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Northern Lights Tour: Cozy Minibus Adventure
4.7
1,468 Ratings
Reykjavik
Experience the enchanting Northern Lights on a small group tour. Enjoy hot cocoa, free photos, and expert guidance. Join now for a 4-hour adventure!
Experience the enchanting Northern Lights on a small group tour. Enjoy hot cocoa, free photos, and expert guidance. Join now for a 4-hour adventure!
Duration:
4 hours
Cancellation:
24 hours
Highlights
- Reykjavik - Begin the quest for the Northern Lights with some strategic planning using the Aurora forecast, then set off towards the chosen location. The journey might take up to an hour to reach an ideal viewing spot, where you may need to wait for the lights to appear. During this time, enjoy hot chocolate and Icelandic pastries. Icelandic wool…
- Reykjavik - Begin the quest for the Northern Lights with some strategic planning using the Aurora forecast, then set off towards the chosen location. The journey might take up to an hour to reach an ideal viewing spot, where you may need to wait for the lights to appear. During this time, enjoy hot chocolate and Icelandic pastries. Icelandic wool blankets are also available to keep everyone warm while outside.
There might be a need to change locations, which can be done by interacting with other locals, as many people are out each night searching for the lights. This approach enhances the chances of witnessing the Northern Lights. If the lights do not appear during the tour, there is an opportunity to try again for free (subject to availability).
Traveling in a minibus ensures a quality experience with a small group of no more than 19 people, avoiding large crowds to access the best viewing spots.
What's Included
- Photo opportunities (weather permitting)
- All-inclusive pricing with no hidden fees
- Convenient pickup and drop-off from designated spots
- Expert driver/guide to lead the way
- Engaging live commentary during the tour
- Comfort with Icelandic wool blankets
- Delight in hot chocolate and local pastries
- Photo opportunities (weather permitting)
- All-inclusive pricing with no hidden fees
- Convenient pickup and drop-off from designated spots
- Expert driver/guide to lead the way
- Engaging live commentary during the tour
- Comfort with Icelandic wool blankets
- Delight in hot chocolate and local pastries
What's Not Included
- Food and drinks, unless specified
- Snacks
- Food and drinks, unless specified
- Snacks
Additional Information
Northern Lights Adventure: Small Group Iceland Tour
Experience an enchanting evening pursuing the aurora borealis with a small, intimate group (maximum of 19 guests). Our amiable local guides, experts in Northern Lights forecasting, utilize live data each night to locate the best, uncrowded spots—ensuring you have the greatest opportunity to witness this…
Northern Lights Adventure: Small Group Iceland Tour
Experience an enchanting evening pursuing the aurora borealis with a small, intimate group (maximum of 19 guests). Our amiable local guides, experts in Northern Lights forecasting, utilize live data each night to locate the best, uncrowded spots—ensuring you have the greatest opportunity to witness this magical spectacle.
Snuggle up in cozy Icelandic wool blankets, enjoy delightful hot chocolate, and indulge in traditional pastries as the night sky comes to life. Our guides, who are also skilled photographers, will take stunning photos of you beneath the lights—sent directly to your inbox within 8 days, allowing you to relive the enchantment.
This is more than just a tour; it’s a shared journey of Icelandic folklore, stargazing, and the pristine beauty of Iceland’s wilderness. If the auroras don’t make an appearance, don’t worry—we’ll invite you back at no cost. Let us assist you in creating memories you’ll cherish forever!
- 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.
- 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 at [email protected].
Location
Reykjavik
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Customer Ratings
4.7
(1468 Ratings)
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X7042msamyc
Dec 8, 2024
Super tour company to work with! - I opted for bus pick up which was right on time. EastWest was absolutely awesome at communication as well about the tour. I received my original confirmation after booking. Received another e-mail around 5 that evening letting me now that the tour was indeed on, and finally received a third e-mail about 30 minutes before my pickup letting me know who would be picking me up, what the vehicle looked like, a phone number to reach out to, and the license plate! Very Cool! I talked to some other travelers from other groups and none of this was communicated, they felt lost and forgotten. My last communication from them was about 2 days later with the link to all the pictures that our guide had taken.
