Watching the Northern Lights in Iceland.

Seeing the Northern Lights in Iceland had been on my bucket list for at least 15 years, possibly longer. I can remember learning about the mystical, magical Aurora Borealis in my GCSE Geography class. I remember sitting in the dark, staring up at the big TV, captivated by the colourful ripples of light dancing across the screen on a video that Mr Dewey stuck on for us. Because education through VHS was still commonplace in the classroom back then (and because the school’s budget didn’t stretch as far as flat screens and DVD players).

But over the last few years, whenever I’d looked at flights, hotels and excursions for Iceland, it’d usually been around November/December, when I’d suddenly realised it was prime Northern Lights spotting time and yet another year was about to pass without me seeing them. Unfortunately this was the time that flights, hotels and excursions for Iceland were super expensive, so I’d always ended up booking somewhere else instead (like when I randomly went to Morocco, or that trip to the Czech Republic).

But last year, I finally made it happen; I visited Iceland and I saw the Northern Lights. In fact, I was lucky enough to see them on two of the five nights I stayed in the Nordic country. But here’s my story of the first time I saw them…

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Checking the Northern Lights forecast.

A week before I was due to fly to Reykjavik, I realised that my dream trip had finally rolled around and I was completely unprepared. I’d booked flights and a hostel back in May during a flight sale – but since then I’d been to four other countries, I’d started a new job and I’d bought a house. So planning for my Icelandic adventure hadn’t been top of my agenda. With just a week before departure, I hadn’t booked any excursions, I hadn’t ordered any foreign currency, I hadn’t even bought a guide book or thermal clothes.

A quick sprint around the shops the weekend prior to my trip sorted the latter three issues, thankfully. And then some frantic Googling helped with the former. I found plenty of companies offering guided Aurora Borealis tours and Northern Lights safaris – but which day should I book for? My friend and fellow traveller Kellee (who blogs over at lifeadventurers.co.uk) recommended a forecast app, Aurora. It shows you the current KP index and how likely you are to see the Northern Lights wherever you are, as well as forecasts for the next hour, several hours and several weeks – so you can plan your Northern Lights viewing in advance. I’d definitely recommend downloading this app before heading to Iceland – it’s free and available on Android and iOS.

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Booking a Northern Lights tour.

Using both the app and the website www.aurora-service.eu, I decided to book a Northern Lights boat trip with Special Tours for Monday 4 December. I’d been told by colleagues and friends not to get my hopes up, that seeing the lights isn’t guaranteed, even if the forecasts are good. In fact, a colleague had been to Tromsø in Norway just the weekend before, on a specialist Northern Lights hunting tour – but didn’t see them once in the four days he was there.

So with crossed fingers and toes, I booked a Special Tours excursion for my penultimate night in Iceland. I figured that if I didn’t to see them then, I’d still have one final chance to try to see them on my last night. The KP index forecast was a high 5-6 for both nights, so this seemed sensible.

Special Tours also offered a plan B if the excursion had to be postponed because of thick cloud cover: the company would take us to the Whales of Iceland exhibition in Grandi, just a short walk from the harbour. A guide would greet us and talk us through each of the giant whales, with life-sized models and some fun interactive exhibits. After this we’d be taken into the movie hall and shown a 25 minute video of the dancing Northern Lights, full of beautiful imagery, facts and stories. I wondered if it would be the same VHS from Mr Dewey’s class all those years ago – but I never found out, because luckily, when Monday 4 December came around, the cloud cover wasn’t too thick. The trip was on.

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I mentioned before that when I booked my flights to Iceland, I also booked my hostel. It was my first ever stay in a hostel (I know, 31 countries visited and I’d never stayed in a hostel before, shocking!), and it’s safe to say, it will probably be my last. The Sport Hostel in Reykjavík was a weird place, with no staff and a grand total of just three guests. There was no one to check me in or show me what was what, and if it wasn’t for one of the other guests walking passed the front door at the right time, I would’ve probably frozen to death on the doorstep (despite looking like this).

I ended up staying there just two nights of the booked five, because I disliked it that much. Luckily however, on my second night I went out with my two hostel buddies for a few many drinks. In a bar called Dillon we met an Icelandic guy called Björn (of course). Björn had a spare room listed on Airbnb – would I prefer to stay there? Hell, yes. So on my third day, after my buddies had departed for Prague and I was left alone in the massive, empty hostel, Björn came and rescued me, and I moved into his flat. We then went swimming at the local pool, ate a lot of pizza and watched the Icelandic version of Countryfile, because that’s what Sundays are for.

