Northern lights in Reykjavík

Iceland. Darkness calculated 24 October 2026 with Astronomy Engine 2.1.19 (MIT licence).

Iceland’s capital, where most visitors to the country stay. The sky here is dark enough for the aurora from September to March.

Green curtains of the northern lights over a dark snowy landscape
The northern lights over Þingvellir National Park, Iceland. Photo: Carl Young, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

Month by month

Pick a month for dark-hour times, Moon dates and what to expect.

Hours of darkness, month by month

Hours with the Sun more than 12° below the horizon, on the 15th of each month
MonthDark hoursAurora possible?
January14 hYes, if active and clear
February11.6 hYes, if active and clear
March8.6 hYes, if active and clear
April3.9 hOnly a short dark spell
MaynoneNo: too light
JunenoneNo: too light
JulynoneNo: too light
AugustnoneNo: too light
September7.1 hYes, if active and clear
October10.6 hYes, if active and clear
November13.3 hYes, if active and clear
December14.8 hYes, if active and clear

The darkest weeks ahead

New Moons in the dark season. The week around each one has the least moonlight.

On the ground

City lights wash out faint aurora. Þingvellir National Park, about 40 km away, or any dark stretch of coast is a far better place to wait.

Whatever the month, check two forecasts on the day: the aurora forecast from NOAA and the cloud forecast for where you are. How to read the aurora forecast.

Full checklist for choosing a tour.

Other places: Tromsø, Abisko, Rovaniemi, Fairbanks, Yellowknife, Inverness. Compare all seven.

Sources