Northern lights in Reykjavík

Viewing spots

• Grótta lighthouse Nature reserve at the western tip of Seltjarnarnes where the sea opens the sky to the north and west, a few minutes'… Mostly dark skyAbout 6 min from Reykjavík
• Perlan / Öskjuhlíð Wooded hill inside the city whose height and trees lift you slightly above the street lighting; only worth it for… Some light pollutionAbout 3 min from Reykjavík
• Hvaleyrarvatn Small tree-sheltered lake just south of Hafnarfjörður with a car park on its west side and a shore path, darker than… Mostly dark skyAbout 17 min from Reykjavík
• Kleifarvatn Large lake in an uninhabited volcanic valley on Road 42, well away from town lights; the area is seismically active… Dark skyAbout 36 min from Reykjavík
• Þingvellir (Hakið viewpoint) National-park viewpoint on the rim of the Almannagjá rift, far from Reykjavík's light dome, looking out over the rift… Dark skyAbout 59 min from Reykjavík
• Garðskagi lighthouses Headland at the northern tip of the Reykjanes peninsula with two lighthouses and an unbroken sea horizon to the north… Dark skyAbout 53 min from Reykjavík
• Sólfarið · Sun Voyager Steel ship sculpture on the Sæbraut seafront; the bay in front keeps the northern sky darker than the streets behind. Some light pollutionAbout 1 min from Reykjavík
• Rauðhólar · Red Hills Protected red pseudocraters at the edge of the Heiðmörk green belt, ~15 minutes from the centre, darker than anywhere… Mostly dark skyAbout 16 min from Reykjavík
• Seltún · Krýsuvík Geothermal area with a car park on road 42 south of Kleifarvatn; the area is unlit and the road leads on to the south… Very dark skyAbout 41 min from Reykjavík
• Reykjanesviti · Reykjanes lighthouse Iceland's oldest lighthouse site at the south-west tip of the Reykjanes UNESCO Global Geopark, with the Valahnúkur sea… Very dark skyAbout 1 h 15 from Reykjavík
• Akranesviti · Akranes lighthouse Lighthouse on the Breið point at the end of the Akranes peninsula, ~45 minutes from Reykjavík; open sea on three sides. Mostly dark skyAbout 28 min from Reykjavík
• Kerið crater Volcanic crater lake on the Golden Circle road (Biskupstungnabraut), private land with an entry fee. Very dark skyAbout 1 h 16 from Reykjavík
• Gullfoss Waterfall at the end of the Golden Circle with a large upper car park and viewing platform, about 1 h 45 min from… Very dark skyAbout 2 h 09 from Reykjavík
• Bridge between Continents · Reykjanes Free car park at the footbridge across the rift between the North American and Eurasian plates: a flat, open lava… Very dark skyAbout 1 h 08 from Reykjavík
• Grábrók rest area · Borgarfjörður Free rest area on Route 1 at the Grábrók craters in Borgarfjörður, 75 minutes north of Reykjavík: dark, open, and on… Dark skyAbout 1 h 44 from Reykjavík
• Urriðafoss Car park at Iceland's highest-volume waterfall on the Þjórsá, a few minutes off Route 1 east of Selfoss. Dark skyAbout 1 h 36 from Reykjavík
• Reykjadalur trailhead car park · Hveragerði Paid car park at the start of the Reykjadalur hot-river valley north of Hveragerði, 40 minutes from Reykjavík, with… Mostly dark skyAbout 55 min from Reykjavík
• Hafravatn lake Small free car park at Hafravatn, the nearest lake to Reykjavík with a dark eastern side. Mostly dark skyAbout 19 min from Reykjavík
• Faxi waterfall Paid car park at the Faxi waterfall, a quieter Golden Circle stop near Geysir. Very dark skyAbout 1 h 52 from Reykjavík
• Kálfatjarnarkirkja Church from the early 1890s standing alone on the north coast of the Reykjanes peninsula, a short detour from the… Dark skyAbout 32 min from Reykjavík
• Hvítanes · Hvalfjörður Roadside rest area on Road 47 on the south shore of Hvalfjörður, about an hour from Reykjavík if you take the fjord… Dark skyAbout 45 min from Reykjavík
• Elliðaárdalur Green river valley inside the city that you can reach by city bus: walk to the Árbæjarstífla dam, where trees and the… Some light pollutionAbout 10 min from Reykjavík

Drive times are estimates from Reykjavík by straight-line distance, as the app estimates them before it knows your route; ferries and winter closures are not counted.

Good to know in Reykjavík

• Use the Icelandic Met Office aurora forecast for clouds IMO's aurora page puts a cloud-cover map, an aurora activity index (0–9) and Reykjavík darkness and moon times side by side. The cloud map is the part that decides where to drive. Source
• Check umferdin.is before leaving town The Road Administration's umferdin.is shows road status, weather stations and road cameras, including the mountain roads to Þingvellir and over Hellisheiði. Source
• Only stop in proper parking areas Pull into an official car park or wide lay-by, never onto the road shoulder, and keep your eyes on the road when the sky lights up. Safetravel.is has current alerts and lets you leave a travel plan. Source
• Reykjanes: check volcanic closures first Magma is still accumulating under the Sundhnúkur crater row, so closures around Grindavík can return at short notice. Check Visit Reykjanes and IMO updates before heading to Kleifarvatn or Garðskagi. Source
• Grótta: stay on the mainland side at night The causeway to the lighthouse islet is only walkable at low tide. After dark, watch from the shore by the car park instead of crossing. Source
• Reykjavík sometimes switches off street lights On a few nights with an exceptional aurora forecast the city has turned off street lighting in chosen neighbourhoods for half an hour to an hour, for example on 28 September 2016 from 22:00 to 23:00. It is announced the same day on reykjavik.is. Drive with extra care in the darkened streets. Source

Nearby destinations

• Snæfellsnes 110 km
• South Coast 190 km
• Westfjords 220 km
• Akureyri 250 km
• East Iceland 380 km