From Reykjavik: Northern Lights Tour with Hot Cocoa & Photos

The best part of this four-hour outing is the chase itself. Your guide reads weather forecasts, cloud cover, and aurora activity, then drives beyond Reykjavik’s city glow in search of a clear, dark sky. Baldvin, Devin, Simon, and Gummi are among the guides praised for combining science, humor, and serious persistence.

I like the small minibus, which can reach places a large coach cannot, and the thoughtful extras: Icelandic wool blankets, hot chocolate, kleina pastries, and free photos. The catch is simple but important: the aurora is a natural event, not a stage show. You may spend hours searching and still see only a faint glow, or nothing at all.

Key points before you book

• Small-group chasing: The minibus carries no more than 19 people, making roadside stops easier and more personal.
• Free aurora portraits: Your guide uses a professional camera and shares photos if the Northern Lights appear.
• Warm Icelandic treats: Borrow a wool blanket, then have hot chocolate and kleina, a traditional Icelandic donut.
• Flexible route: Stops can include dark areas near Reykjavik, Thingvellir National Park, or rural spots farther north.
• Strong guide-led experience: Guides including Baldvin, Devin, Simon, Einar, Michaela, and Gummi are praised for their energy and sky-watching skills.
• No guarantee of lights: You can rejoin a later tour for free if you attend but do not see the aurora, subject to space.

Why this Reykjavik aurora tour works

Northern Lights tours can feel like a gamble, because they are one. The aurora needs darkness, clear enough skies, and suitable solar activity. A tour company cannot control those conditions, but it can control how well it searches, how comfortable you are, and how honestly the guide explains your chances.

This EastWest outing handles that uncertainty sensibly. The route is chosen on the day using weather forecasts and aurora predictions. If the first stop looks poor, the guide can move on. Several guides have driven through cloud, checked multiple locations, and waited longer when the sky began to improve.

That effort matters. A fixed bus ride to one viewing field gives you one chance. A mobile minibus gives you several possibilities, although driving farther does not guarantee success. Some nights produce a dramatic green arc, while others bring a weak, pale glow that a camera catches better than your eyes.

The tour has a rating of 4.7 from 695 ratings, and 88 percent of ratings give the transport a perfect score. Those figures fit the practical strengths of the trip: good organization, clean and warm transport, capable guides, and a fair attempt to find better conditions.

Pickup around Reykjavik, with one important warning

Pickup is offered at a long list of hotels and designated bus stops around Reykjavik. Choices include Hallgrimskirkja, Harpa, City Hall, the Culture House, Miðbakki, Skúlagata, Hotel Reykjavik Grand, Hilton Reykjavik Nordica, Reykjavik Natura, and several other hotels.

Downtown hotel pickup follows Reykjavik’s local bus restrictions. If your accommodation is in the central area, the minibus may not come directly to the hotel. You will be assigned the nearest permitted bus stop instead, so check the meeting point carefully and use busstop.is if you are unsure.

Pickup begins 30 minutes before departure. From October 1 through March 31, departures begin from 8:30 p.m. From August 15 through September 30 and April 1 through April 18, departures begin from 9:30 p.m. Check the exact time when you book, since the available start time depends on the date.

Be at the stated pickup point early. A northern lights outing is not the place to arrive casually five minutes late, especially when the driver is collecting people at several locations.

The minibus makes the search more flexible

The vehicle carries up to 19 people. That is not a private tour, but it is far more manageable than a large coach filled with dozens of passengers. You can get in and out more quickly, and the guide has a better chance of finding a quiet roadside viewpoint.

The smaller vehicle also helps with route choice. One guide drove toward darker skies for more than an hour, while another used several stops to avoid heavy cloud. A minibus cannot create clear weather, but it gives the driver more freedom to respond to it.

Inside, the bus is described as warm, comfortable, and clean. Still, do not treat the heated vehicle as your main protection from the cold. You will spend time standing outside in winter darkness, sometimes in wind, and the tour can last beyond the scheduled four hours if the lights become especially strong.

