The truth is, there is no singular good spot. Still, the Northern Lights are seen every year in August. Most hotels around the country offer a special Northern Lights wake-up service, so if lights happen to appear, they will let you know. The ideal location for sightings varies and the local guides are skilled in hunting the lights, finding locations where conditions are best for seeing them each night. Because of its small size, you wont have to worry too much about light pollution interfering with your view of the sky. It is possible to see the northern lights from Reykjavik. Many people mistakenly think that they are related to cold weather, but, luckily this is not the case. The Northern Lights or Aurora Borealis is a natural phenomenon that can paint the night sky with unearthly, surreal color. Sometimes these holes in the cloud layer are all we need to glimpse the glow- but many great activity nights have been canceled over a thick layer of cloud cover. If youre driving or taking a winter self-drive tour tailored to the aurora borealis, you can search for the northern lights throughout the night. These are moments in the year where colorful changes are occurring in the countryside, and often, low traffic among visitors. They can't move the weather for you. You can take a bus to the Seltjarnarnes Nature Reserve,which is fairly dark compared to the rest of the city. Here are some tour operators with lots of choices good luck narrowing them down! As a result, energy is released and causing peculiar luminous green streaks across the skies. Northern Lights can be seen in North Iceland from the end of August to mid- April. August is very early in the season, and typically we access amenable darkness by the end of the first week. September through March is the peak season for northern lights viewing because the nights are longest. Vast portions of Iceland are rural or undeveloped, meaning you can find places to spot the northern lights all over the country. Sometimes the lights can be seen as early as mid August, as soon as the midnight sun is gone. Can You See The Northern Lights In Iceland In September - This article may contain affiliate links, which means we may receive a small commission, at no cost to you, for qualifying purchases. If you want your holiday to Iceland to be focussed on seeing the lights first-hand, there are plenty of winter self-drive vacations and package holidays that will make this a possibility. On an auroral forecast, you can see that the cloud map is an integral part of finding out if youll be able to view activity or not. Every so often we get lucky, and the sun sends a sizeable storm, giving us the rare chance to view the Northern Lights from places like North America and continental Europe. Which is only a short 3-4 minute driver . At this time, the autumn equinox affects the intensity of the auroral activity, gifting us with stronger, brighter displays. CAN YOU SEE THE NORTHERN LIGHTS IN ICELAND IN AUGUST? Enjoy the silence of the crisp Icelandic winter night and be amazed by the Aurora. Before we get to the When can you see the Northern Lights in Iceland? half of the show, lets talk about what were actually looking for. Fortunately, this extreme light cycle buys you an entire half of the year to plan a Northern Lights holiday in Iceland- which gives you more time than you might think. Theres almost no light pollution to speak of, and you get a very clear view of the sky. However, throughout these months, Iceland endures its worst weather. The best way to see the northern lights is, of course, to get away from city lights. Put on your warmest jacket, hat and mittens and go for a walk. However, most photographs of the Northern Lights are taken with special camera setups, and at least a long shutter speed. We recommend a visit to the Golden Circle: Gullfoss Waterfall, Geysir Geothermal Area and ingvellir National Park which are Icelands most popular attractions. Check out our list of the best Airbnbs perfect for watching northern lights in Iceland. While I cant make any guarantees, if you use these tips and go to these places and the aurora is out, youll hopefully have an unforgettable experience seeing the northern lights in Iceland. There are a few places in Reykjavik where you have better chances to spot the aurora: Some guides offer aurora tours in Reykjavik too, so they may know additional locals-only spots where you can get a good view of the night sky and the aurora if its visible. With the aurora dancing overhead, you might just think youve been transported to another planet entirely! When you come here to see the Northern Lights, you have a chance of photographing two amazing works of nature at once. The best time of year to see Northern Lights in Iceland , though, is during September and March. My name is Valerie, and I'm the founder of Space Tourism Guide! Adults . 2500 ISK, 6-16 years . 