Vík Northern LightsSouth Coast and Northern Lights Tour
The South Coast and Northern Lights Tour is sold by Gray Line as one 13-hour ticket, and it runs as two separate outings. The day half drives the south coast from Reykjavík to Vík, taking in Seljalandsfoss, Skógafoss, Sólheimajökull and Reynisfjara. The evening half is a northern lights hunt that leaves the capital again after dark, roughly 3 hours of it. At $169.91 with 96 reviews behind a 4.3, it is the cheapest way to combine the two, as long as you know that the aurora part is not watched from Vík.
About This Tour
13 hours in total, with about 3 hours on the northern lights section
$169.91 per adult, checked August 2026
4.3 from 96 reviews on GetYourGuide
Coach with free Wi-Fi, USB charging and a GPS-triggered audio guide
Aurora hunt departing Reykjavík, not Vík
Large coach group, no minimum number required
Listing at a Glance
The same fields on every tour page here, read from the operator's listing in August 2026. Prices and availability are set by the operator and confirmed at checkout.
- Tour name Iceland: South Coast and Northern Lights Tour
- Operator Gray Line Iceland
- Booking platform GetYourGuide
- Product ID 72113
- Starting price $169.91 USD per adult
- Price last checked August 2026
- Rating 4.3 out of 5
- Review count 96 reviews
- Review source GetYourGuide verified bookings
- Review breakdown Guide 4.3, transport 4.4, value for money 4.2
- Duration 13 hours in total
- Time on the aurora hunt About 3 hours of the 13
- Where the aurora part starts Reykjavík, after the day tour returns
- Time in Vík A lunch stop during the day section
- Departure point BSÍ Bus Terminal, Reykjavík, 15 minutes before departure
- Aurora departure times 22:00 from 15 August to 30 September and 15 March to 15 April; 21:00 from 1 October to 14 March
- Transport Modern coach with free Wi-Fi and a USB charger at each seat
- Group size Large group; reviewers mention up to 60 passengers
- Guide language English live guide
- Audio guide In-app audio guide in 10 languages, including Spanish, German, French, Japanese and Korean
- Hotel pickup Available if the option is selected at booking
- Stops on the day section Seljalandsfoss, Skógafoss, Sólheimajökull, Reynisfjara, Vík
- Food and drinks Not included
- Headphones Not included, bring your own for the audio guide
- Cancellation deadline 24 hours before departure for a full refund
- Reserve now, pay later Available
- Minimum age None stated
- Physical difficulty Easy, short walks on gravel and sand at each stop
- Wheelchair accessibility None stated on the listing
- Weather limitations The aurora section is cancelled when the operator judges conditions hopeless; the day section runs in most weather
- Aurora guarantee None. Sightings cannot be guaranteed and cancellations are refunded or rebooked
- Alternative tour See the 5-day hunt that sleeps in Vík at /5-day-northern-lights-hunt/
Check Dates and Availability
Live prices and departures from GetYourGuide. Free cancellation up to 24 hours before departure, and reserve now pay later.
Quick answer
This is a 13-hour Gray Line ticket that covers the south coast by day and an aurora hunt by night, for $169.91. The day runs Reykjavík to Vík and back with four stops; the northern lights section is a separate evening departure from the BSÍ terminal, about 3 hours long. It is rated 4.3 from 96 reviews.
Key takeaways
- The aurora section leaves Reykjavík, so you do not watch from the black beach. Why no tour leaves Vík
- Aurora departures run at 22:00 in autumn and spring, 21:00 through mid-winter
- Four day stops: Seljalandsfoss, Skógafoss, Sólheimajökull and Reynisfjara, plus lunch in Vík
- Food is not included and neither are headphones for the audio guide
- If you want to be in Vík after dark, the 5-day itinerary sleeps there twice
What the 13 Hours Cover
The day section, west to east
The coach leaves the BSÍ terminal in Reykjavík and runs south through the lava fields by Hengill, then along the coast under Eyjafjallajökull. On a clear day the Westman Islands sit offshore.
First stop is Seljalandsfoss, the 60-metre waterfall with a path running behind the curtain of water. Then Skógafoss, where a stairway climbs the side of the falls to a viewing platform. Sólheimajökull comes next, the outlet glacier that has retreated far enough in recent decades that the walk from the car park keeps getting longer. Reynisfjara follows, with its basalt columns and the cave in the cliff, and then Vík itself for a lunch break.
Vík gets a stop rather than an evening. You see the village, the black sand and Reynisdrangar in daylight, then the coach turns west for the two and a half hours back to the capital.
The evening section
After a break in Reykjavík you reconvene for the northern lights part. Departure is 22:00 from 15 August to 30 September and again from 15 March to 15 April, and 21:00 from 1 October to 14 March. A specially trained aurora guide reads the forecast and picks a spot away from the city glow.
