Northern Lights from Akureyri

North Iceland is one of the best places in Europe to look for the northern lights, and Akureyri is a convenient base. The town sits far enough north, with mountains and wide dark valleys within reach, and its small size means the sky is dark within a short drive. Guided northern lights tours leave in the evening, drive out of town to a location chosen by the guide for cloud cover and aurora forecasts, and wait under the stars for green curtains to appear. Season runs roughly from September to early April, when the nights are dark enough. Nobody can promise the aurora, because it depends on solar activity and clear skies, but the guides are skilled at reading forecasts and moving to gaps in the cloud. On a good night the lights can start as a faint green arch and swell into rippling curtains with hints of purple and pink. On a poor night you still enjoy the stars, the quiet and a hot drink, and many operators offer a free repeat trip if no lights are seen.

Tour styles vary. Classic minibus trips carry a small group to a dark spot and give a relaxed evening with hot chocolate and tips from the guide. Four-wheel-drive photography tours are more specialist, with a guide who sets up your camera settings and helps with night photography, and they reach spots that larger vehicles cannot. Some trips combine the lights with a soak at the Forest Lagoon, so you can watch the sky from warm water, and weekend packages pair the aurora with a whale trip or a day tour.

Timing and preparation matter. Most tours depart in the evening after dark and return late at night, so plan for a late finish and a rested next day. Dress very warmly, because standing still in the cold is chilly even in a mild winter: thermal layers, a down jacket, insulated boots, a hat, gloves and a scarf. A tripod is useful if you bring your own camera, and many guides will help with settings. Phone cameras can capture the lights on night modes if you steady the phone.

Weather decides the night. Clouds block the aurora, so guides watch forecasts and may cancel or reschedule trips when the sky is solid grey. This is a safety and value policy, and it usually means you receive a refund or rebooking. Booking early in your stay is wise, because it leaves you spare nights if the first is cloudy. The best viewing tends to fall between about nine in the evening and one in the morning, though the lights can appear at other times.

You can also look for the aurora independently. Dark spots near Akureyri, away from street lighting, can be good on clear nights, and many hotels offer wake-up calls when the lights appear. The Forest Lagoon and the Mývatn Nature Baths are famous for aurora soaks, and the open land by Goðafoss in winter has produced some memorable photographs. Check the aurora forecast and the cloud forecast from the Icelandic Met Office, and remember that a modest display seen from a quiet hillside can be more rewarding than a crowded car park.