Northern Lights Classic MiniBus Tour from Akureyri
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Akureyri, Iceland
- 2 to 3 hours (approx.)
- Pickup offered
- Mobile ticket
- Offered in: English
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Overview
Spotting the Northern Lights is notoriously difficult. Rather than simply counting on getting lucky, you can hugely improve your chances by joining this tour that takes you into the countryside, far from light pollution, in the company of an experienced aurora-hunter guide.
- Increase your chances of seeing the Northern Lights by joining a hunt
- Free entry to the next night's tour if you don't see the aurora
- Hassle-free pickup and drop-off from your hotel
- Includes hot chocolate and cookies to keep warm as you wait
What's Included
- Guided Tour
- Pick up and drop off
- Free retry the next evening (If no Northern Lights are seen)
- Professionals photos of your night
Meeting and Pickup
Pickup points
Select a pickup point
Pickup details
Additonal pick up points: No pick up - Meeting point: Hotel Kea, Hafnarstraeti 87-89, Akureyri 600 No pick up - Meeting Point: Old Town Akureyri, Brynja Ice Cream shop No pickup - Meeting point: Hof Cultural and Conference Centre Hotel Kea by Keahotels, Hafnarstraeti 87-89, Akureyri 600 Iceland Acco Hostel, Skipagata 2-4, Akureyri 600 Iceland Akureyri Backpackers, Hafnarstraeti 98, Akureyri 600 Iceland Akurinn, Brekkugata 27a, Akureyri 600 Iceland Akureyri Hostel HI, Storholt 1, Akureyri 603 Iceland Akureyri FP Guesthouse, Radhustorg 300, Akureyri 600 Iceland Akureyri Downtown Apartments, Nordurgata 43, Akureyri 600 Iceland Akureyri Central Rooms, Graenagata 2, Akureyri 600 Iceland Akureyri Central Luxury House, Thingvallastraeti 4, Akureyri 600 Iceland Amma Guesthouse, Skolastigur 5, Akureyri 600 Iceland Apotek Guesthouse, Hafnarstraeti 104, Akureyri 600 Iceland B91 Apartments Akureyri, Byggdavegur 91, Akureyri 600 Iceland Centrum Hostel, Hafnarstraeti 102, Akureyri 600 Iceland Centrum Apartment, Solvellir 5, Akureyri 600 Iceland FE Accommodation, Thingvallastraeti 2, Akureyri 600 Iceland G19 Boutique Apartments, Granufelagsgoetu 19, Akureyri 600 Iceland Guesthouse Akureyri, Skipagata 4, Akureyri 600 Iceland Gastehaus Akureyri, Hafnarstraeti 108, Akureyri 600 Iceland Gula Villan B&B, Brekkugata 8, Akureyri 600 Iceland H 81 Apartments, Hafnarstraeti 81, Akureyri 600 Iceland Hafdals Guesthouse, Stekkjarlaekur, Akureyri 601 Iceland Hafnarstraeti Hostel, Hafnarstraeti 99-101 2nd Floor, Akureyri 600 Iceland Hotel Akureyri, Hafnarstraeti 67, Akureyri 600 Iceland Hotel Akureyri Dynheimar, Hafnarstraeti 73, Akureyri 600 Iceland Hotel Edda Akureyri, Thorunnarstraeti, Akureyri 600 Iceland Hotel Ibudir, Geislagata 10, Akureyri 600 Iceland Hotel Kjarnalundur, Kjarnalundur, Akureyri 600 Iceland Hotel Nordurland by Keahotels, Geislagata 7, Akureyri 600 Iceland Hrafninn Guesthouse, Brekkugata 4, Akureyri 600 Iceland Ice Apartments Akureyri, Hafnarstraeti 106, Akureyri 600 Iceland Icelandair Hotel Akureyri, Thingvallastraeti 23, Akureyri 600 Iceland Lava Apartments, Glerargoetu 3b, Akureyri 600 Iceland Lonsa Guesthouse, Lonsa, Akureyri 601 Iceland Our Guesthouse, Hafnarstraeti 82, Akureyri 600 Iceland Saeluhus Hotel Akureyri, Sunnutroed 2, Akureyri 600 Iceland Solgardar Guesthouse, Brekkugata 6, Akureyri 600 Iceland Sulur Gistiheimili 1, Thorunnarstraeti 93, Akureyri 600 Iceland Torg Guesthouse, Brekkugata 1b, Akureyri 600 Iceland Town Square Apartments, Radhustorgi 3, Akureyri 600 Iceland 6 Ravens (6 