Northern Lights Guided Tour With Pickup Option From Reykjavik

We got canceled 12 h before departure as they decided my one year old daughter can't come with. Just two weeks ago it was okay and they would organize a carseat for her..

When I was looking for Northern light tours I wanted to book one that would allow me to rebook for free as many times as possible so that I could get the best chances since I knew that it was not guaranteed as it’s a natural phenomenon. This was the main reason I booked Reykjavik Excursions. The first time I was not able to see the northern lights, so they rebooked me for free for another day where I had a snowmobiling & Golden circle tour with them in the morning. I asked if they believed I would have time to make it to the northern lights tour and they advised I did. I’m glad I decided to not sleep that day because that day I did saw the northern lights. It appeared briefly and we managed to take pictures, but it was enough to satisfy us. Lauren was our tour guide for that day & Leo (Lionheart) our driver. Lauren was extremely bubbly; she was very funny and made each way very entertaining for us. She also explained a lot about the northern lights and the best way to be able to detect them. Because it was brief they will went to another area to see if it was possible to see more northern lights but there weren’t. Nevertheless, we saw them and even if brief, ti was enough for us and many of us in the bus. They still however, offered us the chance to rebook for free. My husband and I were satisfied so we decided not to rebook so that other people could get the chance to rebook if they needed. So far, in Iceland I booked tours with two different company’s and let me say, the best tours were all the ones I went with Reykjavik excursions with. This is a very comfortable and good option to see the northern lights. From Edwin & Steph (PR)

Boarded a 50 seat passenger bus, and headed out to selected area to observe clear skies, along with another 7-8 buses. In total, there were approximately 400 people. This was not a problem, as the viewing area was large enough to accommodate everyone. Having the buses there was a “good” thing as it was very cold/windy so you could go back on the bus to warm up. Unfortunately we did not see much in the sky, which was very clear. Many constellations were visible. There were some glimpses of the lights. One suggestion. Make sure you have a good camera! This was a great way to get out to see the lights in expensively.

You should of never used this viewing site the 7 high intensity highway lights polluted the site with stray light as did the radio tower in the background, rendering the site vitually useless on a night with growing clouds and there a dim northern lights experience

Well, the bus left me stranded at the pick up location for more than an hour and never picked me up. I will never book a trip with TripAdvisor again. Ever.

I went for the Norther Lights Mystery Tour. Turns out the mystery was being left standing around for an hour waiting to be picked up, only to be told by another tour that they weren't working. This is after getting confirmation email confirming times and pickup. Still not got an apology from them. Awful, save yourself the trouble and book with anyone else

AVOID AVOID AVOID. Bus never showed up, there were about 8 of us sat outside waiting for it for 30 odd minutes and it never showed up. No cancellation email, no communication. Terrible. Ruined our final evening in iceland.

I waited along with 2 other people who had also purchased tickets to be picked up at Hilton Nordica at 10:30pm, but the bus never showed up. Based on other reviews, we’re wondering if perhaps the bus filled up at an earlier stop before getting to us? We waited from 10-11pm as told and we emailed, made calls, used the Viator chat, without any response from the tour provider: Gray Line Iceland. It doesn’t respond to chat messages in Viator, didn’t answer emails, and the Gray Line Iceland office is closed at that time so if you call, it’s useless. When we asked the hotel concierge if we were waiting in the right place he said we were, but that the company was “unreliable.” After waiting for more than an hour, to not miss the Northern Lights, we split a cab to Grotta Lighthouse and back. It was a great viewing area, the taxis came within minutes and total taxi fares were less than the cost of one tour ticket. We were dropped off at the Grotta Lighthouse. I’ll note that the Viator customer service did answer when we called, but she couldn’t reach the provider and we had to press her to initiate the refund process. However, thus far the only email I have received from Viator is a Refund Requested notification, so I’m still waiting to actually be refunded the $100 paid. That said, if you’re opting for a hotel pick up, buyer beware! Happy to update this review when á refund is issued.

