Skip the cruise-ship crowds. Our private 4x4 aurora chase uses real-time cloud forecasts from the Icelandic Met Office, five possible hunting locations around Eyjafjörður, and a night-vision spotter to maximise your chance of seeing the lights dance.
Skip the cruise-ship crowds. Our private 4x4 aurora chase uses real-time cloud forecasts from the Icelandic Met Office, five possible hunting locations around Eyjafjörður, and a night-vision spotter to maximise your chance of seeing the lights dance.
Rating
4.7 / 5.0
Languages
English, Icelandic, German
Location
Akureyri
Difficulty
Easy
September – mid-April
Weather may affect visibility, not operation — we run regardless unless conditions are genuinely unsafe.
Operated by
Akureyri-born and Akureyri-based, we have been chasing the northern lights and guiding whale-watching trips in Skjálfandi Bay since 2015. Our team of eight combines marine biologists from the University of Akureyri, a retired Icelandic Met Office forecaster, and certified wilderness first responders — a mix you don't find in the big Reykjavík operators. We run a deliberately small operation. No rented coaches, no commission-only freelance guides. Every vehicle in our fleet is owned, serviced, and driven by someone on the team. When you book with us in October, the guide picking you up from your Akureyri hotel is the same person who serviced that van the week before and who will be logging the whales you see into our long-running Skjálfandi Bay cetacean database. North Iceland sees a fraction of the tourist traffic of the south — which is exactly why we love it. Mývatn, Húsavík, Goðafoss, Dimmuborgir, the Diamond Circle — these places still feel like discoveries. We keep group sizes under eight on the aurora chases and under twelve for the day tours, so they stay that way.
Collect you from your hotel.
Typically 20–30 minutes north of Akureyri, away from the town's light glow.
If clouds roll in, we relocate — usually 15 minutes to a second spot with different cloud coverage.
A final 15 minutes at a dark location if the forecast still favours it, otherwise we turn for home.
Back at your hotel.
We provide gear for your comfort and safety where required:
This tour is suitable for most fitness levels:
MW
April 2026
“Lovely, relaxed day. Goðafoss was as pretty as the postcards, the sulphur vents at Hverir smell exactly like you'd imagine, and the Mývatn Nature Baths were a real highlight — quieter than the Blue Lagoon and the view over Hverfjall crater is unbeatable. Lunch at Vogafjós farm was genuinely good (the smoked trout!). Our only nitpick: the Dimmuborgir walk felt a bit short compared to everything else in the day. Would still recommend.”
MW
April 2026
“Two humpbacks, a minke, and enough white-beaked dolphins we lost count. The biologist on board, Þóra, explained how she could tell each humpback apart by its fluke patterning — then emailed us after the trip with the research IDs for the individuals we saw. The Gísli Árni schooner is gorgeous, the flotation suits kept us warm even in the spray, and the hot chocolate below-decks was perfect. Bring sea-sickness tablets if you're unsure — the swell was gentle but still noticeable.”
MW
April 2026
“We had tried an aurora tour out of Reykjavík the week before and saw nothing — this was a completely different experience. Just our family of four in a Duster with Guðrún, who knew exactly which fjord to drive to when the clouds rolled in over her first spot. The lights came out for about 40 minutes over Grenivík and it was one of the best nights of our lives. The hot chocolate and heated blankets were a nice touch. Worth paying the premium for the private trip.”
The aurora is a natural phenomenon — nobody can guarantee a sighting. What we can promise is that we will give you the best possible chance by combining forecast data, mobility, and local knowledge. In recent seasons our sighting rate has been about 82%. If you do not see the lights on your first attempt, you receive a free re-book voucher valid for the rest of the season. Children 6+ welcome — we carry kid-sized blankets and thermoses.
From
Operated by
Norðurljós Guides
Cancellation and refunds depend on the offer — see Terms of Service and FAQ.
The price we show is the price you pay for that quoted itinerary — no hidden booking fees on our side. Found a like-for-like offer for less? Tell us and we'll work with partners to match when possible.
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