Kopar Fine Dining Dinner and Northern Lights Cruise from Reykjavik

The clever part of this evening is the pairing: you get a serious Icelandic meal first, then head straight onto the water to search for the aurora. Kopar’s harbor setting gives dinner a sense of place, while the boat gets you away from some of Reykjavik’s city glow.

I like two things especially. First, the food earns its place in the package, with dishes built around Icelandic ingredients such as cod, lamb, Arctic char, lobster, goose, and skyr. Second, if clouds or weak aurora activity spoil the first cruise, Special Tours may offer a free second attempt.

The main catch is timing. You must confirm the dinner reservation yourself, and dinner needs to finish in time for the boat check-in. Bad weather can cancel the cruise, and even a clear night never guarantees Northern Lights.

Key points to know before booking

• Dinner comes first at Kopar: Expect a six-course Adventure Menu in the Old Harbour, with drinks purchased separately.
• The boat leaves from a different check-in point: Walk about one minute from Kopar to the Special Tours office at Geirsgata 11.
• Warm coveralls are provided: You still need warm clothing, especially for time outside on deck.
• The cruise lasts about 2.5 hours: The boat stays in the harbor and nearby waters rather than guaranteeing a long trip into the open ocean.
• The Northern Lights are never promised: A free retry may be offered if you do not see them, but weather and solar activity control the result.
• The current package lists six courses: Older menus connected with this experience included eight or nine courses, so confirm the menu offered on your date.

Why this Reykjavik evening works so well

This package joins two things that can be awkward to arrange separately. A good dinner gives you a warm, comfortable start, and the cruise adds the excitement of heading out at night in search of the aurora. You are not spending the whole evening waiting on a boat, and you are not trying to fit a restaurant booking around a separate excursion across town.

The evening starts at Kopar, at Geirsgata 3 in Reykjavik’s Old Harbour. That location matters. You dine beside the marina, with a chance of getting a window table and watching the harbor change from daylight to evening. I would ask for a window seat when confirming the reservation, especially if the meal is part of a birthday, anniversary, or other special night.

The price is about $204.24 per person. That is not a cheap dinner, but Icelandic restaurant prices can climb quickly, and this includes six courses plus a 2.5-hour cruise. If you already plan to eat at a high-end Reykjavik restaurant and want to try an aurora boat tour, combining the two can be good value. If your main goal is simply to see the lights as cheaply as possible, this is not the right package.

At Kopar, the food is more than a pre-cruise meal

Kopar is the strongest and most consistent part of the experience. The Adventure Menu is designed as a tasting meal, but the portions can be generous. Several diners found the full sequence surprisingly filling, and one person needed a takeaway box. Plan to eat lightly earlier in the day if you want to enjoy every course.

The menu can change, but past versions have included rock lobster soup, smoked or blueberry-cured salmon, Icelandic cod, duck, lamb, reindeer, goose, Arctic char, pork belly, and chocolate or skyr-based desserts. These are useful examples of the style, not a promise of what you will receive. The current package describes six courses, while older versions of the experience used eight or nine courses.

That change is worth noting because you may see older menu descriptions when researching. Ask Kopar or Special Tours to confirm the current number of courses and the dishes planned for your date. The meal can include strong, unfamiliar flavors, which is part of the fun, but it may not suit someone who wants a simple steak-and-potatoes dinner.

Service is another reason to allow enough time. Many diners found the staff friendly and attentive, and Marusha was singled out for warm service. The restaurant also handled vegan and non-vegan diners in the same group, with plant-based choices available. Tell the restaurant about dietary needs when you confirm your reservation rather than waiting until you sit down.

The food is not flawless on every night. One menu included cod that tasted too salty, pork belly that lacked crispness, and uneven meringue. Another table had a problem with lamb cutlets that were fatty and undercooked. That incident also shows why the schedule matters: replacement food was not ready before the group had to leave for the boat, so two courses were missed.

Most people will have a better experience by treating the menu as a leisurely meal, but you cannot control every kitchen delay. If you are particularly concerned about missing the cruise, tell the server early that you have a fixed departure time. The restaurant and boat operator are separate parts of the evening, so you need to keep an eye on the clock.

Drinks are not included. Kopar offers wine, beer, and cocktails, but you pay for them separately. That can push the final cost well above the advertised package price, so budget for drinks before booking.

The one-minute move from Kopar to the boat

After dinner, you walk to the Special Tours ticket office at Geirsgata 11. The walk takes about one minute, making this much easier than a dinner and excursion that require a taxi or bus connection.

Still, do not treat the transfer as automatic. You need to confirm the dinner reservation after booking by contacting [email protected] or speaking with the restaurant reception team. The booking information can leave the exact dinner timing unclear, and the tour app may not show every timing detail. Keep the full confirmation email handy.

This is the most important practical warning in the package. A person who assumed the reservation was arranged arrived without a restaurant booking and also had trouble finding the correct timing. The food was still good, but the evening began with needless stress. Confirm the reservation, confirm the dinner time, and check where the boat check-in is before you sit down.

The package is listed for a maximum of six travelers, but the boat itself can be much larger. One account described a boat with roughly 75 passengers. In other words, do not expect a private cruise simply because the booking size is small.

