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Gray Line Iceland · BSÍ Bus Terminal, Reykjavík

The Gray Line northern lights coach tour

Gray Line's big coach leaves BSÍ Bus Terminal in the evening for about three hours in search of clear, dark sky, with a live guide and an app audio guide in ten languages. Pick it for the price and the rebooking rule: if you see nothing, you can come again free within two years.

Northern Lights Coach Tour with Free Retry

About this experience

This is Reykjavík's classic big-bus hunt. You meet at BSÍ Bus Terminal at least 15 minutes before departure, or book the option with pickup from one of 31 listed locations. The coach has Wi-Fi and USB chargers, a live English guide and a GPS app audio guide in Spanish, Chinese, Dutch, English, Finnish, French, German, Italian, Japanese and Korean. At the stops you get photo tips and a tour of the constellations.

About the "lifetime guarantee" in the GetYourGuide title. Gray Line's own page says that if you see no lights you can join again free of charge up to two years after the original booked date. That's a free rebooking, not a refund, and not a lifetime. Once you've boarded the ticket is non-refundable. If the weather and aurora forecast look poor, Gray Line cancels the tour and tells you the day before.

The trade-off is size. Gray Line says it plans these tours with larger buses, so expect a full coach, slow stops and a crowd at the best spot, and guest reviews are more mixed than on the small-group tours. The upside is the price, plus a perk nobody else offers: free entry to the Aurora Reykjavík exhibition in Grandi on travel dates until 15 April. Want rougher tracks and a smaller group? Look at the 4x4 minibus.

  • The lowest price on this site, from $80
  • Free rebooking for up to two years if you see nothing
  • Live English guide plus an app audio guide in 10 languages
  • Wi-Fi and USB chargers on the coach
  • Free Aurora Reykjavík exhibition entry on travel dates until 15 April

How the day runs

  1. Day beforeCheck for a cancellation

    Gray Line reviews the weather and the aurora forecast every day. If it cancels, it tells you the day before, and you rebook.

  2. 21:00 or 22:00Leave BSÍ

    From 1 October to 14 March the tour runs 21:00 to midnight; from 25 August to 30 September and 15 March to 15 April, 22:00 to 01:00. Be at BSÍ 15 minutes early, or at your pickup point.

  3. On the roadAway from the city lights

    The route is picked shortly before departure, toward the darkest, clearest sky. Listen to the live guide or plug into the app audio guide.

  4. At the stopsPhoto tips and stars

    Off the coach, the guide helps with camera settings and points out the constellations while you wait for activity.

  5. About 3 hoursBack to Reykjavík

    Drop-off at BSÍ or your pickup point. If the lights didn't show, rebook online within two years.

A crowd standing beside a coach watching the northern lightsGreen and violet aurora rays meeting overhead in a starry sky

What's included

Included

  • Coach from BSÍ Bus Terminal, or hotel pickup if you choose that option
  • Live English guide
  • App audio guide in 10 languages, with headphones
  • Wi-Fi and USB chargers on board
  • Free rebooking within two years if you see no lights
  • Free Aurora Reykjavík admission on travel dates until 15 April

Not included

  • Hotel pickup on the BSÍ option
  • A refund once you've boarded
  • Children under 6
  • A small group: these are large buses

Who it suits

Book it if

  • You want the cheapest hunt with a written retry rule
  • You don't mind a crowd if it saves money
  • Someone in your party wants commentary in another language
  • You'll use the free Aurora Reykjavík entry on a cloudy day

Skip it if

  • You're travelling with children under 6
  • You want room at each stop: a small-group minibus is calmer
  • You want hot drinks and snacks laid on: the 4x4 tour includes them
  • Waiting for a full coach to unload and reload would drive you mad

What guests say

★★★★★

Very well organised trip. The lights came out a bit but nobody knows what the weather is going to be!

Joan · Oct 2026
★★★★★

Friendly and helpful, and then we saw the Northern Lights despite two days of storms!!!

Francesca · Mar 2026
★★★★★

The tour was excellent. We were able to see the northern lights and get some good pictures.

Foula · Apr 2026
★★★★★

Tour was well organised with a knowledgeable guide.

Karen · Feb 2026

Tips before you book

  • Take the BSÍ option if your hotel is central. It skips the pickup round, which on a big tour can be long.
  • Bring ice grips in midwinter. Gray Line suggests crampons for icy paths and says you can buy them at BSÍ.
  • Use the free Aurora Reykjavík entry the afternoon before your tour: it explains what you're looking at.
  • Gray Line recommends a tripod. Even a small one for your phone makes a long exposure possible.
  • Sit near the door. On a full coach you'll be out first at every stop.

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Frequently asked questions

Is the Gray Line northern lights tour really a lifetime guarantee?

No. The GetYourGuide title says lifetime guarantee, but Gray Line's own terms give free rebooking up to two years after the original booked date if you see no lights. There's no refund once you've boarded.

Where does the Gray Line tour leave from?

BSÍ Bus Terminal in 101 Reykjavík. Arrive at least 15 minutes before departure. The pickup option collects you from one of 31 listed locations instead.

What time does the Gray Line aurora tour run?

From 21:00 to midnight between 1 October and 14 March, and from 22:00 to 01:00 between 25 August and 30 September and again from 15 March to 15 April.

Can children join the Gray Line tour?

From age 6. Gray Line sets the age limit for this tour at six years old.

Ready to book

Book Gray Line coach tour

The cheapest seat out of the city glow: a big coach, a live guide, an audio guide in ten languages and free rebooking.

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The cheapest seat out of the city glow: a big coach, a live guide, an audio guide in ten languages and free rebooking.

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