Wear warm layers, sturdy comfortable shoes, gloves, and a hat. The company supplies wool blankets, but a blanket is an extra layer, not a substitute for proper Icelandic clothing.

What happens at the dark stops

The itinerary lists a secret stop for a photo opportunity, sightseeing, and a guided tour. In practice, the evening can include two or more rural locations, depending on cloud cover and aurora activity.

Some outings have stopped near a thermal plant outside Reykjavik, then continued toward Thingvellir National Park. Others have driven north for clearer skies. One stop described by a guide included horses nearby, adding a distinctly Icelandic setting while the group waited.

You should expect the route to change. The first location may be perfect, or it may be useless. A dark spot near the capital can save driving time, but farther locations may offer less city light and a wider view of the sky. The guide’s judgment is a major part of what you are paying for.

At each stop, your guide explains where to look and what you may see. The aurora may appear as a faint gray or green band at first. A camera can record colors more strongly than your eyes, especially when activity is weak. During a powerful display, though, the movement can be obvious without photographic help.

Some guides stay patient rather than rushing you back to Reykjavik. One evening continued past 2 a.m. because the lights became unusually good. That sounds wonderful if you have no early plans the next morning, but it can be tiring if you have a day tour booked at dawn.

The guides make a real difference

This is a guide-led search, not simply a bus transfer to a viewing area. You receive an explanation of how the aurora forms, how cloud cover affects visibility, and why solar forecasts are useful but never certain.

Baldvin is repeatedly praised for his enthusiasm, photography, and determination to find better views. Devin is noted for explaining aurora forecasts and camera work, while Simon is described as funny, realistic, and passionate about helping the group understand what it might see.

Einar has more than a decade of experience guiding aurora outings and is described as someone who enjoys the hunt as much as the display. Michaela has been praised for explaining why the lights might not appear and for moving the group when the first stop was poor. Gummi and Gummi Bear are also singled out for their ability to spot opportunities in difficult conditions.

Guide assignments vary, so you cannot book a specific person based on these names. The useful point is that the best part of the outing depends heavily on the guide’s ability to interpret changing conditions and keep the group engaged during quiet periods.

That human element matters on an unsuccessful night. One evening produced weak lights because of cloud cover, but the guide explained local beliefs about the aurora, monitored different locations, and kept the group entertained. You cannot ask for a guaranteed display, but you can expect a guide to make the search worthwhile.

Hot chocolate, kleina, and borrowed wool blankets

The refreshments are modest, but they are exactly right for the setting. You receive hot chocolate and kleina, an Icelandic fried pastry often described as a donut. After standing outside in freezing air, a warm drink is not a decorative extra. It gives you a reason to linger and makes the waiting period more pleasant.

The wool blankets are available to borrow during the viewing stops. They are useful over your coat while you stand still, take photos, or watch cloud cover move across the sky.

Some guides prepare or bring their own version of the hot chocolate and pastries. The taste may vary slightly, but the point is comfort rather than a full meal. Have dinner before pickup, especially if you are joining a later departure.

Free photos are a major part of the value

Aurora photography is tricky. A phone may show some green, but getting a sharp picture of people beneath the lights requires a tripod, long exposure, focus adjustments, and patience. You may not want to spend the entire evening worrying about camera settings.

The guide takes portrait photos for the group and shares them free if the Northern Lights are visible. This is one of the strongest reasons to consider the tour at $169 per person. You get transport, guiding, refreshments, blankets, and a set of memories that can be difficult to create on your own.

Expect the photographer to work through the group rather than deliver a private photo session. If you want several poses or images of every family member, be patient while other people take their turn. Guides have been praised for taking many photos and helping with camera settings, but time and weather still shape what is possible.

