Private Northern Lights Tour
Traveler rating
3.7/5
Based on 6 traveler reviews. Ratings and reviews provided by Viator and Tripadvisor.
Quick answer
Is Private Northern Lights Tour worth booking?
Private Northern Lights Tour is a 3-hour experience in Reykjavik, Iceland, from $1,300 per person. It scores 45 out of 100 on the Outty Ranking, which we label “Worth a Look”, based on a 3.7/5 rating across 6 reviews. Cancellation is free up to 24 hours before the start time. Same-day spots are currently showing.
- Outty Ranking
- 45 / 100
- Rating
- 3.7/5 (6)
- Duration
- 3 hours
- From
- $1,300 per person
Join us on the search for the elusive Northern Lights. You will get picked up from your lodging to join your friendly David The Guide team member and begin the search. We are always monitoring the conditions and will only operate if the chances are good. As we search for the Northern Lights we will serve hot chocolate and yummy biscuits. If and when we find the lights we will stop to observe the dancing sky and take your picture. You will get the picture sent to you after the tour. David the Guide started out as one guide wanting to share and give more. With growing demand, the David the Guide team has grown and our team of adventure loving guides will be with you on your tour with us. This is not a single man operation, but a family of guides who believe in the vision David has for the industry.
What you get
About this experience
Join us on the search for the elusive Northern Lights. You will get picked up from your lodging to join your friendly David The Guide team member and begin the search. We are always monitoring the conditions and will only operate if the chances are good. As we search for the Northern Lights we will serve hot chocolate and yummy biscuits. If and when we find the lights we will stop to observe the dancing sky and take your picture. You will get the picture sent to you after the tour. David the Guide started out as one guide wanting to share and give more. With growing demand, the David the Guide team has grown and our team of adventure loving guides will be with you on your tour with us. This is not a single man operation, but a family of guides who believe in the vision David has for the industry.
What's included
Included
- Private transportation
- On-board WiFi
- In-vehicle air conditioning
- Snacks
What you'll see and do
Heidmork Nature Reserve
PLEASE NOTE: Exact location is subject to cloud cover and northern lights activity on a given night! Join David The Guide´s 8 people maximum tour, You will be picked up from either your hotel, guesthouse or bus stop starting 30 minutes before departure time (Please allow a thirty-minute window for everyone to be picked up) Our journey will take us outside of the city limits away from any light pollution as the Northern Lights are harder to see from Reykjavík. To which location it is hard to say, it will depend on the cloud coverage and activity in the evening. We try to keep it as short a drive as possible and we might stop at several locations as the lights can be quite elusive and often it will be a waiting game for this beautiful phenomenon A little note on the Northern Lights, they are fickle and elusive. They are very common in Iceland but alas cannot be promised by anyone so in order to make sure that you get another chance to see them we will take you a second time if your first time out turned out to be only stargazing. This re-use ticket is valid for two years after purchase. If the tour is canceled and you are not able to make a reschedule before you leave we will refund fully! Cars are sanitized prior to each tour and hand sanitizer is available in the car. Departure: TIMES VARY: 1. sept - 30. sept - Departure is 10:00 PM, Pickup starts at 9:30 PM 1. oct. - 30. Feb - Departure is 09:00 PM, Pickup starts at 8:30 PM 1. march - 31. march - Departure is at 10:00 PM, Pickup starts at 9:30 PM Please note that pickup takes 30 minutes THIS TOUR RUNS DEPENDENT ON WEATHER - we only go if there is a high possibility of sighting - every day we assess the situation and decide whether or not to run the tour. This decision is made at 5:00 PM, please allow until this time for us to send you a confirmation and feel free to send us any questions.
