Northern Lights Near Reykjavík: Our Photos from 30 October and How to See Them

Quick facts

• When: 30 October 2026, between about 21:30 and 22:15.
• Where: a dark spot on the Reykjanes peninsula, roughly 30 minutes' drive from central Reykjavík.
• What we saw: bright green arcs and curtains moving across almost the whole sky, strong enough to see clearly with the naked eye.
• Season: the northern lights can be seen in Iceland from about September to April, when the nights are dark.
• Our private tour: Northern Lights, 3 to 4 hours, 48,000 kr per car (1–4) or 65,000 kr per van (5–7), pick-up at your hotel.

How the night went

We picked up our guests at their hotel in Reykjavík. The forecast promised clear skies on the Reykjanes peninsula and decent aurora activity, so instead of driving far inland we headed southwest, away from the city lights. Half an hour later we parked at a dark spot away from the main road, switched off the headlights and waited for our eyes to adjust.

We did not have to wait long. At 21:32 a green band rose over the horizon and twisted into a spiral right above us. Over the next forty minutes it kept changing: thin arcs, then wide curtains, then rays that seemed to fall from the sky. At 22:11 the whole sky was green, and our guests were pointing in every direction at once.

How we choose where to go

Seeing the northern lights takes three things at the same time: darkness, a clear sky and aurora activity. Darkness is easy in autumn and winter. The other two change from hour to hour, so this is what we check before every trip:

1. Cloud cover on the Icelandic Met Office (vedur.is) cloud forecast: this matters most. We drive to where the sky will be clear, which can be a different direction every night.
2. Aurora forecast: the same site shows an activity scale. Even a moderate forecast can give a great show if the sky is clear.
3. Wind and road conditions: in winter we check road.is and avoid exposed roads in storms.
4. Light pollution: we look for places without streetlights or towns in the direction we want to watch, usually north.
5. Safety: a place to park well off the road. Never stop on the road or the hard shoulder to watch the lights.

Read more in how to read the northern lights forecast and our northern lights guide.

How we took these photos

All of these pictures were taken handheld with a phone, using night mode. Modern phones do surprisingly well when the aurora is bright. A few tips:

• Use night mode and keep the phone as still as possible, or rest it on the car roof or a wall.
• Switch off the flash and turn the screen brightness down so your eyes stay used to the dark.
• Include people or the landscape in the frame. A photo of your group under the lights tells the story far better than sky alone.
• With a camera: wide lens, open aperture, ISO 1600 to 3200 and exposures of a few seconds on a tripod.
• Dress warmly: you will stand still outside for a long time. Hat, gloves and warm boots make all the difference.

More in our northern lights photography tips.

When is the best time?

• Season: September to April. Late autumn and early spring often combine dark nights with milder weather.
• Time of night: activity often peaks around late evening and midnight, but it can appear any time it is dark.
• Moon: a full moon brightens the landscape and can make faint aurora harder to see, but bright displays still shine through.
• Patience: give the sky at least an hour. Displays often come in waves.

See the best time to see the northern lights in Iceland.

See the northern lights with us

On our private northern lights tour, your driver picks you up at your hotel, chooses the direction from the latest cloud and aurora forecasts, and brings you back when you have seen enough. It is your own car, so you decide how long to wait, and there is no crowd of other buses at the spot. If the forecast looks hopeless, we will tell you honestly and suggest another night.

3–4 hours · private

Northern Lights

Away from the city lights · Sep–Apr

Car

1–4 people

48,000 kr

Van

5–7 people

65,000 kr

Book this tour

Want to combine it with a day out? The Þingvellir and Northern Lights tour visits the national park in the evening and continues aurora hunting after dark.

• Fixed price per car, not per person, agreed before you travel
• Economy (Tesla) for 1 to 4 passengers, Van (Mercedes Vito) for 5 to 7, minibus for 8 to 16 on request
• Your driver meets you in the arrivals hall with a name sign and checks your flight before leaving
• 45 minutes of free waiting at the airport
• Pay 20% to book and the rest in the car by card or cash, or pay everything online
• Free cancellation up to 24 hours before pick-up

We have been driving travellers around Iceland for ten years, and we go everywhere in the country, not only to Reykjavík.

Are these northern lights photos real?

Can you see the northern lights from Reykjavík?

What month is best for northern lights in Iceland?

Do you guarantee seeing the northern lights?

How much is the private northern lights tour?

Can I photograph the northern lights with my phone?