So where does Björn fit into my Northern Lights story? Well, he became my unofficial tour guide, chaperone and taxi driver over the next few days – something I couldn’t be more grateful for. During the day I would go off and do touristy things, and he’d study for his upcoming uni exam. Then, when we were both done for the day, he’d pick me up from wherever I was, and we hung out together in the evenings.

On the Monday, because my Special Tours Northern Lights trip was scheduled to leave the harbour at 9pm, in between studying and exploring, Björn and I arranged to meet for dinner. That afternoon I’d walked from the Perlan, down through the suburbs of the city and along the seafront, where I gravitated towards the beautiful Harpa Concert Hall building. In the distance I could just see this bright blue facade, standing out against the rest of the skyline. But as I approached, I realised that the lights inside were rippling like fish scales – or, like the Northern Lights. The Harpa Concert Hall was putting on its own magical light show, so I stood in the cold watching it for ages. Until Björn text…

“So.. Where u at?”

“Harpa, it’s beautiful”

“Yea its cool”

“And the escalators go really fast when you get on haha! How’s the revision going?”

“Mmjeeaahh.. I pick u up at harpa?”

“If you want?”

“Yea.. l’ll be there in 10 min” 

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Warming up before the tour.

Having been out walking and snapping pictures in -5c temperatures all day, I was absolutely freezing and starving when we met 10 minutes later. We headed over to Björn’s student union, where there was a funky vibe and a dank smell of BO, ale and charity shop. Pretty grim, but not the worst stink I experienced in Iceland – in fact, I’m sure those who’ve been to the island before are nodding their heads unanimously while reading this, recalling the smell of rotten eggs, yes?

Despite the smell, I ravenously eyed up the fish and chips on the menu. But as soon as I spied the specials board on the bar, knew I had to try the reindeer burger. Vegetarians, vegans and anyone else who dislikes the thought of eating Rudolph should look away now…

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Oozing over the top of the massive slab of reindeer meat was melted Camembert cheese and a generous dollop of red onion jam. Paired with some sweet potato fries (and a big ol’ squirt of French’s mustard – optional, but my condiment of choice), the meal probably equated to all the calories I’d burnt during the day, and then some. But who cares, when in Iceland and that?

After dinner, we got back in the car and drove around for a while, chatting about everything and anything. It was too early for the boat tour, and too cold to wait outside. So Björn gave me a mini tour of the city, pointing out where his family, friends and LazyTown‘s Sportacus lives (me: “Ooooh that house with the lights is beautiful, I want to live there!” Björn: “Do you know LazyTown? That’s Sportacus’ house”). I was impressed.

With 30 minutes until the tour, we started to head back to Reykjavík, but Björn suddenly detoured, driving the car to the edge of a cliff and parking up. He turned off the headlights then motioned for me to look up from my phone (where I was checking the Aurora app). And that was it, that was the moment I first saw them – the Northern Lights in Iceland. Pressing my face to the glass of Björn’s car window, squinting through the inky black sky, I made out several wisps of milky white light billowing across the sky.

“Is that them?” I asked, “is that really them?”. Björn nodded. I was jubilant. And now even more excited for my excursion with Special Tours.

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Special Tours Northern Lights boat trip.

After Björn dropped me at the harbour and returned to uni for more studying, I got my ticket from the Special Tours booth and grabbed a large coffee from the only bar that was still open. My fingers were icicles and I was beginning to flag after the long day (may have also been a food coma, not 100% sure), so the caffeine was appreciated. I met two American guys in the bar who were also waiting to board the boat. We sat there chatting about how long we’d waited to see the Lights, swapping stories of things we’d seen and done while in Iceland. 

And then it was time to board…

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The Americans and I made a beeline for the top deck, bypassing the bar and cosy seats downstairs, and ignoring the crew trying to who offer us warm overalls. We were here to see the Lights, and didn’t want to miss a thing by sitting indoors. So we stood at the back of the boat, away from the crowd and held on to the railings as we set off.

It only took about 15 minutes to sail away from the harbour around to the peaceful bay of Faxaflói. Blocked from the bright city lights, we were in total darkness, which meant optimum Aurora viewing. Like Björn in his car, the boat parked up, the engine switched off and we patiently gazed up at the sky. As we waited, our tour guide (a super-friendly Argentinian lady) explained (in perfect English) all the scientific facts about the Northern Lights phenomenon, shared stories and myths from different cultures about them, and answered questions from our tour mates.

