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Iceland / Private journeys

Northern Lights

Your own vehicle, your own driver, and the darkest skies we can find that night.

  • SUV €414 Up to 4 travellers up to 4 people
  • VAN €533 Up to 8 travellers up to 8 people

Price is for the whole vehicle, not per person.

No fixed route — wherever the sky is clearest

Your Northern Lights

  • 3 hdoor to door
  • Multistop

Departing Your Reykjavík pickup

icetransfer.is

The day, stop by stop

What you actually do

  1. 01

    Your Reykjavík pickup

    Where the night begins

    We collect you at your hotel, guesthouse or apartment at 8:00 pm or 9:00 pm.

    • About 30 min here
  2. 02

    Out past the last street light

    Wherever the sky is clearest

    There is no fixed route. Your driver follows the aurora and cloud forecasts to find dark, clear sky away from the city — often out on the Reykjanes peninsula, but it changes every night.

    • About 2 h 30 min here

Chasing the lights, not following a route

The northern lights do not appear on a timetable and they do not appear in one place. On a clear, active night they can be straight above Reykjavík; more often the city is under cloud and the sky is open forty minutes away. A fixed itinerary cannot follow that. Your driver can.

A bright green aurora curtain directly overhead on open ground away from Reykjavik
Open ground outside the city, on a night the aurora came straight overhead. This is what you are driving away from the street lights to find.

Your driver checks the aurora forecast and, just as importantly, the cloud forecast before you leave, then drives towards whatever gap in the cloud looks best that night — often out across the Reykjanes peninsula, sometimes east towards Þingvellir, occasionally no further than the edge of the city. You stop where the sky is darkest, stay as long as it is worth staying, and move on if it clouds over. It is your vehicle for the evening, so the night is yours to shape.

Pickup is from your Reykjavík accommodation at 8:00 pm or 9:00 pm, and you are back at the same door roughly four hours later. The price is for the whole vehicle, not per person: €414 for the SUV, which seats four, and €533 for the van, which seats eight.

Northern lights above the road out of Reykjavik, with the last town lights on the horizon
The road out, with the last town lights still on the horizon.
A green aurora arc stretching across the sky above an empty road outside Reykjavik
Half an hour later, with nothing around but the road.

Weather, and what happens if it is bad

  • We check the forecast daily and tell you by 6:00 pm (GMT) on the day whether your tour goes ahead, so please keep your phone on.
  • If the forecast is poor we cancel and refund you in full, or move your tour to another night if that suits you better.
  • You can cancel free of charge up to 24 hours before your pickup time.
  • The aurora is a natural phenomenon. No operator can promise you will see it; what we can promise is that we will take you to the clearest sky we can reach.

What to bring

You will be standing still, outdoors, in the dark, which is colder than walking around Reykjavík in the same weather.

  • Warm layers, a hat, gloves and a proper jacket
  • Shoes you can stand around in on frozen ground
  • A camera or phone — a small tripod makes a real difference, as aurora photos need a long exposure
A traveller in a warm coat standing under the northern lights by the lighthouse at Grotta, Reykjavik
Dressed for standing still: on some nights the lights reach the edge of Reykjavík itself, as here by the lighthouse at Grótta.

What is included

Included

  • Private transport — only your group in the vehicle
  • Pickup and drop-off at your Reykjavík hotel, guesthouse or apartment
  • English-speaking driver-guide
  • WiFi on board
  • Fuel
  • Bottled water, on request
  • Phone charger on board, on request

Not included

  • Food and drinks
  • Gratuities, which are optional

Questions

Is this a private tour?

Yes. Only your group travels in the vehicle — an SUV for up to 4 people or a van for up to 8. There is no other party and no shared pickup route.

Is the price per person?

No. The price is for the whole vehicle: €414 for the SUV, which carries up to 4 travellers, and €533 for the van, which carries up to 8. Four people in the SUV pay €414 between them, not each.

Will we definitely see the northern lights?

Nobody can promise that. The aurora depends on solar activity and on finding a gap in the cloud, and both change hour by hour. Your driver follows the live forecasts to give you the best chance available that night, and if the forecast is poor before you set out we cancel and refund you in full rather than drive you around under cloud.

What happens if the tour is cancelled because of the weather?

We tell you by 6:00 pm (GMT) on the day of your tour. You can take a full refund, or move the tour to another night while you are still in Iceland — whichever you prefer.

When is the northern lights season in Iceland?

From 1 September to 15 April. Between late April and August the Icelandic night never gets properly dark, so the aurora cannot be seen even when it is active.

Where do you pick up from?

From your hotel, guesthouse or apartment anywhere in Reykjavík, at 8:00 pm or 9:00 pm — whichever time you chose when booking.

How long does the tour last?

Up to about 4 hours, door to door. How long depends on how far your driver has to go to find clear sky, and on how long you want to stay once you are there.

How late can I book?

Up to 2 hours before your pickup time, subject to a vehicle being free.

Can I cancel?

Yes, free of charge up to 24 hours before your pickup time. After that the booking is non-refundable, unless it is we who cancel for weather.

Is it suitable for children?

Yes. It is your own vehicle, so you set the pace, and you can return early if a child has had enough of the cold. Bring warm clothes for them: the stops are outdoors and often windy.