Boat or bus for the northern lights from Reykjavik?

Two ways out of the city glow

Faint aurora disappears behind street lights, so every northern lights trip from Reykjavik starts by leaving town. A boat does it by sailing out from the Old Harbour, and a bus does it by driving out on the roads.

The boat is clear of the brightest glow within roughly 20–30 minutes. A bus usually needs longer to reach a properly dark spot, and the whole trip runs about 3–5 hours against 2–2.5 hours on the water.

An aurora show takes solar activity and a clear sky together. Neither vehicle changes the first part, and only one of them can do much about the second.

What the boat does well

Comfort is the boat's main argument. Between sightings you sit in a heated lounge or saloon with a café or bar, and a toilet is never more than a few steps away.

When the guide spots something, you step out onto the deck and look up. On a cold night that rhythm of warm cabin and open rail is far easier than standing in a field for an hour.

The view is different too. You look back at the lit waterfront with Harpa and Hallgrímskirkja, across the water at the dark ridge of Esja, and past the island of Viðey.

The trip is short, which suits a tight schedule. Two hours on the bay leaves room for dinner first, and you are back in the center at a sensible hour.

Every boat we list starts at the Old Harbour, a walk from most central hotels. Our Old Harbour guide explains the two check-in points.

Where a bus tour has the edge

A bus can move. If one valley sits under cloud, the driver can head for a clearer gap somewhere else, and that flexibility is the strongest reason to pick one.

Bus tours usually cost a little less than the boats, and many run longer, so you get more hours under the sky for the money. Your feet stay on solid ground, which matters for anyone who gets seasick.

Photographers gain the most. A tripod on still ground allows long exposures that a rocking deck spoils, and our tips for aurora photos from a boat deal with the motion at sea.

The price of all that is the field. You often stand in the dark beside the road, sometimes far from a toilet, and the bus is your only warm place to retreat to.

When clouds decide the night

Cloud is the usual reason for a dark night around Reykjavik. A boat follows a set route on the bay, so it cannot drive away from a low grey sky.

A bus can sometimes escape, though not always. On nights when the cloud covers the whole southwest, both trips come back empty.

Most of the boats soften that with a retry. Elding takes you out again on another night and the Sea Trips yacht moves you to a new date for free. The sightseeing cruise hands over a return ticket valid up to 3 years.

Our page on the free retry rules sets out each listing's terms. Whatever you book, the lights are never guaranteed.

Who should pick the boat

• Families with children who tire of long bus rides and need a toilet nearby
• Short stays where two hours fit after dinner and a five-hour trip does not
• People who dislike buses or get carsick on winding roads
• Anyone who wants the city skyline and the sea in the same view
• Travellers who would rather wait in a warm cabin than in a dark car park

For a first try, the Sea Trips yacht has the most GetYourGuide reviews of any aurora boat in Reykjavik. It holds 4.4 from 1,300+ reviews and runs 2 hours from the Old Harbour House.

The catch on that yacht is blankets rather than overalls, so dress warmly. Our guide on what to wear on deck covers the layers.

Who should pick the bus

• People who get seasick, even on a sheltered bay
• Photographers who want long exposures on a tripod
• Travellers with only one night, who need the best chance of clear sky
• Anyone happy to stand outside in the cold for long spells

If you lean towards the boat but worry about the sea, read our seasickness guide first. Faxaflói Bay is sheltered compared with open ocean, yet winter swell does happen.

Prices side by side

The plain boat cruises run from Harpa Yachts at ~$93 up to Elding at ~$105. Bus tours often come in a little under that, though you spend longer on the road.

Compare what each fare covers rather than the headline number. On a boat the heated cabin and the retry come with the ticket, and our price comparison lists every boat with what it includes.

Doing both on one trip

With several nights in Reykjavik, nothing stops you from trying both. A boat early in the stay gives you a retry ticket to fall back on if the sky stays grey.

If the boat comes back empty, a bus on a clearer night later in the week covers the other approach. Book the first trip early so both options stay open.