1200 ISK, Adult. Splash Your Time Away Going River Rafting That's right! Send us a message! Djpavk is a tiny village thats located miles away from any other settlement. Additionally, any of the dark winter months - October through February - are also good opportunities to see the northern lights. At the very end of July in t. I have a true passion for travel and love to discover new destinations and cultures. That being said, you may have the luck of seeing them from the aeroplane or on the drive from the airport. Puffins and other migratory birds can still be seen nesting at several location around the country in the first half of the month. Then you may not have to walk very far to enjoy a magnificent display of colourful lights. Here are 16 great places to see the northern lights in Iceland (in random order): This small town is in a prime location for viewing the Northern Lights. Icelands long winter is the best time for seeing the northern lights in Iceland. Lay back on a down comforter in a heated bubble and have a drink? You may have a similar light cycle situation during winter in your home country. It is located at a high latitude, and its Northern Lights season is from late-September to mid-March , with peak periods in September and March (autumn equinox and spring equinox respectively). In Iceland, you are losing or gaining minutes of light every day, depending on if you are moving away or towards midsummer or midwinter. Absolutely! We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. Isnt it night? Despite the early setting of the sun, we do still cycle through steps of twilight, or dusk. In this period of time, no Northern Lights can be observed. This gives you quite a spectrum of time to hunt for auroras, and this season spans autumn, winter, and even spring. You need darkness for viewing the Northern Lights. It's also one of the first places in Europe that the Aurora tends to be visible- sometimes as early as mid-August! The Thrihnukagigur Inside the Volcano Tour continues until October and will enable you to descend into and explore a vast, unbelievably colorful magma chamber. Icelands weather is milder in autumn and spring (if still very unpredictable), meaning less chance of cloud cover, although note that the window of opportunity for northern lights hunting is smaller due to the increased daylight hours. Of course, there is a chance that even if all those conditions are in your favour and you take every opportunity you get, you still might not see the lights. In short, the sun is constantly emitting particles. In the summer equinox weeks at the end of June, the sun never sets in Iceland. When looking for a good spot to wait for the Northern Lights, youll want to consider cloud cover. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience. Youre statistically more likely to see the northern lights by staying in Iceland for an extended time. This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Its high altitude and isolated location make it very easy to get a clear view of the Aurora Borealis. Icelands winter light cycle is not quite as extreme, but due to this trade-off, we experience a surplus of daylight hours in the summer and a surplus of dark hours in the winter. However, if you get lucky, it's possible to get a glimpse of aurora in Yukon as early as mid-August when the weather is still warm or as late as mid-April when the snow starts to melt. Lodges & Overnight Tours. Even so, you have much less chance of seeing Icelands aurora borealis during these times, as they will need to be particularly intense to be visible, and theres a much smaller window of opportunity to seek them. Be careful not to pull over to stop your vehicle in an unsafe location to watch! Its far removed from civilization and is another amazing opportunity to see two natural wonders at once. Seljavallalaug Pool is a mountainside swimming pool thats over 25 meters long. Iniakuk Lake Wilderness Lodge, a fly-in luxury wilderness lodge inside Gates of the Arctic . Seeing the Northern Lights would be the cherry on top of your winter trip, a bonus to an otherwise amazing adventure with quirky experiences. While it is not wise to book a trip in August just to see northern lights, it does happen. Keep in mind the best time for northern lights in Iceland is the winter months. Of course, those tours will also take you to landscapes and location you may otherwise not experience. The Northern Lights tend to be very active for 2-3 nights, then low for 4-5 nights, in ongoing cycles. She decided to start the site after realizing how many friends and family had never seen the Milky Way, and that space tourism was going to unlock the next great travel destination: space! Discover the top northern lights hotels in Iceland, and increase your chances of seeing the northern lights during your stay in Iceland. Learn more about the Northern Lights in Iceland Kno What are the most commonly asked questions about the Northern Lights, one of Iceland's most alluring and elusive attractions? That being said, the Aurora can often be seen dancing over the capital and other towns. When can you see the Northern Lights in Iceland 2021? August is technically a summer month, but it is at this time that darkness returns to our Nordic shores, after months of total daylight. North Iceland also has longer hours of darkness and typically less cloudy than other areas, making them ideal spots for watching the aurora borealis. The best time to see them is often between midnight and 2 am. Finland has recently become one of the most popular Northern Lights destinations in Europe. In short, everyone will enjoy seeing the northern lights in Iceland, which might be why its one of the best places on the planet for seeing the aurora! Because of the importance of clouds in this equation, it can sometimes mean just heading out on the road that leads in that direction. Not a time typically associated with auroral viewing, the transitional seasons like fall and spring are phenomenal times to hunt for Northern Lights. However, most Northern Lights cruises visit just Norway, Iceland, and Greenland because those . Northern Lights trips are organized around the country all winter long. 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