Reykjavik Northern Lights Cruise from the Old Harbour

★★★★☆ 4.5 (635 traveller ratings)

Free re-sail if you see nothingBoat, max 150 aboardWarm overalls includedMeet at the Old Harbour

You walk to the ticket office at the Old Harbour, check in 15 minutes before sailing, pull on the warm overalls and spend about two hours on the bay. There is no pickup and no long drive: the boat leaves the city light behind by sea. If you see nothing, you are given a free ticket to sail again.

Hours, prices and access verified by the Reykjavik Northern Lights Tours team — last checked 2026-09-23.

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Two hours on the bay, with a free second sailing

What $105 buys on a night with no gate

The sky charges nothing, so the fare pays for the boat, the guide, the warm overalls and a second chance. If no lights show on your sailing, you are offered free tickets to try again on another night. What the fare leaves out is just as clear: there is no hotel pickup, and snacks and drinks are sold on board rather than included.

The trade-off is mobility. A coach or a jeep can drive an hour to find a gap in the cloud. A boat goes where the bay goes. On a clear night that hardly matters; the water is dark and the view is open in every direction. Under cloud it matters a great deal. James_W saw five faint minutes from the deck, then took a coach hunt the next night that chose its spot from the forecast, and saw far more. Kay_M sailed under a full moon and some cloud: nothing in the first hour, a good show in the second.

The sailing, from the quay to the bay and back

The night starts on land. Before you board, the guide explains the science of the aurora, so you know what you are looking for. Then the boat sails out into Faxaflói bay and away from the city lights. Rich_C reached the watching area in about 25 minutes; Celia_B saw the lights from the harbour while still waiting to board.

On the water you choose where to stand. The outdoor decks give the open view; the heated lounge inside is where drinks are sold. Meghan_F sat on the top deck and rates it the best view on board, and Ken_C warns that it is very cold and windy up there. The guide watches the sky for you: Richard_S noticed passengers inside being called out the moment the lights appeared. The boat looks back at the lit skyline, and from October to December, when the Imagine Peace Tower is lit, it sails past the beam before the watch turns to the northern sky.

What counts as a sighting

The free second sailing applies when there is no sighting, and the crew makes that call. Rachel_H saw only a glimpse, was given complimentary tickets, and got a couple of hours of lights on the second night. James_W’s five faint minutes counted as a sighting, and there was no second trip. If the display was faint, ask at the gangway before you leave. Sheryl_O and Ryan_L were both told their free ticket was valid for two years.

Weather is a separate matter. If conditions are poor, the sailing can be cancelled at short notice, and you are told by phone or e-mail. pauline_c lost two nights in a row that way; Morgan_P was rebooked onto another evening with little effort. So book early in your stay, and keep your phone on in the afternoon. How to read the aurora forecast explains the cloud map and the 0 to 9 scale a guide works from.

If you would rather have the photographs taken for you and a guide who can drive to clear sky, the small-group hunt costs $159 with unlimited free retries.

How your two hours on the water usually run

1. Arrive 15 minutes early. Check in at the ticket office on the pier; follow the red colour to find it.
2. The briefing. The guide explains the science of the aurora before you board.
3. Out onto the bay. The boat sails into Faxaflói, away from the city lights.
4. On deck or in the lounge, about two hours. Watch outside in the overalls; warm up inside, where drinks are sold.
5. Past the Peace Tower, October to December. When the beam is lit, the boat sails by before turning to the northern sky.
6. Back to the quay. The cruise ends where it started, at the Old Harbour.

Who this suits: a night out without a late night on the road

What the fare covers, and what you buy on board

Hot drinks and snacks are sold at the café on board, so bring a card. Richard_S found hand and foot warmers for sale at the bar too. There are toilets on the boat. Nothing else asks for money: the sky is free, and the overalls are yours for the night. The visitor guide compares what every kind of fare carries, and what it does if you see nothing.

The ticket office on the pier, and no hotel pickup

The cruise leaves from the ticket office at Ægisgarður 5c by the Old Harbour. Once you reach the pier, follow the red colour to the office, and arrive at least 15 minutes before departure so there is time to check in and board. The night ends back at the same quay.

No pickup is included, so plan how you will get there and back. The harbour is a walk from the central streets. If you use a wheelchair, bring a light-weight chair for the larger boats and tell the crew you are coming, because help with boarding may be needed. Steep stairs and high thresholds limit access to parts of the inside and to the toilets. The pickup points lists the numbered bus stops and the harbour quays, street by street.

Know before you go

• Arrive 15 minutes early. Check-in and boarding take time, and the boat sails on schedule.
• Wear the overalls on deck. Ken_C found the top deck very cold and windy in winter.
• Take something for seasickness if you need it. Sean_B found the top deck a bit rocky; tablets were handed out on that sailing.
• Keep your phone on in the afternoon. A sailing can be cancelled at short notice, by phone or e-mail.
• Mind the stairs. Steep stairs and high thresholds limit parts of the boat.
• Bring a card for drinks. Snacks and hot drinks are sold at the café, not included.

What travellers say after a night on the bay

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