One of the reasons we decided to travel to Iceland in very early spring was to chase the Northern Lights! I’ve wanted to see them for years!
The great deal we grabbed through Icelandair is the other reason!
But, back to the Northern Lights. If you’re also a light chaser, you probably already know they only show themselves during the summer months in Iceland. That’s because it never gets completely dark. The midnight sun keeps the sky too bright to see the phenomenon.
The trip we booked didn’t include a rental car, so we decided to book a tour. There are many to chose from. We picked an option through BusTravel Iceland. I don’t know if there is much difference between any of the companies, but I did like one option this one gave. If you don’t see the Northern Lights the night of your tour, you get another chance. FOR FREE! You can go again the next night, or anytime over the next THREE YEARS!
PRO TRAVEL TIP: IT’S POSSIBLE TO SEE THE NORTHERN LIGHTS IN REYKJAVIK. IF YOU’RE OUTSIDE AT NIGHT, REMEMBER TO LOOK UP!
BusTravel Iceland emailed us to confirm the tour several days before our scheduled night. Make sure you know where you need to meet the bus. It picked us up right at our hotel, but if you’re staying in an Airbnb or smaller hotel, you may need to go to a bus stop.
Once everyone is picked up you’ll head out of town. As we drove, our guide for the evening will explain a little about the Northern Lights and why/how they exist. We also learned all kinds of little factoids about life in Iceland.
Chasing the Northern Lights is big business in Iceland. There are dozens of buses and guides out leading groups of people every night. They have a whole network of people working to forecast where the best viewing area will be. Throughout the evening, your guide will be in contact with other people working for the company. We chased for five hours and made three stops.
When the guide decides to make a stop, he/she will get off the bus for several minutes. Then if the guide things there is a good possibility to see the lights, he/she will tell you it’s time. You can either get off the bus, or stay on (remember it’s going to be pretty cold and windy.) If the Northern Lights actually show themselves, the guide will come back and tell everyone on the bus. So you won’t really miss anything if you decide to stay on board and, I don’t know, take a nap or something.
We filed off the bus at each stop … and kinda saw the Northern Lights twice. I say kind of because they never turned green. I just expected the sky to go from black to green, but it doesn’t. It turns gray and then starts almost sparkling. The sight reminds me of cloud-to-cloud lightning. The sky just never turned green.
Our guide did treat us to hot chocolate and a variety of Icelandic pastries, which we enjoyed. He also offered us a taste of Kæstur hákarl — or fermented shark. If it’s on your bucket list, I’d try it here. It’s free (and you aren’t going to like it anyway.) You’ll be able to check it off your list without paying for it! (I personally think it has the consistency of tuna steak and tastes like wet cat food smells.)
On the way back to town, many people took naps. You’ll be dropped off where the bus picked you up several hours earlier, with a promise of a second chance to see the Northern Lights the next night, if we wanted to! You just need to rebook with the company, give them your name and tell them you didn’t see the lights during your previous tour.
Remember, these tours are only offered between September and April. Good luck if you decide to go!