Northern Lights Guided Bus Tour From Reykjavik

We had booked our Northern Lights excursion for 30 October, and our email confirmation clearly stated this date. However, the voucher showed a different date (31/11) in a corner, which unfortunately we did not notice. On the evening of 30 October, when our pickup did not arrive, we checked with the hotel reception at 20:45 and were advised to wait. Only when we called the tour operator at 21:20, past the 21:00 pickup time stated on the voucher, did we discover that the booking company had made an error with our reservation. This was particularly disappointing as the aurora forecast was favourable that evening, and we potentially missed a good opportunity to see the Northern Lights. The company subsequently rearranged the excursion for the following day, and we were fortunate enough to witness the lights to a certain extent. While we appreciated the alternative arrangement, the day had already been hectic following our Golden Circle tour, so fitting in another excursion made for a very long day. The Northern Lights themselves were spectacular and a memorable highlight of our Iceland trip. However, the booking error, lack of communication and unnecessary uncertainty could have been avoided with better coordination and attention to detail. A wonderful experience in the end, but the booking arrangements certainly left room for improvement.

Pick up all smooth with a couple more stops after our hotel. Clear and helpful instructions on the way with a good pinch of humour. The night sky was clear although the aurora was a fairly weak one through to midnight (with a bit rain). Literally on our way back out, the guide and driver heard "light is out!!" over the radio and checked the sky and told "everybody out!!", we caught a magnificent display! The guide also kindly took pictures for those who struggled with the flash tricky and I got a wonderful photo with mum too. Thank you x

It was a dark, but showery night, but Laura was keen to show us the lights, so off we went. A good breakdown of what causes this beautiful phenomenon, along with detailed recommendations on getting the best photos on your phone during the 40 minute drive out to the dark skies area. Initial viewing wasn't great, with a small wispy aurora, but then as the other buses were leaving a great display started! Off we all got and gear photos were taken. Waffles and hot chocolate were available for purchase throughout the evening.

The tour was well organised as in pick up drop off . Then it was down to Lady Luck , cloud cover magnetic field etc . Unfortunately it wasn’t on our side . We was offered a next day free tour again . We declined as cloud cover was bad again.

Laura (tour guide) and Laurent (our driver) were beyond spectacular! Laura was as articulate as she was phenomenal! Thank you both for making this experience all more marvelous!

Great experience with Laura and Laurent

Laura and Laurent were fantastic

Great experience ,Rebecca the guide and driver Adam great gelping with my elderly mothers need and vety informative .Highlight of our stay would recommend this trip

Great service Rebecca and Adam we enjoyed northern lights,

When you come here, you'll be amazed by nature's beauty and say, 'God, what a breathtaking view! It's truly beautiful!' ❤️🌿" and thanks for Rebecca

Rebecca was a charming guide , she explained knowledgeably all about the northern lights and with assistance she and Adam made sure we enjoyed a fab light show

Awesome guide Rebecca 😍 we enjoyed every bit of this time with her ❤️

The tour was very well organised with an opportunity to re book on a repeat tour if we didn't see the Northern Lights. All the guides were knowledgeable and lovely including Rebecca and Laura.

I would recommend this trip even though we did not experience the Northern Lights. We were allowed to reschedule for a later date unfortunately due to the rain for 3 days while there the tours were canceled. We were provided a full refund so in essence we only lost a few hours of our time.

We had a perfect clear night. Our driver Laurent and our guide Gudjen were fantastic.

It was so fun to have this opportunity and we were lucky to see the northern lights

I was quite surprised we were so close to the street. All we did was see cars headlights coming both ways, which was a distraction.

We were driven to a huge parking lot on the Ringroad, with lights at the coffeeshops there and lots and lots of Car and trucks driving by with their lights on (of course) A terrible seething for seeing the northern lights DO NOT spend your money on this…😭

Laura was amazing. Saw the light on the way on the bus. When we got to destination, they were out in style. Amazing sight. Laura said on the way from The city , that she was confident we would see them. She was not wrong. Amazing

Enthusiastic and professional guide, helpful tutorial on camera settings, excellent job. Thank you our guide Laura.

