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How to see the Northern Lights in Iceland | Free & Recommended Tours
If you are organizing a trip to Iceland between September and April and you wonder how to see the northern lights in iceland You're in the right place. Below we'll tell you what to keep in mind, what to expect from the Northern Lights, and which apps to use.carWatch it on your mobile, which websites to consult… We'll tell you everything you need to know to see this fascinating spectacle of nature.
⪼ Don't forget to read: What to know before traveling to Iceland in winter
BEST TIME TO SEE BOREAL LIGHTS IN ICELAND
The best months to see the Northern Lights in Iceland are between October and March since there are quite a few hours at night. However, the first northern lights in Iceland can be seen at end of August and the last ones during the month of April, but in both months there are very few hours of darkness so you will need an extra bit of luck, but I confirm first-hand that they can be seen.
The reality is that in Iceland there are auroras practically all year round, but since there are no hours of total darkness during the summer, it prevents them from being seen. Although as a curiosity I will tell you that there has ever been a (very unusual) phenomenon of a solar storm so powerful that auroras have been seen during the day.
BEST AREAS TO SEE BOREAL LIGHTS IN ICELAND
The best way to see the auroras is to get away from towns a place without light pollution, a day of mostly clear skies and preferably during a new moon or no moon.
It's not difficult for these things to happen carcharacteristics in a country as sparsely populated as Iceland, therefore Any place is good, but the best area is the north where there are few populations and it is also bordering on Arctic Circle. There are very good ones hotels to see auroras in relatively isolated areas
Although it is common for many travelers who visit Iceland in winter not to visit the northern region due to the weather, the state of the carThere are few visitors or those who come for only a few days, and the main attractions are located in the south.
So, not many kilometers from Reykjavik and with carFor well-maintained backstreets, I propose two options: the golden circle area or the Snaefellsnes Peninsula.
HOW TO KNOW WHEN THERE IS AURORA BOREALIS
Websites to know if there are auroras
A simple portal for aurora forecasting is the national weather forecast website, which It has a section dedicated to the auroras, is focused on knowing the prediction of the day in general, not so much the exact moment.
You will see a map of the island with green shadows representing clouds and white areas which is where the sky is clear. To the right there is a scale from 0 to 9 which determines the possibility of seeing auroras, if it is greater than 2 it is already possible to see them and the greater the number, the more abundant and powerful are anticipated. We also give you the state of the moon.
For much more specific information you have the website SpaceWeatherLive, in it you can see solar activity in very detail, but for this website you will need to study a little to be able to understand all the information it gives.
Apps to see auroras
There are many mobile applications that help you know the best time and place to see the auroras, but without a doubt the best is the app Aurora available for IOS y Android.
This app send notifications when there are more possibilities that there are auroras in your location. It also tells you the possibilities of seeing them according to time slots and it has a map that tells you in which areas you could see an aurora at that time.
The best thing is to...carPlay around with it and tinker a bit to learn how it works and see all the features it has.
HOW TO SEE AURORAS IN ICELAND NO TOURS
The northern lights are a unique spectacle of nature not only because of their spectacular nature but also because thousands of people can be hallucinating them at the same time at many different points. That means you don't have to go to a specific place, which is free and you can enjoy them practically alone.
As we have already been saying, to see them the "only" thing you need is for them to be fulfilled 3 conditions, an area with little light pollution, clear skies and a day with a lot of solar activity. Be careful, it's the only one you need but it's not that it's easy to get either!
Although the auroras can be seen in the very center of Reykjavik, they are much better seen outside the towns, that is why it is best to have a car o van camper to get away to a good area. You can help yourself with the Apps and websites that we have recommended to see where it can be clearer.
Once you are in a good area, all that remains is observe the sky, prepare your camera and wait for the magic to happen. They can come out in any direction but the most common is that it is north.
If you don't have a car or van, it would be best to dress warmly and walk outside the place where you are. If you are in Reykjavík it can be complicated, so I would recommend booking a tour.
TOP TOURS TO SEE AURORAS IN ICELAND
The cheapest tour from Reykjavik
This tour with pickup from central Reykjavík It is the cheapest you can hire online. The excursion takes place in a bus that goes to areas where there are more possibilities of seeing them and during the tour different stops are made to photograph the auroras that appear.
