Reykjavik Northern Lights 4x4 Small Group Tour with PRO Photos
Description
Seeing the Northern Lights is a highlight of any trip to Iceland, but finding them on your own can be challenging. This small-group 4x4 Northern Lights tour from Reykjavik is led by experienced local guides who use real-time forecasts and local knowledge to chase the best viewing conditions each night. There’s no fixed route—just smart decisions based on cloud cover, aurora activity, and road conditions. Travel away from city lights in a comfortable 4x4 vehicle, reaching quieter locations that regular buses can’t access. When conditions are right, enjoy the moment while your guide captures professional photos of the aurora and of you—shared after the tour. Why choose this tour: • Maximize your chances with experienced local aurora guides • Small-group experience in a 4x4 vehicle • Escape city lights. Enjoy warm drinks and snacks. • Free rebooking if no Aurora appears - come back at no extra cost • Professional Northern Lights photos included • Pickup/drop-off from Reykjavik included
Tour Options
Itinerary
Experience the magic of Iceland’s winter nights on a small-group Northern Lights tour from Reykjavík. Travel in comfort by 4x4 vehicle to remote locations far from city lights, where your chances of seeing the Aurora Borealis are highest. Each night, your local expert guide selects the best route based on weather and aurora forecasts, ensuring the best possible viewing conditions. While waiting for the lights to appear, relax under the starry Arctic sky with hot chocolate, Icelandic snacks, and warm blankets. Along the way, your guide shares fascinating stories about Icelandic nature, history, and folklore. This tour combines adventure, comfort, and culture — an unforgettable evening beneath the dancing Northern Lights of Iceland.
Highlights
What's included
Pickup Locations & Times
Pickup location are defined bus stops in Reykjavík city. You can find them on google map, Reykjavík bus stops from 1 to 15. We picked up at some hotels. All pickups are chosen from list at the time of booking.
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
Reviews(9)
The guide was amazing and ensured we had an enjoyable experience and saw the northern lights. However I would argue "PRO Photos" as written in the title is very misleading and disappointing. Most photos either came out blurry, were poorly framed (just my literal head and the northern lights) or under exposed to the point where they were unusable. Photos were taken on an iPhone 17. I wasnt expecting a $10,000 camera set up, but I was expecting a somewhat professional camera set up or at the very least an iPhone 17 Pro (better camera sensor for low light) and a tripod. I would only recommend this tour if you dont care about photos or plan on taking your own.
Thank you for your review and for joining our Northern Lights tour. We’re very glad to hear you enjoyed the experience and were able to see the aurora—that’s always our top priority. At the same time, we truly appreciate your honest feedback regarding the photos. You’re absolutely right to expect professional-quality images when this is part of the tour description, and we’re sorry this wasn’t your experience. To clarify, our standard across all tours is to use professional camera equipment (Sony Alpha series with premium lenses and tripod setups) to ensure sharp, well-exposed, and properly framed photos. What happened on your tour was an exception and does not meet our standards. A replacement guide was assigned that evening and did not follow our required photography setup—this is being addressed internally and is not something we tolerate. We fully understand that this impacted your experience, and while a refund cannot make up for the disappointment, we would like to offer a partial refund as a gesture of goodwill for the photography portion of the tour. Please contact us directly so we can arrange this for you. Thank you again for your feedback—it helps us improve and ensure every guest receives the experience we promise. Icetrek team
Excellent northern lights hunting resulted in a fabulous auroras show. Icetrek was well organized and found good spots out of the city away from cloud cover to witness a fantastic northern lights show.
We chose this tour because it offered a smaller group experience, which is exactly what we were looking for. Our guide, Gudfinnur, was excellent. He kept in touch with us on the day of the tour to update us on the weather conditions and was very helpful throughout the evening. He was extremely knowledgeable and shared fascinating stories about Iceland’s history and culture along the way. Gudfinnur was clearly very passionate about what he does and went out of his way to help us have the best possible chance of seeing the Northern Lights. It really felt like he genuinely wanted us to experience them. Although it was a very cloudy night, he took us to a location where the skies eventually opened up and we were treated to an amazing display of the Northern Lights.. After the tour we also received some great photos. The small group size made the experience feel much more personal, and it was an unforgettable evening.
