Can you see the Northern Lights in Reykjavík? Myths, tips, and best alternatives

Winter visitors to Iceland are understandably keen to see the Northern Lights during their stay in Iceland. As a significant proportion of tourists opt to stay in the capital region, whether you’ll be able to catch a glimpse of the aurora from Reykjavik is a question that’s often asked. In this article, we’ll take a look at your odds of seeing this breathtaking celestial phenomenon if you stay in the city and what you have to gain by booking a place on one of our Reykjavik Northern Lights tours. We’ll take a deep dive into the range of excursions on offer, arming you with the knowledge to choose the tour that’s right for you.

It is possible to see the Northern Lights from Reykjavik. In fact, analysis of data collected from users of the Hello Aurora app indicated that the capital and its surroundings were statistically the best part of the country to be in if you were hoping to catch sight of the Northern Lights. The survey suggested that 40% of those Reykjavik area reports were from the downtown area.

Let’s take a moment to unpick this: given the city’s much higher concentration of visitors than anywhere else in Iceland, it would be a surprise if Reykjavik didn’t take the top spot. Assuming a significant proportion of those tourists opt to stay downtown, it also makes sense that at least some of those aurora experiences occur near where people are staying. That might be the result of a deliberate attempt to get outside and see the Northern Lights or even as they make their way back to their hotel from a restaurant or bar.

However, statistics such as this are quantitative rather than qualitative. There’s absolutely a chance you’ll see the Northern Lights from the city if the necessary conditions align, but with the light pollution you’ll encounter it’s going to be hard to appreciate their full effect as the colours are unlikely to be as intense. To admire the beauty of the aurora and experience it with maximum impact, travelling beyond the city to reach the countryside’s dark skies makes a lot of sense.

The good news is that you don’t need to travel very far from the capital to witness the Northern Lights in all their glory. On nights when the aurora is visible, tours head out into the surrounding countryside. As Iceland is so sparsely populated, there are plenty of areas that theoretically are contenders for seeing the aurora. You’ll need to leave the ambient light of the city behind and also factor in reflected light from large greenhouses.

Guides spend time checking not only the solar activity forecast but also real-time maps of cloud cover. This data is then combined with experiential knowledge of the places where there’s legal off-road parking, enough space for people to stand and unobstructed views of the sky to the north. The precise location of where you’ll view the Northern Lights varies from night to night, but places such as the Reykjanes peninsula, Golden Circle and even the closest reaches of the south or west coast are all contenders. Some of the best places to see the Northern Lights in Iceland lie within an hour’s drive of the capital.

Particularly if you’re a first-time visitor to Iceland, you might not know where to find such places meaning as an independent Northern Lights chaser you might default to a scattergun approach to your search, wasting valuable time as you pin down a suitable location. While it’s true you may not end up travelling very far from Reykjavik on a Northern Lights tour, that’s a positive as that frees up more of the evening for watching the display - a huge bonus if nature’s show lasts for a while.

Guided tours and independent Northern Lights hunts both have their merits, so perhaps the smartest idea is to factor both into your itinerary. By booking an aurora tour early on during your trip, you’ll benefit from the expertise of a local guide. That extends not only to where you end up, but also their explanations about what causes these celestial displays and, often, how to best capture them with your camera or smartphone.

Investing some of your travel budget in this way arms you with more skills. On a guided Northern Lights tour from Reykjavík, you’ll learn how to recognise the telltale signs of a weak aurora, differentiating between distant lights, wispy clouds and the aurora’s initially grey ribbons and arcs that sometimes pre-empt a more intense and colourful event. Having such confirmation from a guide that you are - or aren’t - witnessing the Northern Lights is helpful as you get to know what to look out for.

If you have a generous budget, it’s well worth considering a Northern Lights tour by super jeep. These specially modified vehicles can cope with much more challenging terrain, which means they can access areas that would be off-limits to regular vehicles on a wintry night. By definition, this means that they can more easily reach the darkest areas and keep you further away from distant light pollution. On a night where there is a lot of cloud cover, in some instances they might even be the only kind of transport that can reach a clear patch of sky.