The operator reviews conditions daily and does not set off when it judges the sky hopeless, which is the honest way to run this. Cancelled aurora departures get refunded or rebooked. Laura from Germany, October 2025, had exactly that happen and wrote that GetYourGuide refunded within 24 hours.
Bring warm layers. Three hours standing beside a coach in an Icelandic winter is colder than the forecast temperature suggests, and the guide's photography tips are worth using.
What is included, and what is not
Included: the live guide, the specially trained aurora guide, free Wi-Fi, a USB charger at each seat, the multilingual in-app audio guide, and hotel pickup if you select that option when booking.
Not included: any food or drink, and headphones for the audio guide. Vík has a supermarket and a couple of restaurants for the lunch stop; several reviewers recommend bringing food rather than queueing.
- Included: live guide, aurora guide, Wi-Fi, USB charging, audio guide in 10 languages
- Included on request: hotel pickup, selected at booking
- Not included: food, drinks, headphones
- Bring: warm waterproof layers, hat, gloves, sturdy shoes
How the Day Runs
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08:00
Departure from BSÍ
Arrive 15 minutes early at the Reykjavík bus terminal, or take the hotel pickup if you booked it.
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10:00
Seljalandsfoss
The waterfall with a footpath behind the curtain. Waterproofs earn their keep here.
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11:00
Skógafoss
A 60-metre drop with a stairway up the side to the viewing platform.
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12:30
Sólheimajökull
A look at the outlet glacier and the lagoon that has formed at its snout.
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14:00
Reynisfjara and Vík
Basalt columns, the black beach and a lunch break in the village. Stay back from the surf.
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18:00
Back in Reykjavík
A break of a few hours before the second half.
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21:00 or 22:00
Northern lights departure
Season-dependent start time from BSÍ, with an aurora guide reading the forecast.
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00:00
Return
Back in the capital, roughly three hours after the aurora departure.
Who Should Book This, and Who Should Not
Book it if
You are based in Reykjavík, have limited days, and want the south coast and an aurora attempt on one ticket at the lowest price of the three listings compared here.
It also suits travellers who do not want to drive in winter. The stops are the greatest hits of the south coast, the coach is comfortable, and the audio guide fills the driving hours.
Book something else if
Watching the aurora over Reynisdrangar is the specific thing you came for. This tour does not do that, and no evening tour does. Either sleep in Vík and walk to Víkurfjara yourself, or take the 5-day itinerary that overnights in the Vík area twice.
Skip it too if long coach days wear you out. Lorraine from the United Kingdom rated it 5 stars in January 2026 and still wrote that after such a busy day the group could not face another few hours on the coach in the wind. That is the honest shape of a 13-hour ticket.
Questions About This Tour
Do you see the northern lights from Vík on this tour?
No. The Vík stop happens in daylight and the aurora section is a separate evening departure from the BSÍ terminal in Reykjavík. To be in Vík after dark you need to sleep there, either independently or on the 5-day itinerary.
What time does the northern lights part leave?
22:00 from 15 August to 30 September and from 15 March to 15 April, and 21:00 from 1 October to 14 March. The section lasts about 3 hours of the 13-hour total.
What happens if the aurora is cancelled?
The operator checks conditions daily and does not run the hunt when the sky is hopeless. Cancelled departures are refunded or rebooked. One reviewer had the aurora section cancelled for weather in October 2025 and reported a refund within 24 hours.
Is food included?
No. There is a lunch stop in Vík with a supermarket and restaurants, and several reviewers suggest bringing your own food to save time. Headphones for the audio guide are not included either.
How much does the south coast and northern lights tour cost?
$169.91 per adult on GetYourGuide, checked in August 2026, with free cancellation up to 24 hours before departure and reserve now pay later. It is the cheapest of the three listings compared on the homepage.
Is hotel pickup included?
Pickup is available when you select that option at booking. Otherwise you make your own way to the BSÍ Bus Terminal and arrive at least 15 minutes before departure.
What Travellers Said
Full day tour to the south coast of Iceland all the way to Vik, about 10 hours in a bus, but bus was extremely comfortable, large seats with plugs to charge electronics and free WIFI onboard. Northern Lights canx due to bad weather, but GYG refunded w/in 24hrs. Highly recommend this tour!
Fantastic day trip our guide Eric was amazing his knowledge and professionalism whilst keeping it fun was so refreshing. But we just found it was such a busy day we just couldn't face another few hours on the coach in the wind.
Locations were great, and the guide, Rosa, was super knowledgable!
Verified GetYourGuide reviews for this tour, quoted as published.
Page last reviewed August 2026. Price, rating and review count read from the listing on August 2026. Prices, availability and terms are set by the operator and confirmed at checkout.
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