Small Group Tours
Northern Lights Tour
The extreme dark of the Icelandic winter has a few perks. Between late August and April, the people in Iceland are treated to a magnificent natural display: the phenomenon of aurora borealis, or what we commonly call the Northern Lights.
Northern Lights are created by the interaction of the Earth’s magnetic field with charged particles from the sun. Since its origin, humanity has always been fascinated by this natural phenomenon.
The Northern Lights occur when solar explosions and particles are thrown out from the sun. These break up as they reach our atmosphere, but as they reform, they emit light. The stronger the solar storm, the brighter the light. This is why we get particularly excited when there is more muscular solar activity, as seeing them in a broader range of places, such as slightly further south or in areas with light pollution, becomes possible. You will know that the Northern Lights are not always green if you are observant. The colour reflects what gas is present. Oxygen, the most commonly occurring molecule, gives us a green light, while red indicates the presence of nitrogen. Very rarely, the Northern Lights might have a blue hue, but that is not easy to see against an inky black sky.
The Aurora Borealis comes from the Roman goddess of dawn, Aurora, and the Greek word for the north wind, Boreas.
Our team is skilled in “hunting” the lights, finding locations where conditions are best for seeing them on any night. Our company is Iceland’s highest-rated northern light operator, which we are proud to be.
However, there are no guarantees that you will see the Northern Lights during your stay.
Join Us for Northern Lights Hunting
Reading and understanding the Aurora Borealis
There is a lot of work and precise study that goes into each hunting of the Northern Lights. In order to deliver on your expectations and to help you to see what you came here for, our expert guides debate (sometimes heatedly), monitor and try to understand the messages from 5-6 satellites that never agree or show the same data, before heading out to pick up the fellow hunters – ´´you´´. They collect sky data on the way during the tour to compare it with the satellites. Monitoring and understanding space weather, flares, magnetic fields and their relationship with each other. North-south axis and the earth’s rotation. All of this piled up in constant intellectual performance to allow us to have the highest possible chance to capture the glory of the Northern Lights on each tour.
Our guides are not only knowledgeable but passionate about the Northern Lights, ensuring that every tour is informative, captivating, and tailored to maximise your chances of witnessing this breathtaking phenomenon. With hundreds of five-star reviews on TripAdvisor between them, we pride ourselves on delivering exceptional service and creating lifelong memories for our guests. Our carefully selected tour guides are all equally passionate about delivering the best possible experience and they understand this may be a once in a lifetime for you and therefore give their all. Let us guide you through an enchanting journey under the Northern Lights, where luxury and nature intertwine.
Our guide will pick you up at your accommodation or a meeting point nearby. Here, we will head out of town in search of the aurora. We will head into darkness as the light pollution from human beings spoils the actual effect and grandeur of these fantastic dancing phenomena.
The conditions must be suitable as we can only see them if a clear night sky and a few clouds block the view. But the Aurora Borealis answer to no man. It is a chase.
What to wear?
This is Iceland. Wear something warm like a parka, pants, a cap, gloves, and warm shoes.
What is included in this tour?
- Pickup and drop-off from your hotel or a nearby bus stop
- Professional and knowledgeable English speaking guide & driver
- Small, semi-private group experience
- Wi-Fi on board
- Unlimited photos with proper camera equipment