Hrafnar) Guesthouse, Hrafnagilsstraeti, Akureyri 600 AK Apartments, Geislagata 12, Akureyri 600 Brekkusel Guesthousem, Byggðavegur 97, Akureyri 600 Briet Apartments Akureyri, Munkaþverárstræti, Akureyri 600 City Square Apartments, Brekkugata 3, Akureyri 600 Guesthouse Akureyri, Hafnarstræti 108, Akureyri 600 Gula Villan Guesthouse, Þingvallastræti 14, Akureyri 600 Halllandsnes Apartments, Halllandsnes, Akureyri 601 K16 Apartments, Kaupvangsstræti 16, Akureyri 600 Pearl of the North Apartments, Mödruvallastræti 5, Akureyri 600 Pearl of the North Apartments, Munkathverárstræti 33, Akureyri 600 Strandgata 11 Apartments, Standgata 11, Akureyri 600 Sulur Guesthouse, Klettastígur 6, Akureyri 600
Operating hours.9:30 pm
Itinerary
Akureyrarkirkja (Pass By)
Additional Info
- Confirmation will be received at time of booking
- Not wheelchair accessible
- Most travelers can participate
- This tour/activity will have a maximum of 16 travelers
Supplied by
Cancellation Policy
You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.
Traveler Photos
Reviews
4.3
based on 82 reviews
Georgina_H, Feb 2026
Absolutely amazing experience with Arman, he picked us up from our hotel and drove for about 10mins before pulling over as he had spotted the northern lights! Great atmosphere, we loved hearing all about Icelandic culture and we got extremely lucky with an incredible northern lights display. I’d recommend this company to anyone!
Craig_B, Jan 2026
A fantastic experience with a professional company - they are knowledgeable, friendly and know all the secret viewing places. Even taking photos of couples with the lights. Highly recommend
Filmor_I, Jan 2026
Norbert was a great and very knowledgeable guide. He even picked us up for a second night after we didn’t see the Northern Lights the first time. Really appreciated his effort and kindness. Highly recommend.
sophie_c, Dec 2025
Very knowledgeable guides with interesting anecdotes alongside general information of the area. We didn’t see anything the first night and they allowed us a free re-try the next day. Would definitely recommend, just make sure to wrap up warm.
Molly_S, Dec 2025
We had an amazing time! The tour guide was very knowledgeable about the northern lights ! We didn’t see much the first hour but after waiting we got to see them pretty good! Definitely would come back and book this again!
Matt_B, Nov 2025
This guide was really good and knows how to find a good spot as well as what he’s looking for. It matters. It wasn’t a spectacular night, that’s outside his control, but it was very active (also outside his control). He knew a good spot to go to and how to find a good spot. Cold, cold weather. Brrr
Lindsay_M, Nov 2025
Great evening trip, picked up from our apartment and taken out of town. Plenty of information provided from the guide, very knowledgable, Got to see the lights, a very good night, spent a fair amount of time viewing them, guide was happy to stay as long as everybody wanted, and took plenty of photos, also helped us with the settings on our phones, so we could get the best shots! Defintely recoomend this tour, as must do in Akureyri.
David_I, Sep 2025
It was a great experience. Great hearing from the guide, who found a great spot for the lights. Guid
Shelly_G, Sep 2025
We had an amazing time on our tour! The guide was very informative and told us some great stories to pass the time while we waited for the lights to show up. We seen some amazing lights within just a short time! The guide took a great photo of us to remember the trip! Highly recommend this tour to anyone!