Warning! All travellers looking to book trips!!! They took our money ! Changed our provider and cancelled our trip saying our 5 year old could no longer go with only 2.5 hrs notice!!!! Leaving my husbands 50th birthday trip in tatters and my two children in tears 😭 Still not received a refund for our trip either and they just don’t care !!!!!! Absolutely disgusting!!!!

Me and my daughter joined the northern lights tour, Kristoff (hope that’s right) and driver (sorry) your driving was excellent, Kristoff was very funny and kept us amused. We were lucky to catch a good look, the moon was bright and cloudy so wasn’t holding out much hope, but guides told us the best place to look and patience paid off, could not fault the evening

We were told to meet at Reykjavik city hall bus stop on October 10, 2025 at 20:00. We were there 19:45-20:45 and no one came to pick us up. No emails in inbox or spam folders indicating tour was cancelled. No one answered phone at any of three numbers we called. They did reply to email to ask us if we’d tried calling, then again to acknowledge my request for a refund, which they said they’d “look into” within 14 days. We’re prepared to dispute charges with our credit card agency, as we doubt they’ll actually issue a refund. Book with a different agency.

Gray Line Iceland did not show up for our tour. We watched loads of people depart with other tour companies as we stood by for an hour. As cruisers, this was probably a once in a lifetime overnight opportunity for us to try seeing the Northern Lights and we were robbed of that. We had received confirmation of our tour details via email several hours earlier and since they were a no show, additionally, I have to pay international mobile phone charges for attempting to contact them from the meeting point. After I was unable to reach anyone from Gray Line, I reached Viator who was also unable to reach them. They owe us a refund, phone reimbursement, and another form of recompense for messing up an opportunity that was planned several months ahead of the trip. We could have booked with another group had they notified us this one would be a no go.

Yes as other have stated I also was never picked up for my tour I arrived a half hour early and a whole extra hour after just in case as the ENTIRE reason I visited Iceland was to see the northern lights and it never happened. Gray Line has yet to respond to my emails, calls and request for a refund. No communication was given at all. I went against my better judgement because I took a tour in the day with Gray Line and it went fine, the host was pushing the northern lights tour later that day so I booked it because of that reason and the Aurora forecast was looking good. Out $120 and basically my entire trip was ruined. I advise not booking this tour. Extremely unprofessional company. Really disappointed, will not recommend Gray Line Iceland to anyone because of this experience.

Didn’t get to see the lights but it was an experience, i probably wouldn’t do it again. We were just unlucky that night, maybe other nights were Better. I wouldn’t knock it. We enjoyed the trip and we had so much fun

Our tour guy was just spectacular!!! He loved his land and nature. He looked for the Aurora and went off the trails so we could see the lights. He gave us wonderful hot chocolate with… and helped us to take great pictures! Highly recommended it!

DO NOT BOOK. They do not respond to messages, emails, etc. their phone number doesn’t work. If you do decide to book, get there at least 30 mins early because they are not clear on times or place and will leave without you without any contact. They lack any hospitality for the price point. There are so many better other options. Please do not book with them. Myself and many others are having to dispute charges because of their promises and scams.

SCAM!!! The only thing that was impressive was the ride showed up 15 mins before the pick up time. First night, received email at 11:39 am that it is canceled due to weather, when on the website it stated no decision will be made until 5pm. Meanwhile, so many posted pictures with beautiful sky full of lights. no biggie, rebooked for the next night; the weather is shittier than the day before but somehow it was still on. Went to the first spot , the light house , nothing. Went to second spot, the crater, an hour later finally a very very VERY faint of light showed for maybe 10 seconds then it went away. Got called back on bus, Thought we were going to chase elsewhere, since it’s called northern lights tour, you chase the damn thing. Nope we went home. Not even the whole sky was lit. literally maybe the size of your phone tall and both arms length out wide. you can’t even capture on the camera that’s how faint and tiny it was. Emailed for a rebook, and was told there’s no rebook since there was light seen. Find a different company

