Forest Lagoon & Northern Lights

by Star Travel · Northern lights · Lagoons & spas · North Iceland

4.90(67) · operator on Google
Forest Lagoon & Northern Lights — Star Travel

Would this be cheaper direct? No — we sell at Star Travel'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.

More photos of Forest Lagoon & Northern Lights

Forest Lagoon & Northern Lights, photo 6

6 photos from Star Travel. Tap any one for the full-size original.

  • Duration

    4 hours and 30 minutes

  • Difficulty

    Easy

  • Season

    Sep – Apr

  • Starts in

    Akureyri

  • Meeting

    Hotel pickup available

  • Languages

    EN, DE

  • Departs

    19:30

  • Cancellation

    Free until 24h before

About this experience

Leave behind the bright city lights and immerse yourself in the untouched beauty of North Iceland as we venture just outside Akureyri in search of the mesmerizing Northern Lights. This winter holds great promise for spectacular aurora displays, and few places offer a better vantage point than the serene landscapes of the north, where the dark skies provide the perfect backdrop for this natural wonder.


We kick off the night with a relaxing stop at the Forest Lagoon, a stunning geothermal spa nestled in the trees just outside Akureyri. Soak in the warm, mineral-rich waters, take in the breathtaking views, and unwind before we head out on our Northern Lights hunt.

Each evening, our expert guides carefully select the best location for the night’s excursion, using their knowledge of weather patterns and aurora activity to find the clearest skies and most favorable conditions for viewing. Whether we travel to a quiet fjord, a remote mountainside, or an open valley, the goal remains the same—to provide you with the best possible chance to witness the magic of the Northern Lights dancing across the sky.

However, it’s important to remember that the Northern Lights are a natural phenomenon, and while we do everything in our power to increase the likelihood of a sighting, we cannot guarantee that they will appear. Even so, the journey itself, surrounded by Iceland’s breathtaking winter landscapes, makes for an unforgettable experience.

Description from the operator, Star Travel. Prices and availability in the booking panel are live.

Included

  • This tour includes comfortable transportation in a minibus, a complimentary pickup service, and English-speaking guide to enhance your experience.
  • Aditionally also the entry to Forest Lagoon is included in the price

Good to know

Remember to bring your towel and swimsuit for the Forest Lagoon. If you forget, don’t worry—you also have the option to rent them on-site. Bring a hat and gloves and wear thick socks for the Northern Lights hunt. 

We decide around 6pm every day if the conditions are favorable to operate the tour. Please call us at +354 844 8388 or send an email at info@startravel.is on the day you are booked to see if the tour is running that day.

Pictures do not always reflect actual experience/sightings.

The Northern Lights tour is dependent on the weather and sky conditions and we reserve the right to cancel at any time. If the evening tour goes ahead and the Northern Lights are not seen, we will offer the trip again for free next time we have a booking (the second tour could be in minibus or jeep).

If you book the Northern Lights tour but conditions do not allow us to run the tour during your stay, you will receive a full refund.

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. 1Star Travel 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 — €136 less. Here is every difference we can actually measure.

Star Travel · €192Blue Iceland · €56
How long it runs4.5 hours3 hours
Getting therePicks you upYou make your own way
Changing your mindFree until 24 h beforeFree until departure

The €136 buys you 1.5 more hours out and hotel pickup 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

Star Travel 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 Star Travel

Read all 67 reviews on Google →

Operator rating 4.9/5 from Google — these are reviews of the company, not this specific tour. Shown as Google returns them, unedited.

  • Charlie

    ★★★★★ · 7 months ago

    Hogni (Garfield) was incredibly friendly, professional and knowledgeable which made our day really special. The tour ran with only 3 of us so it was a very personal experience and we got to see all of the sights with no one else around. We also stopped for hot dogs for lunch which were really tasty and affordable. We learnt so much about Icelandic culture and got some incredible photos of all of the sights - of which there were far too many to mention. I would highly recommend and would definitely book with Star Travel again.

  • Anya

    ★★★★★ · 6 months ago

    What a mindblowing experience! Firstly we went to the Forest lagoon and spent such a wonderful time there, relaxing in hot water with pina colada with a forest view. It was snowing while we were there which made the experience even more magical and movie-like. And then the best part of the tour came. We’ve almost lost the hope of seeing Northern lights that night as it was cloudy and other tours were cancelled but our guide was so confident and just knew WHERE to go! After driving for about an hour we saw Aurora!!! We couldn’t believe our eyes. It was so bright and massive, spreading across the whole sky! We were watching this “show” for an hour: it was dancing in the sky and constantly moving and changing its shape. And the observation spot was between snowy mountains, like in a fairy tale. We were literally screaming and jumping out of happiness because it was so stunning and because our dream came true. And this is thanks to our highly experienced and enthusiastic guide. We are so grateful to him!! He’s a magician who found bright Northern lights in a cloudy day! 15.02.2026

  • Eva Wong

    ★★★★★ · 2 years ago

    THE BEST! No need to look at any other operator! We've traveled around the world and finally had the opportunity to come to Iceland. We are a family of 10 who were on a cruise and our first port in Iceland was Akureyri. We were fortunate to stay overnight and I wanted to make the most of our time. Through lots of research and communicating with a few vendors, I decided Star Travel was the way to go! We booked a private tour and had Julli as our guide for the day. From the moment we booked, til the end of the day at 7:00pm, we had nothing but positive things to say. Great communication. Professional. On time. Expertise. Fun. and Fair pricing. Thank you for showing us the Capital of the North. We loved our experience! All the best to you!

  • Kat Soja

    ★★★★★ · 5 months ago

    Really great tour company, recommend them fully! I have come across Siggy from Star Travel several times during my stay in Akureryi and have nothing but praise for him. Funny, knowledgeable, incredibly committed to making sure that whatever tour you've picked, you will have a great experience. Amazing service and super friendly people on board. Way to go. Thank you, Siggy!

Reviews from Google · updated 13 Sept 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.

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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Pairs well with

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from

€192 per person

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