Northern Lights Small-Group Tour with Hot Chocolate & Photos
Description
Northern Lights Adventure: Small Group Iceland Tour´ Join us for a cozy, unforgettable night chasing the aurora borealis in a small, intimate group (max. 19 guests). Our friendly local guides, who specialize in Northern Lights forecasting, use live data every evening to find the best, crowd-free locations, giving you the best chance to see this magical phenomenon. Wrap yourself in warm Icelandic wool blankets, sip delicious hot chocolate, and savor traditional pastries as the night sky comes alive. Our guides, who are also professional photographers, will capture beautiful photos of you under the lights, delivered straight to your inbox within 8 days, so you can relive the magic. This isn’t just a tour; it’s a shared story of Icelandic folklore, stargazing, and the untouched beauty of Iceland’s wilderness. If the auroras don’t appear, don’t worry, we’ll invite you back for free. Let us help you create memories you’ll treasure forever!
Tour Options
Itinerary
First off, you will start your hunt for the Northern Lights with a bit of planning via the Aurora forecast and start your exploration by heading towards the selected location. You might drive for up to one hour to reach a good spot and perhaps wait for the lights to appear. At this point, we take out the hot chocolate and Icelandic pastries. We also have Icelandic wool blankets on board to keep you warm while standing outside. There may be the decision of changing spots, by interacting with other locals as there are many different people outside looking for lights every night. We do this to increase the possibilities of finding Northern Lights. If there are no northern lights while on tour, you get to try again for free (upon availability). By traveling in a minibus you get the quality of a small group of no more than 19 people, as crowds are being avoided in order to get to the best spot available.
Highlights
What's included
Pickup Locations & Times
Pick-up begins 30 minutes before departure time. * Aug 15–Sep 30 & Apr 1–Apr 18: from 21:30 * Oct 1–Mar 31: from 20:30 We need to have your email address on record so we can send you an email 30 minutes before the scheduled pick-up time. This email will contain a description of our car, including a photo and license plate number. We will also provide the name of the guide in the email. Our driver-guide will always stop, get out of the car, and search for you. They won't leave the pick-up point unless they cannot locate you.
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
- Please note that the access to restroom facilities out of urban areas is very limited while on the Northern lights tours.
- Even with the best of guides and a detailed forecast, sightings are never guaranteed. If we don’t find any lights while on tour, you can join us again another day for free (upon our availability). You will not be entitled to get a refund, though.
- A refund is only possible if the tour never operates while you are in Iceland and you never get the chance to join the tour which sometimes happens due to unfavorable weather conditions.
- The tour is operated in a minibus and does not exceed more than 19 passengers.
- Availability for tour cannot be checked without making a booking. Credit cards will only be charged upon confirmation of shown availability.
- This tour takes place at night, please dress up accordingly with warm garments. Bring along a hat, gloves and a scarf. Waterproof clothing is always recommended while touring around Iceland.
- Please check your email inbox, we will send you an email on your departure day in the afternoon to inform you if the tour goes ahead or if it is cancelled.Make sure to check the spam inbox too.
- Pick-up begins 30 minutes prior to departure time.
- Pick up time: Aug 15–Sep 30 & Apr 1–Apr 18: from 21:30 / Oct 1–Mar 31: from 20:30
- If our tour is unsuccessful (Northern Lights not visible), photos will not be delivered.
- Due to traffic regulations, tour buses are not permitted to drive or stop in certain city areas and may only stop at designated locations. If your hotel isn't on our list, or if you're uncertain about where to meet us for pickup, please email us.
Reviews(2,170)
If the weather had cooperated I’m sure this excursion would have been a success. With that being said, the guide and transportation were fantastic.
Hi Corina, Thank you for taking the time to share your feedback. We completely understand your disappointment, the Northern Lights can be very elusive, and as you mentioned, everything depends on weather and conditions lining up on the night. That said, we are really glad to hear you found the guide and transportation fantastic. We always aim to provide a great experience regardless of the outcome, so your kind words mean a lot. As part of our policy, you are welcome to join us again using your 2 year rebooking voucher, and we would love another chance to help you catch the lights. Warm regards, Marc EastWest Team Member
Very happy with this tour, it was well organised and the communication with the company was excellent. We managed to see the lights, albeit not as spectacular as I’d hoped, although our guide worked hard to find the best locations for us. Obviously the tour group has no control over the conditions! The sky was clear, though, and even seeing the stars was amazing. The hot chocolate and snacks went down a treat, and we had really good quality photos from the guide available after a few days. Would recommend this tour.
Dear Kirsty, Thank you for joining us on the Northern Lights tour. We are glad you appreciated the organisation and communication, and that your guide worked hard to find the best possible viewing conditions. Even when the lights are subtle, a clear sky still makes for a memorable evening. It is also great to hear you enjoyed the refreshments and photos. We hope to see you again on another tour. Safe travels! Kindest Regards, Miguel EastWest Customer Service
We were really desperate to see the Northern Lights. We had traveled to the south of Iceland to see them and we had no luck due to weather. We booked a trip with EastWest for the evening before our tour but it was cancelled because of cloud cover. I really appreciated that as the company could have easily taken us out and taken our time and money. So I felt that this was a very honest company. This was also reinforced by the concierge of our hotel who said EastWest was the only company she would book for this kind of tour. Our tour guide Baldvin picked us up at our hotel. The van was incredibly comfortable and had WIFI. Big plus! Baldvin was very informative and was just as excited when he spotted the lights as the guests were. We were super lucky to see them. It was very special and was a highlight of the trip. It's not like anything I imagined. We could see them with the naked eye, but not as bright and stunning as through the camera lens. I appreciated that Baldvin included a bathroom break at an Icelandic gas station. We were able to get drinks and snacks which was another big plus for us. All in all I thought this tour was well done and very enjoyable.
