Kopar Fine Dining Dinner and Northern Lights Cruise from Reykjavik

The best part of this Reykjavik evening is the pairing of a serious six-course Icelandic dinner with a search for the aurora. You eat at Kopar beside the Old Harbour, then walk about one minute to the Special Tours office for a boat ride into darker water.

I like the smart use of time and the chance to make the Northern Lights cruise a second try if weather or cloud spoils the first outing. I also like that warm coveralls are provided, since an Icelandic night on the water can be brutally cold. The catch is simple: the aurora follows its own schedule, and the boat may run in poor viewing conditions or be canceled and moved to another date.

Key points to know before booking

• Dinner comes first at Kopar: Allow up to three hours for the six-course Adventure Menu beside the Old Harbour.
• The boat leaves from a different check-in point: Walk to the Special Tours Ticket Office at Geirsgata 11 after dinner.
• Northern Lights sightings are not guaranteed: Cloud, rain, moonlight, and low aurora activity can all spoil the view.
• Warm coveralls are supplied: Still wear warm layers, a hat, gloves, and sturdy shoes.
• The meal is filling: Several dishes are generous enough that you may struggle with the final courses.
• You must confirm the restaurant booking: Contact [email protected] after booking to confirm your dinner reservation.

Kopar gives the evening a strong start

Kopar sits at Geirsgata 3 in Reykjavik’s Old Harbour, a fine setting for an evening meal. Ask for a window table if you can. The harbour view is one of the restaurant’s best features, and it adds a sense of place before you head out to sea.

The current package includes Kopar’s six-course Adventure Menu. Past menus have included dishes such as lobster soup, smoked Arctic char, goose, cod, lamb, and chocolate dessert. The exact menu can change, so you should expect a set tasting experience rather than a list of choices from the regular menu.

This is not a light pre-cruise supper. Bread comes first, and the portions across the courses can be substantial. I would keep lunch modest and leave room for the final plate. One diner found the meal so generous that a takeaway box was needed, though restaurant policy may determine whether leftovers can be packed.

The cooking received the strongest praise in the available feedback. Kopar’s food was called the highlight of the night again and again, with particular enthusiasm for the soup, salmon, duck, lamb, and desserts. Service was also often described as attentive and friendly. One server, Marusha, was singled out for warm, helpful service during a birthday dinner.

Still, this is a tasting menu, and tasting menus can be uneven. One dinner included cod that was too salty, pork belly that lacked crispness, and dessert elements with inconsistent texture. Another group had to send back lamb that was fatty and undercooked. Since the cruise check-in follows dinner at a fixed time, that problem became more serious than it would have been during a normal restaurant evening.

Six courses require careful timing

The dinner is listed as lasting about three hours. That is plenty of time for a relaxed meal, but it leaves little room for a delayed course if your boat check-in is soon after the meal. The lamb problem described above meant one group left before receiving replacement plates and missed later courses.

I would contact Kopar and Special Tours before arrival and make sure the dinner time and cruise departure time are clear. The booking information specifically asks you to confirm the restaurant reservation with the reception team, and you can do this by emailing [email protected].

This detail matters. The package is sold as one experience, but the dinner and boat check-in operate at separate locations. The dinner reservation is not something I would leave unclear. One booking problem resulted in no restaurant reservation being ready, and the people involved also had trouble learning the correct dinner time. That is avoidable with one short email.

The package is offered in English. The boat includes commentary and a video, so you get some explanation of the aurora and the outing rather than simply sitting in darkness. No specific guide name is supplied for the cruise, but the crew is described as friendly and informative.

The one-minute walk to Special Tours

After dinner, head to the Special Tours Ticket Office at Geirsgata 11. It is described as a one-minute walk from Kopar, which makes this combination much easier than a dinner and excursion requiring a taxi or bus transfer.

Do not rely only on the mobile app for the evening schedule. The full email confirmation may contain dinner and boat check-in times that are not shown in the app. Keep that email available, and allow enough time to leave Kopar, collect your belongings, and check in without rushing.

The activity begins and ends at the Kopar meeting point, but the boat portion uses the nearby Special Tours office for check-in. The package does not include drinks at Kopar. You can buy wine, beer, cocktails, or other drinks separately, and drink prices on the boat have been described as reasonable.

The combined booking has a maximum of six people. That limit appears to apply to the package booking rather than the boat itself. One account describes a larger cruise with roughly 75 passengers, so you should not expect a private sailing party simply because the dinner reservation is capped at six.

What the Northern Lights boat ride is really like

The cruise is described as lasting about two and a half hours in the included details, while the itinerary block lists two hours. Plan on roughly two to two and a half hours on the boat, and do not schedule anything immediately afterward.

The boat leaves Reykjavik Harbour and moves beyond the strongest city lights. That helps, but it does not turn the outing into a guaranteed aurora show. The boat may travel only a short distance from the harbour, partly because farther offshore water can be rougher and can increase the chance of seasickness.

This is an important tradeoff. If you picture a long voyage into the open Atlantic, adjust that expectation. The cruise aims to find darker skies while keeping the ride reasonably comfortable. On a cloudy night, going farther may not solve the problem. Clouds can cover the aurora across a wide area, and the lights themselves can remain inactive.

The boat has been described as clean, spacious, and relaxed. Onboard refreshments are available for purchase, and the commentary adds useful context. One strong outing produced lights about ten minutes after leaving port. Another evening offered only a faint show, followed by a much better display on a free return trip the next night.

