Reykjavik: Northern Lights Yacht Tour

The aurora feels even bigger from the sea. This two-hour yacht cruise leaves Reykjavík’s Old Harbor, moves beyond the city glow, and gives you three open viewing decks for the northern lights. I especially like the comfortable yacht setting and the chance to warm up with hot chocolate or another drink in the bar. I also like the helpful guides, who point out the aurora and show you how to improve your phone photos.

The main catch is simple: the northern lights are never guaranteed, and the open decks can be painfully cold. A boat also moves beneath your camera, so long-exposure photographs may blur. Still, the operator offers free rescheduling when the lights do not appear, which makes the risk easier to accept.

Key points before you book

• Three panoramic decks: Move between viewing levels to find a clear sightline and more room for photographs.
• A proper yacht, not just a basic boat: You get indoor seating, toilets, Wi-Fi, blankets, and a bar serving hot and cold drinks.
• Two hours is a sensible length: You have enough time to sail away from Reykjavík’s glow without spending half the night at sea.
• The guide helps with the waiting: Guides explain the aurora, identify new activity, and may help you adjust your phone camera.
• Pickup is optional: You can meet at the Old Harbour House or add hotel pickup from the Reykjavík area.
• Free rebooking helps: If the lights do not appear, the company may let you return, subject to its conditions and availability.

Leaving Reykjavík from the Old Harbor

Your evening begins at the Old Harbour House on Aegisgardur 2. Plan to arrive 30 minutes before departure. Check-in is simple: scan the bar code or QR code on your ticket at the self-service kiosk.

If you choose hotel pickup, transportation is available from hotels in the Reykjavík area. The pickup option can be useful on a cold or wet night, especially if you are staying outside the harbor district. If you do not need it, the meeting point is easy to build into an evening around central Reykjavík.

The Old Harbour House also gives you somewhere to wait before boarding. One recent departure included a 15 percent restaurant discount for the booking holder, though you should confirm that offer when you arrive because promotions can change. After check-in, you walk a short distance to the yacht.

The process is not meant to be a sightseeing stop in itself. Its value is practical: you are not standing on a dark pier trying to find the right vessel. The staff handles the transition, and the boat generally leaves on time.

A two-hour route into Faxaflói Bay

Once aboard, the yacht sails among the small islands in Faxaflói Bay and follows the Reykjavík coast. The purpose of this route is to put distance between you and the city’s artificial light.

That matters because even a strong aurora can look faint when viewed through city glow. Out on the bay, the sky has a better chance of appearing dark enough for the green, pink, and white tones to show. The boat does not need to travel for hours to reach a useful viewing area, which helps explain why the two-hour format works well.

Several departures reached a viewing area after roughly 30 minutes. Other nights brought early sightings, sometimes before the boat had fully left the harbor. The guide watches the sky during the journey and tells you when activity begins. You may spend part of the cruise sailing, part waiting, and part moving again to find clearer conditions.

The waiting is part of the bargain. An aurora cruise cannot manufacture clear skies or solar activity. On a quiet night, you might spend much of the trip looking up at clouds or a dark sky. The onboard bar and indoor seating make that wait more pleasant than standing beside a roadside coach in the cold.

Three decks for aurora watching

The yacht has three panoramic deck areas, giving you several ways to watch the sky. You can move outside when the aurora appears, then return indoors when your fingers begin to lose the argument.

The upper viewing areas provide the widest sky. This is where you will want to be when the lights begin to spread across the horizon. The top deck is open air, so it gives you the least obstruction but also the most exposure to wind and cold. Covered outdoor areas offer some shelter while keeping you close to the sky.

On busy departures, the upper deck can become crowded. One passenger who returned for multiple attempts found that rebooking brought more people aboard, leaving less indoor seating. If you care about securing a comfortable place inside, arrive early and choose your seat before the sky becomes active.

