Lava Show & Northern Lights Cruise

by Elding Adventure at Sea · Northern lights · Boat tours · Volcanoes & lava · South Coast

4.50· 2,419 Google reviews of the operator

Fine on your own

from €154.6 per person

Next departure: Sat 24 Oct

Book Sat 24 Oct · €154.6 Other dates

Lava Show & Northern Lights Cruise — Elding Adventure at Sea

Lava Show & Northern Lights Cruise, photo 2

Lava Show & Northern Lights Cruise, photo 3

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6 photos from Elding Adventure at Sea. Tap any one for the full-size original.

Duration
4 hours
Difficulty
Easy
Season
Sep – Apr
Starts in
Reykjavík
Pickup
Meet at the start point
Starts at
Elding Adventure at Sea
Ægisgarður 5c, Reykjavík
Guide
Guided in English
Departs
18:00, 19:00
Minimum age
1
Cancellation
Free until 24 hours before

About this experience

This tour is a combination of Elding's Northern Lights Cruise and the Lava Show in Reykjavík, where you can immerse yourself in the wonders of nature and witness the magnificent auroras and the fiery forces of volcanic activity of Iceland.

Start times:
18:00 - Starts with Lava Show at 18:00 & Northern Lights Cruise at 21:00
20:00 - Starts with Lava Show at 20:00 & Northern Lights Cruise at 22:00

Begin your evening by making your own way to Grandi harbour district where you will find the one-of-a-kind Lava Show. The show begins with a short welcome by the host and then a short educational video about Icelandic volcanism, the volcanoes close by - with special emphasis on the largest volcano eruptions in Icelandic history and the volcanic dangers surrounding the capital area. In order to recreate a miniature volcano eruption, real lava from the 1918 Katla eruption is superheated and once molten, it is poured it into a showroom full of people. As the audience sits safe in their seats yet only a few feet away from the flowing lava, it is mesmerising to see, hear, smell and feel the incredible heat that radiates from it. It truly is a sensational experience and completely different from everything else you've ever witnessed before. After the show, you are sure to see Iceland with different eyes and a newfound appreciation for nature.

After the magnificent experience at the Lava Show, it is time to head down to the Old Harbour, where the Northern Lights & City Cruise departs. On this thrilling winter cruise, you will search for the Aurora Borealis while enjoying views of Reykjavík’s illuminated skyline and landmarks, beautifully reflected on the water. When the Imagine Peace Tower is lit, we sail by to admire its radiant beam before turning our gaze to the northern skies. While many other tour operators may cancel when the forecast is not ideal - we don’t. We know that you may have only a few days to search for the lights and that the weather can change in mere minutes. We want to maximise your chances, and so we will always give it a go as long as conditions allow. Our sailing area is close to the shoreline and around small islands, offering a smooth, comfortable experience where the glow of the city and the wonders of nature meet.

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

Where you go

Lava Show
Northern Lights Cruise

Included

2 hr. Northern Lights Cruise
50 min. Lava Show
Excellent live guide
Free WiFi

Not included

Pickup is not available for this tour
Drop off is available for an extra charge

Good to know

Please arrive at least 15 minutes before each tour starts.

It gets hot in the showroom when the lava pours in so people are advised to remove some layers of clothing before the show starts. The show is a safe experience and the heat should not be an issue but pregnant women, people with infants, and people with cardiovascular diseases are recommended to sit in the back and/or close to the exits just to be on the safe side. While the show is family friendly, it may not be best suited for the very youngest age group (0-4 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.

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.
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

Children under 1 cannot join this one.
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 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 Elding Adventure at Sea

Read all 2,419 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
★★★★★ · 2 months 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!
Frank Campbell
★★★★★ · a month ago
Great experience! Information on what and where very clear on the website and the ground staff very nice and friendly when one went for the tickets. The crew were helpful, fun and full of information on the whales but also other wildlife that could be seen. They were really persistent in ensuring we actually did see a whale, and we ended up being quite far out of the port with the total cruise time around 3.5 hrs instead of the envisioned 2.5 hrs. We were most grateful for their efforts!!! It was much appreciated that after the tour itself we received an e-mail with photos the crew had taken of our particular cruise. Highly recommended!
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!

Reviews from Google · updated 23 Oct 2026

Read before you book

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.
Heimaey on your own: boat, scooter or walkReaching Heimaey for €55 by bus, then a €73 volcano scooter, a €88 boat trip or a €345 private walk. Which one fits a short island visit.
Hekla volcano tour: what you actually doMostly you drive: a super jeep up Hekla's lower slopes and lava fields, often with Landmannalaugar. Nobody we list guides you to the summit.

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

€154.6 per person

Elding Adventure at Sea'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.

Departs18:0019:00

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

✓ Free cancellation until 24 hours before
✓ Instant confirmation by email
✓ If Elding Adventure at Sea 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: Elding Adventure at Sea'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.