My tour guide Michaela was a trooper! The sky kept opening and closing and finding the lights was a bit challenging. During down time she helped and explained how to get the best pictures of the lights and helped setting camera settings when needed for those having trouble. She found us some lights! All the while leaving the city and during the tour she was very informative telling us the myths, the science, the weather, and everything else about the lights, how and when they show themselves. She was funny in her stories as well. Michaela made sure everybody had everything they needed and took tons of pictures of the people and the lights. It was a great experience.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
G2015gwlynnl
Dec 7, 2024
Al kept the faith! - First things first: I know it gets said a lot but I feel it should still be emphasized that seeing the Northern Lights are never a guarantee, so whenever anyone registers for a Northern Lights tour, it’s important to remember that you register for a chance, not a definite expectation.
Going into our tour, we did not expect to see anything at all given how cloudy the day was and the random spots of precipitation that we were getting during our drive. Despite that, Almar (Al) was awesome during the whole trip - managing our expectations while still keeping the faith, sharing his knowledge of the area we were traveling to and how the Northern Lights come about, and constantly trying to figure out where the best spot would be should the clouds pass.
Honestly, I thought the “hunt” itself to find the lights - the constant shuffling on and off the bus, and driving to several locations - was a lot of fun! Al made a surprise spot to a safe location where we could see the current volcanic eruption while waiting for weather conditions to improve, and we saw so many clear, bright stars that we don’t see where we’re from; coupled with the “chase” that we were on, we would have been happy even if the lights decided to be shy that night (the cozy hot chocolate and being wrapped around a warm blanket was super nice too!).
Throughout this entire journey, Al always kept the faith despite the Northern Lights data probably going against our way. He kept taking pictures on his camera to try to detect activity, and as luck would have it, we managed to see the northern lights after all! The entire tour was such a great experience, and the pictures that Al took are beautiful memories of an unforgettable trip!
I highly recommend this company for a Northern Lights tour, not because of any guaranteed sightings but because they don’t give up no matter what the data says and regardless of the outcome of the night, I think it would have still been a really cool experience.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Connector772749
Dec 7, 2024
Northern lights tour - Our tour guide was amazing, we had multiple photos taken nothing was too much trouble he was also a great story teller. Thank you! Xx
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Maidel12
Dec 7, 2024
Highly Recommend the Tour and Guide! Amazing Pictures Included! - Devin was an incredibly energetic, enthusiastic, competent, and organized guide! The pictures he took are incredible, and he really put in the effort to find excellent views of the lights and take as many pictures as he could. The views were incredible, and the minibus setup was great and felt intimate. The trip flowed smoothly and the treats were delicious! I plan to go on further trips with EastWest next time I am in Iceland!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Putiambunsuriu
Dec 7, 2024
Amazing tour: Great experiences to hunt the aurora in a small group. Recommended for solo travelers. - I joined the Northern Lights Tour on November 30, 2024, and it was a fantastic experience! Gulli, our guide, was exceptional—knowledgeable, friendly, and even serenaded us with an Icelandic folk song at the end of the trip. Despite strong winds, Gulli's driving skills made the journey feel safe and smooth.
We were lucky enough to catch the aurora after a short wait on a chilly night, but the hot chocolate and Icelandic donut made it more enjoyable. This tour is especially great for solo travelers who might find it challenging to arrange transportation for aurora hunting. The provider kept us updated throughout, which was a big plus.
Highly recommended for anyone looking for a well-organized and memorable Northern Lights adventure!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Sandramg4420tg
Dec 7, 2024
Excellent sighting on 2nd trip - Had to ask to be rebooked after the first trip as we did not physically see the lights, the guide could see them through the clouds on his pro camera as could 2-3 other people but most couldn't and none could see them with the naked eye. He counted this as a siting and no details were given to rebook. East west then booked me on another tour without any problems, thank you, with Diogo who searched a large area until well past midnight but eventually called it as we needed to head back. He still did not give up and was stopping to check for them very frequently on the way back and he found them, all of us could see them with the naked eye from where we were parked and we got some great photos on our phones as well as the pro ones. Well worth not getting back to the hotel till 2am and having to leave again at 5.55am to get the bus back to the airport. Great last trip.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Catherine_s
Dec 5, 2024
All good! - We were unlucky regarding the lights on our evening tour, but Mikaela really tried her best to find us a good spot. She was knowlegeable and friendly, and overall the experience was fine. It felt organized, and the hot chocolate was a nice treat.
