Reykjavik Northern Lights Tour: An Honest Review
Alright, so you’re maybe thinking of booking a Northern Lights tour from Reykjavik? Yeah, seeing the Aurora Borealis has become something on pretty much everyone’s bucket list, and Iceland, with its dark winter nights and crazy landscapes, offers maybe one of the neatest spots to potentially check this natural spectacle off your own list. I mean, tour companies kinda all promise an amazing experience, but what’s it really like? Is that “From Reykjavik Private Northern Lights Tour” thing worth the cash? Let’s find out together, right?
What to Expect on Your Hunt
Typically, the private Northern Lights tour outta Reykjavik is more than just a ride; it’s like, this dedicated attempt to actually find those lights, especially when the standard group tours might not provide, maybe, enough flexibility or personalized attention. The typical plan usually looks kinda like this, right?
Pickup and Departure: Normally, it all starts in the late afternoon or early evening, which totally depends on the time of year and also on when darkness really falls. Your tour guide, who is almost your personal aurora whisperer, normally picks you right up from your accommodation. Oh, and that’s always really nice. No need, as a matter of fact, to trudge to a central meeting spot. You’re in a comfy vehicle, often a Super Jeep or a nicely equipped minivan, really. This almost always makes for a smooth ride, regardless of where those lights take you. Usually these trucks are equipped with oversized tires and higher clearances, allowing them to reach further destinations up dirt tracks on the island, giving you more variety of options as to where the aurora might be spotted, increasing your chances of catching a viewing.
Chasing the Forecast: Your guide probably keeps a very keen eye on the aurora and the weather forecasts. The aim really is to escape the light pollution from Reykjavik. It’s a no-brainer, I mean you kinda have to if you’re looking to actually see something. That includes potentially driving a fair distance outside of the city, maybe heading towards the Snaefellsnes Peninsula, or possibly south close to Vik. They want the darkest possible skies. The cool thing tends to be that they will choose where to drive based on those conditions, so flexibility proves useful.
Hunting Locations: So the guide knows a few select viewing spots, maybe it’s a dramatic coastline, or perhaps it’s by a frozen lake, or even inside a lava field. These guys really pick places that give great views, potentially while offering a very dramatic backdrop, which might even prove quite picturesque if the aurora dances above. In addition to that, it will likely also give your own photos some unique character. They’re going to kinda keep an eye on things to determine whether the spot they pick really has a chance for showing you something.
Waiting Game (with Perks): Alright, so let’s say that you have driven to your selected location, but it is overcast. The odds are, that waiting around may be in the books. It’s always kinda wise to pack a few snacks, but that’s beside the point. Waiting is probably made bearable, actually, with hot drinks and maybe some Icelandic treats provided by the tour company. They may possibly set up chairs. In the case of really persistent cloud cover they might suggest, possibly, moving to another location, that they are aware of and may just have clear skies.
Aurora Viewing: Now, if the lights show up, the guide probably helps you find the best spots for seeing them, helps you get your camera settings right, maybe even takes some photos of you under the lights. Oh, and if they don’t appear, I mean some tours offer another free trip on another night. However, this isn’t set in stone.
Return Trip: Oh, it’s typically very late when you get back to your hotel in Reykjavik. Be prepared to be potentially really sleepy. Depending on how far you went hunting, it might even be closer to 2am or 3am. As they say, safety first. Especially, I mean, if weather is very icy.
What Makes It Private and Better, I Mean?
You may very well wonder, I mean, you could save some money going with the coach tours or regular bus tours. It is also true, so, there has got to be some justification, alright? Well, what’s nice about a private tour tends to be this custom experience with the upside of not becoming completely broke. Here are kinda a few key differences. Right?
More Flexibility: Typically the group tours operate on a fixed schedule, I mean they would have to, right? Your private tour possibly tailors the trip completely to your own needs, maybe even to how long you’re wanting to be out. You actually wanna visit a specific place? You maybe just aren’t feeling the proposed route? It could very well be easier to do that on a private tour. Having access to your own, dedicated guide may prove to be quite beneficial, at least compared to being one among forty people onboard some bus.