The tour has a guide who will explain curious facts about the auroras and life in Iceland during the winter to make the journey more entertaining. If you have questions about how to photograph the auroras, it will also help you prepare the settings of your camera or mobile phone to get the best photos.
Because auroras cannot be controlled and are difficult to predict If you do the tour and do not see any, you can repeat the activity for free the next day or within a maximum period of 3 years.
Golden Circle Tour + Auroras
This tour with Pick-up from your Reykjavík hotel has audio guide in spanish and take a very complete route through the Golden Circle, the most famous and tourist area of Iceland.
Very interesting points are visited along the route. , the the famous geysers where you will see how one of them erupts right in front of you. You will also visit the gigantic Gullfos waterfall y el Thingvellir National Park where two tectonic plates have separated creating a huge crack that you can walk through.
At the end of the visit to the best-known points of the Golden Circle We will wait for nightfall to hunt the famous northern lights.
After a good time watching the aurora, you will be taken back to your hotel.
Aurora Hunting Yacht Tour from Reykjavik
This is one of the most special and different tours to see the auroras from Iceland. It consists of 2 hours of sailing through Reykjavík Bay aboard a yacht. During navigation You can relax in the ship's bar away from the cold and go outside when the aurora appears.
Super 4×4 tour
In Iceland they are crazy about giant 4×4s and this tour is an example of that. This excursion with pick-up at your hotel is very special since you will get into a gigantic 4×4 to drive off road in search of the best and most remote places to spot the auroras. You will reach places that no other vehicle can reach.
If it were not possible to see any aurora you can repeat the tour for free another day to try my luck again.
Visit to the Blue Lagoon + Aurora Hunting
This tour put together two of the most famous things from Iceland, the auroras and the thermal baths Blue LagoonThe activity includes hotel pickup, transfer to the Blue Lagoon and its respective entrance + morecarcellar + drink and At the end of the bath they take you to a slightly remote area to see the auroras.
HOTELS IN ICELAND TO SEE AURORAS
Many tourists travel during the winter months with one objective; See Northern Lights in Iceland.
That is why many hotels have gotten to work to try offer unforgettable experiences to all its guests. Some of them, for example, They have alarm clocks that warn you when there are auroras in the sky.
Here you have one list of the best hotels in the country to see the auroras:
- Hotel Husafell: This hotel east of Reykjavík is in an area away from light pollution. One of its peculiarities is that It has an alarm system that wakes you up when there are auroras in the sky and avoid spending all night awake trying to see them.
- Aurora Cabins: Near the very famous Vatnajökull glacier, in the town of Höfn, there are these wooden cabins in a very quiet natural environment where to enjoy the auroras in the east.
- Hotel Kjarnalundur: On the outskirts of Akureyri in the north of the country is this hotel with outdoor jacuzzi to see auroras in the warm water.
- A camper van: Campers are the best ally in Iceland because the freedom that They offer. What better plan than to appearcar Wherever you like, open the door and watch the Northern Lights from the comfort of your bed. All this for less than many hotels. Plus, campsites usually have very little electricity.
HOW TO SEE AURORAS EXPECTATION VS. FOR REAL
We have all seen photographs where the sky is painted green with impossible shapes and that is what you expect to find in Iceland during the winter. But I must warn you that see a sky like this It is something difficult to achieve, very difficult. In several months living in Iceland we have only seen it on 3 occasions (of course we are not looking at the sky all day).
The main reason for not seeing them as in the photos is not that they are edited, it is simply that The human eye does not capture as much light. So many days when the intensity is low you see auroras with tones that are more gray than green, however if you take a photo it will turn out green.
Even if they are gray, almost similar to clouds, do not give up disappointed, because in many cases it is the beginning of more powerful ones. You will know that it is not a cloud if they move, if they appear and disappear and of course, if you focus with your phone and they look green.
But then can they be seen green with the naked eye? Yes, yes and a thousand times yes. They can be seen green with the naked eye and even pink, lilac, yellow and white. Forks one of the most spectacular things we have ever seen. But as they said, it's a matter of luck, checking the App and looking at the sky a lot during your trip.
I hope these tips on how to see the Northern Lights in Iceland help you see and enjoy this unique phenomenon. Here you can access the articles about Iceland or see our featured stories instagram.
