Northern Lights Forecast in Iceland
Plan your aurora adventure with real-time forecasts of activity, cloud cover, and directions to the best places to watch
Tonight's Outlook: Very Active
The best time to see the northern lights is between 23:00 and 04:00 UTC, and the best locations for tonight are Golden Circle, Snæfellsnes Peninsula, and Reykjavík.
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Forecast Map The Next 3 Nights
Use the slider to find the best time to see the northern lights the next three days
Golden CircleFri 28 Aug 00:00ExcellentDirections
Snæfellsnes PeninsulaFri 28 Aug 00:00GoodDirections
ReykjavíkFri 28 Aug 00:00PossibleDirections
Reykjanes PeninsulaFri 28 Aug 00:00GoodDirections
South CoastFri 28 Aug 00:00GoodDirections
WestfjordsFri 28 Aug 00:00Low
East IcelandFri 28 Aug 00:00Low
Southeast IcelandFri 28 Aug 00:00Low
North IcelandFri 28 Aug 00:00Low
- Excellent
- Good
- Possible
- Low
Northern Lights Activity
The Kp index measures geomagnetic activity on a scale from 0 to 9. Higher values mean stronger auroras.
- Max Today
- Kp 3.7 · 21:00 UTC
- Max Tomorrow
- Kp 5.7 · 00:00 UTC
Date & Time:Friday, 28 August – 00:00 UTC
Slide through the hourly forecast to find the best aurora viewing conditions in Iceland.
- Golden CircleExcellentFri 28 Aug 00:00DirectionsCloud cover7%Kp index5.7
- Snæfellsnes PeninsulaGoodFri 28 Aug 00:00DirectionsCloud cover32%Kp index5.7
- ReykjavíkPossibleFri 28 Aug 00:00DirectionsCloud cover48%Kp index5.7
- Reykjanes PeninsulaGoodFri 28 Aug 00:00DirectionsCloud cover36%Kp index5.7
- South CoastGoodFri 28 Aug 00:00DirectionsCloud cover40%Kp index5.7
- East IcelandLowFri 28 Aug 00:00DirectionsCloud cover100%Kp index5.7
- Southeast IcelandLowFri 28 Aug 00:00DirectionsCloud cover100%Kp index5.7
- North IcelandLowFri 28 Aug 00:00DirectionsCloud cover100%Kp index5.7
Best northern lights tours from Reykjavik
Discover the top northern lights tours departing from Reykjavik to increase your chances of finding the aurora
- 4.2773 reviews
Northern Lights Bus Tour from Reykjavik
- Duration3 hours - 3.5 hours
- DifficultyEasy
- LanguagesEnglish
- AvailableAug. - Apr.
From 9,999 ISKSee more - 4.5546 reviews
Northern Lights Minibus Tour in Iceland With Free Photos & Refreshments
- Duration5 hours
- DifficultyEasy
- LanguagesEnglish
- AvailableAug. - May
From 14,990 ISKSee more - 4.5225 reviews
The Northern Lights Super Jeep Tour from Reykjavik with Free Photos
- Duration4 hours
- DifficultyEasy
- LanguagesEnglish
- AvailableSept. - Apr.
From 21,000 ISKSee more - 4.2125 reviews
The Northern Lights Boat Tour from Reykjavik
- Duration2 hours - 3 hours
- DifficultyEasy
- LanguagesEnglish
- AvailableSept. - Apr.
From 14,490 ISKSee more
Best Times & Locations Tonight
See when and where the northern lights are most likely to appear tonight and get directions there
Long-Term Aurora Forecast
Track geomagnetic activity and aurora potential with the latest Kp-index, hover or tap for details
Long-term Kp-index forecast
The chart shows the largest daily Kp-index value
Short-term Kp-index graph
The chart shows 3 day forecast of the Kp-index with hourly interval
Best Northern Lights Packages in Iceland
Browse expert-selected tours that maximize your opportunity to experience the breathtaking Northern Lights in their best locations.
- 4.6599 reviewsGroup discount
Amazing 5-Day Northern Lights Winter Vacation Package in Iceland with Ice Caving & the Blue Lagoon
- Duration5 days
- DifficultyEasy
- LanguagesEnglish
- AvailableOct. - Apr.
From 156,406 ISKSee more - 4.8909 reviewsGroup discount
3-Day Northern Lights & Ice Cave Multi-Day Tour to the Golden Circle, South Coast & Glacier Lagoon
- Duration3 days
- DifficultyEasy
- LanguagesEnglish
- AvailableSept. - Apr.