Pass by without stopping
Thingvellir National Park
PLEASE NOTE: Exact location is subject to cloud cover and northern lights activity on a given night! Join David The Guide´s 8 people maximum tour, You will be picked up from either your hotel, guesthouse or bus stop starting 30 minutes before departure time (Please allow a thirty-minute window for everyone to be picked up) Our journey will take us outside of the city limits away from any light pollution as the Northern Lights are harder to see from Reykjavík. To which location it is hard to say, it will depend on the cloud coverage and activity in the evening. We try to keep it as short a drive as possible and we might stop at several locations as the lights can be quite elusive and often it will be a waiting game for this beautiful phenomenon A little note on the Northern Lights, they are fickle and elusive. They are very common in Iceland but alas cannot be promised by anyone so in order to make sure that you get another chance to see them we will take you a second time if your first time out turned out to be only stargazing. This re-use ticket is valid for two years after purchase. If the tour is canceled and you are not able to make a reschedule before you leave we will refund fully! Cars are sanitized prior to each tour and hand sanitizer is available in the car. Departure: TIMES VARY: 1. sept - 30. sept - Departure is 10:00 PM, Pickup starts at 9:30 PM 1. oct. - 30. Feb - Departure is 09:00 PM, Pickup starts at 8:30 PM 1. march - 31. march - Departure is at 10:00 PM, Pickup starts at 9:30 PM Please note that pickup takes 30 minutes THIS TOUR RUNS DEPENDENT ON WEATHER - we only go if there is a high possibility of sighting - every day we assess the situation and decide whether or not to run the tour. This decision is made at 5:00 PM, please allow until this time for us to send you a confirmation and feel free to send us any questions.
Pass by without stopping
Reykjanes Peninsula
PLEASE NOTE: Exact location is subject to cloud cover and northern lights activity on a given night! Join David The Guide´s 8 people maximum tour, You will be picked up from either your hotel, guesthouse or bus stop starting 30 minutes before departure time (Please allow a thirty-minute window for everyone to be picked up) Our journey will take us outside of the city limits away from any light pollution as the Northern Lights are harder to see from Reykjavík. To which location it is hard to say, it will depend on the cloud coverage and activity in the evening. We try to keep it as short a drive as possible and we might stop at several locations as the lights can be quite elusive and often it will be a waiting game for this beautiful phenomenon A little note on the Northern Lights, they are fickle and elusive. They are very common in Iceland but alas cannot be promised by anyone so in order to make sure that you get another chance to see them we will take you a second time if your first time out turned out to be only stargazing. This re-use ticket is valid for two years after purchase. If the tour is canceled and you are not able to make a reschedule before you leave we will refund fully! Cars are sanitized prior to each tour and hand sanitizer is available in the car. Departure: TIMES VARY: 1. sept - 30. sept - Departure is 10:00 PM, Pickup starts at 9:30 PM 1. oct. - 30. Feb - Departure is 09:00 PM, Pickup starts at 8:30 PM 1. march - 31. march - Departure is at 10:00 PM, Pickup starts at 9:30 PM Please note that pickup takes 30 minutes THIS TOUR RUNS DEPENDENT ON WEATHER - we only go if there is a high possibility of sighting - every day we assess the situation and decide whether or not to run the tour. This decision is made at 5:00 PM, please allow until this time for us to send you a confirmation and feel free to send us any questions.
Pass by without stopping
PLEASE NOTE: Exact location is subject to cloud cover and northern lights activity on a given night! Join David The Guide´s 8 people maximum tour, You will be picked up from either your hotel, guesthouse or bus stop starting 30 minutes before departure time (Please allow a thirty-minute window for everyone to be picked up) Our journey will take us outside of the city limits away from any light pollution as the Northern Lights are harder to see from Reykjavík. To which location it is hard to say, it will depend on the cloud coverage and activity in the evening. We try to keep it as short a drive as possible and we might stop at several locations as the lights can be quite elusive and often it will be a waiting game for this beautiful phenomenon A little note on the Northern Lights, they are fickle and elusive. They are very common in Iceland but alas cannot be promised by anyone so in order to make sure that you get another chance to see them we will take you a second time if your first time out turned out to be only stargazing. This re-use ticket is valid for two years after purchase. If the tour is canceled and you are not able to make a reschedule before you leave we will refund fully! Cars are sanitized prior to each tour and hand sanitizer is available in the car. Departure: TIMES VARY: 1. sept - 30. sept - Departure is 10:00 PM, Pickup starts at 9:30 PM 1. oct. - 30. Feb - Departure is 09:00 PM, Pickup starts at 8:30 PM 1. march - 31. march - Departure is at 10:00 PM, Pickup starts at 9:30 PM Please note that pickup takes 30 minutes THIS TOUR RUNS DEPENDENT ON WEATHER - we only go if there is a high possibility of sighting - every day we assess the situation and decide whether or not to run the tour. This decision is made at 5:00 PM, please allow until this time for us to send you a confirmation and feel free to send us any questions.