Have an average to balance out the fact the tour was cancelled due to visibility in weather conditions but the tour company refunded immediately and offered to rebook at no extra cost, reason I’m writing review despite not going on tour is to give tips on planning We spoke to a few people who had booked their northern lights tour earlier in the week, and while they were lucky enough to see the lights, they were absolutely shattered the next day and couldn’t enjoy the volcano hike—they said they physically couldn’t manage it from getting in at early hours. Often the tours take you out further out of city to the non polluted areas so you don’t get back until late. We, on the other hand, had booked our tour for the last night of the trip thinking ahead of the fact we had an action packed hike everyday. The downside of that is if you don’t see the lights, there’s no chance to rebook for another night (since most tours offer that free of charge earlier in the week). But the benefit is you’re not dragging yourself through a long day of activities on zero sleep. In hindsight, the best approach is to book your northern lights tour early in the week—but only if you can follow it with a relaxed, low-effort day to recover, like a city stroll or a visit to a lagoon spa. This gives you more chances to rebook if the lights don’t appear, and it also prevents burnout. Ideally, avoid scheduling any early starts or full-day excursions the morning after your northern lights tour. Keep your lights tour separate from big experiences like the volcano hike or the Golden Circle. Booking both back-to-back is a recipe for exhaustion—you won’t enjoy either properly. That said, if you get lucky (like we didn’t), booking the northern lights tour on your last night can be PERFECT if you’re LUCKY —you power through the late night, crash on the plane in the morning, and sleep your way home. If we’d seen them the last night it would have been perfectly arranged, but because it was the last night it was the only chance we had as we stayed in the city. It’s definitely a gamble, so it just comes down to careful planning around energy levels and key activities.

We really weren’t sure what to expect as this was our 6th bus journey in one day. Picked up from outside the hotel which was great. The guide, so sorry I can’t remember her name except she volunteered with the emergency services, was really excellent and brought a personal angle to describing living in Iceland which was very interesting. It wasn’t all about northern lights but vikings and dna origins. We were taken to a lighthouse which I was a bit skeptical about at first with a small cafe museum that the proprietor had opened up especially for the tours. There were 400 folk so she must have done well that night. Great to think that greyline had thought of a warm drink on a cold night by the ocean, We weren’t disappointed by the Aurora which was amazingly dancing all around above our heads. The enthusiasm of one of the guides was very endearing considering he must have seen them a hundred times. There was plenty of time to capture the Aurora, we were alerted as soon as it started and given time to wind up before we left. We also saw the lighthouse cat which the guide had told us about and not to pick up because ‘it goes bat sh-t crazy’ if you do. We’re still laughing about that description. A great night and a fantastic start to our Iceland adventure. Def recommend.

Not a great experience. The tour guide was boring and didn't seem very sure of what he was saying, as a result a lot of people were talking so he was hard to hear anyway. When we arrived at the spot, but a lighthouse, along with 4 or 5 other buses, he just told us to get off the bus and didn't give us any instructions or tell us what time to be back. It was very cloudy and as a result we didn't see anything so he said we could have another tour on another night. On the way back though he said they had appeared so we stopped, there wasn't much to see and it felt like he was really overselling it so we wouldn't be able to go on another trip. We were also told that we would be advised how to get the best photos and what to do with our camera/phone but this was not mentioned. When I asked the guide he offered to take a photo for me but all I got was black sky, I really don't think he knew what he was doing. This trip was very disappointing, I know you can't guarantee that you see the lights but I do think more effort could have been made

We booked the tour for pick up at 20:30 from the hotel. After waiting outside in the cold for more than 30 minutes I called the tour operator and the lady on the phone spoke to me like Iam stupid to wait and the bus already left from bus terminal at 20:00. Even though Iam telling her continuously I have a booking confirmation email that says my pickup time and place clearly she just kept on saying the time was 8 from terminal only and the bus is long gone. Now when i tried to get a refund for my ruined holiday all i get is template emails denying the refund. Iam now forced to pay my hard earned money for something i didn't even get to experience because of their fault. This booking says there is guarantee to rebook if there is no sightings or full refund if cancelled from the tour operator guess what they did not even pick us up and still no refund no apologies

