Reykjavík Northern Lights Cruise & Aurora Exhibition

by Elding Adventure at Sea · Northern lights · Boat tours · Reykjavík

4.50(2,403) · operator on Google
Reykjavík Northern Lights Cruise & Aurora Exhibition — Elding Adventure at Sea

Would this be cheaper direct? No — we sell at Elding Adventure at Sea's own price and take our commission from them, not from you. What you get here is one checkout across operators, one confirmation, and one place to change or cancel it. If you ever find it cheaper on their own site, tell us and we will match it or explain why we cannot.

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  • Duration

    4 hours

  • Difficulty

    Easy

  • Season

    Sep – Apr

  • Starts in

    Reykjavík

  • Languages

    EN, DE, SV, IS, FR, PL, ES

  • Departs

    21:00, 22:00

  • Cancellation

    Free until 24h before

About this experience

Start your magical evening by going to the Aurora Exhibition and learn all about the northern lights while getting insight and expert tips on how to photograph them. The walk-through will take about 45-60 min. so plan your visit ahead of time in connection with your Northern Lights Cruise later that night. 

When you've become an expert in all things aurora related, it is time to head to the harbour and step aboard the cruise vessel. You will be in the great hands of our enthusiastic team, who will tell you even more about the northern lights and help you further with your camera if needed. Keep in mind that our team will almost always also be photographing the lights as we sail along, for you to enjoy them in real time. You can request said photos via email the next day (if any taken).


Learn more about the exhibition and cruise:

Aurora Reykjavík exhibition: This ticket is flexible, meaning you can come down and stroll through the exhibition in your own time and therefore do not need to make a set reservation. Take a walk through northern lights mythology and science, learn the expert tips for the perfect Aurora hunt, and experience a unique collection of mesmerising Auroras in our cinema. There are interactive displays as well as a specially equipped ‘photo booth’ where you can learn how to adjust your camera’s settings should you want to try your hand at capturing the auroras yourself. 

The high point of your visit to the centre will certainly be our theatre where a continuously running HD film is playing throughout the day. Projected onto a 7 metre wide screen, you can sit back and enjoy this 20 minute film that features some of the most magnificent auroral displays seen over Iceland. The film is accompanied by soft music in surround-sound, making this a therapeutic and restful experience. You’ll feel like you have just come back from a blissful holiday. 

The knowledgeable and friendly staff are on hand to answer any questions you may have about the lights and about Northern Lights photography.

Northern Lights Cruise: Search for the Aurora Borealis on this Northern Lights & City Cruise, where Reykjavík’s shimmering skyline meets the wonders of the northern sky. The Northern Lights are best displayed under dark, clear skies, which are common from September until the end of April. Watching the lights shift in intensity, colour, and movement across the vast, starry space, with the gentle lull of the ocean beneath, is a truly unique experience.

The cruise commences at our ticket office by the Ægisgarður pier in Reykjavík’s Old Harbour, where you exchange your voucher for admission slips. As we set sail into Faxaflói bay, enjoy immaculate views of the city’s illuminated landmarks, including Harpa Concert Hall and Hallgrímskirkja church. When the Imagine Peace Tower is lit, we sail by to admire its radiant beam before turning our attention to the northern skies in search of the auroras.

Our open-air viewing decks provide the perfect platform for witnessing this dazzling spectacle, while the heated indoor lounge offers a comfortable space to warm up between sightings. Our expert guide will be on hand to answer questions and share fascinating insights as you enjoy Mother Nature’s light show and Reykjavík’s night-time glow. On board, you will find several outdoor platforms and a large indoor saloon, with an onboard café serving light refreshments and warm drinks - we recommend trying the Northern Lights punch.

Description from the operator, Elding Adventure at Sea. Prices and availability in the booking panel are live.

Included

  • Flexible admission to the interactive Aurora Reykjavík Exhibition
  • 2 hr. Northern Lights Cruise
  • Use of warm overalls on board
  • Excellent guidance
  • Free WiFi on board as well as in Exhibition
  • Assistance with Photography
  • Northern Lights Theatre (at Aurora Reykjavík Exhibition)
  • Northern Lights Photo Booth (at Aurora Reykjavík Exhibition)

Good to know

The Aurora Exhibition part of the combo tour is FLEXIBLE, meaning you can go there at any time during your stay. We would however recommend that you go there 1-2 hrs. before your Northern Lights Cruise for the ultimate experience.