Pass by without stopping
Where it starts and ends
Hotel pickup
Pickup is included for all travelers. Pickup begins about 30 minutes before departure.
Before you book
- Cancellation
- For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
- Languages
- en
- Ticket
- Mobile Only
- Runs on
- Every day
- Group size
- Up to 15 travelers per booking
- Operated by
- David The Guide
Know before you go
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
Photos
What travelers are saying
Outty’s summary of the themes that recur across 6 traveler reviews. Written by us, not quoted from reviewers.
The guide
2 mentionsTravelers single out the guide as the reason the experience works.
Photo opportunities
2 mentionsThe views and photo stops come up again and again.
Traveler reviews
6 verified traveler reviews for Private Northern Lights Tour. Ratings and reviews provided by Viator and Tripadvisor.
Aurora chasing with Christian
Went aurora chasing with Christian (who’s the #1 local expert), along with my family including a toddler. What a chase it was! Along the way I learnt so much from knowledgeable and passionate Christian regarding the science and art behind the aurora. He took so much delight in sharing and his love for the aurora was both infectious and inspiring. He took the extra trouble and time to seek out the right phase of the aurora display - and how rewarding that was! He took great care of us too, with creature comforts like hot chocolate and blankets. Definitely take a tour with Christian if you get the chance - it’s the experience of a lifetime!
Response from the operator: Thank you for trusting us with your tour, and for your kind words. We will share this with Christian. We are fortunate to have him as part of our team.
via Tripadvisor
Shame
This so-called "tour" turned out to be a complete scam for tourists. Despite the promises, the reality was disappointing. A tour was announced with multiple strategic stops to spot the northern lights in the best conditions, but in practice, they took us to a single destination, widely known by tourists and affected by the light pollution and hustle and bustle of Reykjavik: the Grotta lighthouse (Seltjörn). It seems that gasoline is expensive... The "search" was limited to waiting for hours inside the bus, without the possibility of moving or exploring the places we were promised to visit. The duration of the prank was not even close to 5 hours, including pick-up and drop-off. To say that this point was appreciated, since the cold or heat, when the bus was started, was unbearable. And your search technology? Nothing more than the Aurora application, yes, the same one we all use. The result was a complete failure and a waste of time and opportunity to witness the northern lights. To make matters worse, their supposed "fantastic chocolate" was nothing more than a mixture of cocoa powder with warm water. One more mockery for the unsuspecting tourists who trusted in his deception. Your only solution is to offer the possibility of repeating this waste of time, but my response will be to report this scam and demand the corresponding refund. Let's remember that it is a tour of more than €100.
Response from the operator: This tour depends on nature, and we can not guarantee what will happen, despite our tracking. We acknowledge the frustration, but this tour is based on natural occurrences. We also offered a free tour which you declined-our policy is the same as other tour operators. You also wrote this same review on two different booking platforms- and you did NOT have a private tour.
via Tripadvisor (translated)
Fairly well organised tour but too many people
'Private tour' is a bit of a misnomer. There were 3 busses from the company who went out that night so that was about 120 people. We didn't get to see the northern lights but that was nobody's fault. We did get an offer to go out again another night but as it happened that week there were no sightings of the aurora..
Response from the operator: Hi, if you could email us if you have not- a private tour should have had its own transport, and not be placed on a large bus- unless we were offering you to join our group tour if your private tour was unsuccessful.
via Tripadvisor
Wonderful light show!
