Iceland guides · Northern lights

Can you see the northern lights in Iceland in summer?

No: from late April to mid-August the sky never gets dark enough. In Reykjavík the last properly dark night of spring is around 25 April and darkness returns around 15 August; in Akureyri the bright season runs from about 21 April to 20 August. From September to March there are 7 to 15 hours of darkness a night.

From the sun's position, calculated for each placeReviewed 19 October 2026

What 'dark enough' means

The aurora is there in summer too, but it's faint next to a sky lit by a sun only a few degrees below the horizon. You need the sun more than about 12° down before the sky is dark enough for the colours to show.

The best months

September to March. The longest nights are from November to January. Around the equinoxes, in September–October and March, the aurora tends to be more active, and September and October nights are milder than winter's. Cloud is the real obstacle: watch the cloud forecast, not just the aurora activity.

What summer gives you instead

Light all night: midnight hikes, golden light at 11 pm and puffins on the cliffs until late. Plan your aurora hunt for a later trip, from late August onwards.

Hours of aurora-dark sky in the night of the 15th

Dark enough for the aurora: the sun more than 12° below the horizon.

	Reykjavík	Akureyri
January	14 h 10 min	14 h 20 min
February	11 h 45 min	11 h 45 min
March	8 h 45 min	8 h 35 min
April	4 h 10 min	3 h 20 min
May	0 h	0 h
June	0 h	0 h
July	0 h	0 h
August	50 min	0 h
September	7 h 20 min	7 h
October	10 h 45 min	10 h 45 min
November	13 h 30 min	13 h 40 min
December	14 h 55 min	15 h 10 min

Questions visitors ask

When does northern lights season start in Iceland?

When the dark nights return: around 15 August in Reykjavík, a few days later in the north. Season runs until about 25 April, with the best chances from September to March.

Can you see the northern lights in Iceland in August?

In the second half of the month. The first nights dark enough return around 15 August in Reykjavík, at first for less than an hour, and by the end of August there are a few hours of darkness: a strong display on a clear night can show.

What is the best month to see the northern lights in Iceland?

Any month from September to March can be good. The longest nights are November to January; September and October pair long nights with milder weather, and the aurora is often more active around the equinoxes in September and March. Clear skies matter most.

These are the usual conditions, not a forecast. Before you set off, check the latest forecast and warnings on Iceland Weather or vedur.is, the roads on umferdin.is and travel alerts on safetravel.is. In an emergency, call 112.