Private Northern Lights With Photographs

I can’t say enough good things about Thor’s care and attention during this private tour experience. I had planned my engagement to happen under the aurora, so there was definitely added pressure, but Thor absolutely delivered. He was flexible with scheduling, which was huge since the weather is so variable, and he was communicative the whole way through. Once the plan was set, he did everything he could to make it happen. He was also just a pleasure to be around, which made the whole experience even better. It was clear he really knew what he was doing when it came to tracking down the aurora. He knew all the tracking metrics, maps, and best locations. We were there on a night that didn’t have the ideal conditions, but he made the best of them and explained everything in detail so we always knew what was going on. He took care of all the photography and logistics, which made the experience as stress-free as possible for me. It took longer than expected for the right conditions to form, and it may even have kept him out longer than ideal, but he was a great sport about it and never made it feel like a problem. In the end, he delivered the perfect set of proposal photos, and I’ll always be grateful for that. Very highly recommended.

Thor of Iceland in Motion is an experienced Aurora hunter. He authors Aurora apps with complete guide on how to track and chase Aurora. He's very passionate with his craft and knows what he's doing. We got him as our private guide last March 4-7 for Aurora hunt, Snaefellsnes Peninsula, Golden Circle, Southern coast and Jokulsarlon. He's a funny guy. Everything was seamless. I give him a 5 star for impeccable service. Highly recommended. Worth every penny spent.

If you’re lucky enough to have Thor as your guide in Iceland, you’re already halfway to an unforgettable trip. From the very start, Thor delivered top-notch service in every possible way. He’s incredibly knowledgeable about Iceland—its landscapes, history, weather, hidden spots, and all the little details that make the country so fascinating. You can ask him anything and he’ll have a story, an explanation, or a fun fact ready. It makes the whole journey feel richer and more meaningful. But what really makes Thor stand out is his personality. He has such a positive outlook on life and an infectious energy that makes every day of the trip feel exciting. He’s also extremely funny—the kind of humor that turns long drives into some of the best parts of the adventure. You’ll find yourself laughing a lot. At the same time, he’s a very safe and confident driver, which is incredibly important when traveling around Iceland’s ever-changing roads and weather conditions. With Thor behind the wheel, you feel completely at ease and can simply enjoy the scenery. And when it comes to hunting the Northern Lights, Thor is on another level. The guy is truly a master of the aurora chase. His experience, patience, and instinct for reading the conditions are remarkable. If the lights are out there, Thor will find them. Watching the aurora with him guiding the experience is something truly special. Honestly, I couldn’t imagine a better guide. Thor is the kind of person who turns a great trip into a once-in-a-lifetime memory. If you’re considering booking him, don’t hesitate. Anyone who travels with Thor will not only see incredible places, but will also come home with amazing stories, unforgettable moments, and the feeling that they explored Iceland with one of the very best in the business.

I could not recommend Thor and his services enough. I trusted Thor with the final step of a very elaborate proposal and he delivered perfectly, capturing the moment perfectly under the Northern Lights. Thor was incredibly patient and happy to tailor the experience to my vision. He responded promptly, even months ahead and helped preplan multiple contingencies. His knowledge of space weather and ability to adapt to changing weather conditions was immediately evident during our hunt, and ended up playing a crucial role in the success of our hunt. For something as important and sensitive as a proposal Thor is certainly worth the price he charges. Working with him felt like a collaboration, at no point did he try to upsell us, and the pictures he captured were very high quality (the only blurry shots were caused by us moving too much during the long exposure times and even those didn't look bad). He was also able to "read the room" effectively. He understood the significance of a proposal, and struck the perfect balance between being a guide and letting us share our first night as an engaged couple together. I also used his self guided service to track down the lights another two times on my own. I would strongly recommend this option for anyone renting a car. Thor builds custom maps of viewing locations in your area daily and updates them throughout the night to account for changing cloud cover and weather conditions. He also provides frequent updates to time the peaks. Thanks to this group and the guidance for understanding space weather that Thor provided we were able to see the Northern lights 2 more times (with little planning). Although patience and planning is normally recommended, using Thor's guidance we were able to find the lights twice very efficiently, with minimal interruption to our night/trip's itinerary. We simply saw his messages and drove to one of the locations and arrived for the peak every time. The level of effort Thor put's into this group is really impressive. Space weather tutorials, general and custom viewing maps updated several times a night, and overall responsiveness throughout the afternoon and night makes for a great service. If anyone is renting a car and is even only casually interested in seeing the northern lights, you will easily recoup your money's worth from this service (and if you are serious about seeing them you also came to the right place). Strongly recommend.