Angela_C, Mar 2025
Our Northern Lights tour with Armann was absolutely fantastic! He is extremely knowledgeable and hilarious, keeping us highly entertained while we waited for the lights to appear. Although there wasn’t much activity the first night (confirmed by others who had tried to see them), he generously gave us the opportunity to go again the following evening. We are so glad we did because the experience was truly unforgettable! Armann found the perfect spot for viewing and even helped everyone adjust their phone settings to capture the best shots. We couldn’t have asked for a better guide or a more incredible night!
We also highly recommend the Private Lake Mývatn Day Tour & Goðafoss Waterfall with the same company. Our guide, Jon, was incredible—knowledgeable, funny, and passionate about Iceland. He shared fascinating historical details and personal stories that made the entire day exceptional. It truly felt like we were spending time with a lifelong friend and we really appreciate all he did to ensure we had an amazing time!
Both Armann and Jon were an absolute pleasure to tour with. It is obvious they genuinely care about providing exceptional experiences and we highly recommend both!
Kamila_N, Mar 2025
We had a great time! Our guide Jon was excellent at finding good northern lights spots, very informative and professional. We went to a few different places to ensure the best viewing conditions.
Maria_C, Jan 2025
We did not see any Northern lights, and there was no efford to show us in other towns that we did say we were going to be.
Dave_H, Jan 2025
The guide rocked up in the largest 4x4 mini bus ever. The forecast was heavy cloud but our guide found a clear patch of sky and we saw some amazing Northern Lights.
This tour is almost 100% guaranteed to find them. If they are there they will find them.
Cesar_A, Oct 2024
Pick up was quick and easy your guide called me to make sure we didn’t miss the pick up. Very knowledgeable tour guide with a rich life story. Great intuition when it comes to chasing the northern lights and fantastic food recommendation! Will be recommending to friend and family.
Nayana_P, Sep 2024
Even cloudy atmosphere,& even you know possiblity of northern light nothing, you should not take payment from client.
Our payment just wasted
Dave_H, Sep 2024
It was forecasted to be clear but it turned out to be very cloudy. The tour guide tried for 2 and 1/2 hours to find a clear spot, but he couldn't find any. So we didn't see anything. And the next few nights are predicted to be overcast, so we can't even do a retry. Very disappointed. Also, this was our third try with Viator to see the Northern Lights and because of bad weather the first two were canceled and refunded. We will not book another Northern Lights tour. Instead, we'll just try going out on our own when the skies are clear. Don't want to throw away more money. We hope Viator will refund this trip for everybody that was on the tour.
Maria_K, Oct 2023
This was the worst part of our trip, not only because there was no sighting, but due to the lack of organisation and consideration. The pick up van was 45 min late and we were waiting at -4 C. Later I realised the driver was not familiar with the routes. We arrived in a parking lot where every 5 min there was a bypassing car. The driver, after blabbering some nonsense about Iceland, opened the door so that “we could see the lights”. The Boss came few minutes later, and while we are standing in the cold he is explaining about the phenomenon but he “did not want to go too technical on you guys.” We we’re getting bitter cold and I was hoping for the hot chocolate to get warm, which never came, who knows, because of COVID or something else. There must be tighter regulations on who can offer these activities. Because someone can drive a van, they are not a tour guide.
Susan_M, Sep 2023
I had expected this tour to be cancelled due to the weather. The tour operator said it was a go. The viewing conditions presented by the tour were not appropriate for viewing the aurora borealis. The night sky was not dark enough. We were too close to the city lights. You need total darkness to be able to view the aurora borealis in the best of conditions. I felt ripped off by the tour operator. If the tour had been titled “see Akureyri at night and hear stories from a local”, if would have been more accurate.
Mary_S, Sep 2023
I wanted to select a Not Applicable star, but it's not a choice. The tour was canceled by the local provider (Imagine Iceland) due to the weather with adequate advance notice. At least we didn't have to waste our time in what would have been a futile effort. There was some back and forth to getting a refund, but everything was settled correctly.
