This was a great night exploring Iceland to find the Aurora Borealis (Northern Lights). A quick spoiler, we did see them. I probably wouldn’t have written this post if I didn’t.
Anyway, into the Auroras.
This adventure started with us getting picked up at 10 p.m. from our hotel (we are out at seven tomorrow for another experience, so this was late). I like that the company does this, as it makes things more accessible and efficient. We are also the last to be picked up always. You may think this is had, but we are also the first to be dropped off.
Chasing the Aurora Borealis
I’m not going to lie; I was not optimistic about seeing the Northern Lights. When I checked the forecast, the chance of seeing them was around two, relatively low, along with a partly cloudy sky.
Our driver said he could see them showing up on our left. We abruptly pulled over and got off the bus to check them out. That was the moment when I saw the Northern Lights for the first time. They went that visible, but it would get better. Within 5 minutes of us getting out of the van, the lights started to get more visible, and we could see them dancing in the sky.
I didn’t think we would see them, never mind while the sun hadn’t fully set. We stayed here for a while, got some photos, and looked at the lights. We then proceed to another location.
Here it was so cold, -6 and windy (wind chill -14, but it felt colder). We didn’t stay out looking for long here, but the Northern Lights did show up for a second time. We got back onto the bus quite quickly here. This is where the driver got out Hot chocolate and kleina (an Icelandic pastry, like a dense doughnut). I’m sure these were meant to be enjoyed while watching the lights, but it was too windy and cold.
We made two more stops on our trip to find the northern lights. One was a quick stop, and we didn’t see anything. This was at a church. They weren’t apparent on the first stop. Our final stop, however, was by a lake. Here the Lights became the most visible and vibrant dancing in the sky. We also got to see different hues of the Aurora Borealis in purple.
Thank you, eastwest.is and to our guide Alvero for this fantastic experience of seeing the Northern Lights. I hope I get the chance to see them again soon.
Suppose you would like to see more about my time in Iceland. You can check out any of the posts below or visit my Iceland trip category.
