Sail out of Reykjavík after dark, put the city lights behind you, and watch the sky over the North Atlantic. Special Tours' northern lights cruise swaps the usual lay-by on a country road for a boat deck. The heated cafeteria is a few steps away if you get cold.

What happens on the northern lights boat tour

You check in at the Special Tours ticket office, get your boarding pass, and board the boat. Pick up a pair of thermal overalls on the way in. They come in children's sizes too. You then spend 2 to 3 hours at sea with a guide who talks about the science, legends and myths behind the aurora.

You don't have to stand on deck the whole time. You can wait inside with a warm drink or watch their northern lights video. When the guide spots the lights, they announce it over the speaker system so everyone heads outside. The boat returns to the same place it left from.

What's included

• 2 to 3 hours at sea with an experienced guide
• Warm overalls, including children's sizes
• Heated indoor seating
• Toilets, a snack bar and Wi-Fi on board
• Photos taken on every tour, free to download in the following days
• Help from the crew with photography and camera settings
• A free ticket to try again if nothing is seen on your tour

Food and drink can be bought on board. Hotel transfers cost extra. There's also a Special Tours app with text and audio in English, German, French, Spanish and Simplified Chinese that you can download during the tour.

Good to know before you go

The tour depends on the weather. If the aurora forecast is good but it's too windy to sail, Special Tours take guests out on a northern lights tour by bus instead, with a chance to join the boat on the next available day. To check whether your tour is running, look at their website, call them, or ask at your hotel lobby around 18:00.

Pro tip: ask the crew about camera settings before the lights show up, not during. When the announcement comes, you'll want to be outside, not fiddling with menus.