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Northern Lights by Boat from Reykjavik

Sail Away from the City Lights for the Ultimate Viewing Point of the Auroras

Product-ID: NLB

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Tourist on Northern lights boat tour standing on edge of boat viewing the sky

Tourist stnading in boat crows nest, viewing the green northern lights in Reykjavik's ocean.

Small group tour standing around interior boat deck, viewing green northern lights by Reykjavik sea.

Tourist watching northern lights by boat deck in Reykjavik ocean.

Tourist in winter jacket watching over northern lights from boat in Reykjavik Iceland.

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About Tour

This boat tour will take you to sea, away from the city lights, in search of the magical Northern Lights whose dancing colors have left people awe-inspired throughout the ages.

Highlights

Northern Lights seen from sea
Boat tour
Reykjavik Harbor
Panoramic views
Sail away from the city lights
Must-see in Iceland

Included

Guided boat tour from Reykjavik Harbor
Warm overalls
Free WiFi onboard
Café/bar & souvenir shop
Northern lights video
A bathroom on the boat

Tour Snapshot

Availability Sept - April

Duration 1,5-2,5 hours 2 hours

Departs From Reykjavik

Difficulty Easy Suitable for most people in fair condition.

Minimum age No limit

Meet on Location Yes

Pick Up Yes

From

120

Per

Adult

Best Price Guarantee
Operated by our trusted partner

From

120

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There is nothing like seeing the Northern Lights as they dance across the sky, a heavenly light show whose colors are as close to a supernatural experience as it is possible to have. When you see them, you will be moved by their profound beauty and the divine way their colors dance across the sky.

It is a breathtaking experience, which everyone who has ever had it agrees is almost ineffable and will certainly stay with you for the rest of your life. The reflection of the lights on the water, the way they illuminate the mountains and the way they prance across the sky is unforgettable. Seeing the Aurora Borealis should be on everyone's bucket list and a must-see for anyone visiting Iceland during the Northern Lights season.

Our adventure will begin at the Old Harbour in Reykjavik, when we board our traditional Icelandic vessel and cast off in search of the elusive Aurora Borealis, cutting a smooth furrow through the North Atlantic until we reach a location that is far enough away that it is not affected by the lights of the city.

On the way, we will show our very own original Northern Lights video, full of interesting facts and folklore! It will tell us all about the phenomena that cause the Northern Lights and teach you about some of the myths and legends that are associated with them. The tour guide will help you enjoy the lights and cruise to the fullest by giving you information about the auroras as well as answering any questions you may have.

There is also a bar onboard, offering hot and cold drinks and a fact-filled video that teaches you everything that you could possibly want to know about the Northern Lights.

We strongly recommend that you dress up warm and take advantage of the free overalls that we have onboard because the Icelandic winter can be windy and chilly. We also have overalls for children. The whole tour will last around 1,5-2,5 hours depending on when and where the lights appear on that particular night.

Photos

The Northern Lights are quite tricky to catch on camera but our expert guides will take pictures on the tour which you can find in Special Tour's daily diary to see the photos!

Meeting location

The meeting location is at the Old Harbor in the downtown area at the Special Tours Ticket Office, located at Ægisgarður 13, 101 Reykjavík.

Departure

10 p.m. - September & 15th of March until 15th of April
9 p.m. - October until 15th of March

NOTE

As the northern lights are a natural phenomenon, we cannot guarantee that we will see them. If the lights fail to make an appearance you can try again the next day or any other day at your convenience. You are free to go as many times as needed (within two years) to catch the show - at no extra cost!

FAQ

Is it guaranteed that I see Northern Lights on the tour?

The Northern Lights are natural phenomena and we, unfortunately, cannot promise you will see them. Their appearance depends upon atmospheric and weather conditions.

For more information on the Northern Lights, please have a look at our Northern Lights tours.

What camera settings do you recommend for photographing the Northern Lights?

We, unfortunately, do not have one simple answer to this question.

There isn’t just one single setting for your camera that ensures great photos. However, if you have manual options, you are probably best served with experimenting with various combinations of ISO, aperture, and exposure settings. As a rule of thumb, ISO setting between 800 and 3200, aperture between f/2 8 and f/5.6, and shutter speed at between 15 seconds and 30 seconds have proven effective.

A good thing to keep in mind, ISO setting between 800 and 3200, aperture between f/2.8 and f/5.6, and shutter speed between 15 seconds and 30 seconds have given great results.

Different combinations may give very different results. Higher ISO setting will allow you to capture faster exposures, but the downside to this might be for example grainier images.

If the shutter speed is above 15 seconds it will result in a slight star movement.

Wider angle lenses are usually more versatile in low light settings, but longer lenses give you different options for compositions. Make sure that you remove all lens filters, as they may distort images. You will probably get the best results with manual setting for infinite focal length.

What if the Northern Lights tour goes ahead and no lights are seen?

Reimbursement is not given if the northern lights tour goes ahead and no lights are seen but we do offer you the change to join a Northern Lights Minibus tour free of charge.

Please contact our Customer Care to re-book your tour.

If my Northern Lights tour is canceled, what are my options?

When Northern Lights tours are canceled it’s usually due to unfavorable weather conditions.

In that case, your options will be to:

Reschedule for another day.
Get a full refund.

Please go to the customer portal to re-book your tour or contact us by phone at +354 562 7000.

How do I know if my Northern Lights tour is on for the evening?

The northern lights are a pretty difficult thing to predict. We recommend you to check en.vedur.is to see the forecast and if the level is high and the skies are clear then it’s very likely that the tour is going ahead. We do update our website’s tour departure sheet with the information at 17:00 pm the latest. If your tour is canceled then you will receive an email from us.

If we think there is no chance at all of seeing the lights we will cancel the tour. We don’t want to bring you out and disappoint if there is no chance of the lights to be seen.

Will we get pictures taken with the northern lights?

Yes, the guide on your tour will take a photo of you with the northern lights in the background.
These can be single or group photo’s and are free of charge.

Which months are the northern lights seen?

The Northern Lights season is from late August until mid-April. However, if you want to increase your changes of seeing them, it is best to wait until the clear winter months of mid-September until March.

Can the Northern Lights be seen from Reykjavík?

The northern lights depend on luck and weather if that is in your favor than you will be able to see the Aurora Borealis above the inviting streets of Reykjavík. Whether you see the lights or not they depend on two different factors. The first being the weather. If the sky is clear, no clouds, then you are halfway there to seeing the astonishing spectacle that is the Northern Lights (although light pollution can sometimes be a problem). Increased solar activity is the second half so, if these two merge together you may well be able to see the Northern Lights from Reykjavik.