Northern lights in Iceland

Aurora season runs from late September to early April. You need darkness, clear skies and a little patience — the forecast helps, but it is never a guarantee.

Top tours and activities

Reserve glacier hikes, northern lights tours, whale watching and more.

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Best time to see aurora

You need dark skies, so the season is roughly late September to early April. The nights are longest from November to February, but February and March often have the clearest weather and the most stable solar activity. Summer is too bright — the midnight sun washes out any aurora.

How to read the aurora forecast

The Kp index measures geomagnetic activity from 0 to 9. Kp 2–3 is common and enough for a visible display away from Reykjavik. Kp 4+ means a strong, widespread show. Cloud cover matters just as much: a Kp 5 storm hidden by clouds is invisible. Always check vedur.is for both the Kp number and the cloud map.

Best places to watch

Anywhere away from light pollution. Even 20 minutes outside Reykjavik helps.
Snæfellsnes and the Westfjords have dark coasts and little traffic.
North Iceland around Mývatn and Húsavík is reliably clear in winter.
The south coast near Vík has dark beaches, but watch the waves.
Highland huts are the darkest of all, but only accessible in summer.

Should you book a tour?

If you have a car, you can chase aurora yourself using the forecast. If not, a guided tour takes you to dark spots and often knows where the clouds are breaking. Tours are worth it for a short winter trip when every clear night counts.

What to wear

You may be standing still for an hour or more in wind and cold. Wear insulated, windproof layers, warm boots, a hat and gloves. Bring a head torch with a red-light mode to preserve your night vision.

Photographing the lights

A tripod is essential. Use a wide-angle lens, manual focus set to infinity, ISO 800–3200 and an exposure of 5–15 seconds. A phone on a small tripod with night mode can also work in strong displays.