Northern Lights Small Group Tour from Reykjavik

The best part of this four-hour northern lights hunt is the flexible route. You do not sit at one fixed viewing point hoping the sky clears. Your guide checks cloud cover and aurora activity, then heads north, south, or east from Reykjavik to find darker and more promising spots.

I like two things here: the small-group minibus, capped at 19 people, and the practical help with photos. I also like the warm drinks and pastries, a small touch that matters when you are standing outside in Icelandic wind. The main catch is simple: no guide can control the aurora, and one outing ended with four hours of searching but no lights.

Key points

• Flexible route planning: The guide chooses the direction after checking clouds and aurora activity.
• Small-group transport: A Mercedes Sprinter carries no more than 19 people, with some departures much smaller.
• Photo help included: Guides may take pictures of you and share them through a link afterward.
• Warm refreshments: Hot chocolate, donuts, pastries, or cinnamon rolls have been provided on different outings.
• Reykjavik pickup: Downtown pickup uses designated bus stops, not door-to-door hotel service.
• Weather matters: Poor conditions can lead to a new date or a full refund, but a clear guarantee of lights is impossible.

Chasing the aurora beyond Reykjavik

A northern lights tour is less like attending a show and more like searching for wildlife. The lights need darkness, suitable cloud cover, and enough aurora activity. Even then, the display may be faint, brief, or hidden behind clouds.

That uncertainty is why I find this format useful. Simply Iceland does not promise to take you to one named viewpoint and wait there. The guide decides the route before departure, using the forecast and current conditions to choose a direction from Reykjavik.

You may head south, north, or east. The goal is to get away from city glow and find open, dark areas where a weak band of green or white light is easier to see. The route can also include more than one stop, which gives you a better chance than remaining beside the first parking area.

The tradeoff is time on the road. A four-hour outing can include long stretches of driving and waiting. If the sky stays quiet, the search itself becomes the main activity. That is not a fault unique to this company, but you should understand it before paying for any aurora trip.

What the four-hour outing is really like

The tour starts around 9:00 pm from Reykjavik. After pickup, your guide looks at the night’s conditions and chooses the first area. There is no fixed sightseeing program or set of attractions along the way. This is a focused search for the aurora.

At each stop, you will likely get out, look toward the open sky, and wait for signs of activity. The guide also searches for good places to photograph the lights. Some outings have used two locations, while another reached four stops and found the lights at three of them.

That changing route is the heart of the experience. If clouds roll over the first area, your guide can try another. If the lights appear quickly, the group can pause for photos rather than rush onward. One particularly persistent guide kept searching until the aurora was found, which is exactly the attitude you want on a night with uncertain conditions.

Still, patience is part of the deal. One outing produced no visible aurora despite four hours of driving around. The operator explained that the lights cannot be switched on to fit a schedule. That answer will not make a disappointing night feel successful, but it accurately describes the risk.

Guides who do more than drive

Your guide is central to the value of this tour. The guide decides the route, explains the science behind the aurora, watches the sky, and helps you make the most of a short display.

Names that appear in the tour feedback include Diego, Greco, and Arnie. Diego and Greco were praised for stopping at several places, taking photographs, and sending them soon afterward. Arnie was credited with visiting four locations and finding the lights at three. These details suggest that the quality of your night depends heavily on the person assigned to the minibus.

The company also says its guides have many years of experience finding the lights. That experience cannot guarantee a sighting, but it can help with practical choices. A guide who understands cloud movement and knows how to judge a dark viewing area has more options than you do from a hotel window.

There is one safety concern in the available feedback, involving a passenger who felt uncomfortable with a guide. The company responded that it takes safety seriously and asked for more details. Most of the supplied comments describe friendly, patient service, but I would still expect professional driving and clear communication from any night tour.

Small group, with a useful limit

The advertised maximum is 19 people. That is not a private tour, but it is far more manageable than a large coach. A smaller vehicle can stop in tighter areas and makes it easier to hear the guide’s explanations.

The actual size may be lower. One departure had only seven people and felt close to a private outing. Another comment noted that the bus was not overly full. You should not assume every departure will be that quiet, but the Sprinter format gives you a better chance of a personal feel.

The Mercedes Sprinter is also a practical choice for Iceland’s long winter evenings. You have transport from Reykjavik without renting a car or driving on unfamiliar roads in the dark. That matters if you do not want to manage icy conditions, changing visibility, or the problem of finding a safe place to pull over.

The limitation is that the vehicle is still shared. You may need to wait for other people at stops, and the group’s pace affects the evening. If you want to control every stop or leave as soon as you see the lights, a private arrangement would suit you better, though that is not what this tour offers.

Photography help that adds real value

Aurora photos are easy to get wrong. A phone may show a faint glow that your eyes barely notice, while a poorly set camera can produce a dark, blurry frame. This tour includes help with photographing the lights, which can save you from spending the whole night guessing at settings.

The guides also search for locations that work well for pictures. That means the group is not only looking for any patch of sky. You are also trying to find a place where the lights can be framed against the dark surroundings.