Disappointing tour. We got to see the lights which was lovely but it definitely was not a ‘tour’. Guide stopped bus at a pull in at the side of the road just outside of Reykjavík. One stop in a lay by, that’s it. No tour, no nice scenic backdrop. Disappointed

The guides were very professional, kept an eye on the radar. They were friendly and shared great stories and tips about photography. If you book this, just keep a very close eye on the local weather and forecasts beforehand.

We didn't get to see the aurora on the first time due to cloudy weather, so they offered us to rebook again the next night for free. They were able to bring us to see the aurora at the right place the next night. The pick up was smooth and punctual, and they were quick in response when we tried to rebook. Overall a wonderful experience!

You pay $85 per person for a bus with 50 other people to bring you to a parking lot. No place to sit. There is a bathroom. No guidance from the guide - who disappeared. It is understood that there is no guarantee you will see the Northern Lights. It was the absolute worst excursion ever.

Rebecca was delightful and her infectious enthusiasm provided good energy for the late night. I went twice with the first time seeing clear, star filled sky but no solar activities. The second time we were lucky to have gaps in between the clouds to witness the beautiful lights. Best to over bundle as the wind gets colder as the night goes on.

Great guise and bus driver! Courteous and knowledgeable.

Did this tour in mid-September 2026 -- we ended up seeing the lights! I left with the understanding that this was a bit early in the season. The staff guided us on what to look for, and the natural conditions (solar winds, cloud cover, etc.) that would make us seeing the lights more probable. We didn't see them at our initial location, but on the way back to Reykjavik, we pulled over and our guide excitedly exclaimed "everyone out!" -- where we then viewed the northern lights for around 45mins. Would happily return with this group!

Lots of thanks!!!! Guide:Laura Driver:Marcin I experienced wonderful time! We had never seen in Japan. Thank you 😊

Had a wonderful tour, and we ended up seeing the northern lights, thanks to our fabulous tour guide, Lauren! I learned my phone didn't have a night camera, and she was kind enough to send me the pictures she took that night!

Having to go to the BSI Bus Terminal at 10 PM to meet up with our tour was not fun, but we were very lucky to get to see them. The night was clear, the stars were out and after about 15 minutes of wait, they showed up, gently at first, but then they took off with gusto!!! Cannot remember when I have seen so many stars. Very cold!!! But worth it 100%.

Lauren the guide was great. The tour was too long. We saw North Lights as soon as we got there, which was very fortunate. After about 1/2 hr of looking at the stars and taking pictures of Northern lights most people were back on the bus waiting to leave. I wouldn’t consider this tour again.

Wonderful experience!! Lauren and Bjork were wonderful guides. Highly recommend.

The skies were alive with a dancing Aurora and shooting stars. Lauren was a delightful guide and filled our drive time with educational tidbits and fun Icelandic trivia. Bjork was a great driver and kept the bus warm for us!

Lauren was amazing We had a great luck in hunting down the aurora lights It was one beautiful experience

Lauren very kind, cute and good guider. Thank you for every thing.

A lot of driving involved, but we did see the lights on a very cloudy evening ✨️

I love the experience and the Guide tour Elli its the best.

