Golden Circle & Northern Lights Tour

by BusTravel Iceland · Northern lights · Golden Circle

4.90· 137 TripAdvisor reviews of this tour 4.70· 3,015 Google reviews of the operator

Fine on your own
Self-guided

from €132.07 per person

Next departure: Thu 22 Oct

Book Thu 22 Oct · €132.07 Other dates

Golden Circle & Northern Lights Tour — BusTravel Iceland

Öxará River in Almannagjá fissure, Thingvellir National Park

Guide giving a geology lesson at Thingvellir National Park

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15 photos from BusTravel Iceland. Tap any one for the full-size original.

Duration
12 hours and 30 minutes
Difficulty
Easy
Season
Sep – Apr
Starts in
Reykjavík
Pickup
Hotel pickup available at extra cost, or meet at the start point
Starts at
Bus Stop # 12 (opposite Storm Hotel)
Þórunnartún, Reykjavík
Departs
09:00, 10:30
Minimum age
8
Cancellation
Free until 24 hours before

Meeting point, in BusTravel Iceland's words: Please meet the tour at Bus Stop # 12 (opposite Storm Hotel). We will pick you up there within 30 minutes of the departure time. You can find directions to this location at busstop.is

About this experience

The Golden Circle is not only the most popular day tour we run here at BusTravel Iceland but perhaps also the most popular trip that leaves Reykjavik.

We will combine all of the famous sights with a few extra stops to make your day as special as we possibly can, this means you will get to see Þingvellir national park, the geothermal wonders of Geysir and the golden waterfall Gullfoss. At BusTravel Iceland though our motto is “More nature, more fun” so we also make an additional stop at Kerið volcanic crater. You should expect a packed day full of adventure.

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

Included

Professional guide
Entrance fees to Kerið Volcanic Crater
Free WiFi
Golden Circle Tour
Northern Lights Tour

Not included

Pickup and drop off
Food and drinks

Good to know

Warm, water- and windproof clothing are always useful in Iceland.
All tickets are e-tickets so there is no need to print them out.

Duration of Golden Circle tour is 8,5 hrs
Duration of Northern Lights tour is 4 hours
The tour allows for lunch time at the Geysir area and dinner on your own between tours

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.

1BusTravel 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.
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 →

Why this one and not the cheaper one?

The nearest cheaper Perlan Ice Cave, Northern Lights Planetarium & Golden Circle Tour from BusTravel Iceland is €110 — €22 less. Here is every difference we can actually measure.

	BusTravel Iceland · €132	BusTravel Iceland · €110
How long it runs	12.5 hours	10 hours
Getting there	You make your own way	Picks you up
How hard it is	Easy	Very easy

The €22 buys you 2.5 more hours out. Whether that is worth it is your call — but that is what the difference is.

Who this is not for

Children under 8 cannot join this one.
Not a good fit if you want a relaxed day: 12 hours and 30 minutes is a long time on the road, most of it spent getting there and back.

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

Why we list it

BusTravel 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 BusTravel Iceland

Read all 3,015 reviews on Google →

Operator rating 4.7/5 from Google — these are reviews of the company, not this specific tour. Shown as Google returns them, unedited.

Frank Robards
★★★★★ · 2 months ago
We had a wonderful tour to the Snaefellsnes Peninsula today. It was amazing!! Our guide, Vjeran, was exceptional. His knowledge and experience made our tour even more memorable. He even worked in a couple of additional stops to our itinerary which further enhanced our experience. I highly recommend this tour to anyone interested in experiencing the majesty of nature in Iceland.
Topha
★★★★★ · 2 months ago
An amazing experience! It was our first time in Iceland, and we couldn’t have asked for a better trip. For six unforgettable days, we travelled along the famous Ring Road with our guide, Vjeran, who was friendly, knowledgeable, and highly professional throughout the entire journey. He made every day enjoyable while showing us Iceland’s most spectacular attractions. The trip was truly unforgettable. Some of the accommodations were also lovely, with welcoming and helpful staff that made us feel at home. There is so much to see in Iceland, and six days go by very quickly, so the itinerary was quite busy. Even so, we had the opportunity to enjoy every activity and appreciate the incredible landscapes along the way. Overall, the experience exceeded all our expectations, helped even more by the fantastic weather we were lucky enough to enjoy throughout the trip. I would definitely recommend this tour to anyone visiting Iceland!
Andrea Di Nardo
★★★★★ · 2 months ago
During our Iceland vacation, we took two tours with Bus Travel Iceland: the Golden Circle and the Blue Lagoon; and the Snæfellsnes Peninsula. On the exceptional Golden Circle tour with a relaxing conclusion at the enchanting Blue Lagoon, we visited the iconic sites along the way, following a fairly packed itinerary but with adequate time for each stop. The guide was knowledgeable in driving the bus and engaging in providing information and telling stories about the places we visited. Higly recommended the fascinating tour to discover the Snæfellsnes Peninsula. Departing from Reykjavik, we visited the main towns and iconic sites from the north to the south coast of the peninsula. The excellent Axel guided us, providing interesting details about the places to visit. His expert bus driving skills and precise planning allowed us to see everything in the allotted time, without excessive pressure or fatigue.
Kirsty Macdonald
★★★★★ · 2 months ago
6 Days Around Iceland Ring Road Small Group Tour This is one of those trips that delivers on every level — partly because of Iceland itself, and largely because of our guide Michael. Travelling in March — Iceland's stormiest month — meant our itinerary had to be adapted constantly. Every evening and morning Michael would brief us on the current plan and be upfront about where the weather would have the final say. Clear, honest communication and smart decisions that meant we still packed in as much as was viable each day. His commentary was full of stories, weaving folklore throughout — a great insight into Icelandic thinking. Fantastic guide. The accommodation was excellent throughout with great breakfasts each morning. One practical note for anyone weighing up the six, seven, or eight day options: Icelandic weather is changeable year-round, so build in flexibility. I chose not to do the eighth day in March given the weather risk, and booked the seventh day (Snaefellsnes Peninsula) as a separate tour with a buffer day in between. As a solo traveller, the fact that you can share a room rather than automatically cop the single supplement was a genuine bonus — not something every operator offers. I did a lot of research before settling on BusTravel Iceland, and prior to booking their communication was prompt and clear — every question answered without chasing. It was a good sign of things to come.

Reviews from Google · updated 21 Oct 2026

Read before you book

Golden Circle in winter: what changes and what to bookDoable all winter, with four to six hours of light, icy paths and a closed lower Gullfoss trail. Take a morning tour and don't drive it in a storm.

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 →

One checkout, any number of operators
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If it falls short, we fix it

from

€132.07 per person

BusTravel Iceland'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.

Departs09:0010:30

Reykjavík: light 08:37–17:48, 9 h 11 min of daylight.

✓ Free cancellation until 24 hours before
✓ Instant confirmation by email
✓ If BusTravel Iceland 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: BusTravel Iceland'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 €7 on the cheapest pair. One basket, one payment, however many operators they come from.