Review provided by Viator
Pioneer61136097901
Dec 8, 2024
Not a good experience for me - I would not recommend this tour because I had a very bad experience. When I chose the Tour it said small group, my bad I did not pay attention to the small letters. A small group is twenty people…! Not a small group experience (as a comparison at the Glaciar my small group was 6 people). But this one is my responsibility. However, there are a bunch of things that were not. I received a message at 20h59 to say the guide was running late, and no more than 5 minutes. They arrived 13 minutes late and we were there before the pick up time which was at 20h30. This means we were out in the elements (wind and cold) 40 + minutes waiting. We were 2nd to last to be picked up, and practically the last to be dropped off, and that sucked even more after the “all experience”. They should change the orders at least. To make the icing on the cake there was a “bathroom stop” with almost 45 min on a gas station!!! Makes no sense, in the supposed best hours to be looking for the northern lights.
On this day the forecast said the aurora activity would be very low that night (1), but the tour wasn’t canceled (apparently they don’t consider it a reliable criterion). I was perfectly prepared for the tour to be canceled or not seeing the northern lights because I know they are an unpredictable natural phenomenon. I wasn’t prepared for the northern lights we did come across to be so “subtle”, definitely underwhelming. Sure, there were some good photos (digital cameras have an incredible ability to capture light, differently from the human eye). Nevertheless, with the naked eye the maximum I (I would bet everyone) was able to see were some grayish blurred stains near the horizon and behind the clouds (which I wouldn’t even notice or look at twice). This was heartbreaking because the tour was considered to be “successful”, without the possibility of rescheduling, even though I couldn't cross the northern lights from my bucket list, at all! In my opinion, this was absolutely not a valid / successful northern lights tour. This means that for me it was a waste of a good amount of money. We saved another day in case we needed to repeat the tour, but it was of no use :(
On the plus side, our guide, Gummi, was very nice and took good photos. He appeared to have a lot of experience and knowledge about the northern lights. Unfortunately, the location he was able to find with a clear sky still had considerable light pollution (power plant and lighthouse)!!!
Last but not least, do not fall for the “extras”! They were very disappointing as well. Contrary to the description, there were no blankets, and no mention of wifi. The hot chocolate was ok, but the pastries were supermarket-like (literally) and bad. Tasted to a week old donut.
I had no idea how hard it would be to try and see the northern lights by myself, that’s why I decided to buy the tour. I hope other people have a much better experience.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
271susanar
Dec 5, 2024
Disappointing - Overall, I am not sure if I would recommend this tour because I had a bad experience.
The forecast said the aurora activity would be very low that night (1), but the tour wasn’t canceled (apparently they don’t consider it a reliable criterion).
I was perfectly prepared for the tour to be canceled or not seeing the northern lights because I know they are an unpredictable natural phenomenon. I wasn’t prepared for the northern lights we did come across to be so subtle and underwhelming. Sure, there were some good photos (digital cameras have an incredible ability to capture light, differently from the human eye). Nevertheless, with a naked eye the maximum I was able to see were some grayish blurred stains near the horizon and behind the clouds (which I wouldn’t even notice or look at twice). This was heartbreaking because the tour was considered to be “successful”, without the possibility of rescheduling, even though I couldn't cross the northern lights from my bucket list, at all! In my opinion, this was absolutely not a valid / successful northern lights tour. This means that for me it was a waste of a good amount of money. We saved another day in case we needed to repeat the tour, but it seems like it will be of no use :(
Our guide, Gummi, was very nice and took good photos. He appeared to have a lot of experience and knowledge about the northern lights. Unfortunately, the location he was able to find with a clear sky still had considerable light pollution (power plant and lighthouse).
We were almost the last to be picked up by the van, which was 10 minutes late (40 minutes waiting out in the cold), and practically the last to be dropped off, which sucked.
Regarding the “extras”, they were disappointing as well. Contrary to the description, there were no blankets, and no mention of wifi. The hot chocolate was ok. The pastries were bad and supermarket-like.
I had no idea how hard it would be to try and see the northern lights by myself, that’s why I decided to buy the tour.
I hope other people have a better experience :(
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Tayyebeh_b
Dec 5, 2024
Not good - The driver came late, the heater in the minibus did not work and blew cold air, he did not take professional pictures as you advertise but ruined out unique night with Aurora! !
Review provided by Viator