While scanning the sky, I happened to notice a weirdly shaped cloud behind us. It was the same milky colour as the lights I’d seen before from Björn’s car, but this time not wispy. It actually had a pretty defined blob-like shape. What was that? I tried to point it out to the Americans (“you see that cloud that looks like a cucumber, it’s sort of below and to the left of that…“), but they couldn’t see it. I figured it was probably nothing, as it definitely wasn’t the blinding green ripples of the Aurora Borealis that I’d seen in photos on Special Tours’ website (or in Mr Dewey’s VHS).

But then I vaguely remembered a conversation with Will from BrightBazar when we went to Finland, that the lights only look green via a slow shutter speed on a camera. Though anything but a pro, I held up my Samsung Galaxy S6, and boom. Disregarding the need for a steady hand amidst my excitement, there on my phone was a blurry photo of a prominent, undeniably green light, like a deep scratch in the sky.

Excitedly, I showed the Americans. And then, just as they turned to look again at the direction I was pointing in, our tour guide also spotted it. Suddenly everyone on the boat turned, cameras were clicked and there was a resounding “oooohhh… ahhhhh” from the group.

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What happened on that boat over the next two hours will live with me forever. After the first sighting, they kept coming, thick and fast. Bolts of greeny, yellow light appeared and disappeared, as if by magic. Our tour guide excitedly pointed out as many as she could – we were constantly spinning around and looking up, it’s a wonder no one ended up overboard.

I’m far from a good photographer, so I don’t have those amazing, awe-inspiring brilliant shots that you see on all the top travel blogs – but what I do have are snaps of a fantastic, once-in-a-lifetime sight, taken by me, on my mobile phone:

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Resembling the lifeline on a heart monitor, this is, without doubt, my favourite photo:

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There were other good ones, too. These three were taken in quick succession, just showing how quickly the lights can come and go:

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And this one, well this one, if you can make it out, is my blurry, bobble-hatted, Blair Witch-esque proof that I was on that boat and I saw those Northern Lights on Monday 4 December 2017. The night I ticked yet another thing off my bucket list; a night I will never forget. A night I’d waited over 15 years for.

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262 thoughts on “Watching the Northern Lights in Iceland.”

  2. Iceland is such a beautiful place and it seems like this trip was just as beautiful. I got lucky that I got to see northern lights too although it was in September and therefore not as spectacular as your photos! Concerning the hostel situation, it is probably noteworthy that the hotels in Iceland are generally below the European standard and I guess that’s the case with hostels too. But there are some great hostels at other places 🙂

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  4. I loved my time in Iceland. I actually went backpacking for 2 weeks in search of the Aurora Borealis. I did all the research and looked at all the forecasts and it was supposed to be perfect while I was there. However when I got there apparently I brought all the clouds from Southern Louisiana with me like Eeyore walking around Iceland. And alas, I never saw it once! So I’m still searching – but I’m very jealous that you got to do it, congratulations!

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  5. I wish I’d be able to see it this year or next year. Same as you, I’ve been fascinated by it since childhood and the best I’ve seen it from was on the TV. My friends who have seen it had nothing negative to say about their Reykjavik trip.

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  6. WoW! Lucky you! Seems like you had a great time! How many days were you in Iceland? Seems like you got ripped off by the hostel you were staying considering Iceland is expensive. My family and I already booked a flight to Iceland in April and I haven’t booked a single excursion yet. Going to check out the app that you use.Hopefully it’s going to give us a good sign!

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    1. How did you get on in Iceland Pierre? I went back again at the end of March, beginning of April – but that’s not really Northern Lights season, and I personally didn’t see any. So would be interested to hear how you got on! x

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  7. What a lovely experience, I can imagine how amazing the sight would’ve been when you were on the boat and saw the green lights appear in the sky- I haven’t seen the lights myself but have been thinking of going to Iceland during winter just for that purpose! By the way, I’m not surprised that you’ve never stayed in a hostel before, I haven’t either but considering how expensive Iceland is, it makes sense. Good that you found a local guy to hang out with! I am sure your pictures aren’t able to capture even half the beauty of the surreal experience!

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  9. Iceland, I think it is the best place to see the Northern Lights. Good climate, good chances to see the lights and many things to see besides the lights.

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  10. I’m sure it’s so different from seeing it in real life than watching it on youtube or photos. So lucky of you to see it during your trip there, as I’ve met people who’ve been there but missed the light for whatever reason. Great recommendation for the app though! Pretty cool!

