Northern Lights Cruise from Downtown Reykjavik

Really good tour - very friendly guides and straightforward instructions.

I almost didn’t book this. It was our last night in Reykjavík, the forecast said “possible aurora activity” — which felt like a polite way of saying don’t get your hopes up — and after a week of hot pots and lava fields I thought I was too tired for another excursion. My partner convinced me. I will be grateful for that for the rest of my life. We boarded just after 9 PM from the old harbour. The vessel was well-heated below deck with complimentary hot chocolate and Icelandic lamb soup that tasted like someone had slow-cooked it since the Viking Age. The crew — all three of them — had this easy, unhurried manner that immediately took the edge off the cold and the anticipation. We motored out into Faxaflói Bay and the city slowly became a warm amber smudge behind us. About forty minutes out, someone on the upper deck let out a quiet “oh.” That was it. No screaming, no dramatic announcement. Just oh. A pale green ribbon had appeared above the Snæfellsnes peninsula. Then it widened. Then it started to move — not slowly, but in rolling, deliberate waves, like something breathing. At one point it turned faintly violet at the edges and our guide, a young Icelander named Sigurður who clearly still hadn’t gotten used to it himself, just shook his head and smiled. Being on the water made it completely different from standing on a roadside viewpoint. No light pollution. A 360° horizon. The aurora reflected — faintly, ghostily — on the surface of the sea below us, so it felt like you were suspended inside it rather than just watching from underneath. I took maybe thirty photos. I stopped after a while. Some things you just have to let happen to you. The boat stayed out for nearly three hours. Nobody wanted to go back. The crew extended the trip without anyone asking. That tells you something about the kind of people running this operation — they’re not watching the clock. They’re out there because they love it, and that feeling is completely contagious. If you are in Reykjavík between September and April and you do not do this, you will think about it later. I promise you that.

It was cancelled two days in a row. Will be very sad to leave Iceland and not see the Northern Lights.

Maria was excelent and lights came out to play

It was amazing! We were very lucky as the lights were quite strong that night. The views of the city line were also stunning!

Thought this was well worth the money, we got very lucky with your views this night. I would highly recommend it to anyone and also would recommend braving the cold and sitting on the top deck for the best views. Also thought it was great that they sent photos to us afterwards as well.

We are a couple travelling from the U.K. with a two year old. We were keen to get out to see if we could spot the northern lights but bus tours wouldn’t take us with the child. The boat would however accept us as there are warm inside places to rest. It is obviously very cold on a boat on the upper decks so dress well, our child was wrapped in a snow suit, carried in a sling with my fleece coat the wrapped around both of us. She was toasty and slept the whole way. If you get queasy at sea they also provide sea sickness tablets. Obviously the trip is entirely dependent on Mother Nature, our tour started with some gentle lights only properly visible through a camera lens and there is a lot of waiting. On this night however they developed into a beautiful sight and one of my bucket list was well and truly ticked!

We were very lucky to see the Aurora throughout our voyage. The lights were pointed out by our guide who provided a good commentary.

Trip was canceled by tour company because of rough seas How do I get a refund

Amazing views! Started off with a little arch and wasn’t sure if we would see much. Then, in the blink of an eye…this