From Reykjavik: Northern Lights Boat Cruise

The best part of this cruise is the quick escape from Reykjavik’s city glow. You sail into Faxaflói, where darker skies give the Aurora Borealis a better chance to show itself, while the city lights shimmer behind you. I like the heated indoor cabins and the warm flotation overalls, since you can move between comfort and the open deck without giving up the view.

I also like the free return ticket if the sky stays empty. Guides such as Lucas have helped with camera settings, taken photos for passengers, and kept the mood upbeat when nature refused to cooperate. The main drawback is simple: the Northern Lights cannot be scheduled. You may spend two hours on the water, or sometimes longer, and see only stars, clouds, and Reykjavik from offshore.

Key points to know before sailing

• Dark-water viewing: The boat leaves Reykjavik’s bright center and heads into Faxaflói for a clearer view of the night sky.
• Warm gear included: Flotation overalls help you stay outside, though you should still wear proper cold-weather layers.
• Free second chance: If no Northern Lights appear, you can use your booking number to join again without paying another tour fee.
• Guides add more than directions: Expect explanations of Aurora science, Icelandic beliefs, local legends, and help with camera settings.
• City views are part of the trip: Even on a clouded night, you get a different look at Reykjavik from the sea.
• Simple harbor logistics: Meet at the Special Tours office at Geirsgata 11, and arrive about 30 minutes early.

Leaving Reykjavik for Faxaflói after dark

Your evening begins at Geirsgata 11, at the Special Tours office on the corner. The meeting point is in the harbor area, and you should arrive 30 minutes before departure for check-in. Hotel pickup is not included, so plan to reach the harbor on your own.

Once aboard, the vessel heads out from Reykjavik into Faxaflói. The trip is not built around a series of shore stops. The boat itself is your viewing platform, and the captain can spend the sailing time searching for breaks in the cloud cover and darker areas away from the city.

That makes this a different kind of Northern Lights outing from a road tour. You do not stop at a waterfall, hot spring, or remote countryside site. Instead, you stay on the water for the full search, with open views in several directions and the Reykjavik skyline as a useful point of reference behind you.

The sea adds a nice sense of distance. Even before the Aurora appears, you can look back toward the city and watch its lights from offshore. On a successful night, the dark sky above and the glow of Reykjavik below create a memorable setting. On a poor-weather night, those city views may become the main visual reward.

The open deck, indoor cabin, and warm overalls

The boat offers heated indoor cabins with toilets, WiFi, and a bar where you can buy drinks and snacks. That matters more than it may sound. Northern Lights tours involve waiting, and waiting outdoors in Iceland can become uncomfortable fast, especially when wind moves across the water.

You can put on the supplied warm flotation overalls and head onto the deck to watch the sky. These suits are a useful extra layer, but they do not replace your own clothing. Bring a hat, gloves, warm socks, and weather-appropriate layers. One practical tip is to choose an overall size that fits over your clothes rather than one that fits tightly over a thin base layer.

The deck is where you want to be when the sky begins to change. At other times, you can return to the heated cabin, warm up, use the toilet, and buy a refreshment before heading outside again. Complimentary seasickness tablets are available, which is helpful if you are unsure how you will feel on the water.

There is one small comfort issue to keep in mind. Moving around in a bulky suit can make a quick trip to the toilet less convenient, so use the facilities before putting on all your gear. If seats become damp from wet clothing or the suits, they may feel cold, so keeping a spare layer or small towel handy would be sensible, though neither is listed as provided.

How the Northern Lights search works

The Aurora is an unpredictable natural event, not a scheduled show. The crew can take you away from bright city lights and choose a useful viewing area, but they cannot make the lights appear or control clouds.

That uncertainty is the central bargain of the tour. On one night, you may see the lights with your own eyes before the boat has even settled into its viewing position. On another, you may spend the whole sailing watching stars and waiting for clouds to shift.

Past departures have included nights with faint Aurora visible only briefly, nights when the display appeared near the end of the return journey, and nights with no sighting at all. Some cruises have also lasted longer than the advertised two hours when the captain and crew had a reason to keep looking. Treat the two-hour duration as the normal plan, not a promise that every trip will end exactly on schedule.

