No lights on your Reykjavík tour? What the free retry covers
Most northern lights tours from Reykjavík give you a second go if the sky stays empty. The three on this site all do, but the terms differ in length and in what they leave out. This guide compares them and shows how to plan your nights so a retry is still usable.
Two reasons a night stays blank
An empty sky over Reykjavík has one of two causes. Either cloud sits between you and the aurora, or the sky is clear and the lights themselves stay weak.
Cloud is local, and a minibus can sometimes drive out from under it. Weak activity depends on the solar wind reaching Earth, and no road out of the city changes that.
Iceland sits under the auroral oval, so a dark, clear sky often shows at least a faint band on an active night. Often is not always, and none of our three tours promises a sighting.
Why every operator offers a second try
Free retries are the norm on Reykjavík aurora tours, whether you ride a small minibus or a big coach. The weather on the south-west coast changes within hours, and the operators know a single evening is a gamble.
The offer reads alike on every listing, yet the small print differs. Some retries last two years and some three, and one of ours covers only half of the evening.
Three retry policies side by side
| Tour | If no lights are seen | How long it lasts | What it leaves out |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aurora Viking, from ~$165 | Unlimited free retries until you see the lights | No limit given | No refund for a night without aurora |
| Nordur Travel, from ~$167 | Free rebooking | Up to two years | Only applies if no lights are seen |
| Arctic Adventures, from ~$200 | Free rebooking of the northern lights minibus tour | Up to 3 years | The lava tunnel is not repeated |
Aurora Viking's small-group hunt, from ~$165, has the most generous terms of the three. Its listing on both sites promises unlimited retries free of charge until you see the lights.
The flip side is money. Aurora Viking gives no refund for a night without aurora, and none once you have joined the tour, so the retry is the whole safety net.
Nordur Travel's 4x4 tour, from ~$167, offers free rebooking for up to two years if the lights do not show. That suits travelers who expect to come back to Iceland, since the second date can be far off.
Arctic Adventures pairs a lava tube with the hunt, and its retry covers only the second half. If the aurora stays hidden you can rebook its northern lights minibus tour for free within 3 years, but the cave visit is not repeated.
A faint aurora can look like a grey cloud to the eye while a camera shows it green. Ask the operator how its retry rule treats a weak display before you count on a second night.
A retry needs a free night
A retry is only useful if you are still in Reykjavík to use it. Someone who books the last evening of a trip gets nothing from an unlimited offer except a reason to come back.
Book the hunt for your first or second night instead. If the sky stays shut, the following evenings are open for another try, and you can pick one with a better cloud forecast.
Seats on clear nights can be in demand, so ask how rebooking works when you join. Our guide to the months with the longest nights helps you choose the dates themselves.
What a retry night looks like
A retry is not a private tour. You join a regular departure with other guests, on a date with free seats, and the same rules apply as on your first evening.
The guide may be someone new and the route will differ, because it follows that night's cloud. The second evening often feels easier, since the first one showed you how long the stops last and how cold your feet get.
When the operator calls the tour off
Sometimes the tour does not leave at all. Operators cancel for strong wind or for a sky closed across the whole driving range. In that case they offer a refund or a new date.
The details vary from company to company, so check how the operator handles it before you travel. On the afternoon of the tour, watch the email address you booked with, because that is where a cancellation notice lands.
A cave first, then a retry for the sky
Arctic Adventures starts with the Raufarhólshellir lava tube, so the evening has a sure first half even under heavy cloud. If the lights stay away, the aurora part can be rebooked free for up to 3 years.
Free cancellation is a separate rule
Do not mix up the retry with free cancellation. All three tours can be cancelled free of charge up to 24 hours before the start on both GetYourGuide and Viator.
That gives you a way out if the forecast for your night looks hopeless a day ahead. Booking on GetYourGuide without paying upfront is possible too, so the money stays in your account while you watch the weather.
Our price comparison lists what else each ticket includes. It also covers hidden extras like warm gear and a later night out if the first one fails.
What to do on a cloudy afternoon
Look at the Icelandic Met Office's cloud-cover forecast before your tour. It shows where gaps may open, though the guides read the same maps and choose the route themselves.
A thick blanket over the whole south-west is the hard case. If the tour still runs, dress for a long drive with a few stops, and treat the first night as a scouting trip.
On a clear but quiet night the guide may wait at one dark spot for the aurora to build. Our guide to where the tours drive describes the usual directions out of the city.
If you have a car, you can also watch on your own on the evenings between tours. Seeing the aurora without a tour covers the city spots and the risks of winter roads.
How to plan your nights in Reykjavík
Put the tour early in the stay and keep two or three evenings free after it. A daytime trip can always move to another day, while a clear dark night cannot be booked ahead.
Pack for the wait as well as the drive. Our clothing guide covers the layers, and the photo tips help if the sky opens on your retry night.