Northern Lights in Iceland: All About Aurora Borealis

The Northern Lights, also Aurora Borealis, are the green and sometimes pink ribbons of color that can be seen in dark skies. They are “northern” because they occur near the north pole. You’ll find a similar occurrence in the southern hemisphere called Southern Lights or Aurora Australis. 

The most common questions about the aurora cover how they form, how long they last, and whether they can be predicted. The answers below cover each of these.

This phenomenon is created by giant flares from the sun or solar storms. These happen about 150 million kilometers away from Earth. The flares then send blasts of charged particles towards our planet.

These solar winds take around 40 hours to reach Earth, and once the particles come into contact with Earth’s atmosphere, it creates a reaction. The results are glowing emissions visible in the night sky, which we know as the Northern Lights.

It’s good to know that the lights can have more than one appearance. The type of atoms involved, the intensity of the solar activity, and the pull of Earth’s magnetic field all have a role to play. The lights can appear in a variety of shapes, movements, brightness, and colors.

The most common color of the Northern Lights is green. But, if you’re lucky, you may be able to see pink, violet and red ones. As for shape, they vary from simple ribbon to a full rippling curtain, and sometimes arcs and streaming rays.

The length of the display also varies depending on the solar activity. Generally, you can expect a good light show to last between 15 and 30 minutes. Occasionally displays last a couple of hours, though this depends entirely on solar activity.

As they are dependent on the “space weather”, it’s difficult to accurately predict the Northern Lights in advance. Just like normal weather, it can vary and change at a moment’s notice.

But once you’re in Iceland, you can keep an eye on the Icelandic Met Office’s aurora forecast. It gives you a rating, between 0 to 9, of your likelihood of seeing the Auroras. Anything above a 2 is promising.

As the Northern Lights are best witnessed on a clear night, one without cloud cover, you should keep an eye on the weather conditions too.  

These tools can also help with your Northern Lights hunt:

This is the question if you want to see them while visiting Iceland. Iceland is well positioned to see the Northern Lights.

There is a region called the Northern Lights belt, which circles the Earth between 65 and 72 degrees north. It has a high auroral frequency and intensity, and the north of Iceland sits just within it, making the country one of the more reliable locations for sightings.

How often are Northern Lights visible in Iceland? In winter, with the country partly within this belt, the chances of seeing the Northern Lights on a clear night are reasonable. That said, sightings are always dependent on weather and solar activity. 

If seeing the Northern Lights is the main goal of your trip, timing matters more than almost anything else.

You could simply call the Northern Lights season winter. This is the best time to visit Iceland to see the Northern Lights thanks to the longer nights of the season. Some regions get as many as 19 hours of darkness in the depth of winter.

This means you’ll have a greater chance of seeing the lights between October and March.

Anytime between mid-April and mid-August is not ideal. With the phenomenon of the midnight sun, it’s much harder to see Auroras with the naked eye at that time of year.

But we can dispel the myth that the Northern Lights aren’t visible in summer. From mid-August you may be able to see the lights in the dark sky. This is because daylight hours are starting to decrease. Longer nights give you more opportunities to see the Aurora Borealis. 

There is no single best month to see the Northern Lights. As mentioned above, you should visit Iceland between the months of October and March for your best chances.  

As you can only see the Aurora Borealis if the sky is dark, that rules out the daytime. Even in wintertime, you’ll want to avoid hunting for the lights during the few hours of daylight.

Once darkness sets in, the Auroras can be visible at any time. To increase your chance of seeing them, stay up late at night. The optimum time for sightings is between 9:30 PM and 1 AM.

Iceland is a fantastic destination to witness the Aurora Borealis, and you’ll probably be able to spot them from just about anywhere on the island. The key factor is distance from light pollution. Most of Iceland outside the capital qualifies, but some areas are particularly well suited.

The best part of Iceland to witness the lights is in the countryside as you’ll be away from light pollution, like street lighting. Thankfully, that means a lot of the island is ideal for this nocturnal activity.

We also recommend heading north if you can cross into the “Northern Lights belt”.

Our favorite spots in Iceland to see the lights dancing in the sky are:

Westfjords – As it is a remote peninsula, the Westfjords are perfect to seek dark skies. Here you’ll definitely be away from light pollution and enjoy the stunning, unspoiled natural beauty. 

North Iceland – From Lake Mývatn to Akureyri, passing by the Tjörnes peninsula, North Iceland is ideal to hunt for the Northern Lights. That’s because the north of Iceland is almost inside the Arctic Circle and sits right inside the “Northern Lights belt”.

And, thanks to its small population centers, you’ll have a lot of darkness to look forward to.

Snæfellsnes peninsula – Located off the Ring Road and with a magnificent national park, this peninsula is another worthwhile, quiet region to discover. 

Reykjavík is also on our list. On nights with strong solar activity, the lights can be visible from the city itself. The Grótta Lighthouse on the Seltjarnarnes peninsula offers a darker sky within easy reach of the centre, and boat tours operate specifically for aurora viewing.

On nights with strong solar activity, conditions across most of Iceland can be favourable. The south coast near Vík and the Eastfjords are also worth considering for travellers already in those areas.

Get even more tips on where to go in this guide to the best places to see the Northern Lights in Iceland.

Ready to see the Northern Lights for yourself? Here are the best ways to make it happen.

Self-drive: The most flexible option. You set the pace, choose your route, and can pull over whenever the sky lights up. Our 8-day winter Ring Road self-drive includes pre-booked accommodation away from city light pollution and a portable Wi-Fi device so you can track aurora forecasts in real time.

Guided group tours: Let someone else handle the driving and the planning. Our winter guided group tours are led by local experts who know the best viewing spots and monitor conditions throughout the night.

Multi-day tours from Reykjavík: Not ready to drive yourself? Our northern lights multi-day tours include transport, accommodation, and evening aurora hunting excursions, all arranged before you arrive.

Whichever option suits you, every Iceland Tours package includes daily breakfast, 24/7 local support from our Reykjavík-based team, and a 5% deposit to secure your dates. Browse all northern lights tours and find your perfect trip.