Hunting the Northern Lights in Iceland

The three conditions you need:

1. Darkness — September through early April, true night sky

2. Clear skies — no cloud cover overhead

3. Geomagnetic activity — Kp index of 2+ is usually enough in Iceland

You need all three. Miss one and you see nothing.

The three websites that matter:

• vedur.is/weather/forecasts/aurora — the official Icelandic Met Office forecast. Shows cloud cover across the country and Kp index.

• Aurora App - this one has been 100% accurate for us when hunting northern lights, so make sure to turn your notifications on!

• spaceweather.com — for the 3-day Kp index outlook

How to actually hunt:

1. Check the aurora forecast at 5pm daily. Look at the cloud cover map.

2. Find the region with the lowest cloud cover. This often means driving out of the city and not waiting around Reykjavík.

3. Drive away from town lights. Even 20 minutes out makes a difference when it comes to light pollution.

4. Arrive before 9pm, let your eyes adjust for 20 minutes (no phone screens — they destroy night vision).

5. Watch to the north, typically between 9pm and 1am. Peak activity is usually 10pm–midnight.

6. Don't give up after 10 minutes. The aurora can come and go for hours!

Where we go based on where we're staying:

• Reykjavík area: drive to Grótta Lighthouse or Þingvellir

• South coast: the open fields near Vík, or Stokksnes if you're far east

• North: Mývatn, or the open lakes around Lake Mývatn

• East: the cliffs outside Seydisfjörður

Camera settings (if you want the shot):

• Tripod, mandatory

• Manual mode

• Aperture: as wide as your lens goes (f/1.8 to f/2.8 ideal, f/4 works)

• Shutter: 8–15 seconds for strong aurora, 20–25 for faint

• ISO: 1600–3200

• Focus: manual, set to infinity (autofocus fails in the dark)

• Wide lens: 14mm–24mm ideal, but we use a 15-35mm most of the time.

The hard truth:

You can do everything right and still not see it. Geomagnetic activity is unpredictable. Plan a minimum of 3–4 nights in Iceland during aurora season to give yourself real odds. A single-night visit is a gamble.

The silver lining:

When it hits, it's unforgettable. We've watched it dance over Stokksnes for 90 minutes straight. Lemme tell you, it's worth your fingers going numb.

MORE FREE GUIDES ON CHASING THE AURORA:

-Northern Lights Photography Guide