We had an amazing experience! Thor was communicative and helpful, flexible, and energetic. His expertise made this an easy and amazing experience for us. Taking photos for us and the hot chocolate were perfect additions!

We went out with Thor and the lights were quiet, but he made sure we knew how to set our camera and really taught us how to take photos of our own, in addition to making sure we had the best chance to see whatever lights were available. He was so good, we booked another night with him and the lights we saw were so incredible. He took us away from the crowds...a lot of the other tours have so many people that everyone gets in your shot or they all line up to take pictures and don't really pay attention. He moves when necessary and knows the best spots. He has great refreshments and entertaining stories of Iceland. He sends pictures quickly. Highly recommend this tour!

Thor was exceptional to work with for this adventure. He is knowledgeable and honest and made our trip a lifetime memory. I cannot thank him enough nor recommend him any higher. This is the trip you want.

I did A TON of research before selecting Iceland in Motion as our guide to search for the Northern Lights. Here’s why you need to go with Thor- quite simply- he’s a pro. He studies the various scientific models and KNOWS what conditions produce the best likelihood of you seeing the lights. He also knows where to find the best opening in the sky to see them. He’s very fair- if he doesn’t think they will show- he lets you know- great communication. We thought our cloudy night would be a failure so at our time to leave, he was not sure it would be worth it. We opted to cancel. But 2 hours later he emailed me and said he thought maybe south of the airport we would find them. We said no thanks. Too late. But then quickly changed our mind and he picked us up at our hotel 30 minutes later! Let the adventure begin! He is so knowledgeable and wants you to have a great experience. He is as excited to see the lights as you are! After a drive, we peeled off the highway to a side road and then to the beach. He set up my son’s new canon camera on a tripod- Thor is an expert photographer too so he knows how to get your settings straight for the best results. And they appeared!!!! We were the only hunters out that night and we cannot thank Thor enough. He is the most thoughtful talented guide. I would recommend him again and again. Our photos are of the lights on a night when the chance of the Aurora appearing was a 1 out of 10. It looks like daylight due to the full moon which really helped the camera with the lighting. My iPhone was able to capture shots too but if you don’t have a “real” camera, Thar brings his for the trip. Thor’s experience, knowledge and perseverance delivered!

This was a once in a lifetime experience, and I’m not sure it would’ve been without the help of Thor! He is extremely knowledgeable about the precise timing of when the lights will show, and it shows. He’s so knowledgeable and we’re very grateful we used him for this tour. Also, the pictures he took of us were jaw-dropping. It’s really worth the price to have both the memories and the photos forever. Thank you so much, Thor!

Thor was simply amazing, the chances were so low, cloudy night. Yet, Thor managed to find a nice window of opportunity where the lights and vista opened up to me and my wife. He went out of his way to make us feel comfortable, the wind doesn't feel so cold anymore. Thank you Thor ! p.s.: There is even a song about Thor and the northern lights !!

We came to Iceland specifically to see the northern lights. Our first scheduled tour with another company got cancelled. And based on what we learned from other travelers, pretty much all tours were getting cancelled every night due to weather. Then we found Thor!! He let us know that chances of seeing lights were low, but if we still wanted to go he would take us. SO glad we did! He is a true light hunter and methodically checked the forecast, radars, etc to figure out where to take us for the best chances. And he found them!! We watched a spectacular show in the sky, and he took incredible photos for us with his professional camera. We ended up seeing the lights in three different locations and he stayed out very late with us to ensure that we saw as much of the lights as possible and got all the photos we wanted. If you are going to try and see the lights drop everything and only book Thor!!

Just want to share my experience as might help. We just returned from Iceland. My dream was to see the Northern lights since forever so as you imagine was very important for me to see them. Our chances were kind of low as was cloudy almost every night. We took a bus tour, but not only we didn't see anything but was not what we were hoping for so did not rebooked it. Our last chance of seeing was the last night so we decided to go with a more private tour, although more expensive but when you think how much you spend to see the lights and disappointment of not seeing them is not worth it. So we took the tour with Iceland In Motion and we had the most amazing time. Thor knows what he's doing and if there is something on the sky he'll find it for sure. He took us to a very nice area and moved like 3 times every time they faded for us to see a bit more. So, don't go cheap on NL tours, do on everything else but follow your dream😁

We had a fantastic adventure with our Guide Thor who was so knowledgable in everything to do with the Northern Lights. He explained very clearly why the lights appear and then made sure that we were in a place to take photos of them. Thor had a deep knowledge which he imparted to us which allowed us to learn so much about how to photograph the aurora Borealis. Loved the trip and would thoroughly recommend it to anyone looking to experience magical moments under the Aurora.

Our guide was amazing, friendly, knowledgeable about northern lights, patient, well informed and extremely patient.