Was a brilliant experience from start to finish Tina and packo were a brilliant team we got to see so many beautiful places

We booked the trip for our first night, we waited for 5 hours but the northern lights did not show. This happens. We watched the weather and rebooked for 3 days later for free and were rewarded. I was pleased that the operator checked the forecast and moved our destination inland. Very professional operation and would definitely recommend to anyone

So it’s a bit of a gamble as to whether or not you will see the lights on the night. On a positive note, the booking is valid for two years so if you don’t get to see them on the night of the booking, there’s a pretty generous window of opportunity, assuming you can get back to Reykjavic easily.. So, that’s something. I felt like the “Mystery” was too low key and uninspiring to the point where even the guide expressed doubts on us seeing the lights, even before the journey got underway. If you plan on doing this, maybe allocated 3-5 days to re do the run, just to give you a much greater chance of success.

Grey line Iceland in Reykjavik…Where do I start? I booked and paid extra to be picked up from in front of the hotel (I have mobility disabilities) The male guide was friendly enough but made a complete mess of trying to explain the Northern Lights. We got to the viewpoint but had to move after 5-10 minutes because of some disagreement between drivers. Another 2 hours later we arrived somewhere else where we obviously wouldn’t see them because of the lights. Returning to the hotel the driver & guide were busy telling each other their plans for NYE celebrations & what houses they’re buying etc. Instead of being returned to the hotel directly we were left at a bus stop nearby. If it wasn’t for the help of 2 lovely ladies from India I may have ended up in hospital. If you’re booking a tour in Reykjavik book with a different operator!!!

Unfortunately, the Noethern Lights remained elusive once again but we were very fortunate to have Hulda as our guide for the evening. She is extremely knowledgeable and has the most wonderful and interesting stories to keep you entertained throughout the Tour. Seeing the Noethern Lights has been an elusive bucket list item for years now but Hulga, you made up for missing this again. Keep up the good work and keep smiling, you are a fantastic person.

The tour operator cancelled the tour and said they would refund in 5-7 business days, they didn't re book us so we found another operator via tourist infomariton in Reykjavik.

I have done many tours in the past and kers just say this is one of the worst ones. Starting with the bus filling people like it was a local bus and caused a 30-40 min delay in starting the 4 hour tour. The guide wasnt very fluent in English and was struggling to provide information about the northern lights. We were asked to get off the bus on different locations but there were no northern lights. On the way back we were dropped on the road, atleast 5 minutes walk from our hotel, while it was raining and snowing. I feel the service was below par and not very professional. I have tried to communicate with the tour agent for a complimentary repeat tour (as mentioned in their ticket)...waiting to hear back.

We knew there was no chance of seeing the northern lights so why didn’t they - probably because they didn’t want to refund us. Rained all day - huge cloud cover & Aurora app clearly stated 0% chance of seeing anything.

Nice experience and lights viewing!! Bus took us to a sea wall with no light pollution and the Northern Lights were clearly visible. Experience of a lifetime!!

excellent tour. we were very lucky to witness the northern lights. Check in could have been better organised!

Stunning night and tour, as soon as left Reykavik the lights were visable and swiftly found a dark area to watch them. They were magnificent.

My partner and I booked a Northern Lights tour with Gray Line Iceland through TripAdvisor, as seeing the Northern Lights was a bucket list experience for us both. The company confirmed our booking twice via TripAdvisor and email, including the pick-up location. On the night of our tour, however, we were left waiting outside for 90 minutes in 2-degree weather, despite being assured over the phone that a bus would be picking us up shortly. When the bus finally arrived, it drove right past us. After calling again, we were informed—without an apology—that the bus was already on it's way and that we could request a refund. Missing out on such a special experience was incredibly disappointing. It’s one thing to lose out due to weather or unforeseen issues, but to miss it because of a tour company’s incompetence feels inexcusable. If you’re considering a Northern Lights tour, I’d recommend looking for a smaller, more customer-focused operator. Unfortunately, Gray Line seems more interested in quantity than the quality of their operations.

