One of nature’s most enchanted spectacles, the northern lights are also one of the most erratic. Use this comprehensive advice to increase your chances of witnessing nature’s most breathtaking light display before setting out on a northern lights tour or hiring a car on Iceland’s main travel website.
One of Iceland’s main draws is the aurora borealis, but they can appear at any time. They can only be seen under specific circumstances, during specific seasons, and when there is sufficient solar activity. The best chance of a once-in-a-lifetime viewing depends on knowing when to go to Iceland to witness the northern lights.
Iceland’s aurora borealis can be seen most frequently between September and April. When the nights are sufficiently dark to observe the aurora.
Midwinter, when there are only 4-5 hours of sunshine in Iceland, offers countless opportunity to search for aurora borealis.
What Is the Best Month To See the Northern Lights in Iceland?
Between September and April, northern lights tours are offered. The nights are the darkest from November to January, while there isn’t really an ideal time in this range. This means that you can search for the aurora in Iceland from late in the afternoon until almost midday the next day, which offers ideal lighting for taking pictures of the northern lights.
The aurora borealis can still be seen in Iceland until April, but January is by far the best month to travel there in 2022 if you want to see them. The wait until September is thus very long.
When Will the Aurora Borealis Be Visible in Iceland?
Every time there is solar activity, the northern lights arise, but we can only see them at night. Therefore, northern lights tours are only offered during the winter because the longer nights make it easier to see the aurora borealis.
In Iceland, the northern lights are often visible from late August to mid-April. But a number of other factors also play a role in that. The weeks surrounding the winter solstice are the finest times to visit Iceland if you want to see the northern lights.
What are the ideal viewing circumstances for the Northern Lights?
1. Strong Solar Activity
The solar wind is what causes the northern lights to appear. The unit of measurement used to represent the degree of solar activity is the Kp-index forecast. You may verify the optimal level on the Icelandic Aurora Forecast; it is above three.
2. Sky Is Clear
To assist you in locating the best location to see the northern lights, the Icelandic Meteorological Office also provides an aurora forecast on cloud coverage in Iceland.
3. As Little Light as Possible
The aurora borealis is more visible in darker conditions. Reykjavik and other cities still have the northern lights, but the finest views are in the far-off countryside. See our advice on where to look for the aurora borealis in Iceland, including information on how to see the northern lights in Reykjavik.
As a result, it is impossible to say with certainty when you will be able to view the northern lights in Iceland because they depend on more than simply the time of year or the day of the week.
