The Volcanic wonders are again plentiful with pseudo craters, live & extinct volcanoes, dramatic waterfalls & canyons and the many wonderful lava flows of previous volcanic eruptions. It is still relatively unknown and gives the feeling of discovering a part of Iceland ahead of the crowds. This is a wonderful and totally unspoilt destination for a Northern Lights Trip. Local guides know where the “holes” in the sky are most likely resulting in a better chance of seeing the auroras.Īt the other end of Iceland, we would recommend the area of Myvatn in North Iceland flying into Akureyri or Husavik. One Northern Lights tour has the thrill of taking you high up to the glacier on top of Eyjafjallajokull Volcano so you feel as if the Auroras are “just above your head”, whilst another takes you to the black volcanic beaches to watch the Aurora Borealis reflected in the sea. The benefit of a Northern Lights tour is that the local guides will know the best places to take you resulting in the best chance of seeing and aurora display. Glaciers offer snowmobiling, glacial hiking and secret Ice Caves and the black volcanic beaches with its basalt columns are stunning, so there is plenty to keep you occupied during the day.Īt night in your quest to see the Northern Lights you can self-drive or book a Northern Lights tour. The waterfalls Skógafoss, known for its size and Seljalandsfoss which you can walk behind are particular features.Ī trip to Þórsmörk valley is like stepping into a set from Lord of the Rings when Bilbo Baggins goes to Mordur! It is possible to take a SuperJeep tour up the famous volcano Eyjafjallajökull, which erupted in 2010. These vast areas vary from the highlands to the sea, with many volcanic geological wonders including the UNESCO Katla Geopark. Our focus is on two areas that offer a great mix of daytime activities as well as good Northern Lights sightings.Ī couple of hours drive from Reykjavik is the Hvolsvöllur and Hella regions in the South Eas t. We would always recommend you head to areas where there is plenty to see and do during the day so if the Northern Lights don’t make an appearance you have still had a wonderful holiday. The Northern Lights are never guaranteed and it would be a disappointing holiday if you spent the day just waiting for the night to come in order to see the Aurora Borealis, which then don’t show as it is cloudy. The smaller the vehicle the more personal and adaptable the guide can be, and if in a SuperJeep the more ability you have to go off-road and see secret spots!Īs the critical thing for seeing the Northern Lights in Iceland is clear skies away from artificial lights it is advisable to head to locations in rural areas and in areas with a higher incidence of clearer skies. They vary tremendously in cost and the number of people they take so you have a choice on how exclusive a tour you would like. There are many Northern Lights Tours ranging from a Northern Lights Hunt by boat, Coach, minibus and SuperJeep. To give yourself the best chance of seeing the Northern Lights book a tour that takes you out of the city and away from the heavily polluting artificial light. Other key experiences are a visit to the geothermal Blue Lagoon on the way to, or from, the airport and all year round whale watching where the key species are humpbacks. Most Golden Circle Tours start from Reykjavik and will take you to see the erupting Strokkur Geyser, the mini-rift valley Thingvellir and the dramatic Gullfoss waterfall. International flights arrive at, Reykjavik Keflavik airport and for those short of time basing yourself in the city and doing day and Northern Lights Trips out from there will allow you to see a lot in a short time. (KP measures intensity of the Northern Lights from 0-10). Iceland lies in the aurora belt so Northern Lights Sightings can happen at a KP index of 2 and above. Practicalities of Visiting Arctic Regions.
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