Chasing the Northern Lights

Last Updated on May 20, 2023 by Adam Watts

We were based in Reykjavik for a week of chasing the Northern Lights. This is our experience hunting that elusive aurora borealis. 

Chasing the Northern Lights Night One – We’re New To This

Our first night in Iceland had clear skies so we booked a night tour with Bus Travel Iceland. A minivan arrived, then we rendezvoused outside a gas station; in another life, we might have been waiting for a nondescript black sedan to exchange a briefcase full of diamonds for a briefcase full of cash. But tonight, we were waiting for a big tour bus, with its strong heating, comfortable seats, speaker system, and free WiFi.

And guide. We would be chasing the Northern Lights with Michael. I would describe him, but given the almost total darkness it’s difficult to say much more than that he had two eyes, one nose, one mouth, and a full complement of limbs in places one might expect to find such things.

We drove north west out of Reykjavik for a little over 30 minutes to Hvalfjordur (good luck trying to read that in your head). Somewhere near Hvalfjordur (have another try), we stopped. Thirty to forty of us huddled in front of the bus like a colony of penguins and looked up at the sky.

Michael got excited by the few of us with DSLR cameras and tripods. He asked us to run a few “tests” that were “integral” to the success of the night. He stressed the importance of these tests despite being the guide of an expensive Northern Lights tour with dozens of well-paying guests and not having his own camera. Good job we had a few guests who had cameras then, huh?

I took a “test” shot and to me it looked significantly vacant of Northern Lights. Michael came over and freaked out. “I see green! I see green!” he exclaimed, like he was trapped inside an avocado. Excitement trumped the cold as we looked up at the sky, but the “test” proved “faulty” and after an hour Michael said it wasn’t going to work out tonight.

Chasing the Northern Lights Night Two – At Least We Had Snacks

BusTravel Iceland – and indeed most Northern Lights tour companies in Iceland – let us re-book for free for the following night. A different guide, who told us that on days with clear skies, there’s a 50% chance of seeing the lights. So the odds were good for us that we’d be successfully chasing the Northern Lights tonight.

We drove in a different direction tonight, or so we were told. It was so dark and absent of landmarks outside the bus when we stopped that we could have been anywhere.

The guide set up a table with hot chocolate, fermented shark (kæstur hákarl), and kleiner biscuits. For those curious and want to try the shark, let Wikipedia haunt your nightmares:

Kæstur hákarl contains a large amount of ammonia and has a strong smell, similar to many cleaning products. It is often served in cubes on toothpicks. Those new to it may gag involuntarily on the first attempt to eat it because of the high ammonia content.

Chasing the Northern Lights Night Three – Tonight, Please, Please, Please…

Day Three started much the same. With the statistic of having a 50% chance of seeing the lights each night, and this being our third night, we were optimistic. So familiar with the logistics, we didn’t register which direction we drove or for how long. When we exited the bus, there was a big church on the opposite side of the road, illuminating the surroundings for miles. So bright, it seemed a strange place to see the lights, although the stars overhead were brighter than both previous nights.

The table with hot chocolate and kleiner was set up, but no kæstur hákarl tonight. The air was brisker than yesterday, so we ate and drank quickly, then scurried back on the bus.

Our guide was mentioning the score of two listed on the official aurora forecast website. On the scale of nine, two seemed pretty low, but the guide was saying that “sometimes scores of two come out brighter and more active than scores much higher”. Sure, just like how an earthquake at 2.3 on the Richter scale can “sometimes” be much more destructive than a 6.8. I call bullshit.

So, after three nights, we hadn’t even seen a glimmer of the northern lights. Good job we still had three nights to go. Surely, surely, surely, one of them would work out…

Chasing the Northern Lights Nights Four to Six – The Last Chances

We emailed BusTravel Iceland to rearrange our tour and like every other time, we would join the tour at the same place and time the next night. But as we explored Reykjavik on the fourth day, the dreariness of the sky didn’t bode well. And when it started raining properly around 5pm, the dreaded email came. “Northern Lights tours will not be running tonight. All bookings for tonight are valid for tomorrow.”

The next two days and nights were, sadly, identical. Our last day in Iceland was a complete washout, as we hibernated in our Airbnb listening to the rain pelt the world outside.

And on that disappointing note, our chasing of the Northern Lights ended with a whimper. I’m sorry this post is ending as disappointingly as the TV show Dexter did, but there was no Aurora for us. BusTravel Iceland told us that, on the bright side, our booking would stay valid for the next four years. So, err, stay tuned for part two of this post, sometime in the next half decade. See you then?

Before you go, for tips on making Iceland less expensive, click here.