South Coast and Northern Lights Combo: Private Day Tour from Reykjavik

by VAREN Iceland · Northern lights · Reykjavík

4.50· 126 Google reviews of the operator

from €2,045.08 per vehicle

No published departures in the coming months — ask us

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South Coast and Northern Lights Combo: Private Day Tour from Reykjavik — VAREN Iceland

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Duration
12 hours
Difficulty
Easy
Season
Sep – Apr
Starts in
Reykjavík
Pickup
Hotel pickup included
Guide
Guided in English
Departs
08:00
Cancellation
Free until 24 hours before

About this experience

A full private day on the South Coast with a northern lights hunt on the drive back to Reykjavik. Groups of 1-3 travel in a sedan, groups of 4-8 in a van, with your own driver-guide and no one else on board.

You walk behind Seljalandsfoss, stand at the foot of Skógafoss, walk to the edge of the Sólheimajökull glacier and see the basalt columns of Reynisfjara black sand beach before a stop in Vík.

After dark your guide follows the forecast and stops where the sky is clearest to look for the aurora on the way back.

The day lasts about 12 hours. Full details of each stop are in the itinerary. The order of stops may change on the day due to weather or road conditions.

One price per vehicle, not per person.

Description from the operator, VAREN Iceland. Prices and availability in the booking panel are live.

Where you go

Pick-up in the Capital Area
Seljalandsfoss
Skógafoss
Sólheimajökull Glacier Viewpoint
Reynisfjara Black Sand Beach
Vík
Northern Lights Hunt on the Return
Drop-off in the Capital Area

Included

Private South Coast tour, just for your group
Friendly English-speaking local driver-guide
Pick-up and drop-off at your accommodation, any address in the Capital Area, or your cruise terminal
Northern lights hunt on the return drive, conditions permitting
Bottled water
USB charging on board
Child seats, free of charge (add them when you book)
All parking fees and local taxes

Not included

Gratuities (optional, always appreciated)
Meals and snacks (we stop at places where you can buy food)

Good to know

Warm, windproof and waterproof clothes, a hat and gloves, and waterproof shoes with good grip.

The northern lights hunt is part of the return drive. A sighting cannot be guaranteed, and there is no retry or refund if the lights do not appear.
Even a faint but visible aurora counts as a sighting. To the naked eye the lights often look softer and paler than in photos online, which are usually edited.
At Sólheimajökull you walk to the glacier edge, not onto the ice, so no glacier guide or equipment is needed.
Reynisfjara has dangerous sneaker waves. Stay well back from the water and never turn your back to the sea.
Arriving by cruise ship? We plan the start time and the route around your ship's schedule, so you are back at the port well before all-aboard time. This is a long day, so it works best when your ship stays in port for the whole day or overnight.
Season: 15 September to 15 April.

Cancellation for this tour

Free cancellation until 24 hours before departure; no refund after that. If the operator cancels for weather or safety, you get a full refund or a new date.

If the weather cancels this tour

Iceland's weather is real. What usually stops this one is a solid cloud forecast — most operators call it by late afternoon and let you rebook on a clearer night free of charge. Here is exactly what happens to your booking.

1VAREN Iceland decides, and tells us. Operators cancel when it is unsafe or pointless, and we back that call every time — we do not ask them to run anyway.
2We contact you by email, and by phone if your tour is the same or next day. You choose: another date if there is one you can make, or a full refund. There is no fee and nothing to argue.
3The refund goes back to the card you paid with, through Stripe, usually visible within a few working days. If this tour was one of several in your booking, the others are untouched.

What you do not get is the day back. If this is the only free day in your plan, put a spare day next to it — the planner leaves days free with the rest-day option. And if you want out because the forecast looks bad, that is your own cancellation: free until 1 day before departure, the operator's policy after that.

Questions on the day: [email protected] · +354 497 1373. How cancellations work in Iceland →

Who this is not for

Not a good fit if you want a relaxed day: 12 hours is a long time on the road, most of it spent getting there and back.
Priced per vehicle, so it is poor value for one or two people and good value for four or more sharing.

Read off the operator's own conditions. If none of it applies to you, this is a good one.