Cold-weather clothing is not a minor detail

The supplied coveralls are one of the package’s practical strengths. You can wear them over your regular clothes while standing outside on deck, then remove them when you return indoors.

Do not treat the coveralls as a substitute for proper clothing. Wear a warm base layer, an insulating mid-layer, thick socks, gloves, and a hat. One person described the cruise as the coldest experience of the trip, even with coveralls. Another warned that sizes may be limited, so do not count on getting a perfect fit.

The boat is a good place to move between indoor and outdoor areas, but the best view usually requires some time outside. You may be waiting in darkness while the crew watches the sky. That means the outing is partly a nature experience and partly a test of patience.

A full moon can make faint aurora harder to see, and rain is a serious warning sign. The cruise provider may cancel in poor weather and offer another date or a refund. If you have only one night in Reykjavik, the risk is greater because you may not have time for a second attempt.

The free retry can change the value

The chance to return for another Northern Lights cruise is a major benefit when the first attempt fails. Several people were offered a free retry after seeing no lights, and some returned the next night for a strong display.

You should ask the crew how the rebooking works if the aurora does not appear. The practical value depends on your schedule and the number of nights you have left in Iceland. If you are staying several nights, the retry policy gives you a sensible second chance. If you are leaving Reykjavik the next morning, it may be of little use.

A canceled cruise caused by bad weather can also be moved to another date or refunded. That protects your money, but it does not protect your sightseeing plans. Check the forecast before booking, and place this experience early in your visit if seeing the lights is important to you.

I would not book this package solely for the aurora. I would book it for the dinner first, then treat the cruise as a worthwhile chance to see one of Iceland’s great natural shows. That way, a cloudy sky does not ruin the entire evening.

Is $204.24 a fair price?

At $204.24 per person, this is an expensive night, even by Icelandic standards. The price includes the six-course meal, the boat cruise, coveralls, commentary, and video, but not drinks at Kopar.

The value is strongest if you already want a special dinner and a Northern Lights outing. Buying both together saves you from arranging separate reservations, and the short walk between the restaurant and check-in point keeps the evening simple. The restaurant’s harbour location also gives you a pleasant setting rather than a meal in a generic dining room.

The value is weaker if you are focused only on seeing the aurora. A boat ride cannot control cloud cover or solar activity, and the cruise may stay close to the harbour. You might prefer a less expensive Northern Lights option and spend your dinner budget elsewhere.

For a birthday, anniversary, or first-night treat in Reykjavik, I can see the appeal. For budget-conscious visitors, the meal is the part that justifies the price. The cruise is an added chance, not a promise.

Who will enjoy this evening most?

This suits food lovers who want Icelandic ingredients presented in a polished setting. It also works well for couples and small groups who prefer one organized evening instead of piecing together a restaurant reservation and a separate excursion.

The package can handle mixed dietary needs. A family with vegan and non-vegan diners found suitable choices for everyone, but you should still contact the provider in advance with any dietary requirements. The supplied information confirms service animals are allowed, the activity is near public transportation, and most people can participate.

You should think twice if you dislike fixed menus, large meals, cold weather, or waiting for natural phenomena. The dinner is set, drinks cost extra, and the boat can feel long when clouds make a sighting unlikely. People prone to seasickness should also consider the provider’s point that farther offshore water can be rougher.

Booking details worth getting right

The experience is offered in English and is commonly booked about seven days ahead. Kopar can be popular even outside the busiest season, so I would not wait until the last minute if your dates are fixed.

After booking, confirm the dinner reservation with Kopar or Special Tours at [email protected]. Check the exact times in your email confirmation, not just the app. Wear warm clothing, arrive with enough time for the meal, and keep the boat check-in location handy.

Free cancellation is available until 24 hours before the start time. Changes or cancellations made inside that window are not accepted for a refund. If poor weather cancels the experience, you are offered another date or a full refund.

Should you book the Kopar dinner and cruise?

Book it if you want a memorable meal and like the idea of adding an aurora search without arranging two separate outings. Kopar is the dependable part of the evening, with a beautiful harbour setting, generous portions, and a menu that gives you a broad taste of Icelandic cooking.

Book it early in your stay if possible. That gives you the best chance of using the free retry, and it leaves room to reschedule if weather cancels the boat.

Skip it if the Northern Lights are your only goal, if $204.24 feels too high for a meal with an uncertain boat ride, or if you have no flexibility after the first attempt. The smart way to view this package is as a fine dinner with a promising but unpredictable after-dinner adventure.

FAQ

Where does the experience begin?

It begins at Kopar, located at Geirsgata 3, 101 Reykjavik, Iceland.

How many courses are included?

The current package includes a six-course dinner from Kopar’s Adventure Menu.

How long does the entire experience last?

The full evening lasts about five hours. The dinner takes about three hours, and the Northern Lights cruise is listed as about two to two and a half hours in the supplied details.

Where do I check in for the boat?

After dinner, walk to the Special Tours Ticket Office at Geirsgata 11. It is about a one-minute walk from Kopar.

Are drinks included with dinner?

No. Drinks at Kopar are not included, but you can purchase them separately. Refreshments are also available for purchase on the boat.

Are warm clothes provided?

Warm coveralls are provided for use on the boat. You should still dress warmly because conditions can be very cold during the Northern Lights season.

What happens if the Northern Lights do not appear?

You may be offered a free chance to take the boat tour again. The free retry depends on the operating arrangements and your available dates.

What happens if bad weather cancels the activity?

You will be offered a different date or a full refund. Free cancellation is also available if you cancel at least 24 hours before the start time.