky and solar activity. Guides check the cloud forecast at vedur.is and drive to gaps, which is the real value of a tour over standing outside your hotel. What most operators do promise is a free second attempt if the lights do not show. Check the exact retry policy on the tour page, because the number of retries and the validity period vary.

Is a northern lights bus tour or a boat tour better?

Bus, if you want the best odds. A minibus can drive an hour inland to find a clear patch; a boat stays in Faxaflói and sees whatever sky is over Reykjavík. Boats are shorter, about two hours, and pleasant with hot chocolate, and Reykjavik Sailors' cruise (/experience/6637/) includes a free retry. For a serious hunt, a small-group minibus like BusTravel's (/experience/150646/) or a 4x4 tour (/experience/1088067/) is the better bet.

Can I see the northern lights from Reykjavík itself?

Yes, on strong nights. The city is small and the sky over the sea to the north is fairly dark. Grótta lighthouse at the western tip and the Ægisíða shoreline are the usual spots, twenty minutes' walk from the centre. On average nights the street lights drown out a faint aurora, which is why tours drive out. If the forecast shows high activity and clear sky, walk to Grótta first and save the tour money.

Hotels

Where to stay for this tour

From the cheapest to the top end of what is near Reykjavík, from our hotel partners. Rooms are booked on our hotels site.

All hotels in Reykjavík →

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Pairs well with

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Book Thu 22 Oct · €1,321.35 the vehicle