About Us

Northern Lights Tours is part of the Arctic Adventures Family. Arctic Adventures is an eco-tourism company that offers a large variety of different tours and activities. Environmental sustainability and family friendliness are of great importance for the Arctic Family.

The beginning of Arctic Adventures can be traced all the way back to 1983 when Villa & Bassi returned to Iceland from a rafting trip to Nepal and had the idea to start the very first adventure company in Iceland. The Hvíta River was selected as Iceland’s first rafting destination. Until this day rafting tours are operated on this river close to the Drumbó Basecamp.

Similar to Villa & Bassi,  Daddu Bjarna was inspired by a rafting tour in the Himalaya region and launched a rafting operator on the river Eyvindará in near distance to Egillstaðir which is located in the Eastern part of Iceland. The name given to this company was Arctic Rafting

In 2005 these two rafting companies, which always had a close connection due to the fact that a lot of friendship ties connected the two, merged together into one company – Arctic Adventures. Ever since this, the company was run and operated by adventures with a strong interest in outdoor activities. New activities and tours have been added constantly.

Another milestone in the company’s development was the opening of an office on Reykjavik’s main shopping street Laugavegur (number 11). In the same building an outdoor clothes shop has been opened.

In 2009 the project Glacier Guides was launched. Glacier Guides offers hiking and climbing tours on glaciers as well as other mountaineering tours and has its basecamp located in Skafafell, which can be found in the Vatnajökull National Park.
Moreover, 2009 also marks the opening for Reykjavík’s and in fact even Iceland’s first Backpackers hostel named Reykjavík Backpackers where outdoor and adventurous people from all over the world can meet and hang out in the hostel’s very own micro brewery bar called BUNK.

In 2010 the company North Explorers has been added to the Arctic Family. North Explorers offers sea kayaking and mountaineering trips in Iceland’s Westfjords operating from the town Ísafjörður.

In the year of 2010 the company’s operation have been increased further. Incentive trips for corporation in Greenland, Iceland and other locations in the Arctic Areas have been included in cooperation with Mr. Henry Köhler. Furthermore, a Berlin based local office has been launched. Under the name of Arktische Abenteuer operations in the German speaking market are conducted.

In 2011 yet another company was introduced into the family. This time it was Borea Adventures, which offers sailing tours on the arctic sea on the sailing boat Aurora to go skiing, kayaking, and hiking at places, which are not reachable without a boat. Furthermore, a second backpacker hostel has been added. This time in Akuryeri.

In 2012 a hiking and trekking brand with the name Wild Iceland started its operations. Moreover, Greenland Tours a specialist in custom-made outdoor vacation in Greenland was launched again in cooperation with Henry Köhler. Additionally, operations where expanded to Denmark (see for example. www.gronlandrejser.dk) as well as Spain, Portugal, and Brazil (see Aventuras Árcticas & Greenlandtours).

In 2013 a third Backpacker hostel was added – this time in connection with the rafting base at Drumbó. This hostel offers a great location to discover the sights of the Golden Circle and the highlands of the Langjökull glacier. Also a partnership with Mr. Anrup Gurung and Chris Doyle-Kyle who offer rafting trips in the northern part of Iceland has been established and Viking Rafting was founded.

To sum it up one can say that the Arctic Family surrounding Arctic Adventures offers a great variety of different activities all around Iceland and Greenland. It is important to note that sArctic Adventures is a tour operator and not an intermediate that sells tours for commission for other companies. It is run and operated by people with a huge interest in nature and outdoor activities. Today it is owned and operated by Torfi G Yngvason and Paavo O. Sonninen both are true adventures in their hearts.

Arctic Adventures and its partners offer a great variety of different tours and activities all over Iceland and Greenland. The headquarters and main sales office are located in Reykjavik. However, there are base camps all over the country. One of the rafting camps is located close to the sights of the Golden Circle in the South West. The base camp of Glacier Guides is located in Skaftafell, but also on Solheimajökull glacier hiking is offered. Snorkeling and diving tours are offered in Silfra in the Thingevellir National Park. The Icelandic highlands are the location of multiple trekking activities. Moreover, Arctic Adventures offers a great variety of incentive trips around the Reykjavik area as well as customized trips.