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  12. I was there too, on the same day on the Andreas. After being cancelled the night before and as the sky was again cloudy on the 5th I thought my chance of seeing the lights were over for this vacation, but no, they made an appearance as magical and brilliant as I imagined them to be. Thanks for the great blog.

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  15. I absolutely love this and have bookmarked it for future reference 😊 I want to see the Aurora soooo bad, it is definitely a dream.. Might do it later in Nov, so.. Hopefully I also get to see them 😂😂

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  16. Oh wow…they really are so beautiful aren’t they. We were in northern Finland 2 years ago for a week but didn’t get the right conditions to see them 😦 One day hopefully

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    1. It’s so hit and miss as to whether you see them – there are loads of things to consider when planning your Northern Lights trip, but even if you have everything planned down to a tee, you still might not see them, sadly 😦 I have my fingers crossed for you next time Sonia x

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  18. You’re lucky you got to see the Northern Lights twice in 5 nights-I’ve read that some people were not able to see them at all. Seeing the Northern Lights is at the top of my wish list. I think this year is too late to see them but hoping to plan something for next year.

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  19. What a blessing that you were able to make such a trip! It looks like it was a great and worthy adventure to see the Northern lights. And enjoy a tasty meal as well. But the best part of all is that you accomplished something on your bucket list. Well done!

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  22. Wow, watching the magnificent Aurora Borealis is also a dream of mine. Lucky that you got to witness it finally after waiting for so many years. Hope to tick mine off this year atleast!

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  26. I’m so glad for you! It’s great when one can finally do something that’s been on their bucket list for a while, and seeing the Northern Lights were definitely worth the wait! Thanks for sharing that supreme beauty with us, it’s breath-taking. 🙂

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  32. I don’t travel but those hostels are hit and miss from what I read. I love that you met a local and he was your personal tour guide! I have a friend that travels solo and she talks about the fun she has meeting new people.

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  35. Wow you are so blessed to have this absolutely amazing and intriguing experience!!! I would totally love to do this some day!! Thanks for sharing your gorgeous photographs!!

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  37. Oh wow! I remember seeing the Northern Lights while visiting family on the Shetland Islands. Absolutely breath taking. I would love to visit Iceland though one day. So lovely to read your story, and I am so pleased that you finally got to live your dream. x

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  45. That’s awesome you could capture the lights with your mobile phone! I saw them in Iceland by chance last year, just before I spent a week properly chasing them in Finnish Lapland which was incredible! In Lapland they were much stronger than what they were in Iceland. It really is a bucket list item – and to tick it off gave me so much joy! Truly magnificent to see. I’m so glad you got to experience them too and to capture the memories.

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    1. I hope you make it one day Hannah! I actually went to Finland a few years ago, and as luck would have it, I saw them there too – but there was something just so much more magical about them being in Iceland x

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    1. Ahhh no Mellissa, you’ll just have to head back over there and try again 😉 some of the food I ate was delicious, though there were things I tried that I wasn’t fond of (the smoked trout I tried in Cafe Loki tasted like eating an ash tray haha!) x

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  52. Looks like you had a wonderful time! I loved the pictures. I think you have inspired me to take the leap and book a trip to Iceland. Those northern lights are just stunning in photos, I know they would be even better in person.

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  53. Iceland looks absolutely stunning, you are so very lucky you got the see the Northern Lights your pictures are truly gorgeous and I bet it was a breath taking experience for you.

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  54. Hello,
    I love your post and your pictures of the northern lights! Iceland is on my bucket list and I want to visit Iceland. But what I need is a very good camera as its very hard to get good photos of the lights as its visible at night. I dont know what type of camera but I will make a research about it.
    Wish you a great day!

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  56. Wow!! Iceland is totally a breathtaking place to visit. I need to add this to my travel lists. and your photos are so jealous. It seems that you really had a great time there.

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    1. I have never flown Wow Air, but I have to be honest, I’ve not heard great things 😦 maybe the deals they offer from the States are better, but here in the UK they charge you for carry on luggage as well as hold luggage, and it’s not cheap 😦 x

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  58. Such a wonderful experience that will stay with you for ever, how utterly beautiful. I’ve seen The Northern lights in my back garden, and stood in awe, but I think going that much further North has got to be worth it. The hotel you booked sounds awful, very glad you found somewhere nicer to go.

