You've been dreaming of seeing the Northern Lights shimmer and dance across the night sky in Iceland. But with Iceland's long summer days and long winter nights, the timing has to be just right to catch a glimpse of the Aurora Borealis. The summer months are a no-go - the midnight sun means the sky never gets dark enough for the lights to be visible. The Northern Lights are caused by solar particles entering the Earth's atmosphere, so they can only be seen at night. Your best chance to see the lights in Iceland is between late August and early April. During these months, the nights are long and dark, and solar activity is higher, leading to more frequent light shows. While the lights are sometimes visible from Reykjavik, your odds increase if you head out of the city to areas with little light pollution. With the right timing and a little luck, you'll be dazzled by the dancing lights in the Icelandic sky.
Did you know that over 80% of tourists miss the Northern Lights due to the lack of Aurora knowledge? Don't let that be you! The right time and the right place are the key. Northern Lights Online Course and Aurora mobile app designed for beginners will significantly increase your chances.
Designed For Beginners
Designed For Beginners
The best months to see the Northern Lights in Iceland are from September to March. During these winter months, Iceland experiences long hours of darkness, which provides the perfect opportunity to spot the Aurora Borealis.
Limited daylight in winter
The Northern Lights can only be seen at night, so limited daylight during Iceland's winter is ideal. From April to August, Iceland has close to 24 hours of daylight, known as the midnight sun. With so much light, the Northern Lights are not visible.
Frequency of Northern Lights
The Northern Lights are often active in Iceland, especially around the equinoxes in March and September. However, their appearance can be unpredictable. Some nights the lights dance across the sky, while other nights they remain hidden. Your best chance of spotting them is to spend at least a week in Iceland during the optimal winter months.
Viewing from Reykjavik
You can see the Northern Lights from Reykjavik and surrounding areas. For the best view, head away from the city lights to darker locations. Some great spots within an hour of Reykjavik include Þingvellir National Park, the Reykjanes Peninsula, and mount Esja.
While the Northern Lights are a natural phenomenon and there's no guarantee of spotting them, with the right timing and patience, your dream of seeing the Aurora Borealis dance across the night sky in Iceland can become a reality.
You may be dreaming of watching the Northern Lights dance across an Icelandic night sky, but unfortunately, you won’t spot them during the summer months. That’s because Iceland’s long summer days mean there simply isn’t enough darkness for the Aurora Borealis to be visible.
Before going out for your first Aurora hunt take Northern Lights Online Course where you will learn all you need to know to successfully hunt for the Northern Lights. This course is designed for beginners so you don't need to worry about not knowing much yet.
Why the Aurora Borealis Needs Darkness to Shine
The Northern Lights are caused by charged particles from the Sun colliding with gasses in Earth’s atmosphere. For this celestial light show to be seen, the sky must be very dark. During Iceland’s summer, the Sun remains above the horizon for up to 21 hours per day, so the sky never gets dark enough for the Aurora Borealis to become visible.
The Northern Lights are often most active around the equinoxes in March and September when the Sun is directly above the equator. At these times, the Aurora Borealis may start appearing as early as 9 pm and continue flickering across the sky until the sunrise. The longer winter nights from October until February also provide many extra hours of potential viewing time.
While the Northern Lights are often visible from Reykjavik and surrounding areas, getting away from the city lights will provide the darkest skies and best views. Many tour companies offer excursions from the capital to more remote locations where the night sky comes alive with the Aurora Borealis dancing on full display.
So if chasing the Northern Lights is high on your Iceland bucket list, plan your trip between late September and mid-April. Escape the city, find a dark secluded spot, and look up - with a bit of luck, you'll be rewarded with a celestial performance you'll never forget!
While the Northern Lights are visible across Iceland, viewing them from Reykjavik and surrounding areas is very convenient. As Iceland’s capital city, Reykjavik has many options for Northern Lights tours that will take you just outside the city lights to optimal viewing locations.
Frequency of Occurrence
The Northern Lights are often visible several times a week in Iceland during the prime viewing season. However, their occurrence depends on solar activity and geomagnetic storms, so sightings are not guaranteed every night. Your best chances are on clear, moonless nights away from city lights. Some nights the lights may just glow faintly, while other nights they dance wildly across the sky.
Northern Lights Tours from Reykjavik
Many tour companies offer Northern Lights tours from Reykjavik that transport you to areas with little light pollution for the best views. These tours range from 2 to 5 hours and often include extras like a guided photography tour, a visit to geothermal pools, or an Icelandic meal. Some tours use specialized Aurora hunting equipment to track solar activity and take you to the optimal location each night.
Booking a Northern Lights tour from Reykjavik is a great way to see the Aurora Borealis without renting a car or traveling far from the city. Bundle up, bring your camera, and get ready for a dazzling display of greens and reds dancing across the night sky. The memory of witnessing the Northern Lights in Iceland will stay with you for life.
The most useful Northern Lights online tools for a successful Aurora hunt. Are you about to hunt the Northern Lights on your own? Then you will find these resources helpful. If you are trying to see Aurora for the first time we recommend signing up for the Northern Lights Online Course where is explained step-by-step all you need to know to see the Northern Lights in an easy way.
Northern Lights essential online tools designed for beginners to help you see Aurora like the handy Aurora Mobile App and Northern Lights Online Course will help you to understand how Aurora works and to monitor real-time activity.
The Northern Lights Forecast for 3 days and long-term Aurora forecast for up to 27 days ahead can be found here: Geophysical Institute Forecast, NOAA Aurora Forecast, Spaceweatherlive Forecast or in the Northern Lights App.
Find the best Aurora spots with the light pollution map and cloud cover prediction.
Northern Lights activity in real-time: Real-time Aurora activity (worldwide magnetometers), Solar Wind activity, Sun's activity, Aurora live Boreal webcams list or Aurora App.
Additional resources to know when it will be dark enough Darkness graph & Map and how much the moon will illuminate the sky Moon Phase + Moonrise & Moonset.
If you decide to go with professional Aurora hunters here you can find the top-rated Aurora Tours.
You've now got the inside scoop on the best time to spot those dazzling Northern Lights in Iceland. Bundle up, get out into the countryside away from city lights, and keep your eyes on the night sky. With some patience and a bit of luck, you'll be rewarded with a stunning display of celestial fireworks. From late August through early April, the long Icelandic nights are perfect for aurora hunting. While the summer sun never fully sets, the winter darkness provides the ideal canvas for the Northern Lights to shine through. Reykjavik and its surrounding areas offer easy access to prime viewing spots, so start planning your Icelandic adventure and cross those fingers for clear skies and strong solar activity. The aurora borealis awaits!
Learn more about Aurora Borealis in Online Northern Lights Course (Recommended for Beginners)