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Grótta lighthouse, Seltjarnarnes, Reykjavík, Iceland. Photo: Kari Bjorn Photography, Unsplash License · 25-second exposure: brighter than the eye sees
Anywhere dark with an open view to the north. Þingvellir is the closest dark sky to Reykjavík; Jökulsárlón is the most spectacular.
Key takeaways
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In short Þingvellir is the closest real dark at about 45 minutes, Kirkjufell gives the classic photo, Jökulsárlón has reflections, and south-facing Vík suits strong nights only.
| Place | From Reykjavík | Faces north? | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Grótta lighthouse | ~5 km, 15 min | Yes, over the bay | No car, strong nights |
| Öskjuhlíð / Perlan hill | In the city | Trees screen street lights | No car |
| Þingvellir | ~44–48 km, ~45 min | Yes, over the lake | Closest real dark |
| Kirkjufell | ~175 km, ~2.5 h | Yes | The classic photo |
| Vík & Reynisfjara | 186 km, ~2 h | No, faces south | Strong nights only |
| Jökulsárlón | 379 km, ~4.2 h | Yes | Reflections, darkness |
In short Grótta lighthouse and Öskjuhlíð hill work without a car, and Rauðhólar in Heiðmörk is about 15 minutes out, but Grótta's city glow can wash out a faint arc.
Grótta lighthouse
At the tip of Seltjarnarnes
Öskjuhlíð
The hill under Perlan
Heiðmörk
The south-east edge of the city
Without a car
These are your options. Buses stop around midnight, right in the middle of the aurora window. Or take a northern lights boat tour from Reykjavík: dark water and an open horizon within about 15 minutes of the Old Harbour, with no driving.
About 45 minutes from Reykjavík, the rift wall at Almannagjá blocks the city's glow to the south-west and leaves an open northern sky over Þingvallavatn lake. More in our Golden Circle guide.
About 2.5 hours from Reykjavík in good conditions, 3–3.5 in winter.
Why go
The catches
The glacier lagoon is the best reflection site in Iceland. Calm water doubles the aurora, icebergs catch the green, and the wet black sand of Diamond Beach is a second mirror. The nearest town, Höfn, is 65 km away, so it's genuinely dark.
Reynisfjara's basalt columns and sea stacks are some of Iceland's most famous views, but they all face south. They work only when the aurora spreads overhead.
Reynisfjara at night
You can't see incoming waves, and sneaker waves have killed visitors here. Shoot from well up the beach, or from Vík's village beach.
No. It's drier, not clearer. Akureyri is the cloudiest of these six stations. Inland Mývatn is a little clearer than Reykjavík, but the differences are small. The north's real advantages are dry air, an airport at Akureyri, and sights within an hour of town.
| Station | Average cloud, Sep–Mar (oktas) | Rain & snow, Sep–Mar (mm/month) |
|---|---|---|
| Kirkjubæjarklaustur | 5.59 | 168.9 |
| Mývatn (Reykjahlíð) | 5.71 | 43.9 |
| Reykjavík | 5.80 | 84.7 |
| Vík | 5.83 | 235.7 |
| Höfn | 5.92 | 151.4 |
| Akureyri | 6.22 | 59.2 |
A low activity number with clear sky usually beats a high number under cloud.
Cloud decides most nights in Iceland. Two places in Reykjavík put the aurora indoors, and both are worth an afternoon even on a clear day.
Museum · Reykjavík
Iceland's first museum given over entirely to the northern lights: an interactive exhibition on what the aurora is and how to hunt it. A good first stop, and the obvious plan for a cloudy night.
Museum and planetarium · Reykjavík
Iceland's largest museum, with a man-made ice cave, the volcano exhibits and a planetarium show where the northern lights play overhead.
From Reykjavík
A guide picks the clear patch and helps you set up your camera, so the trip back at 1am isn't your problem.
Wherever the sky is clear on the night, as long as it's dark and has a view north. Þingvellir is the closest dark sky to Reykjavík; Jökulsárlón is the most spectacular.
On strong nights, yes. Faint displays get lost in the street lights, so head to Grótta lighthouse or Öskjuhlíð hill.
Not for cloud. Akureyri averages more cloud than Reykjavík. The north is drier, which isn't the same thing.
North. On a quiet night the aurora sits as a low arc across the northern sky. On strong nights it can fill the whole sky.