How to See the Northern Lights in Iceland
You landed here because we have something in common, seeing the beautiful Northern Lights!
And who wouldn’t want to see them in none other than Iceland? One of the most magical places!
I’ll start with a quick background. What even are the Northern Lights? Some magical green force that takes over the sky when it gets dark out? I mean basically.
There’s some deep chemistry dealing with electrons and photons that I’m going to spare you. The last thing I want to do is turn this into a chemistry lesson… I’ll just lightly touch and broadly explain what happens. Sound good? Let’s get into it!
We’ll call this the Northern Lights for Dummies (you’re not dumb I promise). Basically, for a very short period of time, particles from the sun collide with particles from the Earth, enter the Earth’s atmosphere, and display a bright green (most common), pink, purple, yellow, or blue color depending on the type of particle.
The best place to see the Northern Lights is in the northern or southern hemispheres. Some popular destinations outside of Iceland are Greenland, Canada, Alaska, Norway, Finland, and Scotland.
Now that you know how they come life, let’s get to the good stuff.
Here’s How to See the Northern Lights in Iceland!
The Best Time to See the Northern Lights
Of course, the Northern Lights are only visible at night. In Iceland, the best time to see them are from November to February, as these are the darkest months of the year. These also tend to be the coldest months, so bundle up!
Take note, these are the ‘best’ times to see the lights, you can still see them late August through May so don’t let that discourage you if you have a trip outside the Nov-Feb range!
Where can you see the Northern Lights in Iceland?
Believe it or not, they have tours dedicated to making sure you see the Northern Lights on your trip. How cool is that? Check out the Northern Lights Mystery Tour or the Northern Lights Super Jeep Hunt for some fun adventures with Northern Light experts!
If you decide to not go the tour route, make sure you stray away from busy cities. The city lights will definitely get in the way of you seeing the aurora in all of its beauty. You can absolutely still see the lights in Reykjavik, but I highly recommend you go somewhere more remote.
You’re probably wondering where that “somewhere” is.
Check out any of these places and you’ll have a good chance!
Klambratún
If you’re not straying too far from Reykjavik, this is a great place to catch the lights. It has rows and rows of trees that help block out the lights from the city and give you a great view of the sky. Perfect to catch the aurora!
It’s a big park located in the middle of Reykjavik, so while you’re waiting for the sun to set you can grab some food at a local café nearby, play some beach volleyball, have a picnic, or just people watch (everyone’s favorite).
Kirkjufell
One of the most popular spots to view the lights is Kirkjufell. Probably because it’s the most photographed mountain in Iceland! You’re bound to catch a great photo of the lights if you come across them. This will probably be the place with the most people, but that’s the last thing on your mind when you’re awestruck by the aurora!
Jökulsárlón
This is an unbelievable place to catch the lights. Jökulsárlón is a glacial lake in Iceland with massive chunks of ice that wash up on shore (check out diamond beach). You can also catch some seals hangin’ out in the water! I can’t imagine how many Northern Lights they’ve seen in their lifetime😊
Reynisfjara Black Sand Beach
Located in Vík, about 2.5 hours from Reykjavic, Black Sand Beach is an incredible place to view the northern lights. Extremely remote, quiet, and a beautiful view of the ocean to accompany you (be careful of the powerful waves)!
Solheimasandur Plane Wreck
The plane wreck is a must see even without the lights! It’s such a unique area and piece of Icelandic history. It’s a great place to catch the aurora because of how remote and open it is. Keep in mind it’s about a 40-60 minute walk to the wreck, so make sure you plan accordingly! And if it’s freezing out, put on a snowmobile suit, seriously! And don’t forget your hand warmers.
Þingvellir National Park
This place is perfect for the Northern Lights. It’s like it was set up for it. An open sky with beautiful water for the lights to reflect on, and less than an hour from Reykjavic. Another great destination and quick drive to see the aurora.
And there you have it!
I hope you liked How to See the Northern Lights in Iceland!
If this sparked your interest in visiting Iceland, I highly recommend you check out my post 7 Day Ultimate Southern Coast of Iceland Itinerary for some travel inspiration and a trip of a lifetime.
If you have any questions or comments, as always feel free to reach out to me! My email is kirstenhaus@kirthetraveler.com, and my dm’s are ALWAYS open😊
Catch you later travel fam!
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[…] Kirkjufell is a very popular place to see the Northern Lights in Iceland. If you find yourself here at night, make sure you stick around because you may see the green aurora […]