The free retry makes this uncertainty easier to accept. If there is no sighting, your booking number can be used to reschedule. You still need to have another suitable evening in your Iceland schedule, though. That option is valuable only if you leave room for it.

If your trip to Reykjavik is short, book this experience early in your stay rather than on your final night. That gives you a chance to try again if clouds or weak activity spoil the first outing. The free rebooking does not help much if you are heading to the airport the next morning.

What the guide adds during the wait

A good guide matters on a Northern Lights cruise because there can be long quiet stretches. The live commentary covers the science behind the Aurora as well as Icelandic beliefs and local legends connected with the lights.

You will hear more than a simple explanation of why the sky glows. The guide helps turn the waiting period into part of the evening, pointing out what to watch and adding context to the natural event. English is the stated tour language.

Guide Lucas has received particular praise for his humor, kindness, and practical help. He has helped passengers adjust camera settings and taken photos so they could stay present instead of spending the whole display behind a phone. That kind of assistance is especially useful because the Aurora can look weak in person but appear more clearly in a long-exposure photograph.

Do not expect every camera or phone to capture the same result. The guide can help with settings, but the quality of your image still depends on your device and the strength of the display. Bring your camera if you have one, but do not make photography your only reason for booking. The best moments may be too brief or faint for a quick handheld picture.

The crew’s attitude also matters on nights without a sighting. A fun guide cannot replace the lights, but good commentary and star watching make the wait less flat. One especially kind example involved Lucas helping passengers search for a lost phone after the boat returned and even arranging a ride back to their hotel. That was an unusual act of service, not a standard tour inclusion, but it says something useful about the tone you may encounter from the staff.

When the sky stays dark

A no-show is not a failed sightseeing tour in the usual sense, because the main subject is outside human control. Still, you are paying about $101 per person, so it is fair to ask what you receive if the Aurora never appears.

You get a boat ride through Faxaflói, views of Reykjavik from the water, time under a dark sky, guide commentary, warm overalls, indoor shelter, and the chance to return free. Some people have spent the evening star gazing and enjoyed the atmosphere despite seeing no green or purple glow. Others have tried a second night and still had no luck.

That is why I would not book this as your only Northern Lights plan. If seeing the Aurora is a top priority, keep several evenings open and consider the free retry a useful safety net rather than a guarantee. You may also want to compare it with land-based options, but this cruise has a clear advantage if you like being on the water and want a relaxed setting without changing hotels or spending the night in a vehicle.

The crew may offer a small consolation, such as complimentary drinks or shots, but do not count on that as part of the advertised package. Food and drinks are not included, although you can buy them onboard.

Seeing the lights from the water

When the Aurora arrives, the boat gives you a broad view of the sky. You are not hemmed in by buildings, and you can move between the deck and cabin as conditions change. The supplied suits let you remain outside longer than ordinary winter clothing alone might allow.

The intensity can vary. A faint display may look like a pale band or soft haze to your eyes, while a camera records it more strongly. A bright display can appear to move and ripple across the sky, creating the dramatic moment this tour is designed to find.

The sea also changes the mood. You have the quiet of the water, the dark overhead sky, and Reykjavik’s lights in the distance. This is not a wilderness expedition, but it is far enough from the city center to give the night a more spacious feel.

Keep your expectations sensible. The supplied information does not promise a particular route, a particular boat, or a particular strength of Aurora. During some periods, environmental measures mean the operator may share a boat with a partner company so fewer vessels are on the water. That can change the exact feel of the departure, but the aim remains the same.

Is $101 a fair price?

At $101, this is not the cheapest way to spend an evening in Reykjavik, but the value depends heavily on how you use it. The price covers the two-hour Northern Lights cruise, professional guides, warm flotation overalls, indoor heated areas, toilets, WiFi, and a free return if no lights are seen.

The repeat option is the most important part of the value. A single unsuccessful night can feel expensive, but a second attempt without another tour charge gives you a better chance if your schedule allows it. The price is easier to justify for visitors staying several nights than for someone with only one free evening.