We used Thor for two tours: Northern lights and Small Group Valley of Tears. I cannot recommend Thor enough. Specifically for the Northern lights, Thor is knowledgeable, funny, and knows where to find the lights. Thor is local, so it feels like you’re getting a personal tour rather than from a big company that just wants to get you in and out. Although he is more expensive than some other Northern lights tour, he is absolutely worth it. On a night where it was harder to find the lights due to cloud cover, Thor found an amazing spot and we saw a full show. The Hot Chocolate and Rum were the icing on the cake. Do not waste your time on other cheaper bigger group options, Thor is the way to go. I also cannot suggest Thor’s Valley of Tears tour (it was the highlight of our trip), but will post a review on that on that actual tour page!

Thor and Iceland in motion were truly excellent. His communication was great and honest. He kept in touch prior to our arrival and when we met him he was exactly as expected, friendly and knowledgeable about the all important northern lights. He managed expectations but also needn’t have worried as the lights we saw were absolutely amazing! We had a very very lucky night. He also took professional photos and sent them out that very same evening/next morning so we had them straight away. He had hot chocolate and Icelandic spirits to keep us warm and we could sit in the vehicle when we got too cold with furious knocking on the windows for when we should jump outside again. We were on a small group tour and he takes a maximum of 6 in his jeep. We only had 4 of us and it felt like a very personal tour. I can’t imagine anyone better for these trips and we felt both lucky to have seen such amazing lights dance across the sky and to have found such an incredible tour guide! Thanks Thor for being such a great host and for a great great evening.

If anyone is looking for a smaller more personal northern lights tour that is excellent value for money then you need to book with Iceland in Motion! Thor was constantly in communication with me even before I arrived in iceland and whilst I was there he gave me his honest predictions for the lights and advice in terms of whether to go or not. When in Iceland you have to balance getting a good nights sleep for the days excursions with staying up later to wait for the lights. Thor helped me manage this by constantly letting me know based on his expert knowledge of the lights. When I met him for the tour he picked me up and was friendly, engaging and told us so much about the lights and funny stories and tales about them. He took us to a location where within minutes we were fortunate enough to see the beautiful Aurora and the bursts of bright greens pinks and purples! It was the best night of my life! Throughout the display he kept us warm with drinks and kept his car heating on so we could get warm in between. He even drove to another location to get another backdrop for the fantastic professional photos he took of us individually and as a group. He was willing to take as many photos as we wanted and the whole night was spectacular from beginning to end! You will not regret booking iceland in motion for your northern lights experience!

What an amazing trip. Thor is an exceptionally good guide but who is unbelievably passionate about what he does. His English is perfect and knowledge of the Northern lights was enlightening. He knows all the secret spots to go to. He is also very honest about the reality of the northern lights and tries to manage your expectations. We were very lucky on the night that we had a great view with an array of colours. He takes as many photos as you want and he also has brilliant knowledge of Icelandic history and folklore. I couldn’t recommend enough.

What can I say, this was a mind blowing experience and would not be the same without Thor. I cannot recommend this experience enough, Thor goes out his way to make the experience personal and does everything in his power to allow you to see the lights, of course not everything is in his control but he uses science, technology and his expertise of the whole country to ensure you get the best possible opportunity to see the lights. Not only does he do this but prior to the event he keeps in touch with you and alerts you should it be very difficult to see the lights, i would recommend that anyone who visits iceland prepares for potentially cancelled tours due to unpredictable stormy weathers - but this is an unreal experience and once again i cannot recommend Thor more. I would recommend this specific trip to anyone visiting iceland - don’t bother with any other! Trust me! We have crazy photos too all taken by Thor! Legend! Thanks God of Thunder!

We came across Thor on Airbnb and initially chose him due to the smaller group size rather than some of the larger bus tours. This proved to be a great decision as not only was it a more relaxed and intimate affair - Thor proved to be a lights whisper. Conditions were terrible and I was dubious that we'd be able to see anything at all. Thor watched all the weather reports and solar information and drove us out of town searching for the one break in the clouds in all of Iceland. He was completely successful and turned a cloudy and windy evening into one of wonder and amazement with incredible views. I'm also very happy with the photo Thor captured of myself and my girlfriend - as a photographer myself, I went to test out my ability to capture the northern lights and Thor's experience allowed me to do so. I could not recommend Thor enough if you're looking for a personal guide to the Northern Lights.

Best ever excursion of my life. Guide was extremely professional, helpful, kind, dedicated and passionate about the Northern Lights and so much more about Iceland. Took amazing photos with his amazing camera, would definitely recommend to my family, all my friends and YOU! Don't miss out this opportunity, and book NOW. You won't regret it! A trip to Iceland would never be the same without this excursion.