You should not expect a perfectly stable platform for photography. Several departures had calm water, but others were choppy enough to make phone photos difficult. Long exposures are especially vulnerable to movement. The boat may feel smooth to you while still shifting enough to soften a timed photograph.

The best approach is to treat photographs as a bonus. Watch the aurora with your eyes first, then take a few pictures. Guides have helped passengers adjust phone settings and have taken photos for couples and families. That practical help can make a real difference, especially if you have never photographed the northern lights before.

What the guides add to the night

The guide is more than an announcer pointing toward the sky. During the sailing time, you can hear explanations about the aurora and the stars, along with updates about where to look.

Guides named in recent departures include Maria, Julian, Brianta, Lucky, and Amelia Rose. The quality of a live guide can vary by person and by position on the yacht, but the strongest reports describe clear explanations, good energy, and help with photography. One guide alerted people sitting indoors whenever a new wave appeared, so they did not miss the show while warming up.

Sound can be less reliable outside. A guide may be easy to hear in one part of the boat and harder to follow from another deck. If the explanation matters to you, stay near the guide when possible, or ask a crew member where the commentary will be easiest to hear.

The guide also helps with morale. Aurora hunting involves stretches of uncertainty. A calm explanation about cloud cover or changing activity is far better than guessing why the boat has stopped. On some nights, the first faint glow appeared near the end of the outing, so keeping people informed matters.

The bar, lounge, and warm-up plan

Inside, you will find a bar and lounge area with seating, drinks, snacks, and hot chocolate. Alcoholic drinks are available for purchase, and several people singled out hot chocolate with Baileys or amaretto as a favorite cold-weather treat.

Drinks are not included in the $93 price, so budget extra if you want to use the bar. Still, the facility adds real value. You can spend the first part of the trip indoors, keep your coat on, and step outside when the guide announces activity.

Warm blankets are provided, and sea sickness tablets are available at the bar. These are useful touches, though they do not replace proper clothing. A blanket helps your lap, but it cannot fully protect your hands, face, or feet on an open deck.

The indoor area is especially helpful for families, older passengers, and anyone who does not want to stand outside for two hours. One family chose this shorter cruise instead of a four-hour outing, finding the indoor seating and manageable length a better fit. The boat also has toilet facilities, so you are not committed to staying outside once the yacht leaves the harbor.

How cold is the open deck?

Very cold can mean very cold. One departure reached minus 10 degrees Celsius, and passengers were glad they had layers, gloves, coats, and sturdy winter shoes. Other nights were less severe, but the wind over the water can make the temperature feel lower than it does in Reykjavík.

Bring:

• Several warm layers
• A windproof outer coat
• Gloves and a hat
• Warm, comfortable shoes
• A camera or phone
• A portable charger if you plan to photograph often

The official advice lists comfortable shoes, warm clothing, and a camera. I would treat all three as essential. You may move between decks, wait outside for a sighting, and stand on a moving surface while taking photos.

If you are sensitive to cold, choose an indoor seat near an exit. That lets you warm up without missing too much time when the aurora appears. The bar, lounge, and blankets make this strategy realistic, though an especially crowded departure may limit your choice of seats.

What you might see, and what you might not

The northern lights can appear as a faint gray or green band before becoming brighter. Cameras often record color more strongly than your eyes at first. On good nights, the glow can turn into green arcs, shifting curtains, or broad bands stretching over the bay.

Some departures saw the aurora within five or ten minutes of leaving the harbor. Others waited 30 or 40 minutes. One night produced activity for almost two hours, while another offered only brief glimpses through clouds. A few outings did not produce a sighting at all.

That range is not a flaw in the boat. Cloud cover and aurora activity are natural conditions outside the company’s control. The important question is how the operator handles a quiet night. If the lights are not seen, you may be able to reschedule for free. Some passengers returned two days later, while others were offered the option to return within three years.

You should confirm the exact rebooking terms with the provider, especially if your Iceland visit is short. A flexible return policy is valuable only if you still have time in Reykjavík or expect to come back.