There is one clear limitation: if the tour does not find visible Northern Lights, photos are not delivered. The free photography is a valuable bonus, not a promise of edited portraits under a starry sky.

Is $169 a fair price?

At $169, this is not the cheapest way to spend an evening in Reykjavik. The price makes more sense when you add up the separate pieces: hotel or bus-stop pickup and return, four hours of transport, an English-speaking guide, aurora forecasting, multiple possible stops, blankets, hot chocolate, kleina, and professional photos.

The small group also adds value. You are paying for a mobile search rather than a simple ride to a fixed viewing point. If the guide drives beyond the city to escape cloud or light pollution, the route planning becomes part of the service.

Still, the price does not buy certainty. You could pay $169 and see a spectacular show, or pay the same amount and see faint activity through cloud. I would judge the tour by the quality of the search and the comfort of the evening, not only by the final color in the sky.

If your budget is tight, book this only if the aurora is high on your Iceland wish list. If it is a once-in-a-lifetime priority, the free photos and mobile route help justify the cost.

Timing, seasons, and realistic expectations

The aurora season requires darkness, so the tour does not run as a standard summer attraction. The listed operating dates begin in mid-August, continue through winter, and include early April dates. August can be a marginal choice because nights are short and skies may remain too bright, even though some outings have succeeded late in the month.

The strongest practical advice is to book early enough in your itinerary to allow another attempt. If you attend and do not see the lights, you may join another tour free of charge, subject to availability. That is a rebooking option, not a refund.

If the company cancels before you attend because of poor weather, you receive a full refund. If you have already taken part, you can rebook for up to two years, subject to availability, but you do not receive a refund. Read those rules carefully before treating the rebooking option as a guarantee.

Cloudy weather is the main enemy, but clear skies alone are not enough. Solar activity must also cooperate. Keep expectations low and hope high, then enjoy the drive, the explanations, and the warm drink even if the sky stays quiet.

Who should book this experience?

I would choose this tour for a first aurora attempt from Reykjavik, especially if you want help with photography and do not want to rent a car for a night drive. It also suits couples, families with children age five and older, and solo visitors who prefer a guided outing.

It is less suitable for anyone with limited mobility. The tour is not wheelchair or stroller accessible, and infant seats are not available. You will need to wait outdoors, walk over whatever surface is found at the viewing stop, and manage cold evening conditions.

You should also avoid placing this tour immediately before an early morning excursion. The scheduled duration is four hours, but a strong display may keep the group outside longer.

Should you book the EastWest Northern Lights tour?

Book it if you value a determined guide, a small minibus, practical comfort, and free photos more than a guaranteed result. The strongest parts are the flexible route, the warm blankets and refreshments, and the guide’s effort to keep searching when the first location fails.

I would not book it expecting a polished show on a fixed schedule. Nature decides the headline attraction. But for a Reykjavik-based aurora hunt, EastWest gives you a sensible chance, a comfortable way to wait, and useful support when your own camera cannot handle the night.

FAQ

How long is the Northern Lights tour?

The stated duration is four hours. Some outings may run longer when the aurora becomes especially strong.

What is included in the price?

Pickup and drop-off, an English-speaking guide, minibus transport, hot chocolate, a kleina pastry, wool blankets to borrow, and free photos are included.

Where does pickup take place?

Pickup is available from many Reykjavik hotels and designated bus stops, including Hallgrimskirkja, Harpa, City Hall, Miðbakki, and several downtown stops. Downtown hotels may use the nearest permitted bus stop because of local regulations.

What happens if I do not see the Northern Lights?

If you attend the tour but do not see the aurora, you may join another tour free of charge, subject to availability. This does not provide a refund.

Are photos always provided?

Photos are delivered when the Northern Lights are visible during the outing. If the tour is unsuccessful and the aurora does not appear, photos are not delivered.

Is the tour suitable for children or wheelchair users?

Children under five are not permitted. The tour is not wheelchair or stroller accessible, and infant seats are unavailable.