The experience was just amazing, from booking the tour, to seeing the lights, to the drop off. I booked the tour with the hotel reception, just 3 hours before the pick up, so I was lucky to get on. I booked the local pick up, which was a short walk from the hotel to the Fly Bus. The changeover to the tour bus at BSI Terminal was simple. The cost was equivalent to around £75, which is competitively priced. Laura, our Tour Guide was very friendly and informative, explaining what makes seeing the aurora possible and how to set the phone cameras to capture the lights. We had around a 50 minute drive to the Þingvellir National Park. Þingvellir was extremely dark, and we were asked (understandably) not to use tourches. The guest toilets were open, but not the shop. There was only one other coach there, so it wasn't too crowded and I was able to get a spot away from others and their phone lights. Luckily, the aurora appeared shortly after we arrived. Despite it not being a strong display, the aurora was visible by eye, and we could see it faintly stretching across the sky. I was able to get some great photos, which I treasure. I would have liked to have longer in the park, but the Bz stats dropped so the aurora faded. People who had bought local pick up/drop off were dropped off at their local stop before the bus returned to the BSI Terminal. I would say this is great for families, couples, and solo visitors like myself. I would recommend this trip, but beware, it's not guaranteed that you will see the aurora. To note for information, drinks are not provided on this tour, and the tour bus did not have a toilet.

I had a great experience chasing the northern lights in Iceland, we're taken away from the city looking for the darkest spot. After arriving to the spot we just waited a little and then the lights just showed up, it was incredible to see for the first few seconds as they appeared. Lauren was our guide, she told us all the conditions that needs to be made to the northern lights to appear, plus a little bit of luck; she was a funny guide that made the tour enjoyable.

Easy pick up and drop off from hotel, which was convenient. Northern lights are all based on weather, so it could be a hit or miss in early September. The tour guide Rebecca was very informative.

Laura was a great guide, and Leo gave us a safe drive there and back.

Great experience! Northern Ligjts were amazing and Leo and Laura were entertaining, knowledgeable guides!

Very boring No interaction with driver or tour guide. Bus over crowded No help from company getting on or off of the bus

While re.is generally runs well-organized tours, their Northern Lights tour is a significant letdown that feels more like a box-ticking exercise than a genuine hunt for the Aurora. Based on my recent experience, I strongly advise travelers to look elsewhere for the following reasons: • Profit Over Probability: The company proceeded with the tour despite a low Kp index and nearly zero probability of a sighting. Professional outfits should prioritize transparency; if the chance is below 50%, they should offer refunds rather than forcing a "ghost hunt." • Poor Site Selection: For a professional company, the choice of viewing locations was pathetic. We were subjected to heavy light pollution and constant headlights from passing vehicles as well as flights passing from KEF • Lack of Basic Protocol: Even the tour bus lights were left on during the viewing session, further destroying any chance of night vision or clear photography. • Apathetic Execution: Both the guide and driver seemed fully aware that the lights wouldn't appear, resulting in a casual, "blame nature" attitude that felt dismissive of the guests' time and investment. • The Rebooking Gimmick: To mask the lack of quality, they offer a free rebooking for two years. This is a hollow gesture for the 99% of international tourists who will not be returning to Iceland within that window. If an individual can find a dark-sky spot in a place like Canada without professional help, there is no excuse for a specialized Icelandic company to fail so miserably at finding a location without light pollution. Verdict: Don't waste your night. If you want a real Aurora experience, find a provider that values sightings over seat-filling.

The tour experience was great, especially Lauren and Leo made it amazing!

We had a nice night for some activity and we did get a little lucky. I fulfilled my wish of being able to see the northern lights with the naked eye, so that was wonderful. Unfortunately the lights didn’t stay dancing too long. But I call it a win! I wish the sky would have been just a bit darker though. It was almost 11:00 and there was still some light. I wish the bus went a little further out and was not parking in a lot right next to the road because headlights kept coming and messing up your night vision. For the price of the tour, they could have thrown in a complimentary hot chocolate. That would have been a nice touch.

It was great experience with a great guide, very informative and helpfull.

A great company to tour with - we saw the lights only very briefly the first night so were told to rebook again. Luckily, the second attempt gave us a show to remember. Thorrun(excuse the spelling us), was an amazing guide - a cracking Icelandic sense of humour and a whiz with iPhone photography!

We have seen it. Wonderful 🤩 !!!