A cheaper alternative would be a small group minibus tour or a boat trip out into Faxaflói Bay. These offer the benefits of being with fewer people but are more affordable than the super jeep tours tend to be. If you’re on a really tight budget, don’t rule out a coach tour, which is the most cost-effective way of accessing the services of a guide as you attempt to track down the sometimes elusive aurora. Though there are more people on the tour, you’ll park in a spot where it’s possible to spread out sufficiently.

Once you’ve taken one of our Reykjavik Northern Lights tours, you’re likely to remain enthusiastic about seeing the aurora again. No two displays are alike and for many travellers, the urge to witness it in a different guise is likely to remain. If the forecast remains promising, it’s a good opportunity to view the Northern Lights on a different kind of tour, such as taking a boat trip if you’ve already done a land-based excursion. However, if your budget doesn’t stretch to a second guided excursion, you might want to try again within the city.

If strong solar activity is forecast and the skies are clear – check the Icelandic Met Office website or that of Aurora Forecast to get the latest data – you should be able to witness the Northern Lights in Reykjavik from any dark location within or close to the capital. Remember high level cloud is just as important as those clouds closer to the ground when working out aurora borealis visibility in Reykjavik and its surroundings – a vital piece of the puzzle when coming to a decision about whether and when to take a guided tour or go it alone.

Some intrepid visitors head out to Grótta lighthouse on the far western tip of the Seltjarnarnes peninsula for their independent Northern Lights hunt. City buses will get you most of the way during the earlier part of the evening and after they stop, it’s around an hour’s walk back to the harbour area of Reykjavik.

Though it’s a suitable spot, it’s no longer a secret with tourists – it’s even labelled Northern Lights View Point on Google maps. This means if conditions look promising the area can get quite busy. Instead, you might prefer to scope out other dark spots on Reykjavik’s northern shore, such as those further east towards the suburbs and more distant from city centre light pollution.

Alternatively, stick within downtown, hope that the colours are intense and choose to view them above a major landmark such as iconic Hallgrimskirkja, the Þúfa art installation at the far edge of the harbour district or even the Sun Voyager sculpture on the waterfront. However, know that Reykjavik’s light pollution and aurora displays aren’t an ideal combination.

Such places are also your best option if you’re caught unawares, as you’re likely to be close by to one of them. To make the best of the situation in which you find yourself, try to block out any direct sources of light pollution like lampposts and signage attached to businesses. Though such an approach isn’t ideal, if the Northern Lights have appeared unexpectedly you might have to think on your feet as displays can be frustratingly fleeting. The chance to see the aurora in Reykjavik like this is still better than missing out.

Once you’ve booked your spot on a Northern Lights tour, it’s wise to manage your expectations. The aurora borealis is notoriously fickle; even when the solar activity forecasts look promising and clear skies are expected, there are no guarantees that the displays will appear. The elusive nature of the Northern Lights is what makes it so special when they do show up.

That said, you can make certain preparations. Firstly, plan what to wear. Even if it’s relatively mild in the city, you’ll often be in exposed locations while viewing the aurora and remain outside for extended periods of time. Dress warmly to counteract the creeping cold and wind chill, not forgetting a snug-fitting hat, gloves and thick-soled footwear.

If you plan – like most visitors – to try to photograph the Northern Lights in Iceland, then pay attention to how you are going to keep your camera or smartphone warm yet accessible as well. Make sure you have pockets and a spare battery or power bank because cold temperatures drain batteries much faster than you would expect.

Serious snappers should bring a sturdy tripod; you’ll be grateful you are able to keep the camera steady during the long exposures necessary to boost the colours as you capture the display. Often, you’ll need to set the exposure time to 30 seconds which won’t result in sharp hand-held images. If it’s windy, make sure you seek out the most sheltered spot, perhaps using the minibus or super jeep to block any gusts.

If you’re going to be in Iceland during the aurora season between late August and April, monitor weather and solar forecasts carefully. Take a guided tour with us to see the Northern Lights outside Reykjavik – it’s certain to be a highlight of any trip. We highly recommend you browse the different types on offer and let us be your trusted and reliable guide as you experience this incredible celestial event.