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Wide_Band1 t1_je0171d wrote

Can you tell me more about it. I am planning to see the northern lights this year. Need to figure out the location and the itinerary, etc. whether use a tour company or do it in my own.

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knd775 t1_je0moxa wrote

Accept now that it’s possible for you to not see them. I was in Iceland during a time with high aurora activity, but it all went to zero as soon as we got there. As soon as we left it was super active again. Make your trip about more than just that or you may be extremely disappointed.

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krische t1_je1xo0o wrote

Ha, I'm in Iceland this week and that's what it's looking like for me too. Perfectly clear skies the past two nights, and zero aurora activity. Looks like there might be some activity in a couple of days, but then there will be thick cloud cover.

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PlanetarySystem t1_je4uemy wrote

I’m actually in Iceland this week and I’ve managed to capture a few photos of it earlier this week (Monday & Tuesday). Today it’s raining here with high winds so no chance today sadly..

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malcolm_miller t1_je0d0i4 wrote

Location is dependent entirely on the weather. There are maps to show the best days and areas to see them, but it's not months in advance. I saw them in Reykjavik in end of November. Iceland is easy to travel around, I wouldn't bother with any tours unless it'd be a flying one or a boat one.

If you're not going off-roading, then driving in Iceland with AWD is painless. Itinerary is going to highly depend on how long you're going. Spring/Summer is going to be best to hike and see the nature. Winter is best for the Northern Lights opportunities.

I had a lot of fun staying mostly local to Reykjavik in the Winter, and traveled more around the country in the Spring.

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dietrich29 t1_je0eegf wrote

This is Kirkjufell on the northern shore of the Snæfellsnes peninsula. It's a beautiful spot to stop by!

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malcolm_miller t1_je536qa wrote

It is also pretty damn far away from everything, though. I forget the exact time of the drive, but I severely underestimated the time it added to our trip from Reykjavik to Akureyri

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Kaffekjeks t1_je0gx91 wrote

Tromsø in Norway has seen northern lights plenty of times this season. Easily reached by plane, and you can rent a car on getaround to get out of town to see the lights.

Visit norway has even commisioned an app that forecasts eventual lights, called NorwayLights.

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KaiserMacCleg t1_je0zadc wrote

Plan a trip in spring / autumn when there is still plenty of light to do other things should you get no luck with the Aurora. When Iceland is under the Jet Stream you will get a conveyor of frontal systems coming across the Atlantic one after another, laden with cloud and rain. There's nothing you can do to guarantee that you will see the lights. It's dependent entirely on the weather and on solar activity, which you can't plan for more than a few days in advance.

Wouldn't bother with a tour company myself. If you get the right conditions, it's entirely possible to see the lights from the middle of Reykjavik, and you don't need to drive far if you want to get somewhere truly dark.

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FusilliJerri t1_je0xris wrote

The sun is coming in fast so your best option is April or late august to autumn.

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