Northern lights in Reykjavík

Tonight’s aurora forecast for Reykjavík, where to watch, and when the sky is usually clear.

The night of Monday 2 November, Reykjavík time (GMT)

Stay in tonight

Cloud cover is likely to hide the view tonight.

  • CloudCloudyAverage cloud cover 100% after dark
  • AuroraWeak activityKp 2 forecast at its highest
  • DarknessDark from 19:00Until 07:00
  • MoonRises around 01:0039% lit · brighter after

Medium confidence · Forecast data up to date · What this means

Forecast details
  • Cloud forecast updated 15:31
  • Aurora forecast issued 12:30
  • Recalculated by Little Aurora 16:50
  • This page made 16:51

Reykjavík time. The sources’ times say how fresh the forecast is; the page’s own time doesn’t. What these mean

Where to watch near Reykjavík

Elliðavatn

Lake

Tonight: stay in

Lake in the protected Heiðmörk reserve on the city's south-east edge; on calm nights it can reflect the aurora.

Getting there
20 min drive
Darkness
Town glow: faint aurora is hard to see

Directions in Maps · Public sources, not yet visited

Grótta

Coast

Tonight: stay in

Nature reserve and lighthouse at the tip of Seltjarnarnes, facing open ocean with a clear northern horizon.

Getting there
29 min by bus, 10 min drive
Darkness
Some glow: town glow on the horizon
Parking
Free car park named Grótta on the mainland side of the causeway.
Good to know
Grótta island is closed to visitors from 1 May to 15 July to protect nesting birds.
Safety
The causeway to Grótta island is submerged at high tide; follow the tide table going out and back. In 2018 rescuers had to fetch visitors who were cut off by the tide while watching the northern lights.

Directions in Maps · Public sources, not yet visited

Hafravatn

Lake

Tonight: stay in

Lake behind Úlfarsfell ringed by low hills that block the city glow, reached on a quiet gravel road.

Getting there
24 min drive
Darkness
Some glow: town glow on the horizon

Directions in Maps · Public sources, not yet visited

Kleifarvatn

Lake

Tonight: stay in

Largest lake on the Reykjanes peninsula, south of the city, with places to stop along the lakeside road.

Getting there
30 min drive
Darkness
Very dark: far from town lights
Parking
OpenStreetMap shows a car park by the lake on Krýsuvíkurvegur.
Safety
The road along the lake can be tricky to drive in the dark.

Directions in Maps · Public sources, not yet visited

Laugarnes

Coast

Tonight: stay in

North-facing point on the city shore looking over open sea toward Mt Esja, with the city lights behind you.

Getting there
30 min walk from the centre, 5 min drive
Darkness
Town glow: faint aurora is hard to see

Directions in Maps · Public sources, not yet visited

Sólfar (Sun Voyager)

Coast

Tonight: stay in

Sculpture on the downtown waterfront with a wide view over the bay to Mt Esja.

Getting there
17 min walk from the centre
Darkness
Bright: only strong displays show
Good to know
It can draw a crowd on active nights; walking east along the shore path, the streetlights thin out within 5 to 10 minutes.

Directions in Maps · Public sources, not yet visited

Þingvellir (Hakið)

Viewpoint

Tonight: stay in

National park 44 km from the city with wide open spaces away from its lights; Hakið is the visitor centre.

Getting there
45 min drive
Darkness
Very dark: far from town lights
Parking
P1 at Hakið by the visitor centre. A day parking fee applies (1,000 ISK for cars up to 5 seats), paid at machines or online via Checkit.is.
Toilets
Restroom building next to the visitor centre.

Directions in Maps · Public sources, not yet visited

Times are typical, from the centre of Reykjavík by road or path rather than in a straight line, and winter conditions can make them longer. Walking times don’t mean a route is lit or safe on foot in winter; check each spot’s notes.

Clear dark nights by month

  • 27% Jan
  • 24% Feb
  • 23% Mar
  • 21% Apr
  • 18% May
  • – Jun
  • – Jul
  • 16% Aug
  • 20% Sep
  • 28% Oct
  • 29% Nov
  • 29% Dec

The share of nights with at least two dark hours under 30% cloud cover, averaged by month over 1996–2025. It describes cloud, not aurora: a clear night still needs activity. A dash means no record for that month, usually because it doesn’t get dark. About this record

Questions

When is the best time to see the northern lights in Reykjavík?

In the dark months. Over 1996–2025, a clear spell after dark was likeliest in November and December, on about 29% of nights. That record is about cloud only: on any one night, the cloud and the activity forecast matter more than the season, so check on the day.

Where can you see the northern lights near Reykjavík?

This page lists 7 viewing spots near Reykjavík; the darkest is Kleifarvatn (30 min drive). Each has how to get there, parking, winter access and safety notes. Little Aurora picks the best one each night from cloud and darkness.

Aurora data from NOAA and GFZ. Cloud forecasts from MET Norway (CC BY 4.0). Places and travel times from OpenStreetMap contributors. Usual cloud from Copernicus ERA5 and weather-station records from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet, SMHI and the Icelandic Met Office. Forecasts are never guaranteed; conditions can change quickly. How the forecast works