Wildlife and extra sights along the way

The aurora is the main event, but the bay can provide other surprises. One departure included a sighting of two humpback whales. That should be treated as luck, not an expected part of the cruise.

You may also see Reykjavík from the water, along with coastal views and the small islands of Faxaflói Bay. On clear nights, the change in viewpoint gives the excursion more substance than simply waiting for a light show. On cloudy nights, those views help keep the two-hour trip from feeling completely lost.

The boat itself has character. One passenger noted that an original stateroom from the yacht’s earlier life remains onboard. That detail gives the vessel more personality than a plain sightseeing craft, though the main reason to choose this trip is still the dark-water viewing position.

Is $93 good value?

At $93 per person, this is not the cheapest way to search for the aurora. You are paying for a guided boat trip, a two-hour duration, three viewing decks, indoor seating, Wi-Fi, blankets, and a bar rather than for a guaranteed sighting.

The price makes the most sense if you value comfort and a different setting. A yacht gives you room to move between outside and inside, and you avoid sitting on a bus for the entire search. Hotel pickup is available if selected, which can add convenience but may change the final price.

The value drops if your only goal is the lowest-cost chance of seeing the lights. You could spend the entire cruise under clouds, and drinks cost extra. You also need to accept that a moving boat is not the ideal platform for sharp long-exposure images.

I consider the price fair for a two-hour evening activity when the yacht is not overcrowded. The free rescheduling option improves the deal, but it cannot help much if you are leaving Iceland the next morning. In that case, book only if you are comfortable treating the cruise as a scenic evening on the bay, with the aurora as the hoped-for reward.

Who will enjoy this yacht cruise?

I would recommend it to you if you want:

• A short aurora outing rather than a four-hour hunt
• Indoor seating and a bar between sightings
• Multiple outdoor decks for viewing
• A guided experience with photo help
• An alternative to a coach-based northern lights trip
• A comfortable option for families and mixed-age groups

It is also a good fit for a final evening in Reykjavík, provided you understand the weather risk. Several people described the lights as the highlight or finale of their Iceland trip, while others enjoyed the yacht even before the aurora appeared.

I would hesitate if you dislike cold, motion, or uncertainty. You will need to step outside for the best views, and the boat may shift beneath your feet. If your visit allows only one attempt, a free rebooking policy may not help you.

Should you book the Reykjavík Northern Lights Yacht Tour?

Book it if you want the northern lights search to feel like a proper evening out rather than a roadside wait. The yacht is comfortable, the three decks give you good access to the sky, and the bar provides a welcome refuge when the wind rises.

Go in with realistic expectations. The aurora may be faint, brief, hidden by clouds, or absent. Dress for the worst cold, arrive early if indoor seating matters, keep your phone ready, and listen for the guide’s updates.

At $93, this is a reasonable choice for a two-hour, guided boat experience with the added chance of seeing one of nature’s great shows. The strongest reason to book is not a promise of bright green curtains. It is the combination of a pleasant yacht, helpful staff, open-water views, and a rescheduling option that gives you another chance when the sky refuses to cooperate.

FAQ

Where does the northern lights yacht tour depart from?

The meeting point is the Old Harbour House at Aegisgardur 2, 101 Reykjavík.

How early should I arrive?

You should check in 30 minutes before departure.

How do I check in at the Old Harbour House?

Scan the bar code or QR code on your ticket at the self-service kiosk.

How long is the yacht tour?

The cruise lasts two hours.

Is hotel pickup available?

Yes. Pickup is available from hotels in the Reykjavík area if you select that option.

Are drinks included in the price?

No. Drinks can be bought at the onboard bar. Hot drinks, alcoholic drinks, soft drinks, and some snacks are available.

Are blankets provided?

Yes. Warm blankets are included onboard.

Are sea sickness tablets available?

Yes. Sea sickness tablets are available at the bar.

What happens if I do not see the northern lights?

Sightings are not guaranteed. If the lights are not seen, it may be possible to reschedule for free with the activity provider.