Northern Lights Minibus Tour. Blankets, Hot Cocoa and Kleina pastry. Free retry.

by Simply Iceland · Northern lights · Reykjavík

5.0· 28 TripAdvisor reviews of this tour4.90· 64 Google reviews of the operator
  • Fine on your own

from €146.53 per person

Next departure: Sat 24 Oct

Book Sat 24 Oct · €146.53Other dates
Northern Lights Minibus Tour. Blankets, Hot Cocoa and Kleina pastry. Free retry. — Simply Iceland
Northern Lights Minibus Tour. Blankets, Hot Cocoa and Kleina pastry. Free retry., photo 2
Northern Lights Minibus Tour. Blankets, Hot Cocoa and Kleina pastry. Free retry., photo 3
Northern Lights Minibus Tour. Blankets, Hot Cocoa and Kleina pastry. Free retry., photo 4

1 / 4

  • Duration

    4 hours

  • Difficulty

    Easy

  • Season

    Sep – Apr

  • Starts in

    Reykjavík

  • Pickup

    Hotel pickup included

  • Guide

    Guided in English

  • Departs

    21:00

  • Cancellation

    Free until 999 days before

About this experience

Words cannot fully capture the awe of witnessing this stunning phenomenon. We are confident you'll want to relish and cherish this experience.


With that in mind, our Northern Lights tour has been carefully crafted to emphasize the 'experience.' We begin by planning our adventure with the Aurora forecast, guiding us in the right direction for the lights.


Our minibuses will transport you comfortably to the anticipated location, with groups capped at 19 people.


If and when the captivating lights grace us with their presence, we stop to wrap ourselves in Icelandic wool blankets and marvel at the mesmerizing light show above. This is when we bring out the hot chocolate and traditional Icelandic pastries called ‘Kleina’—all included in the tour price.


Could there be a more perfect moment?


Here's how it works:


Each day, we review the evening's forecast, which must show at least moderate light activity and a clear sky to proceed. When conditions are favorable, we announce on our website and by email to confirm the tour. Please check both your inbox and spam folder.


Despite having the best guides and forecasts, sightings are not guaranteed. If the lights elude us during your tour, you’re welcome to join another night at no extra charge (a re-run). Simply contact us at sales@simplyiceland.is by 14:00 the next day to rebook, subject to availability.


Refunds are only possible if we must cancel your tour due to adverse weather conditions, and you do not have the opportunity to attend.


* Please note that restroom facilities are quite limited outside urban areas during the Northern Lights tours.


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

Where you go

  1. Northern Lights tour description

Included

  • Pick-up starts 30 mins prior to departure at your selected location in the Reykjavik area
  • Hot chocolate and Icelandic 'Kleinur'
  • Photos included, if conditions allow
  • Use of tripods
  • Use of Icelandic woolen blankets
  • Free WiFi on board
  • Knowledgeable, local guide
  • Drop-off back in Reykjavik

Good to know

  • The climate of Iceland is unpredictable, so please dress according to the weather.
  • simply Iceland reserves the right to delay or cancel any tour due to weather or any other dangerous conditions for the safety of our clients.

Cancellation for this tour

Free cancellation until 999 days before departure, then 50% of the price within 2 days. 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.

  1. 1Simply 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.
  2. 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.
  3. 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 999 days before departure, the operator's policy after that.

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

Why this one and not the cheaper one?

The nearest cheaper Iceland Reykjavik Northern Lights Bus Tour guided in Chinese冰岛雷市中文极光团 from Magic Iceland Travel is €73 — €73 less. Here is every difference we can actually measure.

Simply Iceland · €147Magic Iceland Travel · €73
Getting therePicks you upYou make your own way
Changing your mindFree until 23976 h beforeFree until 24 h before

The €73 buys you hotel pickup and free cancellation up to 23976 h before. Whether that is worth it is your call — but that is what the difference is.

Who this is not for

  • Not for last-minute planners — free cancellation ends 999 days before, longer than most tours here.
  • 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

Simply 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 Simply Iceland

Read all 64 reviews on Google →

Operator rating 4.9/5 from Google — these are reviews of the company, not this specific tour. Shown as Google returns them, unedited.

  • ID62 ID62

    ★★★★★ · 3 months ago

    What a day on the glacier! I was on the glacier on a snowmobile two years ago, but Simply Iceland is worlds better. An amazing tour with great people. A big thank you to Gabriela and her colleague for the fantastic tour. Top-notch snowmobiles, top-notch location—just simply the best. Five stars aren’t even enough, but I can’t give any more. Thanks from Ingo and Jian

  • Richard Župina

    ★★★★★ · a month ago

    My fiancée and I went snowmobiling on a glacier, and it was one of the best adrenaline experiences of our lives. We were lucky enough to have sunny weather with a cloud inversion, which made it even better. Since it was the beginning of September, the snow wasn’t the absolute best, but it was far from terrible. Our guides Gabriela and Eva explained the rules and operation of the snowmobiles very thoroughly, and the ride in the modified 4x4 was another major highlight. Overall, we couldn’t recommend this activity more. PS: If possible, get your own snowmobile instead of sharing one for two people.

  • Olivia Bielby

    ★★★★★ · 7 months ago

    We had the best time ever snowmobiling this week, a once in a lifetime opportunity and something we will never forget. Felt really safe and well equipped with gear. 10/10 would recommend :)

  • Nora Tuominen

    ★★★★★ · 5 months ago

    Snowmobiling on Langjöjull glacier was a wonderful experience! We chose the "meet on location" version and drove to Húsafell ourselves, but transportation from Reykjavik is also available. The tour started with a superjeep ride to the snowmobiles. This took only about half an hour, but our guide told us that in the winter the drive was sometimes up to 2 hours due to the road conditions. Beautiful scenery and despite the rough road the drive on the superjeep was really comfortable. Once we reached the snowmobiles we met our snowmobile guide, who showed us how to operate the snowmobiles and went over some safety instructions. The snowmobiling was so much fun! The guide was wonderful at taking into account the different speeds everyone in the group was comfortable with, ensuring that no one was left behind while allowing us to go fast enough to feel the thrill of speeding through the snow. We were provided with helmets and coveralls for the tour, and there were gloves as well for those who hadn't brought their own. The guides, Gabrilla and Robert Orri, took great care of the group keeping everyone safe and making sure each and every person left from the glacier with wonderful memories of the time we spent there. I have no complaints whatsoever of the experience and encourage everyone looking for a fun day to book this tour!

Reviews from Google · updated 23 Oct 2026

Read before you book

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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Pairs well with

Add any of these to this tour and 3 % comes off both at checkout — about €8 on the cheapest pair. One basket, one payment, however many operators they come from.

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€146.53 per person

Book Sat 24 Oct · €146.53