The classic, budget-friendly aurora hunt
A coach tour is how most visitors see the northern lights from Reykjavik. It is cheap, simple and run by companies that have done it every night for years. Here is what to expect on board, how the three main bus options differ and when it is worth paying more.
All three include pickup in Reykjavik and a guided hunt outside the city. Ratings and review counts from GetYourGuide.
The most-booked aurora tour in Iceland by a long way. A large heated coach takes you out of the city to whichever dark spot has the clearest sky that night, the guide explains what you are looking at, and hot cocoa keeps you going while you wait. It is the cheapest guided option and a sensible first hunt; the trade-off is sharing the viewing spot with a full coach.
Check availability
A newer coach tour that sits between the big bus and a minibus: a comfortable coach, Icelandic guides who chase the forecast and a small local gift. Good value if you want a guided hunt at a bus price but would like a little more attention.
Check availability
A budget bus hunt whose main selling point is the guarantee: if the lights do not show, you can rejoin on another night, and the operator advertises that the retry does not expire. Reviews are more mixed than the other buses here, so book it for the price and the safety net, not for the comfort.
Check availabilityBig coach tours are the backbone of aurora hunting in Reykjavik. With tens of thousands of guests a season, the operators know every dark car park within an hour of the city, they have guides who read the forecast for a living, and their scale keeps the price low. If you simply want a good chance of seeing the lights without spending much, this is the obvious choice.
You will share the experience with a full coach, and on busy nights several coaches may stop at the same spot. Photographers sometimes complain about headlights and torches. Coaches also need proper parking, so they cannot use the small side roads a minibus can. None of this stops you seeing the aurora, but it is why small-group tours score higher in reviews.
The cheapest tours save money on group size and extras. You may get a shorter time out, no photos and less help from the guide. That is fine if your goal is simply to see the lights. If you want pictures of yourself under the aurora, a cheap bus plus a missing photo is a false saving: compare it with a minibus that includes photos on the price guide.
Large buses are not allowed on many streets in central Reykjavik, so pickup is often from one of the city’s numbered bus stops rather than your door. After booking you choose your hotel and the system tells you the nearest stop and time. Be there early: the minibus that collects guests for the main coach does not wait long. Hotels outside the centre are usually picked up at the door.
Usually three to four hours, sometimes longer on active nights. Pickup is in the evening and you are back around midnight or 1 am.
In October 2026 the main bus tours started at about $80 to $95 per adult on GetYourGuide. Children often travel at a reduced price or free.
Yes, if you want the cheapest guided way to see the lights. If photos or a quieter experience matter to you, a small-group minibus is worth the extra money.
The main bus operators offer a free retry if no northern lights are seen. Check the conditions on the booking page before you pay.