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    1. Oh my goodness, you saw them in your back garden?! Whereabouts do you live Jen, if you don’t mind me asking?! That’s incredible 🙂 but yes, I was really lucky to have met Bjorn and found a better place to stay haha! x

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  60. Ever since I got to know of the Northern Lights, I had always wanted to see it with my own eyes and now with all the new theories popping out saying that it’s not going to be longer, I might miss my chance to see to it!! But really happy that you made it there!! 🙂

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  63. Like you, Iceland has been top of my bucket years for years but we have still not got there, although I am hoping that this will be the year. I am so jealous you saw the Northern Lights, we visited Lapland this year and they stubbornly refused to shine for us

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  64. Wow – some great info and pics here – reminded me of going to Iceland a few years ago, We took a coach trip to see the lights but sadly didn’t see them – of I ever go back I’ll take your advice and go on a boat instead! amazing pics, hope you hold the memories forever 🙂

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  66. Oh my goodness what a trip and what a viewing. What a strange hostel but amazing you met Bjorn. He sounds so lovely and so good of him to give you a place to stay and show you around. Haha I would have fan girled at Sportacus. I used to have to sit through that show with my little sister. The lights looks so beautiful. You have inspired me even more to go and see them now. 🙂 x

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  67. Well thank god for Bjorn! Managed to save you from that hostel nightmare. To say Im jealous of you seeing the lights would be an understatement! I went to Reyjavik last year and tried to see the lights. Despite trying two nights in a row, we didn’t get good weather 😦 so I will just have to plan another trip lol

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    1. Indeed, Bjorn was my knight in a wooly bobble hat and a big puffa jacket haha! Sorry to hear that you didn’t get to see the lights when you went – it really is hit and miss, and all depends on cloud coverage and light pollution. As you said though, you’ll just have to go back – and there’s no harm in that 😉 xx

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  69. Yet another fantastic blog post from my favourite travel blogger and best buddy! What an amazing experience, of which I am so jealous…! 🙂

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  76. I have always wanted to experience the northern lights in person. I have even done a feature on them. The photos you took were beautiful as well.

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  77. Your story reminds me of when I went to see the Northern Lights in Finland. It’s just as beautiful as you described it, and yes I’ve had reindeer burgers, they are absolutely delicious

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  81. Breathtaking! My hubbys dream is see the Northern lights! I wanted to take him to Alaska but i wasnt sure if it was the best option! Now Iceland looks like a whole another level !! Love the pictures, those are the best! Unfiltered and raw! Congrats 😀

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  83. oh wow. there needs to be a ‘super like’ on this page. This is on my bucket list as well, and has been for ages. Reading through this I can my own excitement rising. Shame about the hostel. One thing I would find interesting is a rough idea of the total cost of the trip. If you could maybe email that I would be most grateful 🙂

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    1. Thanks for your comment Alan! I think in total I spent about £350 in the 5 days that I was there, but that didn’t include the £60 hostel and the £70 flights I booked way in advance. I hope that helps! x

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  86. Pingback: Watching the Northern Lights in Iceland. – bye:myself

  89. Funnily enough my friend is off to Iceland as we speak and it is something that she has been dying to tick off her bucket list for ages so I think it is incredible that you had the chance to go to Iceland last year. I never got to see the Northern Lights because like you said it can be an expensive season to travel in but I am making it my mission to see the lights at least once in my lifetime!

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  94. Wow. I have always wanted to see the Northern Lights and I learnt so much from your post, including the fact that you only see the green through a camera! My best friend is going in two weeks time and so I will be telling her to check out the app that will let you know how likely it would be to see them! Thank you for all the advice x

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  96. I felt more inspired to visit places like this one!! No issues with photography skills here for me though, those lights will surely make even a newbie photographer (that’s me) shoot like a pro! I loved your post. More power to you! And more traveling of course. 😉

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  97. I totally understand that you backed off going to Iceland a couple of times: I would love to go but am still waiting for a gold mine to finance the trip. So actually your post encouraged me to take a closer look and maybe make it soon – it all sounds as nice as I’m expecting it…thanks for the little push.

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    1. If you book far enough in advance, like me, then it isn’t nearly as costly as you’d think. My flights were £70 return with EasyJet, and my accommodation the same price for 5 nights – though I ended up only staying there 2 nights, thanks to my knight in wooly hat and puffa jacket, Bjorn 😉 x

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  98. Wow, your photos look fantastic! What an amazing experience to have been able to see in person. It has always been on my bucket list to visit Iceland and see the Northern Lights and this post has been especially motivating to make that happen!

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  99. Aww Becca, I’m so envious that you managed to see this wondrous sight! During my time in Iceland, it wasn’t yet possible so I still want to see them! I think your photos are still pretty good and they show the dancing nature of the lights! A beautiful and surely memorable time for you x

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