The truth about seeing the Northern Lights in Iceland

ICELAND -- Millions of people visiting Iceland have dreams of seeing the Northern Lights. People from all over the world come to see the spectacular light show of flowing greens and blues and purples.
​But, as someone who has visited the Iceland three times, there’s something you should know before you schedule your trip or book your Northern Lights tour.

In all my time in Iceland, I have only seen the Northern Lights once. It was on a flight to Iceland in 2017. The pilot announced that they were visible. Passengers on the rights side of the plane were gracious enough to let people move over to see them. It was beautiful and brief -- maybe a minute long.
The Northern Lights are only visible from September to April. Sometimes you’ll see them from out your hotel window and other times you won’t see them at all. I have spent hours -- even days -- driving around Iceland trying to spot this natural wonder.
No Northern Lights
The sad truth of the matter is there is no guarantee you will see the Northern Lights. Every reputable tour guide will tell you the same thing. Seeing the Northern Lights can be a shot in the dark (so to speak).
​You have the best chances of seeing the Northern Lights if:

• It is very dark (No full moon)
• There is very little unnatural lights (No city lights)
• There are no clouds

It’s important to remember that booking a tour does not guarantee seeing the Northern Lights. They will be trying their damndest to get you a great experience. But, they can’t promise you see the Northern Lights. Just like a whale watching tour can promise whales. ​

What can I do about it?
If you are dead set on seeing the Northern Lights, I recommend checking out a constantly updated Facebook group that alerts people to the various locations around Iceland where you can see the Northern Lights.
While I was unsuccessful in my attempts to capture the Northern Lights, that doesn’t mean you will.

If you do happen to get a great shot of the Northern Lights, send me them and I’ll feature them here on the blog!

Email all pictures to preparetoexplore@gmail.com with your name and description of where you were!