My friend and I had an amazing experience on the Northern Lights tour with Ania! It was a perfect first night in Iceland. We sleepily boarded the bus at 10 PM, and Ania was super friendly and welcoming to us. The soft radio, blankets, hot cocoa, and Northern Lights facts made it both a cozy and adventurous environment. Ania was dedicated to making sure we had the best light show possible, and we were able to get plenty of high-quality photos and time adjusting our eyesight to the dark to watch the lights. Thank you for the wonderful tour!
via Tripadvisor
Comms needed to improve with the guests
We pre-booked the Northern Lights Guided Tour with Photos through GetYourGuide prior to arriving in Iceland and were impressed with the communications prior to our tour from the provider. We were picked up by coach from Bus Stop No1 in Reykjavik as it was not possible to pick up from our hotel. There are loads of trips going from Bus Stop No1 and it was a bit chaotic as hordes of tourists are looking for their transport, but to be fair our guide Norris did make it clear when he arrived which company he worked for. After a couple of more pick up stops we proceeded to make our way out towards the airport as Norris had informed us this was possibly going to be the area to see the lights. During the journey Norris interestingly explained how and why the Northern Lights are created but also made it clear that seeing them wasn't guaranteed. After about an hour's drive we parked up in an a remote area away from man made lights, however, we weren't the only groups there - everyone seems to be in contact and checking web apps which inform the areas where you have the best chance of seeing the lights. After around 40 mins and no sighting, Norris got us back on the bus to head out to another area which he thought maybe could provide a sighting. After another no-show of the lights we headed to an area with a lighthouse near the coast, again there were several groups already here. We spent quite a long time at this location and some hot chocolate was provided to the group, but yet again no sign of the lights. As the temperature had really dropped now and it was approaching midnight, most of the group had retreated to the coach, and I got the feeling that most of the group wanted to return back to their hotels. The coach driver was asked to approach Norris who remained outside with another guide to see if we could return back to the hotels but nothing seemed to happen. In the end I took the decision to speak to Norris myself and explained there was a bit of discontent appearing on the coach. Norris then came onto the coach and the guests explained that that they would prefer to leave as several had other trips arranged for the morning. It was agreed we would head back to Reykjavik but Norris wanted to make one further stop on the way to just see if the lights appeared there. This added an extra 20 mins to the journey but yet again no sighting. So why the 3 star rating. Everyone was aware before the trip that a sighting of the lights was not guaranteed, but I think that Norris just needed to be a bit more in tune with the mood of his guests. It was great that he was really keen for us to see the lights and he didn't want to give up, but people were really tired and early starts the next morning. We got back to our hotel at 2am. He just needed to communicate better with the guests. Obviously this trip came with the added bonus of a photograph with the Northern Lights if they had appeared, but as they didn't a few couples had photos taken with the lighthouse at the last location. These photos were sent out by the company a day or so after the trip and to be honest were pretty poor quality so not sure it was worth the extra cost. To be fair the company did send out vouchers for a free return excursion due to the non-sighting. Would I do this trip again - maybe but I would opt for a smaller group tour rather than a coach.
via Tripadvisor
Good to know
- Duration
- 3 hours
- Free cancellation
- Up to 24h before
- Minimum age to book
- All ages
- Availability
- Bookable today
- Runs on
- Every day
- Price range
- $1,300 to $1,585
- Hotel pickup
- Included for all travelers
- Booked in 30 days
- 2
- Verdict
- Worth a Look
Who runs this experience
Operated by David The Guide, who run 3 experiences we rank across 1 city, with an average Outty Ranking of 54.0.
See everything David The Guide runsWhy this scores 45
The Outty Ranking is a weighted composite. Here is how this experience performed on each component.
Private Northern Lights Tour: questions travelers ask
Practical detail on this experience, plus the wider planning questions for Reykjavik.
How much does Private Northern Lights Tour cost?
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Prices start at $1,300 per person. The final price depends on the date, the time slot and the number of travelers, and peak weekends in Reykjavik usually price higher than midweek mornings. Live pricing and remaining availability are confirmed on the booking screen before you pay.
