Reykjavík Northern Lights Cruise & Aurora Exhibition

by Elding Adventure at Sea · Northern lights · Boat tours · Reykjavík

4.50· 2,419 Google reviews of the operator

Fine on your own

from €134.88 per person

Next departure: Sat 24 Oct

Book Sat 24 Oct · €134.88 Other dates

Reykjavík Northern Lights Cruise & Aurora Exhibition — Elding Adventure at Sea

Reykjavík Northern Lights Cruise & Aurora Exhibition, photo 2

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Duration
4 hours
Difficulty
Easy
Season
Sep – Apr
Starts in
Reykjavík
Pickup
Hotel pickup available at extra cost, or meet at the start point
Starts at
Elding ticket office
Ægisgarður 5c, Reykjavík
Guide
Guided in English
Departs
21:00, 22:00
Cancellation
Free until 24 hours before

About this experience

Start your magical evening by going to the Aurora Exhibition and learn all about the northern lights while getting insight and expert tips on how to photograph them. The walk-through will take about 45-60 min. so plan your visit ahead of time in connection with your Northern Lights Cruise later that night.

When you've become an expert in all things aurora related, it is time to head to the harbour and step aboard the cruise vessel. You will be in the great hands of our enthusiastic team, who will tell you even more about the northern lights and help you further with your camera if needed. Keep in mind that our team will almost always also be photographing the lights as we sail along, for you to enjoy them in real time. You can request said photos via email the next day (if any taken).

Learn more about the exhibition and cruise:

Aurora Reykjavík exhibition: This ticket is flexible, meaning you can come down and stroll through the exhibition in your own time and therefore do not need to make a set reservation. Take a walk through northern lights mythology and science, learn the expert tips for the perfect Aurora hunt, and experience a unique collection of mesmerising Auroras in our cinema. There are interactive displays as well as a specially equipped ‘photo booth’ where you can learn how to adjust your camera’s settings should you want to try your hand at capturing the auroras yourself.

The high point of your visit to the centre will certainly be our theatre where a continuously running HD film is playing throughout the day. Projected onto a 7 metre wide screen, you can sit back and enjoy this 20 minute film that features some of the most magnificent auroral displays seen over Iceland. The film is accompanied by soft music in surround-sound, making this a therapeutic and restful experience. You’ll feel like you have just come back from a blissful holiday.

The knowledgeable and friendly staff are on hand to answer any questions you may have about the lights and about Northern Lights photography.

Northern Lights Cruise: Search for the Aurora Borealis on this Northern Lights & City Cruise, where Reykjavík’s shimmering skyline meets the wonders of the northern sky. The Northern Lights are best displayed under dark, clear skies, which are common from September until the end of April. Watching the lights shift in intensity, colour, and movement across the vast, starry space, with the gentle lull of the ocean beneath, is a truly unique experience.

The cruise commences at our ticket office by the Ægisgarður pier in Reykjavík’s Old Harbour, where you exchange your voucher for admission slips. As we set sail into Faxaflói bay, enjoy immaculate views of the city’s illuminated landmarks, including Harpa Concert Hall and Hallgrímskirkja church. When the Imagine Peace Tower is lit, we sail by to admire its radiant beam before turning our attention to the northern skies in search of the auroras.

Our open-air viewing decks provide the perfect platform for witnessing this dazzling spectacle, while the heated indoor lounge offers a comfortable space to warm up between sightings. Our expert guide will be on hand to answer questions and share fascinating insights as you enjoy Mother Nature’s light show and Reykjavík’s night-time glow. On board, you will find several outdoor platforms and a large indoor saloon, with an onboard café serving light refreshments and warm drinks - we recommend trying the Northern Lights punch.

Description from the operator, Elding Adventure at Sea. Prices and availability in the booking panel are live.

Included

Flexible admission to the interactive Aurora Reykjavík Exhibition
2 hr. Northern Lights Cruise
Use of warm overalls on board
Excellent guidance
Free WiFi on board as well as in Exhibition
Assistance with Photography
Northern Lights Theatre (at Aurora Reykjavík Exhibition)
Northern Lights Photo Booth (at Aurora Reykjavík Exhibition)

Good to know

The Aurora Exhibition part of the combo tour is FLEXIBLE, meaning you can go there at any time during your stay. We would however recommend that you go there 1-2 hrs. before your Northern Lights Cruise for the ultimate experience.

Please note that the cruise is subject to weather, conditions at sea and visibility in the area. Therefore we may need to cancel with short notice.

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.

