Northern Lights by Boat from Reykjavik

by Iceland Discover · Northern lights · Boat tours · Reykjavík

4.30· 73 TripAdvisor reviews of this tour 4.4· 17 Google reviews of the operator

Fine on your own

from €76.9 per person

Next departure: Sat 24 Oct

Book Sat 24 Oct · €76.9 Other dates

Northern Lights by Boat from Reykjavik — Iceland Discover

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9 photos from Iceland Discover. Tap any one for the full-size original.

Duration
2 hours
Difficulty
Easy
Season
Sep – Apr
Starts in
Reykjavík
Pickup
Hotel pickup available at extra cost, or meet at the start point
Starts at
Please check-in 30 minutes before departure
Ægisgarður 2, Reykjavík
Guide
Guided in English
Departs
21:00, 22:00
Cancellation
Free until 24 hours before

Meeting point, in Iceland Discover's words: Please check in at the Old Harbour House, Ægisgarður 2, 101 Reykjavík, at least 15 minutes before your tour departs.

About this experience

Hunting the northern lights on the North Atlantic Ocean is an amazing experience. Sailing away from the coastline of Reykjavik, and seeing the Aurora Borealis out on the water, with beautiful, snow-capped mountains in the distance is something to remember forever.

Please check-in at our sales office at Aegisgardur 5b, 101 Reykjavík (Sea Trips Reykjavik) at the old harbor 30 minutes before departure.

Please note
The northern lights are a natural phenomenon and unpredictable, so remember to bring patience and optimism with you. If the northern lights are not seen on your tour, we do not offer refunds, but instead, give our passengers a complimentary ticket to use another day.
Weather is a big factor for the tour, and we may have to cancel the tour.

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

Where you go

Northern Lights from Downtown Reykjavik

Included

Drinks and snacks are available for purchase
Spacious observation decks
Panoramic views
Professional guides
All Fees and Taxes
Restroom on board
WiFi on board

Good to know

We recommend all guests dress warmly in layers and good footwear it is always colder on the water and don´t forget your camera.

Please check-in at our sales office at Aegisgardur 5b, 101 Reykjavík at the harbor 30 minutes before departure.

If you added pick-up service to your tour the car will be there 45 minutes before departure.

Weather is a big factor for the tour, we may have to cancel the tour due to unfavorable weather conditions.
The tour takes place in wild nature, sightings cannot be predicted or guaranteed. If there are no sightings on the tour, we do not offer refunds but instead, we offer our passengers a free return to join our tour depending on availability, valid for up to three years.

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.

1Iceland Discover 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.
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.
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

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

Iceland Discover is one of 207 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 Iceland Discover

Read all 17 reviews on Google →

Operator rating 4.4/5 from Google — these are reviews of the company, not this specific tour. Shown as Google returns them, unedited.

Sarah Hodges
★★★★★ · a year ago
We booked the whale watching tour on the Amelia Rose. The boat was comfortable with a warm cabin on two levels. It was not possible to see much from inside, so be prepared to be on the outdoor decks (very cold in December). The crew was skilled, and we saw several humpback whales not far out of the harbour in Reykjavik. The check in process was a little confusing, with kiosks inside a crowded pub and staff only intermittently available to advise on how/when to board the boats (proceed through the back door of the restaurant or around to the back from the entrance to the docks as soon as you have your ticket from the kiosk). We did not purchase anything from the bar, but it was available. There were bathrooms on board. There was WiFi, but I never found the password posted. The views looking back at Reykjavik and of the mountains in the bay were striking.
J M
★★★★★ · 11 months ago
I went on the whale watching tour on the Amelia Rose in August this year. Our guide, Julian is a marine biologist so he gave very useful, detailed information about not only the whales and but also the other sea life and birds during our tour. We were very lucky because despite the very cold, grey, rainy weather, we saw some whales, among them minke whales. I enjoyed the tour very much.
Gian Franco Capra
★ · 8 months ago
This was one of the worst experiences I’ve ever had in all my years of traveling around the world. It’s not really a whale watching tour at all. In reality, it consists of going out in a boat that never gets far from the harbor and then chasing poor whales, disturbing their peace. Every time a tail or even the smallest water spout appears, the boat rushes toward the unfortunate whale, which of course gets scared and swims away. In 2026, activities like this should be banned. Neither my family nor I would ever have joined had we known it was something so barbaric. I strongly suggest the company rename it to what it truly is: “Join us and go to bother the whales.” Stay away, this is a complete waste of money.
Birk Karsten Ecke
★★★★★ · 2 years ago
The whale-watching tour will remain an unforgettable experience. We saw several minke whales and puffins. Sometimes just a few meters from the ship. The guide was very professional and accurately announced where the whales could be seen. The captain did everything he could to keep track of the whales and allow for multiple sightings. There is enough space on the ship and people don't get in each other's way. However, the tour was only twenty percent booked at 9:15 that Monday morning. Indoor decks, warm blankets, and a bar are available. I can fully recommend this tour. I would book it again. Vouchers must be redeemed for a boarding pass at the Old Harbor House at Ægisgarður 2, 101 Reykjavík. From there it is only about a hundred meters to the ship's dock. Many thanks again to the Crew for this nice and unforgettable trip.

Reviews from Google · updated 23 Oct 2026

Read before you book

Best Northern Lights Tour in Iceland (2026): 5 PicksThe northern lights tours we would book ourselves from Reykjavík and Akureyri, by minibus, super jeep and boat, with real prices and honest odds.
Blue Lagoon and northern lights: one day or two?Do them on different days. The one-day combo is 15 hours and €306; the lagoon fits your arrival or departure, and a €73 lights bus fits any clear night.
Boat tours in Iceland: the five kinds explainedWhale boats, aurora cruises, glacier-lagoon zodiacs, island ferries and sea angling. What each one actually is, what it costs, and which are worth a slot.

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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from

€76.9 per person

Iceland Discover's own price. 3% off the whole trip when you book two or more tours together, in one checkout.

Your date

The next departure we can see — change it if this tour is for another day.

Pick a date to check departures.

Departs21:0022:00

Reykjavík: light 08:43–17:41, 8 h 58 min of daylight.

✓ Free cancellation until 24 hours before
✓ Instant confirmation by email
✓ If Iceland Discover cancels for weather or safety: a full refund, or another date
✓ Card — Apple Pay or Google Pay where your device offers it — through Stripe; the charge is made in Icelandic krónur
✓ Price promise: Iceland Discover's own price, or we refund the difference
✓ One checkout, even with tours from several operators
✓ Vetted operator — the six checks every operator passes

Pairs well with

Add any of these to this tour and 3 % comes off both at checkout — about €5 on the cheapest pair. One basket, one payment, however many operators they come from.