Why we list it

VAREN Iceland is one of 207 operators we work with — chosen for reliability, honest descriptions and how they treat guests when weather changes plans. We don't list everything; we list what we'd book ourselves. The six checks every operator passes →

What travellers say about VAREN Iceland

Read all 126 reviews on Google →

Operator rating 4.5/5 from Google — these are reviews of the company, not this specific tour. Shown as Google returns them, unedited.

Chris Allen
★★★★★ · a year ago
Lovely hour-long cruise round the Utrecht canal. Friendly guide with lots of information about the history and people of Utrecht. Prices were very reasonable, and longer trips available if you wanted.
Tilman Dominik
★★ · a year ago
We Bootes a place to see the grachten in Utecht. Unfortunately there were no explanations or informations about the area or buildings at all. So Next time I would Book another ship
Ginney Liu
★★★★★ · 7 years ago
Five stars service - super nice and helpful staff We booked the boat for a bachelorette party. We had a few logistical challenges prior and on the day itself - and Varen in Utrecht staff were so helpful and kind to help us to find solutions. On th day itself, Max - our captain- went out of his way (quite literally, by picking up the bride by boat at a location that would be easily accessible by car). Moreover, as the bride wasn't able to get to the spot until 40 minutes later, Max at his own initiative even extended our time because the next reservation wasn't until half an hour later after our initial time was supposed to end. How incredibly kind is that? A million thanks to the lovely people of this company - would recommend them in a heartbeat.
Peter M
★★★★★ · 7 years ago
Visitors of Utrecht often forget that its canals are just as attractive as those in Amsterdam and the best way to see them is by boat. Good angles for photography as well.

Reviews from Google · updated 23 Oct 2026

Read before you book

Best Northern Lights Tour in Iceland (2026): 5 PicksThe northern lights tours we would book ourselves from Reykjavík and Akureyri, by minibus, super jeep and boat, with real prices and honest odds.
Blue Lagoon and northern lights: one day or two?Do them on different days. The one-day combo is 15 hours and €306; the lagoon fits your arrival or departure, and a €73 lights bus fits any clear night.
Blue Lagoon transfer: private car, shuttle or taxi?A private Blue Lagoon transfer costs €107 to €232 per car. Under three people the bus is cheaper; with luggage or a late flight the car wins.

Reviews from our travellers

Only people who booked this tour through us can write here. We publish every review in full — good or bad.

Reviews arrive the day after each trip — none yet for this one. After your tour we send one email asking how it was, and what you write goes here, unedited.

Northern lights — questions people ask

When is the best time to see the northern lights in Iceland?

September to April, when the nights are dark enough. Within that, late September to March gives the longest dark hours, and the equinox months, September and March, often have active skies. There are no lights in June or July; the sky never gets dark. Anyone selling you a June lights tour is selling you a bus ride. Give yourself at least three nights, because clouds, not the aurora, are the usual reason people miss them.

Are the northern lights guaranteed on a tour?

No. Nobody can promise them, and we will not. Two things have to line up: a clear sky and solar activity. Guides check the cloud forecast at vedur.is and drive to gaps, which is the real value of a tour over standing outside your hotel. What most operators do promise is a free second attempt if the lights do not show. Check the exact retry policy on the tour page, because the number of retries and the validity period vary.

Is a northern lights bus tour or a boat tour better?

Bus, if you want the best odds. A minibus can drive an hour inland to find a clear patch; a boat stays in Faxaflói and sees whatever sky is over Reykjavík. Boats are shorter, about two hours, and pleasant with hot chocolate, and Reykjavik Sailors' cruise (/experience/6637/) includes a free retry. For a serious hunt, a small-group minibus like BusTravel's (/experience/150646/) or a 4x4 tour (/experience/1088067/) is the better bet.

Can I see the northern lights from Reykjavík itself?

Yes, on strong nights. The city is small and the sky over the sea to the north is fairly dark. Grótta lighthouse at the western tip and the Ægisíða shoreline are the usual spots, twenty minutes' walk from the centre. On average nights the street lights drown out a faint aurora, which is why tours drive out. If the forecast shows high activity and clear sky, walk to Grótta first and save the tour money.