Food and drinks cost extra, and transport to and from the harbor is your responsibility. Add those details to your budget. The lack of hotel pickup is not a major issue if you are staying in central Reykjavik and can reach Geirsgata 11 easily, but it is worth planning for in bad weather.

I think the price works best for someone who values the complete evening rather than a guaranteed result. You are paying for access to darker water, equipment, guidance, and a second chance. You are not paying for a guaranteed light show.

Who will enjoy this cruise most?

This boat trip suits you if you want a straightforward Northern Lights outing from Reykjavik and like the idea of watching from the sea. It is also a good fit if you prefer a heated cabin and toilet nearby instead of standing outdoors beside a roadside viewpoint for hours.

It works well for couples, families, and mixed groups where some people want to stay warm while others watch from the deck. The wheelchair-accessible setup may also make it a practical choice for some visitors, though you should confirm any individual access needs when booking.

You should think twice if you dislike boats, get seasick easily, or have no spare evening for a retry. The tablets onboard may help with seasickness, but the tour remains a marine outing. You should also avoid booking it as your final possible Aurora night if a second attempt would be important to you.

The cruise is less suitable if you want a full Iceland sightseeing day attached to your Northern Lights hunt. The itinerary is focused: check in, sail into Faxaflói, search the sky, listen to commentary, and return to Geirsgata 11.

Practical details that make the evening easier

Arrive 30 minutes early at the Special Tours office on the corner of Geirsgata 11. Since pickup is not included, check your route to the harbor before leaving your accommodation.

Wear proper cold-weather clothing even though overalls are provided. The suits are repeatedly praised for keeping people warm, but the deck is still exposed, and you will need warm layers underneath.

Keep your phone and camera secure in zipped pockets. If you hope to photograph the Aurora, ask the guide for help with settings. The crew may also take photographs that are made available later, which lets you watch the sky instead of constantly adjusting your device.

Allow flexibility after the listed two hours. Most departures are described as two hours, but some outings have continued longer while the crew waited for clearer skies or a late appearance. Do not schedule an important dinner or show immediately after the planned return.

Free cancellation is available up to 24 hours before departure, and you can reserve now and pay later. Those terms are useful when Iceland’s weather changes quickly, but you should still check the available departure time for your chosen date.

Should you book the Reykjavik Northern Lights boat cruise?

Book it if you want a comfortable, easy-to-reach Aurora search with city views, heated shelter, warm overalls, and a free second attempt. I especially like it for visitors staying several nights who can try again if the first sky is cloudy.

Skip it if you need certainty, have only one short evening, or would rather chase the lights by road through remote countryside. No boat can promise the Aurora, and even two attempts may produce nothing.

For the right schedule, this is a sensible way to give the Northern Lights a try without making the entire night harsh or complicated. Keep your expectations realistic, dress warmly, and treat the cruise, the stars, the water, and the city views as part of the evening. If the lights appear, you may get the unforgettable show you came for. If they do not, the free retry gives nature one more chance.

FAQ

Where does the Northern Lights boat cruise leave from?

The meeting point is Geirsgata 11 in Reykjavik. Check in at the Special Tours office on the corner and arrive about 30 minutes early.

How long does the cruise last?

The stated duration is two hours. Some departures may last longer while the crew waits for clearer skies or a possible Northern Lights sighting.

What happens if no Northern Lights appear?

You can use your booking number to reschedule and join the tour again free of charge. You need to have another suitable time available during your stay.

Are warm clothes provided?

Warm flotation overalls are provided. You should still bring weather-appropriate clothing and wear warm layers underneath.

Can I buy food or drinks on the boat?

Food and drinks are not included, but they can be purchased onboard. The boat also has heated indoor cabins and toilet facilities.

Is hotel pickup included?

No. You are responsible for reaching Geirsgata 11 and returning from the meeting point after the cruise.

Is the cruise wheelchair accessible?

Yes, the activity is listed as wheelchair accessible. The tour language is English, and experienced guides provide live commentary.