Iceland38 places
Northern Lights in Iceland: Where and When to See Them
Parts of Iceland lie right under the auroral oval: near Húsavík the aurora can appear on almost any clear, dark night. Near Húsavík, September has historically been the best month (21% of nights).
Can you see the northern lights in Iceland tonight?
Possibly, if the sky is clear. Tonight's forecast reaches Kp 3.3, enough for the aurora to be visible by eye from 18 towns in Iceland after dark, for example Reykjavík, Kópavogur and Hafnarfjörður.
Visible by eye tonight
You also need a clear sky and real darkness: each town's page shows its cloud forecast and best hour tonight.
Where the aurora is visible tonight 3-day Kp forecast
Kp forecast: NOAA SWPC, checked every 10 minutes.
Featured destinations
Kp 0 Reykjavík
Capital Region
Kp 0 Akureyri
Northeastern Region
Kp 0 Húsavík
Northeastern Region
Kp 0 Ísafjörður
Westfjords
Kp 0 Egilsstaðir
Eastern Region
Kp 0 Höfn
Eastern Region
Kp 0 Lake Mývatn (Reykjahlíð)
Northeastern Region
Kp 0 Vík í Mýrdal
Southern Region
Kp 0 Snæfellsnes (Grundarfjörður)
Western Region
Where the aurora is easiest to see
| Place | Region | Kp needed | Kp for photos | Magnetic latitude |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Reykjavík | Capital Region | 0 | 0 | 64.1° |
| Kópavogur | Capital Region | 0 | 0 | 64.1° |
| Hafnarfjörður | Capital Region | 0 | 0 | 64.1° |
| Reykjanesbær | Southern Peninsula Region | 0 | 0 | 64.1° |
| Akureyri | Northeastern Region | 0 | 0 | 65.4° |
| Keflavík | Southern Peninsula Region | 0 | 0 | 64.1° |
| Mosfellsbær | Capital Region | 0 | 0 | 64.1° |
| Garðabær | Capital Region | 0 | 0 | 64.1° |
Live sightings
Where visitors are reporting the aurora right now. A place climbs with every report and drops again as the reports age.
- …
Latest reports
Live webcams in Iceland
Check the sky for yourself with these public cameras. They open on the camera owner's website.
- Mánárbakki (Tjörnes) (opens in a new tab) Scenic
- Akureyri (opens in a new tab) Scenic
- Hlíðarfjall, Akureyri (opens in a new tab) Scenic
- Mývatn (opens in a new tab) Scenic
- Stykkishólmur (opens in a new tab) Scenic
- Höfn í Hornafirði (opens in a new tab) Scenic
- Þingvallavatn (opens in a new tab) Scenic
- Perlan over Reykjavík (north) (opens in a new tab) Scenic
These cameras belong to their owners — we only link to them. Most show little in daylight or under cloud, and some pause in summer.
Regions of Iceland
- Capital RegionKp 0+ · 5
- Southern Peninsula RegionKp 0+ · 2
- Northeastern RegionKp 0+ · 3
- Southern RegionKp 0+ · 2
- Western RegionKp 0+ · 2
- Eastern RegionKp 0+ · 2
- WestfjordsKp 0+ · 1
- Northwestern RegionKp 0+ · 1
Practical information for Iceland
- Emergency number
- 112
- Access to land
- Off-road driving is banned under the Nature Conservation Act no. 60/2013 and punishable by fines or imprisonment. Exceptions are glaciers and solidly frozen or snow-covered ground where nature cannot be damaged. You may park only about one car's width off the road, and only where it causes no damage or accident risk.
- Winter driving
- Under Regulation 822/2004, studded tyres and chains are prohibited from 15 April to 31 October unless driving conditions require them, as judged by local police. The Icelandic Road and Coastal Administration (Vegagerðin) publishes road conditions on umferdin.is. Road conditions
- Drones
- Iceland applies the EASA Open Category rules: register as an operator, stay below 120 m and keep the drone in line of sight. Iceland adds its own rule to keep 150 m from public buildings, and Samgöngustofa designates no-fly zones. National authority: https://www.samgongustofa.is/
- Official space-weather service
- Icelandic Met Office aurora forecast
- Weather service
- Icelandic Met Office (Veðurstofa Íslands)
The Icelandic Met Office aurora forecast combines a cloud-cover map of Iceland with a 0–9 auroral activity forecast for midnight, and lists darkness and moonrise times for Reykjavík.
Compiled from official government, road-authority and weather-service sources. Rules change; check them before you travel.
Questions and answers
Can you see the northern lights in Iceland?
Parts of Iceland lie right under the auroral oval: near Húsavík the aurora can appear on almost any clear, dark night.
What Kp do you need to see the aurora in Iceland?
About Kp 0: Reykjavík, the largest city, is also one of the easiest places in Iceland to see it.
What is the best month to see the aurora in Iceland?
Near Húsavík, September has historically been the best month (21% of nights were clear, dark and active enough), followed by November (17%).
When was the aurora last visible in Iceland?
Near Húsavík the aurora is a regular sight on clear, dark nights. The most recent strong geomagnetic storm there in the dark was on 10 October 2026 (Kp 7.0), one of 792 storm nights since 1995.