Betsy_M, Sep 2023
From our cruise ship, we were the only northern lights tour group that did not see the northern lights. I spoke with another guy and before we left, and he said that we would be able to see them in the east and he was correct. I kept asking our driver if we could go east, and he refused. He kept us within 5 mile radius of the cruise ship, we saw clearing in the clouds for a few moments maybe 20 to 25 minutes- only Stars in the sky.Other than that it was cloudy and starting to rain. After that short visit, we went for a brief drive to get a view of the cruise ship at night. That was the end of our tour.
Very disappointing he claims to have 48 spiders throughout the area and I can’t imagine how one of those people were unable to see the lights when every other tour group saw them and knew where to go.
We also seem to have quite a bit of ambient light around us, as we didn’t move very far from the cruise ship, and we could still see the city lights. As a professional we expected them to know more.
Make sure you book with the right Tours group. The picture on the ad looks the same but the names of the tour provider are different. Pay attention . I recommend Star.
Laurie_B, Sep 2023
We spent 2 hours looking for the Northern lights, we didn’t see any. We spent most of the time in the vehicle as it was very cold. This is a hit or miss excursion, consider yourself lucky if you see the lights. We were expecting to see something, so we were very disappointed that we saw no lights.
Eric_B, Sep 2023
Viator is horrible to book with. Our ship had to cancel our original dock time and many people on the excursion thought that they couldn't make it. Since it was within 24 hours of the tour Viator would not refund. We decided not to cancel and were lucky because the ship ended up making on time. Those who cancelled got no money back and Viator rebooked their spots.
The tour itself was ok...we didnt see the lights.... way too expensive to have someone drive a few miles and wait by the side of the road for a few hours to wait for the lights.
dansappington2004, Sep 2023
Very unprofessional and would never do this excursion again even if they paid me.
Don’t do it!
Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Kevin_L, Sep 2023
Fantastic trip with great leader who explained everything and showed us how to capture the best photos. It’s easier seeing the phenomena through the iPhone than the naked eye as it captures more light. The hot chocolate was very welcome. And we were picked up and dropped off right by our ship. Excellent service and good value. Thoroughly recommend.
Response from Host, Sep 2023
Hi,
Thank you for taking the time to write this review we really appreciate the feedback!
Steve_P, Apr 2023
We ended up going out on 2 separate evenings as the lights failed to show on the 1st evening, but were wonderful on the 2nd attempt, however Daniel & Armann were great hosts with a wealth of knowledge and experience as well as a wonderful sense of humour. We really enjoyed our tours with them.
Delphine_S, Mar 2023
Disappointing, didn't manage to see the northern lights and didn't have a refund either. Realized that buying direct on their website is much cheaper too.
Kirtida_P, Sep 2022
Great and knowledgeable tour guide. He was also quite funny and helpful. Explained what to look for and was very patient.
Emily_K, Sep 2022
We got to see the beautiful lights!! It was much more visible than I had expected, and the guide helped us out a lot to use our cameras. Very worth it!
jeremy_r, Mar 2022
The tour guide is an independent contractor, which I like. They know the area rather than being part of some company located in another country. Our tour guide was extremely knowledgeable about the area and knew exactly where to go to find pockets of clear sky and darkness. He gave all kinds of interesting facts about the aurora and he knew pretty much everything there is to know about every type of camera. So he helped us all with our settings to get the best pics. I’d definitely recommend the tour.
Unfortunately we had a lot of cloud coverage so, our pics are as spectacular as we’d hoped. But that’s nature. You sort of get what you get. Definitely do the tour, but adjust your expectations to the weather ahead of time and you won’t be disappointed.
Terry_T, Dec 2021
Excellent guide, he knew the skies of northern Iceland. We had a great hour viewing the beautiful northern lights swirling in the sky.
From $148.43
per personup to 24 hours before the experience starts (local time)
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