Personalized Attention: Your guide kinda gives their undivided attention to just you and your group. Right, this actually might matter a fair amount if you aren’t really great with your camera settings, and want to snap that really sick photo of the lights. Or, I mean, you simply have a bunch of questions. Having some really personal guidance really might turn out useful for you. As well as, for all those more introverted people, that may kinda shudder at the very notion of crowded tourist buses. If this describes you, then that’s yet another great argument to simply spring for that slightly more premium Northern Lights tour experience, you might argue.
Comfort: A private tour commonly uses a comfortable, possibly premium vehicle. This is always gonna mean the seats will be a lot comfier, with even a higher likelihood of access to things, too, like Wi-Fi onboard. This could prove quite nice on the long drives out of Reykjavik, depending on how you feel about being disconnected for hours, even from your favorite streaming service, or friends online, while heading into nothing but complete darkness, right?
Avoiding Crowds: The normal group tours tend to go to spots that they frequent quite a lot, because they are the main popular viewpoints to catch auroras. What will your own tour company probably do? Well they tend to search out hidden locations where there are much fewer other tourists. So, this proves useful if you don’t have a deep love for the general tourist experience.
Things That Could Improve, Or Be Aware Of
No tour, I mean, regardless of how expensive, tends to be perfect, to be honest. Even with private Northern Lights tours, maybe there are things to keep in mind, that can kinda temper your expectations a bit?
Aurora Unpredictability: Let’s be real: No company can guarantee that the aurora would show. Right, Iceland is really in the northern lights zone, but the Aurora Borealis might prove to be picky, when they choose to come out. All that cash for a private tour tends to only buy you all the flexibility, with even potentially greater expertise in hunting down possible sightings; yet the actual phenomenon really will come down to solar activity, with even weather having its own influence.
Price Tag: Let’s just face this truth, they really come at a premium, that can be significant. In other words: You kinda gotta expect to pay substantially more for that exclusive personal treatment.
Long and potentially cold nights: A night of northern lights chasing almost tends to involve hours spent possibly out in the dark. Layering becomes essential if you happen to be standing for very long periods out in the open. Also be aware that you may require sitting in a truck and maybe moving locations to catch glimpses through fleeting openings in cloud.
Hidden costs could appear: Alright, so do make super extra certain what might be included in your given package, potentially comparing it versus what tends to be extra. Such as it may happen that you’ll be wanting professional photos being taken from the guide themselves. Check out, ahead of booking the private aurora tour, so that you will probably avoid any unwelcome cost surprises later.
Essential Questions Answered
Alright, so just some extra info which, I mean, may just spring to mind.
Is a private tour really worth it? If that custom approach matters to you a bunch, and your own finances may accommodate the given expense without feeling financially stressed over it, then, yeah, probably!
How long do they tend to last? So anticipate around four to seven hours, give or take a bit.
Should I pick one with the photographer included, potentially? If that prospect of potentially stunning northern lights shots appeal, with you being in them, absolutely! They’re commonly very comfortable with all sorts of camera settings in dark environments, too.
When’s possibly the ideal window to spot them, though? I mean, generally, you would have success, if that trip happens between September through to April. That kinda translates into really long, as well as very dark nights.
Is it alright to book it early? Book early, I would tend to argue! It’ll become more so critical, naturally, around peak season, or probably around the time when you wanna come, basically, ensuring you are grabbing your chosen time slot for aurora hunting.
Recommendations to Book Your Trip
The right tour, right? Here are some of my insights into a few of those highly rated tour providers, so you should potentially go, and even check their reviews out, yeah?
- Reykjavik Excursions: Known to be rather reliable, Reykjavik Excursions kinda operate private Northern Lights tours offering some expert guides along with, too, really nice vehicles.
- Arctic Adventures: They also offer a private Northern Lights experience to be highly personalized. Arctic Adventures also may be a great choice especially should you seek slightly more tailored adventure-oriented style tour
- Guide to Iceland: Is actually a booking platform that will include a great number of private tour options so you can maybe compare various packages also from different operators so you can even better satisfy any given unique travel needs
Ensure that when you have kinda selected a given provider, always read all given terms plus policies super extra closely! Or double check their cancellation rule just in case of poor weather conditions or, probably, unexpected tour changes due to environmental factors to name one possible consideration
The chase might be exciting! The aurora may just become some very cool life event that actually stays glued to your memories really for long afterward. Picking out an experienced private tour has a great shot at ensuring that things become, indeed, unforgettable also for that really favorable reason that comes through sheer northern-lights gazing
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