Join us on a hunt for the Northern Lights: nature's silent firework display!
Join us for a trip into the cold night of the Icelandic winter on a Iceland Northern Lights tour as we search for a chance to witness the elusive northern lights, a breathtaking display of just how mysterious nature can be!The Aurora Borealis, known commonly as the Northern Lights, is a naturally occurring light display that is commonly seen in high latitude locations. They have captured the imaginations of people throughout our entire history and have a number of stories and meanings associated with them. These ethereal lights are formed when solar winds agitate the magnetic field of the earth, Ionizing the particles and causing them to give off light which we see in the form of the wispy bands of color across the night sky.The auroras can form in a variety of colors depending on the altitude of the particles when they become ionized.
When we call these tours a "hunt" for the northern lights we really mean it. These displays can be difficult to pin down but thankfully we have Northern Lights specialists on our team who read the weather data throughout the day! Their knowledge mixed with our team in the field looking for early signs of the lights and a little visit from lady luck allow us to get you to where the lights are likely to be and hopefully get you a great sighting.
For those nights, however, where we are not so lucky we do offer you a chance to reschedule and join us again! We are determined to make sure you see the lights!
The location for this tour is not fixed. because the lights can be highly unpredictable we will head out to a location where we think a sighting is the most likely. We may head out along the south coast or up towards the golden circle but in general, we try to keep our travel times as short as possible so that you get the maximum amount of time with the lights.
Each year, with the Northern Lights dazzling up high above Iceland, thousands of tourists will embark on a once in a lifetime trip to the country, in the hopes of seeing the lights for themselves. The Northern Lights are one of Iceland’s claims to fame and in the vast wilderness, well away from the lights of Reykjavik, the annual display of lights is truly magnificent.
Words don’t do this tour much justice. But a trip to see the Northern Lights in Iceland will fulfil all of your wildest daydreams about this atmospheric light show.
Book this unforgettable Iceland sightseeing trip today or browse through some of the best" Golden Circle tour Iceland" deals. Feeling adventurous? We at BusTravel Iceland we offer various Icelandic experiences. If you prefer water activities, why not book our unforgettable "Silfra snorkeling trip."
This luminous Iceland Northern Lights trip takes you on a search of the Northern Lights, otherwise known as the Aurora Borealis. It can be viewed in many of the Northern European nations, those bordering or closest to the Arctic. Colliding electrically charged sun particles entering the atmosphere result in the lights being spotted in the northern hemisphere, although there are also southern lights.
The Aurora Borealis appears in all kinds of bright colours. Green (or a pale green/yellow) is the most commonly seen colour, however, those lucky enough to be in Iceland at the right time of the year will also see pink, red, blue, and even orange lights. There are many factors that contribute to the colour of the lights, and you never quite know what colour lights you’ll see.
Depending on the type of gas particles colliding in the atmosphere, the lights take on these different colours. The common green colour is caused by oxygen high up above the earth while the very rare and rather special red lights are caused by oxygen found at a much higher altitude. When blue or purple lights are seen, it is due to the presence of nitrogen.
Our Northern Lights tours in Iceland will give you the best opportunity to see this natural once in a lifetime show.
The spectacular display is an annual event, and while some planning can help to ensure that you are in the right place at the right time, there is never a guarantee that you’ll see the lights on the night of your evening Reykjavik Northern Lights tour in Iceland. Many tour companies will, however, take the various factors that affect the intensity of the lights into consideration when taking tourists on tour.
In about 1880, the connection between the lights and solar activity was discovered although prior to that it had been suspected. Research in the 1950s conclusively proved that electrons and protons from the sun were blown by solar winds towards the earth and once they entered the atmosphere, the evening sky would light up. The colliding particles are what appears to make the lights dance. The lights can extend from about 80 kilometres to around 640 kilometres above the earth.
The debate about where the best place is to see the Northern Lights is one often talked about. Norway, Finland, and Alaska are popular countries along with Iceland, although there have been rare times when the lights have been spotted as far south as New Orleans in the USA. The lights take on the shape of an irregular oval, generally centred over each of the magnetic poles, both in the north and the south.
Northern Lights tours from Reykjavik, Iceland, are generally quite spot on when it comes to seeing the lights. Iceland is in the perfect location to take full advantage of display and each year tourists from across the world flock to Iceland to go on one of these tours.
If you find yourself leaning towards the Icelandic tour (and you certainly won’t be sorry about your choice), you’ll find that there are certain conditions that make for favourable sightings. Firstly, the tour you choose should be taking you well away from the bright lights of any built-up urban areas and then you will also need to take into consideration that time of year you are visiting.
September to April are good months to visit, and to be more specific the months of November to February are considered to be the best times. During the winter months, the days are shorter and the nights longer, giving you more than enough time to see the lights. One thing to keep in mind if you are planning to visit during these months is that the weather could cloud out the night sky, as these months are filled with rain and snow. The summer months are considered the worst time of the year, as Iceland has what is called the Midnight Sun, which is exactly what it means. Days are very long and the sun shines brightly well past midnight.
We have the experience and our guides know all the best places to see the Northern Lights. Our selection of interesting, affordable tours take guests to the heart of Iceland and showcase all of the very best sightings. Book an unforgettable Northern Lights package today.