Tried few times but of weather condition was cancelled. But was very easy contact with supplier and communicate. Quick response. And sort it quick. Will try next time.

Pickup from the bus stop was exactly as instructions stated, and on time. Driver was informative, and tried to level set expectations that even with high probability- we may not have seen anything during our tour. We had an unexpectedly amazing evening. The auroras were stunning, with the event reaching Europe and the US. As a solo traveler, this tour gave me a safe way to experience the auroras, which is invaluable to me.

We were originally booked on 9/26/24. The excursion was canceled due to weather conditions. We rescheduled for 9/27/24. This time the trip wasn't canceled even though it was 100% cloud cover. We didn't see the northern lights and we requested a refund...but no one responded to my request.

It’s was awesome! He was friendly, helpful The most important part: We saw the lights! I do recommend the tour. 5 stars

Unfortunately we were not able to see the northern lights directly but our camera phones did catch some activity. I would recommend this tour even though it did not turn out the way I expected.

Oliver was the best guide ever. Explained how northern lights occur in a was that was understandable. Was vigilant about keeping our group in optimum environment to be able to see sky and he knew almost ahead of time when to look in what direction to be ready to see lights and be able to take photos. Excellent trip!

This tour delivered as promised, picking us up at our hotel on a nice coach bus and driving out to a remote location to see the northern lights. Unfortunately, the location chosen, while remote, still had some bright light from a visitor center. The pros included real bathrooms nearby, though, which were very appreciated. It was a beautiful experience! The drive back was just as easy, and we were brought right back to just outside our hotel's doors in Reykjavik.

Unfortunately tour was cancelled. Comminucation was excellent. Rescheduling was very easy, however more wet weather meant tour was cancelled again. Hope you have better luck.

The tour and guide were great. The lack of very colourful lights was disappointing but did get some great shots. Our guide took us to different places to see them and we stayed out till 2 pm. The guide did all he could to give us the best chance of seeing the lights.

the northern light experience was not upto the mark. we could not view it in really well. that day it was way too cold and no one says where exactly to go. they ll just let you go somewhere in the park or jungle. near a toilet you have to stand in too much cold.

Went on the tour on Tuesday 23rd April and saw the Aurora. It was amazing and something I'd always wanted to see. So satisfied that I finally managed to. However, I wasn't satisfied by a racist comment by the tour guide who was called the Icelandic equivalent of Oliver. He started talking about immigrants coming to Iceland in a very derogatory way. Not a good look for Grey Line or Iceland. The tour guide also went into a very thorough explanation of what caused the aurora, which I'm sure went over the heads of everyone on the bus, unless they were astrophysicists!

we booked the tour with pick up from the stop closest to our hotel. we waited in the cold for 40 minutes and no bus came to pick us up. I called support and they told us that the tour had left without us and that there was no way we could participate. terrible company. I lost a lot of money.

I would not recommend this tour. We went 2 nights in a row (because they allow free rebooking if you don't see the lights). We didn't see the lights either night. The first night was a really long trip and the guide was really unhelpful. She seemed to not want to be doing the tour. The trip was 1.5 hours each other way and we got almost no information or guidance. Our second night was a little better. We went only 45 minutes away and the guide was more helpful and skies were full of stars, so we were very hopeful. It was a better experience but the guide didn't see very knowledge and at one point we were on the bus for over an hour with no power and no information on what we were waiting for. We heard from another group that they saw the lights that night. Overall, I think part of the issue was that we were on a big bus tour. Still, it was disappointing to not see the lights with so much time spent and the lack of communication was frustrating. Next time I will opt for a different tour company and a smaller group.

quick, very friendly, correct info, staff very sincere and helpful. Lights were not seen first time, rebooking was done at no extra charge.

I know seeing lights is not a guarantee but the overall experience is and it was just amazing! Also they dropped us right up to our hotel ❤️

I was a little disappointed with the tour operator. There was lack of organisation with no clear timings on when we arrived at the location. We were also under the impression that we were to stop at several locations for a chance to see the lights however this did not happen.