From 124,900 ISKSee more - 4.8160 reviewsGroup discount
8-Day Guided Tour of the Complete Ring Road of Iceland & Snaefellsnes Peninsula
- Duration8 days
- DifficultyEasy
- LanguagesEnglish
- AvailableAll year
From 351,480 ISKSee more - 4.7351 reviewsGroup discount
7-Day Northern Lights Self-Drive Tour of South Iceland, the Golden Circle & Snæfellsnes Peninsula
- Duration7 days
- DifficultyEasy
- AvailableSept. - Apr.
- Minimum ageNone
From 111,781 ISKSee more
Pictures of the Aurora in Iceland
The northern lights often dance in the dark Icelandic clear winter sky
Sun and Moon
Solar storms create the northern lights, but moonlight can outshine them—timing both helps you see the aurora at its brightest
Thursday, 27 August
Sun
Solar activity powers the aurora. Strong solar winds boost vivid displays, while calmer times bring fewer lights.
- Sunrise
- 05:56 UTC
- Sunset
- 21:05 UTC
Moon
Darker nights improve visibility. A bright moon may reduce contrast but strong auroras are still visible.
Moon is below the Horizon
- Next Moonrise
- 20:44 UTC
Northern Lights Travel Articles
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The Best Time To See the Northern Lights in Iceland
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Northern Lights Travel Information
The northern lights, or aurora borealis, are one of Iceland's most sought-after natural wonders, and the whole country sits directly under the auroral oval that rings the magnetic pole. They appear when charged particles from the sun collide with gases high in the atmosphere, painting the night sky in shifting curtains of green, and occasionally pink and violet. Three things have to line up for a good sighting: darkness, a clear sky, and enough geomagnetic activity. This page brings all three together so you can plan around them instead of leaving the aurora to chance.
The aurora season in Iceland runs from roughly late August to mid-April, when the nights are long and dark enough for the lights to show. Activity itself is unpredictable hour to hour, but you can improve your odds dramatically by driving away from town lights, checking the cloud forecast for a gap in the clouds, and staying out patiently once conditions look promising. Displays often come in waves, with quiet spells between bursts, so a clear night with even moderate activity is usually worth the wait. Use the forecast map and the best-times table above to decide when and where to head out tonight.
Frequently asked questions about the northern lights
The aurora season in Iceland runs from late August to mid-April, when the nights are long and dark. The darkest months, from September through March, give you the longest viewing windows each night. The lights can appear any time after dark, but the hours around midnight are often the most reliable.
Not necessarily. Because Iceland sits right under the auroral oval, the northern lights are often visible even at a low Kp of 2 or 3 when the sky is clear and dark. A higher Kp means the aurora is brighter and reaches further south, but a clear, moonless sky matters just as much as the number.
No. From late April to mid-August the midnight sun keeps Iceland's nights too bright for the aurora to show, even when geomagnetic activity is high. The lights are still occurring overhead, but there is no darkness to reveal them. Aurora viewing resumes as the nights draw in again toward the end of August.
You can sometimes catch the lights from darker corners of Reykjavík such as Grótta lighthouse, but city glow washes out fainter displays. Heading out to the Golden Circle, the Reykjanes Peninsula, or Þingvellir gives you noticeably darker skies within an hour's drive. Our forecast scores already factor in each area's light pollution, so a location ranked highly tonight is one where the sky is genuinely dark enough.
A bright or full moon lights up the sky and can wash out fainter auroras, much like light pollution does. Strong displays still shine through a bright moon, but for the best contrast, aim for nights around the new moon or when the moon has set. The sun and moon panel on this page shows tonight's moonrise, moonset, and how full the moon is.
A guided tour is the easier option: local guides track the forecast, drive you to wherever the sky is clearest, and often rebook you free if the aurora doesn't show. Self-driving gives you the freedom to chase clear skies at your own pace, which suits confident winter drivers. Either way, use this forecast to pick a night with dark skies and a gap in the clouds.
Use a tripod and a manual mode with a wide aperture around f/2.8, an ISO between 800 and 3200, and a shutter speed of a few seconds up to about 15 seconds. Focus manually on a bright star or a distant light, and shoot in RAW so you can recover detail later. A phone with a dedicated night mode can also capture the aurora surprisingly well.
Clouds are the most common reason a good aurora goes unseen, but weather in Iceland is very local and often clears within an hour's drive. Check the forecast map above and use the time slider to find where and when the sky is expected to open up. If the whole country is overcast, it's usually better to wait for the next clear night.