Please note that the cruise is subject to weather, conditions at sea and visibility in the area. Therefore we may need to cancel with short notice.

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. 1Elding Adventure at Sea 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 →

Why this one and not the cheaper one?

The nearest cheaper Northern Lights at Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon from Blue Iceland is €56 — €76 less. Here is every difference we can actually measure.

Elding Adventure at Sea · €132Blue Iceland · €56
How long it runs4 hours3 hours
Changing your mindFree until 24 h beforeFree until departure

The €76 buys you 1 more hour out and free cancellation up to 24 h before. Whether that is worth it is your call — but that is what the difference is.

Sold out on your date?

Seats come back — a cancellation, or the operator adding a vehicle. Tell us the date and we will check once a day and email you if one opens. One email, then we delete the address; nothing else is ever sent to it.

Who this is not for

  • 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

Elding Adventure at Sea is one of 154 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 Elding Adventure at Sea

Read all 2,403 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.

  • Iola Wilson

    ★★★★★ · a month ago

    We had an incredible sunset whale watching trip. From the beginning, every member of staff was attentive and helpful. Our guide shared lots of info on the wildlife we spotted - birds and whales. We were blessed with beautiful weather and the boat wasn't busy so we had room to move around and spot wildlife. Lots of tips on how to spot whales were shared. We saw a minke whale and then in the distance the sprays from several humpbacks.We made our way towards these and then stayed with one for ages - it was magical! The captain was very generous with time - because our encounter was quite far out, our trip was over 3.5 hours, we were not rushed back because time was running out! We saw lots of different bird species too. The sunset was stunning and we were able to enjoy this on the way back and also get some beautiful pictures of Reykjavik as we approached. We were also impressed with the way Elding respect the wildlife. Our 9 year old learned so much about whale spotting and ga been putting it to use on our cruise - spotting minkes and humpbacks from the ship! Thank you so much, Elding, for a truly memorable and magical evening!

  • Emily A

    ★★★★★ · a month ago

    Our whale watching tour was so special. I will start with the whales: we definitely saw them! We found a couple of humpbacks busy feeding and out guide did a great job of pointing them out and describing the behaviors we were seeing. It was truly amazing. The crew has the skills and experience to find what’s in the area. Additionally, they provided us with pictures of the whales and a journal entry about our voyage. We heard from someone else on the boat that if you go out and do not see any wildlife, they will provide you with a voucher to come out again another time (this family was on their re-do but your mileage may vary as I didn’t hear or read about this.) But of course, one cannot control the outcome, and still I would recommend this trip. It was such a fun way to see the city of Reykjavik and the surrounding mountains. We had a beautiful day with a bit of wind and they provided motion-sickness tablets for free, but remaining outside I did not experience much malaise. I also want to say that the company was very accommodating. We had booked a morning tour that we couldn’t get to due to travel disruptions and they were very willing to honor our reservation at a later time slot.

  • Casey Phifer

    ★★★★★ · 2 months ago

    Booking excursions through Elding was seamless, and I really appreciated their ecological focus. I first took their free ferry to Viðey with my Reykjavík City Pass, then enjoyed the experience so much that I booked both their classic whale watching and puffin tours. Everything felt easy and well organized, from the cold weather gear to the books, wildlife guides, and knowledgeable experts who narrated the tours and answered questions along the way. These excursions gave me some of my favorite memories of Iceland while getting to learn. about the wildlife and explore Faxaflói Bay. Highly recommend!

  • Olivia Yip

    ★★★★★ · a month ago

    Classic puffin tour was 1 of 2 pricier tourist attractions we did (other being Hvammsvík) and this one was SO WORTH THE MONEY. Cute puffins, fun boat tour, knowledgeable staff, binoculars provided, loved every second of it, you get even more pics from them after, and it was guaranteed you see puffins since they take you to an island with a whole colony!! Definitely recommend as a todo activity in Iceland! And it’s cheaper than driving down to the westman islands and taking the ferry and using up 9 hours of your day to see the puffin colony there!

Reviews from Google · updated 13 Sept 2026

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Reviews from our travellers

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No reviews yet from our travellers on 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.

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from

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