Northern lights in Iceland

How much activity Iceland needs

Very little. From Reykjavík the aurora appears low in the north-north-west on quiet nights, roughly 20° above the horizon at Kp 0, and climbs overhead once activity picks up. In Akureyri and around Mývatn, further north, it starts higher, about 40° up, so a quiet night there already looks like a proper display.

In practice the Kp number matters less than the cloud map. A clear night at Kp 2 beats a cloudy one at Kp 6 every time.

Reykjavík and the capital area

Most visitors land at Keflavík, about 50 km (30 miles) from the city, with direct flights from many UK airports and from several cities in the US and Canada. You can see aurora from Reykjavík itself on a strong night, but the streetlights wash out anything faint.

Twenty minutes of driving makes a big difference. Grótta, the lighthouse at the tip of Seltjarnarnes, is the classic city escape. Better still, head east over the Hellisheiði pass or north-east towards Þingvellir, about 45 minutes away, where the national park has no towns and wide views to the north.

The south coast

Route 1 east from Reykjavík runs past Seljalandsfoss and Skógafoss to Vík, then on to the glacier lagoon at Jökulsárlón. It is the most photographed stretch of the country and has plenty of farm hotels with dark skies right outside the door.

There is one geographic catch. The aurora is in the north, and on the south coast the mountains and glaciers rise behind you in exactly that direction. From Vík the lower edge sits only about 13° above the horizon on quiet nights, so you want open ground or a beach facing inland, or a stronger night.

Snæfellsnes

Two to three hours' drive north-west of Reykjavík, the peninsula has Kirkjufell near Grundarfjörður, the mountain on half the aurora postcards from Iceland. The north shore faces the right way, the area is thinly populated and the weather sometimes differs from the capital's, which makes it a useful two- or three-night base.

The north: Akureyri and Mývatn

North Iceland is drier and colder than the south, and it often clears when a low-pressure system sits over the south coast. Akureyri has an airport with domestic flights from Reykjavík, and Lake Mývatn, about an hour east, gives you lava fields, steam vents and very little artificial light.

Winter here means real snow and temperatures around −10 °C (14 °F). The drive from Reykjavík is roughly 390 km (240 miles) and should not be rushed in January.

Cloud is the main enemy

Icelanders check vedur.is, the Icelandic Met Office's site, for the cloud-cover map, which shows low, medium and high cloud hour by hour. Look for a gap you can reach within an hour or two and go there, rather than waiting for the sky above your hotel to change.

It also helps to stay flexible about where you sleep. Many visitors book four nights in Reykjavík; splitting them between the capital and the north, or the south coast and Snæfellsnes, doubles your chances of being under clear sky on an active night.

Driving in winter

Hire cars come with winter tyres, and you do not need a 4x4 for Route 1 in most conditions. What you do need is the habit of checking road.is, the road authority's live map of closures and conditions, before every drive, and safetravel.is for warnings. Roads close in storms, and wind is often more dangerous than snow: gusts over the passes can tear a car door off its hinges.

Never stop on the road to watch the sky. Pull into a proper lay-by or a car park, switch off your headlights and walk away from the car. The highland F-roads are closed in winter, whatever your sat-nav suggests.

• Fuel up whenever you pass a station in the north and east; they are far apart.
• Keep a torch with a red light, warm boots and water in the car.
• Tell someone your route if you go out after midnight.

Mistakes visitors often make

The most common one is booking a short city break in Reykjavík and treating the aurora as a fixed item on the itinerary. Two nights is a coin toss at best, and a tour cancelled for cloud on both evenings is a very ordinary outcome. Build in spare nights, and book tours that rebook you free of charge.

Another is staring at the Kp number. An app showing Kp 5 means nothing under solid cloud, while a quiet Kp 1–2 night over a clear Mývatn can be spectacular. Check the cloud forecast first and activity second. The town pages on this site show both side by side for Reykjavík, Vík, Akureyri and other bases.

Finally, people underdress because Iceland sounds milder than Lapland. The temperature may only be −2 °C (28 °F), but wind across open lava fields makes it feel far colder, and you will be standing still for an hour or more. Bring a windproof outer layer, a hat that covers your ears and spare gloves.

When to go

From late August to mid-April the nights are dark enough. From about May to early August Reykjavík never gets properly dark, and the aurora season is over. Over 2005–2025 the trip planner gives November and December the best odds in Reykjavík and on the south coast, partly simply because the nights are so long: around four hours of daylight at the winter solstice.

September and March are kinder for driving, with daylight for sightseeing and nights still long enough. UK October half-term and February half-term both fall well inside the season.

Frequently asked questions

Can you see the northern lights in Reykjavík? Yes, on active nights even from the city centre, but a short drive to Grótta or Þingvellir shows far more.

Is a tour or a hire car better in Iceland? A hire car gives the most freedom if you are comfortable on icy roads. Otherwise a bus or minibus tour from Reykjavík, many of which offer a free second try if you see nothing, is the safer choice.

What is the best month for the northern lights in Iceland? Statistically November and December, with the longest nights. For an easier trip with more daylight, aim for late September, October or March.

How long should I stay? Five nights is a good minimum in winter. Two-night city breaks often end with nothing but cloud.