Phenomenal experience. Magnus was our tour guide/photographer and he did a magnificent job. On time, safe driver, warm personality, and his knowledge of the Northern Lights and Iceland was impressive. The vehicle was fully equipped for off-roading, which made a huge difference. He took us far away from city lights to a remote location where nothing interfered with the view or the photos. Using a professional camera on a tripod, he captured stunning shots of us and sent them to us via an email link the very next morning. The photos are breathtaking and far better than anything our phone cameras captured. To top it all off, he served hot chocolate that was easily some of the best we’ve ever had—it felt like a special personal recipe. It was such a thoughtful touch on an already magnificent night. This tour was the perfect way to begin our trip. Highly Recommend!
We went on the tour with GuffI the first day we arrived. The weather the previous days hadn't been good conditions for the lights so we were unsure of our chances of seeing them. Two nights previously, due to the weather conditions, the lights had not been seen but to compensate, GuffI invited the two ladies back on our night and thank God he did. The light display was tremendous and better than we could have anticipated and we truly believe we got to see it so well because of GuffI's experience and determination. He really knew what he was doing and not only how to read the weather data but also how to read the Icelandic land from which he grew up on. Historic knowledge mixed with local lore made the tour not only beautiful but interesting too. Hot chocolate and pro photos was another bonus - it really took the pressure of trying to get our own images and actually enjoying the display. GuffI was on time, a ovely man and a modern day Viking; making our experience one to remember. We are very grateful. Thank you.
Thank you so much for your wonderful review. We’re delighted to hear that our Northern Lights 4x4 Tour turned into such a memorable experience. Northern Lights hunting can be unpredictable, especially when weather conditions have not been favorable in the days before. We’re very happy that the skies opened up and rewarded your patience with such a spectacular display. Guffi has spent his life exploring Iceland’s landscapes, and his ability to read both the weather and the terrain truly helps maximize the chances of seeing the lights. It’s also great to hear that you enjoyed the stories, the hot chocolate, and the professional photos. We always want our guests to relax and fully enjoy the moment rather than worrying about capturing it. Thank you again for joining us on the tour and for your kind words about Guffi. We truly appreciate you taking the time to share your experience and hope to welcome you back to Iceland someday for another adventure. Your IceTrek Team
Frustrating: the tour is paid was in vehicle 4x4 (group of 3 people) and not in van as occurred. We were not lucky to see the dawn yesterday, 01/03, which is why we scheduled with the vaccine driver to repeat today, as described in the contract program
Thank you for taking the time to share your feedback. We are sorry to hear that your experience felt frustrating. Seeing the Northern Lights is a special moment, and we always hope every guest gets the opportunity to witness them. Unfortunately, the appearance of the aurora depends entirely on weather conditions and solar activity, and while we do everything possible to maximize the chances, these natural factors are not always predictable. Each evening, our team closely monitors weather forecasts and Northern Lights activity to determine the best possible areas to travel. Our guides continuously assess cloud cover, forecasts, and aurora predictions to position the tour where conditions are most favorable, provided the weather and Northern Lights activity cooperate. We would also like to clarify that we do not operate standard passenger vans. Our fleet consists only of modern 4×4 vehicles ranging from 4 to 16 seats, and the vehicle used each evening is selected based on the group size. All of our vehicles are purpose-built four-wheel-drive vehicles with reinforced suspension systems designed for Iceland’s rugged terrain, allowing our guides to travel further off the main roads and access more remote areas where skies may be clearer. To maintain a more personal atmosphere, our tours are limited to 16 guests. When the Northern Lights do not appear, we offer our Northern Lights Guarantee, which allows guests to join another tour free of charge. If a guest’s travel schedule does not allow them to return, we are happy to provide a full refund of the tour. We genuinely care about our guests’ experience and always strive to create the best possible opportunity to enhance the Northern Lights experience. We appreciate your feedback and hope that, whether with us or on a future visit to Iceland, you will have the chance to enjoy this remarkable natural phenomenon. Warm regards, Ice Trek Team
We really enjoyed the Northern Lights Tour with our guide, Guffi. It may not have been ideal for the company, but for us it was such a gift that it was just the two of us with our guide that day. It allowed us to enjoy Iceland’s beautiful nature and peaceful atmosphere even more. I would ALWAYS choose this much more personal tour over a fully booked bus tour with more than 50 people. During the drive, we received lots of interesting information about Iceland and all our questions were answered with enthusiasm. The Northern Lights were quite shy that night and barely appeared despite a good forecast. But just as we were driving back to Reykjavic, the sky suddenly lit up and we got our Northern Lights Happy Ending! Thank you for this wonderful night, for the patience, the stories and also for driving us back to our appartment at almost 2 a.m. Such great guys with really comfortable cars!