What the Northern Lights cruise is really like

The cruise lasts about 2.5 hours. You receive warm coveralls, onboard commentary, and a video presentation. The boat is described as clean, spacious, and comfortable, with drinks available to buy onboard.

You should still dress as if you will be standing outside in winter. The coveralls help, but they are not a substitute for a warm base layer, hat, gloves, and sturdy footwear. The cold can feel sharp on the water, particularly when you leave the indoor cabin for a better view.

The boat does not necessarily travel far out into the ocean. One disappointed customer expected the vessel to go farther from shore, but the operator explained that rougher seas can increase the risk of seasickness and do not guarantee a better chance of seeing the aurora. The route generally takes you beyond some of Reykjavik’s light pollution, but it is not an expedition into remote Iceland.

That is a reasonable trade-off for many people. You get a stable, organized boat ride with indoor shelter, rather than a rougher trip that may be uncomfortable. The cost is that city lights and clouds can remain part of the problem.

The onboard commentary and video give the cruise more substance than simply waiting in the dark. You can learn about the aurora while the crew searches for clearer skies. On a successful night, the boat can provide a memorable viewing platform, and some people have seen the lights soon after leaving port. Others have seen only a faint glow or nothing at all.

A clear sky is not enough. The lights also depend on solar activity, and the aurora can appear suddenly, fade, or remain hidden for the whole trip. A full moon and cloud cover can make the view worse. This is a hunt, not a scheduled performance.

The free second chance can change the value

One of the package’s best protections is the chance to take the cruise again for free when the first attempt fails, subject to the operator’s arrangements and available dates. Several people used a second outing and saw the Northern Lights on the retry, including one family who saw them on their second cruise.

You should place this tour near the beginning of your Reykjavik stay if the aurora is a major goal. A retry is useful only if you still have another night available. Booking it on your final evening removes much of that safety net.

A free retry does not erase every problem. You may have limited time in Iceland, and a second boat trip can be hard to fit around other plans. Also, poor weather may lead to a cancellation and a new date rather than a same-night solution. If the cruise is canceled because of bad weather, you are offered another date or a full refund.

The retry policy makes the package more sensible than a one-shot Northern Lights outing, but you should still think of the dinner as the reliable part and the aurora as the bonus.

Timing, comfort, and who will enjoy it most

The entire evening takes roughly five hours, with about three hours at Kopar and 2.5 hours on the water. The schedule is a good fit for food-focused visitors, couples celebrating a special occasion, and anyone who wants one organized evening rather than several separate bookings.

I would also recommend it to first-time visitors who want an introduction to Icelandic food without committing to a full food tour. You taste several local ingredients in one sitting, and the boat adds a distinctly Icelandic night-time activity.

It is less suitable for you if you dislike fixed menus, need a very relaxed dinner with no departure deadline, or have only one night in Reykjavik and cannot risk a canceled cruise. It may also feel expensive if you care much more about seeing the aurora than about fine dining.

Most people can participate, service animals are allowed, and the starting point is close to public transportation. The activity ends back at the meeting point, but no hotel transfer is included in the package details, so plan your return separately.

Is the six-course dinner and cruise worth booking?

I would book this if you want a memorable evening built around excellent Icelandic food first and Northern Lights hunting second. Kopar is a substantial part of the value, not just a restaurant attached to a boat ticket. The harbor views, broad range of dishes, and chance to retry the cruise make the price easier to justify.

I would not book it if seeing the aurora is your only priority. No boat operator can guarantee the lights, and this cruise may stay relatively close to Reykjavik rather than heading far into open water. In that case, compare it with a dedicated land-based aurora outing, but remember that this package gives you a very good dinner even when the sky refuses to cooperate.

Before paying, confirm three things: the current six-course menu, your exact dinner time, and the cruise check-in time. Then reserve early, since Kopar can fill up even in a quieter season. Free cancellation is available up to 24 hours before the start time, but changes or cancellations inside that window are not refunded.

FAQ

How long does the full experience last?

The combined evening lasts about five hours. The dinner portion takes roughly three hours, followed by a 2.5-hour Northern Lights cruise.

Where does the experience begin?

You begin at Kopar, located at Geirsgata 3 in Reykjavik’s Old Harbour. After dinner, you walk to the Special Tours ticket office at Geirsgata 11 for boat check-in.

Is the dinner reservation arranged automatically?

You need to confirm your dinner reservation after booking. Contact [email protected] or speak with Kopar’s reception team to confirm the reservation and timing.

What food is included?

The package includes Kopar’s six-course Adventure Menu. Older versions of the menu used eight or nine courses, so confirm the current menu when you book.

Are drinks included with dinner?

No. Drinks at Kopar are not included, though wine, beer, and cocktails are available to purchase separately.

Are warm clothes provided for the cruise?

Warm coveralls are provided on the boat. You should still dress warmly because Icelandic nights can be very cold, especially when you spend time outside on deck.

What happens if the Northern Lights do not appear?

The lights cannot be guaranteed. Depending on the circumstances, you may be offered a free second cruise. If poor weather cancels the activity, you can be offered another date or a full refund.