Dear Jennifer, Thank you for joining us on the Northern Lights tour. We appreciate your kind words about our decision-making and honesty regarding weather conditions. It is great to hear Baldvin made the experience enjoyable and informative, and that you were lucky enough to witness the lights. We are also glad the comfort of the vehicle and added touches enhanced your evening. We hope to welcome you again. Safe travels! Kindest Regards, Miguel EastWest Customer Service
We had a northern lights tours with Baldvin. We enjoyed this tour with him and it felt exciting to go find the northern lights and see if we would be lucky enough to see them. We felt he went above and beyond as a storm was coming the next day and he drove farther out so that we would have a clear enough sky to see them. We are able to see them and the photos turned out great!
Hi Sarah, Thank you so much for your lovely review! We are delighted to hear you had such an exciting experience chasing the Northern Lights with Baldvin. It really is part of the magic, heading out into the night and not knowing exactly what you will find. Baldvin will be very happy to hear your kind words. Going the extra distance ahead of incoming weather to find clear skies is exactly the kind of dedication we aim for, so it is great to know that effort paid off and you were able to see the lights. We are also glad to hear you enjoyed the photos, they are such a special way to remember the night. Thank you again for sharing your experience, and we hope to welcome you back to Iceland in the future! Warm regards, Marc EastWest Team Member
Our tour to see the Northern Lights was very enjoyable, even in the very cold weather! Tour guide was knowledgeable and informative and he seemed very experienced in "finding" the Northern Lights, and we did! I believe prices are comparable to other tour groups. Reserving the tour through our hotel was very easy. I highly recommend EastWest as a tour source and would happily go with them again.
Hi Joan, Thank you so much for your kind review! We are really happy to hear you had an enjoyable night out with us, even in the cold. That is part of the Northern Lights adventure, and it sounds like it paid off with a successful sighting. It is great to know you found your guide knowledgeable and experienced. That ability to read conditions and make the right calls is key on these tours, so your feedback means a lot. We also appreciate your note about the booking process and your recommendation. It truly means a lot to us. We would love to welcome you back to Iceland again in the future. Warm regards, Marc EastWest Team Member
My wife really enjoyed this tour. Our guide was very knowledgeable about the science in determining whether the lights would be visible or not. Unfortunately they’re not visible with the naked eye. You have to use your phone and take a picture , then the color of the lights come thru.
Hi Vern, Thank you for taking the time to share your feedback. We are glad to hear your wife enjoyed the tour and that you appreciated the guide’s knowledge and scientific approach. That behind the scenes work is a big part of how we try to give each group the best possible chance. We completely understand your comments regarding visibility. What you experienced is quite common, especially on nights with lower aurora activity. The camera can capture colors and details that the human eye cannot always see clearly, so the lights can appear faint or more like a glow in real time. On stronger nights, the aurora can be much more vivid to the naked eye, but as a natural phenomenon, this level of intensity cannot be guaranteed on any given evening. We truly appreciate your honest feedback and hope you may have the chance to experience a stronger display in the future. Warm regards, Marc EastWest Team Member
We had a wonderful time on our tour! We were able to see the northern lights and the photos are amazing. Our guide Gummi was knowledgeable and nice. Highly recommend this tour if you want to see the northern lights!
Hi Lindsay, Thank you so much for your lovely review! We are delighted to hear you had a wonderful time and that you were able to see the Northern Lights, that always makes the experience extra special. It is also great to know you enjoyed the photos, they are such a great way to relive the night. Gummi will be very happy to hear your kind words. His knowledge and friendly approach really help create a great atmosphere on these tours. Thank you again for your recommendation, and we hope to welcome you back to Iceland in the future! Warm regards, Marc EastWest Team Member
Lonut B was amazing!! Pick up was smooth and he took us to 4 different spots and took a ton of pictures of us! Definitely recommend this experience
Hi Sabrina, Thank you so much for your amazing review! We are delighted to hear you had such a great experience and that everything from pickup to the multiple stops went smoothly. It sounds like a fantastic night out chasing the lights. Lonut will be very happy to hear your kind words. He always goes the extra mile to find the best spots and capture great photos, so it is wonderful to know you enjoyed that part of the experience. Thank you again for your recommendation, and we hope to welcome you back to Iceland in the future! Warm regards, Marc EastWest Team Member
Incredible experience. We didn’t think we would see anything and ended up seeing so many auroras. Devin are guide was the best and knew where to go and took fantastic photos
Dear Ed, Thank you for joining our Northern Lights tour! We’re delighted it turned into such a memorable night with strong aurora activity. It’s wonderful to hear Devin’s expertise and photography made the experience even more special. We wish you safe travels and hope to welcome you again in the future. Kindest Regards, Miguel EastWest Customer Service
Great experience. Timely pickup in a nice clean Mercedes van with comfortable seats. Our guide explained everything very well and took pictures once we started seeing the Northern Lights. We had some guests who couldn’t figure out the “don’t use your flash” rule, which might have been avoided if the guide explained prior to getting out of the van. Hot chocolate, donuts, and a nice bathroom stop were appreciated. It’s cold so wear good gloves that work with your camera/phone.
Dear Mike, Thank you for joining our Northern Lights tour! We’re happy you appreciated the comfortable transport, smooth pickup, and the photos captured during the sightings. Your note about pre-tour guidance is helpful and will be shared with the team. We wish you safe travels and hope to see you again on another adventure. Kindest Regards, Miguel EastWest Customer Service