Thank you for sharing such a thoughtful review. We’re very happy to hear that you enjoyed your Northern Lights experience with Guffi. Sometimes the best tours happen when the group is small, and we’re glad you were able to enjoy Iceland’s peaceful winter landscapes in such a personal setting. Our goal is always to create a relaxed and authentic experience, far from the crowds of large bus tours. Northern Lights can certainly be shy at times, so it’s wonderful that the sky decided to put on a show just before returning to Reykjavík. Those “last-minute” appearances often make the night even more memorable. We also appreciate your kind words about Guffi, the stories along the way, and the comfort of our vehicles. Thank you again for joining us and for taking the time to share your experience. We hope to welcome you back to Iceland for another adventure in the future. ✨ Your IceTrek Team
Fantastic guide. Guffi was great company and never gave up in our search for the lights. Hot chocolate and snacks were delicious. His love of his country and knowledge of its history and geography was lovely to see. Great photos to capture a very memorable night. Would highly recommend!
Thank you for your five-star review. At Icetrek, we are proud to be an Icelandic specialist company, operated by local guides who have spent years exploring Iceland’s landscapes and chasing the Northern Lights. Although we have been running aurora tours for many years, we only started selling directly under our own brand recently — so reviews like yours truly make a difference for a small local operator like us. Your support helps us continue doing what we love: guiding guests into the Icelandic night. We sincerely hope to welcome you back to Iceland someday — perhaps for a Highlands adventure next time! We like to spend the summer season there. Warm regards, Guffi & the Icetrek Team
When we set up our trip for Iceland, seeing the Northern Lights was definitely our primary goal. We were disappointed to get canceled the first night we booked due to weather, but appreciate not being out there in the cold with no chance of seeing the lights. Frimann was our guide the second night and took us off-road into beautiful fields and isolated spots. Even before the lights came, the sky was amazing, fully lit up with stars, as we stood in such a desolate area. But when the light started to come, there were cheers from everyone! Really, really a magnificent experience, and we appreciated that Frimann kept us informed as to what he was looking for and facts about the lights all along. Those who go should know to bundle up! Cold enough in Iceland in February, but in the middle of the night, all the colder! Highly recommend this tour!
Thank you for sharing your experience with us. We’re very glad you joined the tour and that the second night rewarded you with such a memorable Northern Lights display. Weather conditions can sometimes force us to cancel a tour, and while we know that can be disappointing, we always want to ensure guests have the best possible chance of seeing the lights. We’re happy you appreciated that decision and that the skies cooperated the following night. It’s wonderful to hear that Frimann guided you to beautiful remote locations and kept everyone informed throughout the evening. Those quiet moments under a star-filled Icelandic sky, followed by the excitement when the aurora finally appears, are truly special. And yes—February nights can certainly be cold, so your advice about bundling up is spot on! Thank you again for your recommendation. We truly appreciate you choosing to explore the Northern Lights with us. Warm regards, Your IceTrek Team