How long does Private Northern Lights Tour take?
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Plan for about 3 hours from start to finish, not counting travel to the meeting point. Most travelers leave another 30 minutes on either side so the rest of the day in Reykjavik is not rushed.
Is Private Northern Lights Tour worth it?
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It holds an Outty Ranking of 45 out of 100, which we label "Worth a Look". That score blends traveler sentiment (3.7/5 across 6 reviews), the depth of that review evidence, recent booking momentum, value for money against comparable last minute in Reykjavik, and how flexible the cancellation terms are.
Can I cancel or reschedule Private Northern Lights Tour?
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Yes. Cancel free up to 24 hours before the start time for a full refund. Inside that window the booking is non-refundable, and no-shows are not refunded.
Is Private Northern Lights Tour suitable for kids and families?
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Yes, all ages are welcome. Families should still weigh the 3-hour running time, and strollers are easier on the earlier, quieter departures.
How far in advance should I book Private Northern Lights Tour?
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Around 2 people booked this in the last 30 days, so popular slots go early. Two to three weeks ahead is comfortable in shoulder season, while summer weekends and holidays in Reykjavik can sell out a month out. Same-day spots do open up when other travelers cancel, so it is worth checking if you are already in town.
What should I bring or wear?
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Bring photo ID, your booking confirmation on your phone, a refillable water bottle and comfortable shoes. Dress for the weather in Reykjavik and add a light layer if any part of the 3-hour experience runs outdoors or after sunset.
Where does Private Northern Lights Tour start and how do I get there?
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The exact meeting point and directions are on your voucher once you book, and they sit in central Reykjavik within reach of public transport. Arrive 15 minutes early: late arrivals are treated as no-shows by most operators.
What are the best things to do in Reykjavik?
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On Outty we rank every Reykjavik experience on the same 0 to 100 scale, and alongside this one the highest scorers right now include Reykjavik Food Walk - Local Foodie Adventure in Iceland, Silfra Snorkeling Between Continents Photos Included- Self Drive, Small-Group Golden Circle, Blue Lagoon with Ticket & Kerid Crater. The city page groups everything into most popular, highest reviewed, last minute and family-friendly so you can build a day around what actually delivers.
When is the best time to visit Reykjavik?
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Booking patterns follow the same curve: prices and queues climb in peak weeks, while shoulder season gives you better availability on the top-ranked experiences and more room to change plans.
How many days do you need in Reykjavik?
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Three full days covers the headline sights without sprinting. A workable rhythm is one anchor experience each morning, such as this one, an unhurried afternoon in a single neighborhood, then a food or nightlife booking in the evening. Five days lets you add a day trip outside the city.
Do I book through Outty or through the operator?
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Outty ranks and explains the experiences, then hands you to Viator to complete the booking with the operator directly. The price is the same as booking on Viator yourself, and Outty earns an affiliate commission on the referral, which is how the rankings stay free to read.
What is included in Private Northern Lights Tour?
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Included: Private transportation; On-board WiFi; In-vehicle air conditioning; and Snacks. Always check the voucher for the final list before you travel.
Does Private Northern Lights Tour include hotel pickup?
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Yes, pickup is offered for every traveler from 52 listed pickup locations in and around Reykjavik. Be ready about 30 minutes before the start time. You can also enter a custom pickup address when booking.
What languages is Private Northern Lights Tour offered in?
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It runs in English. Pick your language when choosing a date and time, as not every departure runs in every language.
Will I get instant confirmation and a mobile ticket for Private Northern Lights Tour?
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Confirmation is sent by the operator after booking, usually within 48 hours; if it is not confirmed you are not charged. Mobile tickets are accepted, so you can show the voucher on your phone.
What happens to Private Northern Lights Tour if the weather is bad?
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This experience depends on good weather. If it is canceled because of poor weather, you are offered a different date or a full refund.
What do travelers say about Private Northern Lights Tour?
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Across 6 reviews averaging 3.7 out of 5, recurring themes include the guide, photo opportunities. Travelers single out the guide as the reason the experience works.
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