1Elding Adventure at Sea 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 available in summer; the operator runs it roughly September to April.

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

Why we list it

Elding Adventure at Sea 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 Elding Adventure at Sea

Read all 2,419 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.

Iola Wilson
★★★★★ · 2 months ago
We had an incredible sunset whale watching trip. From the beginning, every member of staff was attentive and helpful. Our guide shared lots of info on the wildlife we spotted - birds and whales. We were blessed with beautiful weather and the boat wasn't busy so we had room to move around and spot wildlife. Lots of tips on how to spot whales were shared. We saw a minke whale and then in the distance the sprays from several humpbacks.We made our way towards these and then stayed with one for ages - it was magical! The captain was very generous with time - because our encounter was quite far out, our trip was over 3.5 hours, we were not rushed back because time was running out! We saw lots of different bird species too. The sunset was stunning and we were able to enjoy this on the way back and also get some beautiful pictures of Reykjavik as we approached. We were also impressed with the way Elding respect the wildlife. Our 9 year old learned so much about whale spotting and ga been putting it to use on our cruise - spotting minkes and humpbacks from the ship! Thank you so much, Elding, for a truly memorable and magical evening!
Frank Campbell
★★★★★ · a month ago
Great experience! Information on what and where very clear on the website and the ground staff very nice and friendly when one went for the tickets. The crew were helpful, fun and full of information on the whales but also other wildlife that could be seen. They were really persistent in ensuring we actually did see a whale, and we ended up being quite far out of the port with the total cruise time around 3.5 hrs instead of the envisioned 2.5 hrs. We were most grateful for their efforts!!! It was much appreciated that after the tour itself we received an e-mail with photos the crew had taken of our particular cruise. Highly recommended!
Emily A
★★★★★ · a month ago
Our whale watching tour was so special. I will start with the whales: we definitely saw them! We found a couple of humpbacks busy feeding and out guide did a great job of pointing them out and describing the behaviors we were seeing. It was truly amazing. The crew has the skills and experience to find what’s in the area. Additionally, they provided us with pictures of the whales and a journal entry about our voyage. We heard from someone else on the boat that if you go out and do not see any wildlife, they will provide you with a voucher to come out again another time (this family was on their re-do but your mileage may vary as I didn’t hear or read about this.) But of course, one cannot control the outcome, and still I would recommend this trip. It was such a fun way to see the city of Reykjavik and the surrounding mountains. We had a beautiful day with a bit of wind and they provided motion-sickness tablets for free, but remaining outside I did not experience much malaise. I also want to say that the company was very accommodating. We had booked a morning tour that we couldn’t get to due to travel disruptions and they were very willing to honor our reservation at a later time slot.
Casey Phifer
★★★★★ · 2 months ago
Booking excursions through Elding was seamless, and I really appreciated their ecological focus. I first took their free ferry to Viðey with my Reykjavík City Pass, then enjoyed the experience so much that I booked both their classic whale watching and puffin tours. Everything felt easy and well organized, from the cold weather gear to the books, wildlife guides, and knowledgeable experts who narrated the tours and answered questions along the way. These excursions gave me some of my favorite memories of Iceland while getting to learn. about the wildlife and explore Faxaflói Bay. Highly recommend!

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.
Boat tours in Iceland: the five kinds explainedWhale boats, aurora cruises, glacier-lagoon zodiacs, island ferries and sea angling. What each one actually is, what it costs, and which are worth a slot.

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.

Hotels

Where to stay for this tour

From the cheapest to the top end of what is near Reykjavík, from our hotel partners. Rooms are booked on our hotels site.

All hotels in Reykjavík →

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from

€134.88 per person

Elding Adventure at Sea's own price. 3% off the whole trip when you book two or more tours together, in one checkout.

Your date

The next departure we can see — change it if this tour is for another day.

Pick a date to check departures.

Departs21:0022:00

Reykjavík: light 08:43–17:41, 8 h 58 min of daylight.

✓ Free cancellation until 24 hours before
✓ Instant confirmation by email
✓ If Elding Adventure at Sea cancels for weather or safety: a full refund, or another date
✓ Card — Apple Pay or Google Pay where your device offers it — through Stripe; the charge is made in Icelandic krónur
✓ Price promise: Elding Adventure at Sea's own price, or we refund the difference
✓ One checkout, even with tours from several operators
✓ Vetted operator — the six checks every operator passes

Pairs well with

Add any of these to this tour and 3 % comes off both at checkout — about €6 on the cheapest pair. One basket, one payment, however many operators they come from.