On some outings, the guides took photographs of the people in the group and shared them through a link the next day. That is a valuable extra. You can watch the sky instead of spending every moment holding up your phone, and you may go home with a better record of the night.

Do not treat the photography service as a guaranteed professional shoot. The information confirms that photographs were taken and shared on some trips, but it does not promise a set number of images or a particular camera system. Bring your own phone or camera as well, and ask the guide for help if you want to try your own shots.

Hot chocolate, donuts, and the Icelandic cold

The refreshments are a small but welcome part of the outing. Hot chocolate and donuts have been served, while other departures included pastries or cinnamon rolls. On a cold, windy night, a warm drink can make the difference between waiting comfortably and wishing you had stayed indoors.

These treats do not change the basic nature of the tour. You are still spending time outside in winter conditions, and warm clothing remains essential. The supplied information does not specify a full clothing list, so you should dress for standing outdoors rather than for sitting in the minibus.

I like this detail because it shows some thought about the actual experience. A northern lights trip involves waiting, and waiting is easier when the guide gives you something warm while you scan the sky. It also makes the outing feel less like a simple transfer into the countryside.

The $117.29 price and what you receive

At $117.29 per person, this sits in the reasonable middle ground for an organized Reykjavik aurora outing. You are paying for roughly four hours of transport, route decisions, a guide, help with photos, and the chance to visit several viewing areas without driving yourself.

The value is strongest if you do not have a rental car. You avoid fuel, winter driving, navigation, and the stress of guessing where to stop. The value is also better if your guide is active and willing to change locations when the first area looks poor.

The price is harder to justify if you expect a guaranteed display. No northern lights tour can honestly offer that. You may pay the full amount and see a strong show, a weak glow, or nothing at all. The company’s own response to a disappointing outing makes this clear: the search may work, but it may not.

I would also compare this tour with the cost of a larger bus excursion before booking. The smaller vehicle and photo assistance may be worth the difference for you, especially if this is your only night in Iceland. If you have several nights, you can spread the risk across more than one attempt.

Pickup at 9:00 pm from Reykjavik

Pickup is offered, but downtown Reykjavik lodging does not appear to mean door-to-door service. You are asked to use busstop.is to find the correct designated bus stop. Look for a Mercedes Sprinter with Simply Iceland labeling.

This is worth checking before the evening of the tour. Reykjavik’s bus stop system can be confusing if you are unfamiliar with it, and you do not want to arrive at the wrong corner at 9:00 pm. Confirm your stop and allow enough time to walk there.

The tour is offered in English. Most people can participate, and the group limit is 19. The available information does not identify special accessibility arrangements, so anyone needing specific assistance should confirm that directly before booking.

When the weather cancels the plan

Poor weather can cancel the experience. If that happens, you are offered another date or a full refund. The same applies if the minimum number of people is not reached.

For your own cancellation, you can receive a full refund if you cancel at least 24 hours before the 9:00 pm start time. Changes or cancellations within 24 hours are not refunded. The cutoff uses local Icelandic time.

This policy is fair, but check the timing carefully. A forecast can change quickly, and waiting until the last few hours may leave you with no refund. If the operator cancels because conditions are poor, you have more protection than if you cancel late because the forecast looks uncertain.

Who will enjoy this tour most?

I would choose this outing if you want an organized search rather than a fixed viewpoint. It suits you especially well if you are staying in Reykjavik, do not want to rent a car, and would rather let a local guide handle the night driving and route choices.

It is also a good match if photographs matter. The guide may help with camera settings, choose photo-friendly stops, and take pictures of you that are shared afterward. The warm drinks are useful if you know you do not enjoy standing outside for long periods.

You should think twice if you need certainty. The tour cannot promise that the lights will appear, and one four-hour outing produced no sighting. You may also prefer a private tour if you dislike waiting for a group or want complete control over the route.

Should you book the Simply Iceland aurora hunt?

Book it if you want a serious, flexible search with a small vehicle, an English-speaking guide, and useful photo help. The strongest parts are the willingness to visit several locations, the personal attention possible in a group of seven to 19, and the simple comforts of hot chocolate and pastries.

Skip it if a no-show would ruin your trip or if you have only one chance and expect a guarantee. The aurora remains unpredictable. My practical advice is to book early in your Iceland stay if possible, leaving another evening available in case weather or cloud cover defeats the first attempt.

FAQ

What time does the tour start?

The tour starts at 9:00 pm local time.

Where does pickup take place?

Pickup uses designated Reykjavik bus stops. If you are staying downtown, use busstop.is to identify the correct stop and look for a Simply Iceland-labeled Mercedes Sprinter.

How long is the northern lights tour?

The experience lasts approximately four hours.

How many people can join the tour?

The maximum group size is 19 people. Some departures may be smaller.

What happens if bad weather cancels the tour?

You will be offered another date or a full refund if the operator cancels because of poor weather.

Can I cancel for a full refund?

Yes. Cancel at least 24 hours before the experience start time for a full refund. Cancellations or changes made within 24 hours are not refunded.